Well insulation has great importance, because if the work is not done in advance, the structure may freeze in winter. In severe frosts, the thickness of the ice plug can reach half a meter, and water supply systems often freeze to the very bottom. To avoid such problems, you should insulate the well yourself before the start of winter.
You will have to spend a lot of money to eliminate all these problems, so it is better to prevent their occurrence by completing the well insulation work on time.
How to insulate a well quickly and inexpensively? Exist various options carrying out work, and they all have their positive sides.
You can line the well with insulation such as polystyrene foam. Before installing the material, carry out preparatory work, which consists of digging a trench one and a half meters deep. Next, based on the size of the rings, a shell made of polystyrene foam is selected. It is fixed using the tongue-and-groove system, and the trench is simply buried.
Well masonry with polystyrene foam shell is good because the structure will be reliably protected from freezing in winter. The insulating material does not deform under soil pressure and is capable of maintaining thermal insulation characteristics for 25 years, not susceptible to mold and mildew.
The only disadvantage of polystyrene foam as insulation is that the material is afraid of direct influence sun rays. You can correct the situation with your own hands: just cover the shell with foil or paint it with oil paint.
It is worth remembering that, since all wells are different, it is better to make shells from polystyrene foam to order.
The well masonry will not freeze if you put an insulating cover on the well in advance. Install it to a depth that exceeds the soil freezing level, but the lid should not touch the water.
Executed according to the right technology taking into account the requirements for ventilation of the structure, the well cover will reliably protect the structure with water from freezing, and the quality drinking water it will not get worse.
Making a well cover with your own hands is quite simple.
Why can’t masonry be lined with mineral wool? This material it crumbles a lot, and if mineral wool particles get into the water, it will not be possible to use it for drinking.
The second plywood panel is usually fixed a meter higher than the insulation. However, experts have differing opinions on the issue of air cushion. One side speaks of the need for a layer of air, others recommend placing the lid directly on the insulation.
When working with insulating material, do not forget about ventilation. This can be achieved by running a ventilation pipe through 2 panels. It is important that the bottom of the pipe does not come into contact with water.
Instead of installing a pipe, you can use a reinforced concrete washer equipped with a plastic hatch. This option is more acceptable, as it has a long service life. A similar cover is mounted between the first and upper rings; the seams should be sealed. Additionally, the well washer can be insulated with expanded clay, poured in a layer equal to the thickness of the hatch. The standard layer is 9 centimeters.
How to insulate a well so that it also looks beautiful? You can use wood - a material that retains heat well. Just install the frame directly on the well. This solution will allow the structure to look attractive and fit perfectly into any landscape design.
A wooden frame serves several functions. It reliably protects the well from freezing, decorates the area and prevents debris from getting into the water.
You can make a log house yourself or turn to professionals. The area near the well is prepared in advance: a blind area is made, paving stones or tiles are laid. Then the well masonry is framed with a wooden frame, and the space between the rings and the wooden structure is filled with expanded clay. A decorative house with gable roof. The finished log house must be treated with a special impregnation, for example, Aquatex.
This method does not require large financial expenditures. How to insulate a well for the winter with polyurethane foam? To carry out the work, you need to know where the groundwater is located and what the diameter of the well rings is. It is important to work at temperatures environment, equal to 20-30 degrees. If the temperature during the procedure is different, the mixture will begin to actively foam, which will lead to high material costs.
No preliminary preparation is required: polyurethane foam will fill all pores on its own. The work technology is as follows:
That's all, the well masonry is reliably protected!
If you insulate a well in advance using one of the presented methods, you will not have to worry about it winter period you won't have to. However, it is important that not only the well lining is protected, but also water pipes, if water is supplied to the house using a pump. By completing this work in advance, you will ensure high-quality water supply to your home during the cold season.
Waking up in the morning, one goes to the kitchen and makes coffee, the other goes to the bathroom to take a shower. For both of them, to use the water, you just need to open the tap. But in the village, you first have to run to the well with a bucket. And it’s good if it’s summer. What if it’s winter, minus twenty, and the well is frozen? This is a familiar situation, isn't it? To avoid having to melt the snow, you can insulate the well yourself or invite specialists.
