Weatherization of the well - whether it is necessary and how
If you live in a country house or visit a country house throughout the year, you definitely need to think about warming your well yourself. It does not matter - it is the only source of water supply or water from it is used only for irrigation and economic needs.
In any case, to preserve the integrity of the structure and the quality of water, this structure needs protection from freezing.

Why do it
This question may arise from those who use the well only in the warm season or have not yet experienced freezing of water in the mine.
What threatens the freezing of water in the well
You should not think that the warming of wells is necessary only in order to have access to water in any weather, without breaking the ice crust on its surface on frosty days. Although it is also very important - who wants to do this when you don't even want to stick your nose out into the street?

However, there are more compelling reasons:
- Frozen water tends to expand, exerting pressure on the walls of the well and causing their deformation and destruction. And if its level coincides with the junction of the rings, they may shift in violation of the tightness of the well shaft.
- The thickness of the ice can reach several tens of centimeters. Such a lump has a very large weight and when falling down when trying to pierce it or even when the water level drops, it can damage not only the walls of the well, but also the water-lifting equipment inside it.
- If a submersible pump is installed in the well, and it falls into the freezing zone, it will not be possible to deflate the water, and the device itself will be ruined.
When you can do without warming
There are wells that do not need warming..
These include:
- The construction of wells with chopped wooden mine. The tree retains heat well, and the water in them does not freeze;
- Wells in which the water level is deep, below the level of soil freezing;

- Wells located in regions with warm winters.
In such cases, the instruction requires only the installation of a roof or a canopy over the neck or equipment of its cover to protect the water from precipitation, dust and debris. (See also the article How to install a plastic cover for a well)
Ways of warming
Building a house, we always think how to make it warm. To this end, at the construction stage, heat-insulating materials, well laying with insulation or cladding of the facade are used. Similarly, you need to take care of the well already during its design.
If this has not been done, it is never too late to fix the situation.
Note! It is much more difficult to restore the unfrozen water supply system that supplies water from the well - it will have to be completely replaced. Therefore, in cold regions, pipes should be laid to a depth below freezing or laid in a trench heating cable.
Deciding how to insulate the well for the winter, should be depending on the minimum temperature in your area, the structure of the structure and the level at which it is water. Sometimes it is enough to build a warm lid on the neck, but more serious measures may be required.
Construction of a well house
Decorative house will not only decorate your source, but also protect it from frost. To do this, remove the soil around the well by 1.5-2 meters in each direction, fill the depression with sand or fine gravel and make the blind area. (See also the article Decorative wooden wells: how to choose.)
A house is installed on it - it can be stone, wooden, brick. The main thing is to fill the space between its inner walls and the neck of the well with insulation: expanded clay, foam plastic, etc.

After that, horizontal facing is performed to give the building a finished look and protect the insulation from moisture.
Warm cover device
The cover can be made from different materials. The simplest is made of wood. But for the lid to keep warm well, it is desirable to perform it in the form of a “sandwich”. An example of such a construction is well-laying with insulation, but in our case moisture-proof plywood should be used for the outer and inner layers.
Two circles are cut out from it according to the internal diameter of the mine, and between them polystyrene or polystyrene foam is laid. It is advisable to paint plywood with oil paint to protect it from moisture.

The cover with the help of cables fixed on hooks mounted into it is lowered into the well below ground level, but so that its lower plane does not touch water.
Note! It is necessary to make a hole in the lid and insert a tube into it for ventilation, otherwise the water quality will deteriorate.
Wall insulation
The methods described above cannot be avoided if the winters in your region are severe and the well is made of concrete rings. This material does not hold heat and freezes to the same depth as the soil, therefore, requires mandatory insulation from it.
Before insulating a well of concrete rings, it is necessary to dig a trench around it to the full depth of soil freezing.
Having cleaned the walls of dirt, you can get to work.
- Warming of a well with polystyrene foam - the easiest and most affordable option. This material is produced not only by slabs, but also in the form of semi-cylinders of different diameters, which allows them to be used for both square and round structures. Connecting elements of tongue and groove on the edges simplify installation, the main thing is to choose the right diameter.

Note. Polystyrene foam has a low resistance to ultraviolet rays, so the above-ground insulated part of the well must be painted or wrapped with protective material - foil, tar.
- Insulation with izolon also does not require any effort - this material has an adhesive base and is easily glued to the walls. Its outer side is covered with a layer of foil.
- Excellent insulation for the well - polyurethane foam. It fills all cracks and crevices in the walls of the well, forming after solidification a continuous seamless layer that does not absorb moisture and does not emit harmful substances. But, like expanded polystyrene, it must be protected from sunlight. This material is applied with special equipment, in which foam forming components are mixed under pressure.

Note! It is possible to work with polyurethane foam only in warm weather, otherwise foaming will be bad and the material consumption will be higher.
The price of all materials recommended for insulation is very low, all the work can be done by hand, so you should not neglect the insulation of the well. If you do not do it on time, the cost of repairing it and buying damaged equipment will be much higher.
Conclusion
If you have any doubts as to whether you can cope with this work yourself, watch the video in this article about how the well is being insulated with foam plastic and other materials that are equally available.