Maintaining Industrial Equipment

Cutting your ties to the public water supply and opting to exclusively use private well water in your home can bring a number of advantages. Not only can you control the quality and filtration of your home's water, but you're also not usually vulnerable to boil water advisories or even water outages that may periodically occur with public water systems. However, a malfunctioning well pump can often throw a wrench in the works by lowering your home's water pressure or even preventing water flow entirely. Read on to learn more about some of the more common problems you may encounter with your well pump, as well as how to ensure your supply of water remains uninterrupted for years to come.

How can you avoid the most common well pump issues? 

Although the thought of not being able to access your home's water supply can be frightening, many well pump issues are fairly simple to diagnose and fix. Because the majority of common well pump issues can be solved with a bit of prevention, it's important to take the following steps to maintain your well pump in good condition.

Schedule regular de-scaling treatments

Because well water flows directly from the surrounding aquifer, it often picks up calcium, magnesium, and iron molecules along the way. Although these minerals have been shown to provide some cardiovascular benefits and may even decrease one's risk of heart attack, they aren't as healthy for your well pump and other mechanical components that can be vulnerable to the buildup of mineral scale. Having your well serviced on an annual basis (including de-scaling your pump and other moving parts) can help improve the life of both your pump and your well.

Regularly measure the water level

One of the easiest ways to inadvertently burn up a well pump's motor in a very short period of time is to operate it in too-shallow water. While most healthy wells are able to self-regulate their water content, this can quickly change during dry periods when the water table sinks. If your area is in the midst of a drought and you're concerned about sinking water levels, you may opt to lower your well pump a few feet (or more) until it is in a safer zone. 

Even during rainy times of year, it's a good idea to get into the habit of measuring your water levels and making adjustments as necessary.

What should you do if you suspect you're dealing with a submersible pump problem? 

The first step in tackling your well pump problem is proper diagnosis. Because having your pump pulled and professionally repaired can be costly, it's best to ensure you know what you're dealing with (or are at least in the ballpark) before starting work. 

Your first step when dealing with what seems to be a pump problem should be to check any easily accessible wiring. In some cases, your pump may still be in fine working condition but simply not receiving the electrical signals being sent from your home due to damage to one or more wires. 

If all the wires within your home seem to be in working condition, your next step should be to test the wires at the well's surface with a handheld volt meter. This test will help eliminate the possibility that a buried wire has been cut or damaged by an overzealous lawn mowing session or construction project. 

Once you've eliminated an electrical blockage from the list of potential problems, you're likely dealing with a mechanical issue within the pump. Once you've reached this point, it may be time for the pump to be pulled and professionally inspected and diagnosed. Contact a pump supplier or repair service company, such as PFC Equipment, Inc, for more information and assistance.