Wooden wells made it possible to collect water for the household at any time of the year, even in the harshest winters
For those who live in the village all year round, wells are usually insulated. At a minimum, the house or cover is installed, and that’s already something. “Summer” migrants rarely insulate their water sources, unaware that they are significantly shortening their lifespan. The fact is that when water freezes, it expands and can destroy any material, including reinforced concrete. If a plug forms at the joint, this leads to displacement of the rings. An uninsulated well will quickly require repairs, which material costs comparable to the cost of a new one. Also, an ice plug, the thickness of which reaches fifty centimeters, can simply break due to changes in the water level. Then everything will suffer pump equipment located in the well.
Wood retains heat well. And if you make a well entirely from this material, it doesn’t allow high price construction work, then you can afford a log house. This is also decorative solution– wood fits perfectly into any style of suburban area.
A wooden log house with a house performs several functions: they protect the well from freezing, prevent debris from getting into the water and decorate the area
You can make a house and a log house yourself, or you can contact specialists who know how to insulate a well using this material. The area around the well needs to be prepared, for example, by making a blind area, filling in crushed stone, laying tiles or paving stones. Then an insulating wooden frame is mounted on top of the well. The space between it and the ring is filled with mineral wool or expanded clay. A decorative house with a gable roof is installed on top of the log house. Such a structure must be protected with Aquatex-type impregnation. The cost of this insulation option, depending on the shape and size of the log house itself and the house above it, ranges from 19,500 rubles to 26,000 rubles.
The easiest way to avoid ice jams is an insulated well cover. It accumulates the heat of water, the temperature of which in winter is 6-7 degrees. Installed at a depth exceeding the soil freezing level. In this case, the lid should not touch the water.
The insulating cover for the well reliably protects against freezing. The main thing is not to forget about ventilation so that the water quality does not deteriorate.
It is made as follows:
When making an insulating cover, you need to remember about ventilation. To do this, you need to run a ventilation pipe through both panels. A two-meter piece is enough. The bottom of the pipe should not touch the water.
If your budget allows, you can install a reinforced concrete washer with a plastic hatch. It is more reliable and will last as long as the well itself. Such a cover is installed between the upper and first rings not only during construction, but also after several years. The seams between them are completely sealed or liquid glass, or cement mortar. Expanded clay is poured over the washer as additional insulation. The height of the layer is equal to the thickness plastic hatch, which is about 8-10 centimeters. Prices for a regular insulated cover start from 7,000 rubles, for a reinforced concrete cover – from 19,500 rubles.
Before insulating a well for the winter with polystyrene, you need to carry out preparatory work. A trench is dug along the entire perimeter, the depth of which is at least 1.5 meters. Then the polystyrene foam shell is selected according to the diameter and size of the rings. It is fastened with tongue-and-groove connecting elements. After this, the trench is buried.
The polystyrene foam shell retains heat perfectly and protects the well from freezing in winter
The material has many advantages:
The only significant disadvantage of polystyrene foam is that it is “afraid” ultraviolet rays. Coping with this problem is, in principle, quite simple: you need to paint the shell with oil paint or cover it with foil or roofing felt. The cost of this insulation method depends on the diameter and height of the well rings. It is best to make polystyrene shells to order; however, the size of the wells may vary.
Each well requires its own approach. In some places it is enough to build a wooden house, but in others you need to install an insulating cover and a polystyrene foam shell.
Polyurethane requires mandatory protection from UV radiation. It can be covered with foil or painted with oil paint. You cannot use substances containing acetone!
A budget option for insulating a well is to use polyurethane foam. It does not rot, does not emit harmful substances, does not absorb moisture and, very importantly, will not be eaten by rats or mice. And there is no need to prepare the surface of the rings. The material fills all cracks and defects in the walls, thereby extending their service life.
Insulation of a well with polyurethane foam should be carried out at an ambient temperature of 20 to 30 degrees Celsius. Otherwise, the heat-insulating mixture will not foam well, and the consumption of materials will increase significantly.
First, they dig a trench around the well to the freezing depth. Then all components of the mixture are brought to desired temperature. Using a spray gun, polyurethane foam is applied to the walls of the well in an even layer. As a result, after hardening, a three-centimeter layer of thermal insulation is formed. It must be protected from ultraviolet radiation with foil or oil paint. A well is a source of water on the site. If you protect it, it will last for many decades. You can insulate a well with your own hands - proven! And if you treat it carelessly, you can be left without water at all on the site. Then no professional will be able to help you.
