Family and Friends are Essential to Building a Pump House

When my wife and I purchased a rundown farm in March 2019, we knew we would be facing challenges. One of those challenges was the pump house.

As with many rural homes, our farm's water comes from a well.  A pump house is a small building that typically shelters the incoming supply line from the well, an electrical panel for the pump, a pressure tank, and outgoing supply lines.  In Southern Alberta, it is important that pump houses be heated and insulated to avoid water lines freezing in winter.

Our challenge - we had a pump house in name, but not function.  It was a draughty, mouse and bat-infested, dilapidated shed servicing two homes and a defunct greenhouse.  Within that pump house were five portable electric heaters, about four too many.  Keeping the water lines from freezing in winter required a lot of energy and was also a fire hazard.  The pump house was in bad condition and needed to be rebuilt.

I had never worked on a pump house before, did not understand how the equipment worked, or the electrical wiring requirements.  However, living in western Canada, I had until the end of September - seven months - before the onset of winter.  

It was a busy spring and summer.  Projects, at work, at my property in town, and on the farm, took up my time.  All too soon, it was the end of August and the pump house restoration remained on the priority list.  I had a rough idea of what the finished pump house needed to be, but how to begin alluded me.  I was waffling what to use for the foundation.  As winter approached, I was feeling overwhelmed.  There was a lot of praying and thinking and reprioritizing; however, all indications were that rebuilding the pump house would be put off until next year.

Then a miracle happened.  

One day in mid-August, a friend came to visit.  While I was busy with an electrician, my friend began to tear down the old pump house. The time for vacillating had come to an end; now no amount of heaters would keep the water lines from freezing.

A few days later, my brother-in-law came over and helped dig out the foundation for the new structure.  Within days, my niece and I were pouring the cement and building the foundation. After a week of curing, the foundation was ready to build upon.

The second week of September was approaching; time was running out. Thankfully a team of family and friends came to the rescue and framed the new structure with solid 2-by-6 lumber, allowing me the opportunity to figure out the electrical wiring for the pump, heater, and lighting.  With the help of my in-laws, the roof and the walls were finished and insulated before the end of September. 

Life presents us all with challenges.  These challenges can be overwhelming or seem impossible. Like building a pump house, there may be materials needed - such as  cement, lumber, electrical wire, insulation, vapour barrier, nails, screws, and caulking.  Yet, more important is to recognize such challenges cannot be tackled alone. They require help, support, and encouragement. We need God, we need family, and we need friends. These are the essential, but often overlooked, requirements for building a pump house or overcoming any challenge.