Well Shut Off Valve

Thursday was a day of errands: Phil did another dump run. We all headed a few hours away for our cow mineral pick up and a Costco run. That was an expensive trip, the only one for a four month span, and we loaded down our poor van.

Friday Phil realized that our water pump, barely ekeing out water for the last few months, had finally slowed to a trickle. With a three day weekend coming, he called the pump installer. Earliest availability: Tuesday next week.

We'll manage till then. We have the 300 gallon tank filled and ready; Phil brought that to the cows and will go to the neighbor's to refill it.

Phil has to dismantle some fence and dig up some decorative crab apple trees around the little parking lot up near the road: the truck will have to get right up to the pump, and that requires some significant preparation.

What makes it the biggest bummer: Phil wondered a day or two ago if there was such a thing as a shut off valve for a pump. We've had one horrible pump blow out, where the water ran freely until the well ran dry (courtesy of cows loosening the pump line); we've had a few other cases of drawing the water dangerously low (courtesy of other cow and line issues).

He found that there is a way to prevent that. Incredible. There's a $30 switch that shuts the pump down before it runs dry.

When we spent five figures on the best installer for our well, I'm not sure why the installer didn't put that $30 part on. Legally it's not negligence, but it sure feels like a let down.

If you're on well water, I'd highly suggest that well shut off valve!