Almost all drinking wells that are used for water extraction are on a par with wells autonomous water supply experience significant operational difficulties in winter.
The fact is that when exposed to low temperatures, the water supply wire or the layer of water reserves located at the top freezes. Based on this, insulating a well with your own hands is a priority task just like (or rather, the implementation of such insulation).
The well belongs to the class of those hydraulic structures, which are objects with constantly high water levels.
Insulating a well, or rather well masonry, for the winter using polystyrene foam is the only correct way technical solution, with the help of which reliable thermal insulation will be created.
An ice plug forms during the freezing process of the well walls, regardless of their thickness. This seriously impedes the collection of well water. The thickness of the ice plug can reach 30 centimeters, and the surface of the walls is covered with frost.
Since water tends to expand when it freezes, and the trunk of a well masonry is essentially one large pipe, regardless of the thickness of the walls, without the use of insulation, the expanding plug of ice causes damage to the formwork.
This will significantly underestimate such a parameter of the structure as durability, even if done. Subsequently, a plug may form within the well masonry, which will affect the condition of the concrete rings.
In this case, with a large share It is likely that a displacement of the concrete rings may occur both relative to each other and vertically.
Therefore, the task of selecting and installing insulation for the winter around the well masonry is one of the most important. Another consequence associated with the lack of insulation is the same ice plug melting along the edges of the well masonry.
After the edges melt, the cork slides along the inner surface of the walls and falls down. As a result of a fairly heavy ice plug falling onto the surface of the water, a hydrodynamic shock occurs, which negatively affects the condition of the masonry and the inner surface of the walls.
In the event that the well depth parameter is less than the value of the soil freezing depth, freezing of water in the well will pass through the surface of the walls even if done.
As a rule, this happens in areas characterized by a high degree of swampiness or near bodies of water, where aquifers are located at a depth of 1-2 meters.
If the well formwork is insulated with foam plastic, then freezing is unlikely to occur. Reviews about this insulation are mostly positive.
It is worth keeping in mind that not all popular materials that provide thermal insulation are suitable for insulating a well.
For example, insulation presented in the form of a material such as mineral wool or rolled fiberglass will not be as effective under the current conditions.
In the process of getting wet, such insulation will lose all its basic qualities and properties, which can subsequently provoke further freezing of the masonry.
In this case, experts strongly recommend using polystyrene foam half rings. These products have a special locking system, thanks to which the structure will be reliably protected from the adverse effects of negative temperatures.
The presented material, along with minimal heat transfer and moisture absorption, is distinguished by such qualities as:
However, it is worth noting that the presented insulation is quite often attacked by rodents. This is perhaps its only drawback.
The process of insulation with polystyrene foam half rings occurs with great ease, and you can do all the work yourself.
Thanks to the availability lock system the edges receive a seam with a high degree of reliability. The insulation itself is attached to the inner surface of the well using conventional adhesive composition or a mixture used for laying ceramic tiles.
It is worth paying attention to those compositions that are intended for use in open spaces. The glue must exhibit frost- and water-resistant qualities.
Additional fixation of the half ring c can be done using ordinary dowels. Isolon, whose thickness is slightly less than polystyrene foam, is also used quite often.
Despite its small thickness, the material provides reliable thermal insulation. The installation process is quite simple due to the presence of a self-adhesive layer.
In order to glue the coating you only need to remove the special protective film and align the Isolon strip along the entire inner surface of the well walls.
In some cases, polyurethane foam performs well when insulating a well. On its surface, as on Penoplex, tiny irregularities are formed, due to the presence of which the ability to adhesion significantly increases.
In addition, polyurethane foam provides a high level of waterproofing of the well. Due to its properties, two-component polyurethane can be easily applied to any surface.
During installation there is no need to use additional elements, providing fastening.
The foam layer adheres very tightly to the inner surface of the concrete rings of the well. Polyurethane foam is different:
However, it is worth noting that the presented insulation material quickly deteriorates when exposed to direct sunlight.
In view of this, the insulating layer must be covered with finishing elements. The insulation process itself is carried out using sandwich panels, which are presented in the form of a multilayer material.
Its main part consists of an insulating layer, which is placed in the space between two outer surfaces.
The insulation itself is divided into several stages. First, the soil is excavated along the entire perimeter of the well to the depth of freezing of the ground.
