Time for Saufen und Speil and well maintenance of your Johnsburg well system

As Saufen und Speil approaches this September, the last days of another Johnsburg summer are waning. When the parade, raffles, games, food and fun are done, folks will return to their homes with thoughts of raking leaves not far from their minds.

With the passing of summer, it’s time to start thinking about having the car winterized so you’re ready for the winter that will arrive shortly after autumn. It’s also a good time to have the water well at your Johnsburg home checked and maintained.

Yes, your well does require annual well maintenance. If you didn’t realize this there’s a good chance your well is long overdue for well maintenance.

What does well maintenance involve? The first part of well maintenance is making sure the water will continue to flow when you want it to flow. Most homes in Johnsburg have private wells so this is a critical consideration for homeowners in town.

To keep your well flowing, the trick is to make sure that your water well system is operating properly. That includes checking the well motor, well pump, wiring and, above all, the well pressure in the well tank.

There is a bladder in the well tank that must – repeat – must be maintained at proper pressure. If the well tank pressure is wrong it can lead to other costly problems, such as burning out the well motor. With the wrong pressure in the water tank the motor can run too long and too frequently. This is especially the case if the improper pressure results in a tear to the well tank bladder.

Well maintenance also means ensuring water quality

An integral aspect of well maintenance is the chlorination of the well. This can also involve sending a sample of the well water to a lab to have it checked out for bacteria and other harmful elements. A well chlorination should be done annually.

Some people chlorinate their own Johnsburg wells. That’s fine as long as they do it properly. But, those people might be surprised to find that they’re doing damage to the well system if the chlorination is done wrong. It’s more than simply pouring the chlorine into the well. If the chlorine is poured over the well pump and connections, over time, the chlorine will corrode exposed parts of the pump and connections. The next time a pump wears out, the person replacing the pump will have a heck of a time getting the old pump out.

A proper well chlorination will also involve flushing the well system after the chlorine is added. Once again, turning to a well-system professional is a good way to make sure this procedure is done right.

McHenry Water Well & Pump float a hit in Fiesta Days Parade

The McHenry Water Well & Pump float was a big hit at the Fiesta Days Parade because John Matthesius put a lot of work into the float and because there was a big turnout of volunteers, including: (From L to R) Wayne Seeley and Buzz Schert (in back), C.J. Adams, Beau Bristol, Tracy Bristol, Makayla Bristol, John Matthesius, (Front to back) Gavin Bristol, Jodie Bristol Bristol,  Sarah Bristol and Mike Kutnick. Rich Rostron is on the safe side of the camera.

They were the hit of the McHenry Fiesta Days Parade Sunday, July 19. The McHenry Water Well & Pump float was one to remember – the company truck, driven by owner John Matthesius, pulling a float adorned with a claw-foot bathtub. You don’t see that in a parade often. And, better yet, it was functional.

More than functional, the claw-foot bathtub was in use. From start to finish, Wayne Seeley, of Visual Horizons (type of company) ‘bathed’ in the claw-foot bathtub.

The float was Matthesius’s baby. He worked on it for several months – searching high and low to find a claw-foot bathtub he could use. He then mounted the tub on a platform above a tank of water and ran pipes so the shower would flow.

Behind the tub, at the back of the float, Matthesius mounted a bubble machine. This meant that, the entire parade route, the float was pumping out bubbles as Seeley bathed in a one-piece Victorian-style bathing suite.

Along the parade route, the most-often repeated phrase was, “Look mommy, that man is taking a bath.”

Between Seeley bathing and the bubbles, the float was a particular hit with the younger set. Judging by the laughter, the adults also appreciated the humor.

As Matthesius drove, and Seeley bathed, others also assisted with the float. The volunteers, like Matthesius and Seeley, were members of the MC3 McHenry Area Chamber of Commerce business networking group, as well as some family and friends.

Sitting in front of Seeley and the tub was Rich Rostron, with Rich Publicity, a provider of content driven marketing. Rostron handed out candy and popsicles to volunteers who handed out the candy. Those volunteers included Buzz Schert of Alpha Laser Engravings and Beau Bristol with Garage Doors & More. Schert was assisted by his C.J. Adams. Bristol was joined by his wife, Tracy Bristol, brother, Gavin Bristol, sister-in-law, Sarah Bristol, and their children, Jodie and Makayla Bristol.

One of the most important volunteer positions on the float, however, was Mike Kutnick, a realtor with Berkshire Hathaway Starck Real Estate. Kutnick sat in the front of the truck next to Matthesius. Kutnick was the navigator. While most accepted the primacy of this position, Rostron had the audacity to question the importance of Kutnick’s role.

“Navigator?” Rostron asked. “It’s a parade. You follow the float in front of you.”

In response, Rostron received a condemning ‘you-just-don’t-understand’ look from the others … and then silence.

Other volunteers have operated the float with Matthesius previously, such as when he was in the Wonder Lake 4th of July Parade. He’s also taken the float out in the (other) parades.

“Other than Rostron’s whining about the navigator, everyone had a great time,” said Matthesius. “Next time, we’ll put Rostron in the tub. He’s due, anyhow.”