Winter is hard on water equipment in Troy. Cold snaps, freezing rain, and the occasional power outage can stop flow or damage parts that ran fine all summer. A few checks in the fall give you time to fix small problems before they become emergencies. This guide covers what to look at whether your home is on city water or draws from a private well.
Start with the places that freeze
Most winter trouble begins where pipes run through cold spaces. Look at crawlspaces, unheated garages, basement rim joists, and exterior walls on the north side of the house. Foam sleeves and heat tape cover the basics, but seal drafts first, because a pipe sitting in moving cold air freezes faster than one in a still space. Disconnect garden hoses from outdoor bibs and drain them. If your bibs have inside shutoffs, close them and open the bibs so any trapped water can drain out.
Check the pressure tank and pump house
Private well owners in rural Lincoln County should give the pressure tank, pump, and wiring extra attention. A pump house without heat lets cold reach the tank and pressure switch. Watch the pressure gauge through a few normal cycles. If the pump runs longer than usual or starts and stops rapidly, the tank may have lost its air charge or a valve may be sticking. Use only heaters rated for the space, and keep them clear of anything that can catch fire.
Protect the softener, filters, and water heater
A water softener needs salt in the brine tank, and salt bridges form more easily in damp, cold conditions. Break up any crust with a broom handle and keep the salt at a steady level. Make sure the drain line does not run through an unheated area where it can freeze and back up. Whole-house sediment filters and reverse osmosis cartridges should be changed on schedule, since clogged cartridges cut flow and can make pressure problems worse in cold months. Troy's very hard water also builds scale inside water heaters. A tank that rumbles or heats slowly may be scaled up, so flushing it once a season helps.
Plan for power outages
Ice storms can take power down for hours. A well pump stops without electricity, and softeners and filters stop with it. Before a storm, fill clean containers with drinking water if you rely on a private well, and find your main shutoff and pump breaker now, not in the dark. Keep the phone number of a well service company handy. If you run a generator, place it outside, away from windows, doors, and vents.
What to do after a freeze or thaw
If a pipe freezes, do not use an open flame to thaw it. Open the faucet on that line, then warm the frozen section slowly with a hair dryer or heat tape. Once water flows, check joints and fittings for leaks. After a thaw, watch the water for several days. Cloudiness, a change in color, or a new odor is a reason to pay closer attention and to test rather than guess.
Private well owners should consider a lab test for coliform bacteria after any flooding, power loss, or repair to the well or pressure system. Radium occurs in deep bedrock in this part of Missouri, and it has no taste or smell, so only a test will show it. Iron, manganese, nitrates, and hydrogen sulfide are also worth testing for, since each has its own signs and its own lab method. A certified lab can explain what each result means for your system.
A simple fall checklist
- Insulate exposed pipes and seal drafts in crawlspaces and garages.
- Drain and disconnect outdoor hoses, and close interior bib shutoffs.
- Watch the pressure tank and pump cycling in the pump house.
- Check the softener salt level and clear any salt crust.
- Confirm the softener drain line stays in a heated area.
- Replace filter cartridges that are due.
- Flush the water heater.
- Locate the main shutoff, pump breaker, and your emergency water supply.
- Schedule a well test if you have not tested in a while.