After this, you need to heat up the polyurethane foam components, which are placed in separate containers.
After heating, they enter the spray chamber under pressure where they are mixed. Next, the resulting substance is coated inner surface well walls.
Due to the fact that polyurethane foam quickly foams and increases its volume, it effectively fills the smallest cracks and crevices in concrete.
The thickness of the coating after it hardens is 2-3 centimeters. This insulation quickly deteriorates when exposed to direct ultraviolet rays. To avoid this, the surface layer is covered with foil or oil-based paint.
All-season operation of the well suburban area involves laying a water pipeline. This means that the water supply in the house will depend entirely on the correct insulation of this communication. Careful owners lay the water supply below the level of winter soil freezing, while simultaneously paying attention to protection from severe frosts and the well itself.
Freezing of water in a well is not only a cessation of water supply. Due to the expansion of ice, the concrete rings are damaged and the integrity of the shaft is lost. And sometimes the rings shift greatly, forming sinkholes. Water pipes and electrical cable, connected to the pump. If there is a submersible pump below, it also fails. After such a winter trouble, the owners will face major renovation well. This will be followed by re-installation of the water supply system and the purchase of new equipment. Because of this, it will be stopped for a long time.
The answer to the question of whether a well should be insulated is obvious. If you plan to use plumbing system, in which the most important technical unit is the well shaft itself - insulation of the well is vital.
However, we must not forget about the well, even if it is not actively used in winter. This is especially true in cold regions, where the freezing point of the soil is located at an impressive depth of 2.5 meters. Such climatic conditions(and especially when high level groundwater) the well will freeze to the very bottom. As a result, an ice plug forms in the water, which destroys the lower rings.
Nowadays it is rare to find traditional wells with walls made of logs. Such sources were not afraid of frost. The water in them froze less often, and if ice did form, it could not harm the frame.
era reinforced concrete rings made wells vulnerable to frost, regardless of whether they are used in winter or not.Each owner will decide on his own whether it is worth insulating a well that is idle in winter. But I would like to remind you once again that frost will equally quickly render unusable a well shaft that is not used in winter, as well as a well that regularly supplies water autonomous system water supply
There are quite a lot of insulation options, each of which you can do yourself with due care. But there are only five most popular methods of insulation.
This method is good not only for its high-quality thermal insulation, but also for its ability to protect the well shaft from accidental ingress of debris (for example, fallen tree leaves in autumn).
You will need:
Wooden house- not only a beautiful decorative detail of the yard, but also quite high-quality insulation. It is also often called a log house.
Materials:
Fur coat - simple and effective method frost protection.
A small trench is dug around the first ring (the owner’s task is to gain free access to the ring located in the ground along its entire height) - maximum depth 1.5 meters.
Mounted around the ring thermal insulation material. 
If it is polystyrene foam, it can be attached with ordinary wire (wrap it several times around the perimeter of the ring, and fill the cracks with foam).
The trench is filled with sand to ground level, and top part insulation material is protected by a wooden box. It needs to be painted or wrapped in foil if polystyrene foam was used as insulation, which is not exposed to direct sunlight (ultraviolet radiation is harmful). Insulation is completed by installing a warm cover on the shaft.
These types of insulation are used as a budget-friendly and quick-to-install material.
You will need:
It should be noted that a warm lid is needed in any case. But without insulation of the upper ring of the shaft it will not be sufficient effective protection.
Experts advise preserving all wells that are not used in winter for the cold period. To do this, disinfection is carried out, and then water is pumped out of the mine. An insulated lid is lowered onto the top ring. On top it is covered with plastic film and generously filled with any insulation of natural origin - fallen leaves, straw, sawdust. It is believed that the water in the well will arrive only in the spring. Although in fact this can happen much earlier if a well shaft is placed on a powerful water vein.
Wells having wooden walls instead of concrete rings, they are not insulated with anything additional except the lid.
The best insulation For rings, polystyrene foam is rightfully considered. It is resistant to moisture and fungus, does not deform and can be easily dismantled if necessary. The only disadvantage of the material is the fear of ultraviolet radiation.
Durable materials are used to insulate the cover. Mineral wool and other brittle material can contaminate the water.
If for any reason the cover is above ground level, more thorough insulation of the upper and first rings is necessary.
