Common well and water system problems after a fire.
With the several fires damaging our Deer Park, Angwin, St. Helena, and Calistoga communities recently, this article is written with the common fire related problems that are associated with the wells, tanks, and water systems of the many rural homeowners.
Well Damage
Many wells that are exposed to fires have damage on the surface that can damage the well pump installed deep underground that were never exposed to the fire! The “well head” is the part of the well that sticks up out of the ground and has the water pipe that brings water from the pump to your home/storage tank. This also has the wire that supplies electricity to the well pump.
Many well heads incorporate high quality plastics, but they are still plastic and degrade quickly from the heat associated with an intense fire. The well casing may melt and the weight of the pump, pipe, water, and wire cause the equipment to sink down through the melting plastic. There is a significant amount of weight, often several thousand pounds. When the upper well casing no longer supports this weight the pump, wire, pipe, and water in it fall down, bounce around and crash to the bottom of the well. The first thing our crew does in these cases is to take a few photos to document the problem and then they fish your well equipment out of the well. Our crew inspects the wire, pipe, check valves, and pump. In some cases, a few items can be salvaged.
In the majority of these cases, we dig down, cut the well casing below where it has melted, and then attach a new casing to bring it back above grade. We then install a new pump, pipe, and wiring. WE DO NOT RECOMMEND TRYING TO REUSE the old wire or equipment in these cases, even if it appear like it might be functional. Why? Because it actually may work for a few days and then fail! The banging around and impact of the fall may not have broken the equipment outright, but this violent fall is likely to have caused micro-cracks, component warpage, or internal damage in the pump. The wiring is stretched compromising the insulation and damaging the electrical connection socket at the motor.
Homeowners and insurance companies don’t like to pay twice for the same job and we don’t aspire to do the same job twice! Our reputation is on the line and our repair crews are maxed out repairing fire damage in the aftermath of these events. One of OPS’ goal is to the best quality repair implemented the first time around and to restore your equipment to a state equal to or better than it was prior to the fire damage.
Electrical Supply Damage
The electrical supply to your well may be shut off by the utility provider which will prevent the equipment from working! Our crews typically have a generator to test equipment with and provide temporary power while they are onsite, but OPS does not typically rent or sell generators. We typically try to coordinate with our customers so that the repairs are done in conjunction with power being restored to the site.
In many cases, the power supply to the well is damaged at above ground locations such as panels and junction boxes. In most of these cases the old wire needs to be removed/pulled out from the conduit, the conduit and electrical panels repaired at their above ground/exposed locations, and then new wire installed between destinations. While OPS has qualified electricians on staff and can restore/repair the electrical problems encountered, we often work with electricians to restore the power supply to the well equipment sites and our crews focus on the electrical restoration specific to the operation of the well and booster pumps and their control systems.
Pump Accessories
The well and pump work in conjunction with pressure tanks, pressure switches, and various pump controllers. If the location of this equipment was spared from fire then it can frequently be re-used. In many cases, this equipment is located next to the well and is damaged when the well head is burned. OPS has a full stock of this equipment on hand, excellent suppliers, and fully stocked service trucks. Our crews are fully equipped to replace the pressure switches, pressure tanks, float switches, control boxes, and the interconnected wiring/piping that make your water system work.
Storage Tanks
Cement and Steel tanks fare relatively well in a fire. Their most vulnerable spot is the piping connections. In some cases, plastic pipe feeds the top storage tank or supplies water to the house from the bottom of the storage tank. This pipe is damaged where it enters/exits the tank and must be repaired and the tank flushed prior to putting it back into service. Plastic tanks are much more vulnerable to fire and are frequently reduced to a black smudge on the ground. The silver lining is that plastic tanks are usually available in short order and are relatively inexpensive to replace.
Piping Infrastructure
In some cases, the piping infrastructure is very badly damaged by fire. This may be because the pipes were not buried deeply or it could be that many of the above ground connection points burned leaving large leaks. The piping should be investigated as much as possible to find the extent of the damage so that repairs can start in conjunction to any well and pump repairs.
If you have suffered loss in the recent fires, know that our local crew wants to help you restore and rebuild with efficiency and competency! Please understand that many of our customers have experienced loss and there may be a few weeks lead time before we can schedule your project. Properties where the home survived with some damage to the water/electrical infrastructure typically get top priority because this will result in getting people out of hotels and back in their homes as soon as possible! Please contact us if we can help you through this rebuilding process! Also, check out our previous article that discusses some important water system factors to consider before you rebuild from a fire.