6 TIPS FOR WELL OWNERS DURING THE HURRICANE
Weather is “active” in the southern Atlantic, and maybe several hurricanes will form. Florence is currently forecast to make landfall on the East Coast of the US as a major hurricane.
Well, at Well Guardian Corporation, our product – WelGard® Protection – has clients up an down that coast, and wanted to offer them timely advice on what to do if you depend on a well and the weather turns bad.
- Make sure that all movable items are secured against hurricane-force winds, so that they don’t fly into the well casing causing damage.
- Check the well cap to be certain it is secure. Surface water and excessive rain can enter the well, causing bacteria and other contaminants, very quickly.
- Store some water. The bathtub is effective for water you can bucket to flush the toilet, and some potable water in gallon jugs (1 gallon per person per day is recommended) should be kept. Don’t forget pools and hottubs as a possible water supply (for non potable uses).
- Given a more likely possibility of electrical outages or surges, turn your circuit breaker for the well pump to the “Off” position when the water supply is not in use. You’ll have some water in the pressure tank and hot water heater, and can refill those tanks when you feel it is less likely to have a lightning event or power surge. Limit the time the circuit is “On”.
- Keep checking for leaks! The smallest of leaks (e.g. toilets) can draw down the well and keep the pump running more than it should. When running, more weather related electrical events can occur.
- Finally, if you lose power, having planned ahead may help. Have a licensed well professional or electrician place a male plug on the pump to take advantage of a portable power genrator. If wired in advance, a quick “switch” to the gnerator will keep the water on until power to the house is restored by your utility.
We hope that these weather events don’t adversely affect you, but we are ready to help WelGard® clients! Look for more ideas on our website (www.WellGuardian.us or www.WelGard.com) for resetting a low pressure cut off switch, and how to find leaking toilets, as well as other self help ideas.
About Well Guardian Corporation: Well Guardian Corporation offers the oldest and best well warranty (named “WelGard® Protection”) available today. Formed in 2002, we have transformed well ownership by allowing homeowners to “Take the worry out of owning a well”, and professionalized well testing results for thousands of clients and their realtors. For more information, call Phil Grantham at 410.630.6900 x12.
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