Device vent in the lid will help avoid the appearance of a musty smell that spoils the taste of the water. Length ventilation pipe should be no more than two meters and a diameter of six centimeters. Its lower end cannot touch the water. Be sure to take this into account if the work is carried out by a third-party contractor.
Well insulation is important stage its arrangement. Without such an event, operation will be seasonal, and if the water freezes, damage to the structure may occur. Insulation is necessary for any wells in which there is water in the shaft - water supply and sewer. You should also pay attention to the underground pipeline of your own water supply or sewer system.
The question of how to insulate a well is being resolved different ways. They are based on the following principles: deepening below the soil freezing level, thermal insulation of the entire well shaft or only its upper part.
Previously, wells were built in the form of a log house, insulation was provided by the high thermal insulation properties of wood. Today the following insulation materials are used:
Should not be used mineral wool, because when fibrous particles get into the water, it becomes dangerous for drinking.
In winter, as a result of exposure to low temperatures, the soil freezes to a certain depth. The level of freezing depends on the properties of the soil and temperature conditions, i.e. it is a specific characteristic of the region where the well is located. If in the southern regions the freezing depth does not exceed 70-80 cm, then in northern latitudes it can reach 2 m. The average depth is 1.2-1.4 m.
The frozen ground becomes main reason freezing of water in the mine. Below the soil freezing level, the water temperature is above 0°C, so ice does not form. Within the soil freezing zone, water cools to temperatures sufficient to freeze it. This can be avoided by insulating the walls of the well.
An ice crust in the mine may appear due to cooling of the water from above. When there is frost and the head is open, there is a high probability of an ice shell forming on the surface of the water. Even in wooden well sometimes you have to make a hole to lift a bucket of water up.
Water supply and treatment wells are most often made of reinforced concrete rings, which do not have thermal insulation capabilities. In order to prevent the water from freezing in them, it is necessary to insulate the mine. It can be applied to a depth up to the freezing level or cover only the upper ring.
Insulation work begins with digging a pit around a well 25-30 cm wide. The depth of the pit is 1.2-2 m if the entire mine shaft is insulated, or 50-60 cm if only the upper ring needs to be insulated. In areas with a temperate climate, the second option is sufficient.
The most common methods of insulating wells made of reinforced concrete rings are:
Insulating a well with your own hands will be ineffective if the necessary thermal insulation of your own water supply or sewage system is not provided. The laying of pipelines with water supply must be carried out below the freezing level of the soil. The pipes are laid on a bed of sand and crushed stone. Thermal insulation is most often made of mineral wool or polystyrene foam. The technology is based on the use of foam plastic “shells” for pipes.
The main way to insulate a concrete well is to install thermal insulation around the head. The most common solution is a wooden superstructure over the well. The tree protects well from frost. Additional thermal insulation is formed around the well outlet. A cushion of sand and crushed stone is poured between the walls of the superstructure and the head of the well, then a layer of mineral wool or expanded clay is laid. From above, such a blind area is concreted and covered wooden flooring with a layer of waterproofing.
When water freezes, it expands, which has a destructive effect on the concrete rings of the well. To exclude such a phenomenon when winter preservation constructions, insulated covers are used, which are lowered below the soil penetration level. At the site of its installation, special protrusions are made on the wall of the well. 
The cover is made of two panels round shape made of waterproof plywood, chipboard, wood. The diameter of the discs should be 4-5 cm less than the internal diameter of the concrete ring. Hooks are attached to the top element, with which you can lower and raise the lid. The insulation of the well cover is placed between the disks and is made of polystyrene foam or polyurethane foam 7-10 cm thick. Mineral wool cannot be used.
A similar design can be used in an existing well, if water is pumped out of it using a pump. In this case, a hole is made in the lid to allow the water hose and power cable to come out. The cover is also lowered below the freezing level of the soil.
It is possible to avoid freezing of water in a well by artificial heating, but this method requires large costs for the purchase of equipment and electricity. Most often used for these purposes heating cable. Heating is provided by the high resistance of the conductor. The cable is lowered into the shaft of a mine or well on a cable inside the pipe to prevent contact with moisture. When submitting electrical voltage heat is released which melts the ice shell.
If the well is made in the form wooden log house, then such a design will easily cope with frost. It is enough just to cover the head with a wooden superstructure. Concrete wells require insulation even if they are not used in winter. Thermal insulation can be done in different ways, as illustrated in the video.
