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What Are the Most Common Well Pump Repair Issues in East Stroudsburg?

Dealing with well pump repair concerns can pose an immense headache. Unfortunately, there are several challenges that can create problems with your well pump in East Stroudsburg. 

No Water in Your Home

A lack of water in your home can quickly pose a potent problem, especially if you want to bathe, do the dishes, or put a load of laundry in your washing machine. A lack of water in your home during a drought could mean that your well doesn’t go deep enough to access water. Addressing it promptly with a well pump repair specialist is the best way to get water back to your home as quickly as possible. 

Changing Water Pressure

Have you noticed that sometimes, water seems to rush through your pipes, while other times, you seem to have trouble getting any water at all? It could be a well pump problem. As your well pump deteriorates with time, you may find it more challenging to get consistent water pressure. Over time, that can lead to challenges like intermittent water, including periods when you may struggle to get your pump to operate correctly. 

A Constantly-Running Well Pump

If your well pump runs all the time, it could pose a severe problem for your home. It doesn’t take long for a well pump that runs without pause to burn out, which could require an expensive replacement. Dealing with maintenance on your well pump could prove much less costly, in the long run, than allowing it to run until it burns out. 

A Frozen Well Pump

While submersible pumps usually sit well below the ground’s surface, which means they are unlikely to freeze, some types of pumps sit higher on the surface, which can increase their risk of freezing. Each year, East Stroudsburg sees an average low temperature of 16.8 degrees Fahrenheit, and the temperature falls below freezing on an estimated 139 days each year. That means a lot of opportunities for a well pump to freeze, especially if you fail to insulate your pump correctly, and it could mean that you remain without water for quite some time if you do not have someone come out to melt and, if necessary, repair it.

Dirty Water

Dirty water can pose serious problems throughout your home. Not only do you have to worry about making your clothing and dishes dirtier, but you may also find it extremely difficult to deal with cooking and other tasks when you have dirty water coming out of your faucets. The longer you allow that contaminated water to continue to impact your home, the more problematic it can prove. Dirty water could indicate a problem with your pipes or your well pump, so make sure you have a plumber come out to take a look as soon as possible. 

What Factors Cause Premature Well Pump Failure in East Stroudsburg? 

Maintaining your well pump is critical, especially if you want it to last for as long as possible. These factors can decrease the overall life of your well pump and lead to more costly repairs down the road.

Sediment Buildup

While homeowners in East Stroudsburg may not have as many challenges with hard water as others around them, including residents of Lebanon, East Stroudsburg water is nevertheless considered hard. Hard water, simply put, means that the water has more mineral buildup in it, including dissolved calcium. Most of the time, Pennsylvania homeowners think little about overall water hardness. Hard water, however, can increase the risk that your well pump will fail early, especially if you do not take the time necessary to repair it. 

Low Water

During periods of drought, a low water table can leave your pump struggling to access enough water to fill your home’s tank, especially if your well is not particularly deep. While Pennsylvania and East Stroudsburg usually see more than the US average of rain each year, the area can still prove susceptible to drought. Regular rainfall in most years may leave homeowners less prepared for periods of low water since they may choose to install wells with less depth. During periods of drought, if you allow your well pump to continue to run, it will continue to try to pull in water even though it cannot access it. The longer the well pump runs dry, the greater the overall damage to the system and the greater risk of dying prematurely. 

Frequent Freezing

If your well pump has frozen once, you might be able to get it up and running again fairly quickly, with relatively little fuss. Multiple freezing and unfreezing cycles, however, can cause increased damage to your pump over time. The pump (and, in fact, your pipes) is not designed to deal with a perpetual freezing cycle, which can cause the components to expand and contract. Allowing your pump to freeze can cause it to crack immediately, which may increase the danger of a pump repair emergency. On the other hand, even if it does not crack immediately, you may notice its performance degrading over time or that it has a higher risk of cracking when it freezes regularly. 

Lightning

During big storms, lightning can pose a severe hazard to East Stroudsburg residents. Each year, the East Stroudsburg area sees several large thunderstorms. While lightning strikes are not as common as they may be in some other areas of the country, a big storm can mean lightning strikes all around. If it strikes your well pump, it could cause electrical damage that ultimately leads to a severe problem with your well pump.

How Much Does Well Pump Repair Usually Cost in East Stroudsburg?

When your well pump needs to be repaired, the cost may be a serious concern. The cost of a well pump repair can range between $200 to $1,700 with most people paying an average of $945. The cost, however, can vary depending on several factors, including whether you can simply repair the pump or you need to finance a total pump replacement. 

The Type of Pump

Well pumps generally come in one of two types: either jet pumps or submersible pumps. Jet pumps tend to be more affordable in general but may not offer the same level of reliable service that you would receive from a submersible pump. Submersible pumps, on the other hand, may vary dramatically in cost, depending on the depth of the well, the horsepower of the motor, and how much water they need to move. Because of the dramatic difference in cost between types of pumps, it’s essential to have the professionals at Mr. Blue Plumbing come out to look at your pump to determine what maintenance or replacement costs might look like for you. 

The Protections and Features You Need

Do you find yourself struggling with freezing temperatures and a lack of insulation? Do you need additional protection to help keep your well pump safe from lightning strikes? Having the right features can prove critical to the longevity of your well pump, but they can also add to its cost. The more features you need to add, especially if you’re adding them for the first time as part of a repair, the more it may cost to keep your well pump up and running smoothly. 

The Terrain and Conditions

As part of your well pump repair cost, your repairman will need to factor in the terrain and conditions around the well pump. Is your pump challenging to access? Is the well deep? Do you have to move across rugged terrain to get to it, making it more challenging to get a plumbing truck into the area? All those factors could increase the cost of your well pump repair. Furthermore, if you need an emergency well pump repair during terrible weather, you may find that it increases the overall cost of your repairs. 

How to Avoid Costly Well Pump Repairs in East Stroudsburg

Avoiding costly well pump repairs starts with conducting the proper maintenance on your well pump. Nothing is designed to last forever, but routine maintenance can go a long way toward keeping your well pump running as well as possible. You may also want to take some of these critical steps to protect your well pump. 

Make Sure You Have the Right Size Tank and Pump

To protect the life of your well pump, make sure you have the right equipment: a well pump that can move the right volume of water for your home and a well tank that holds adequate water for your household’s use. If you do not have a sufficient tank, your well pump may constantly run in an effort to keep up with the flow of water through your home, which may increase the odds that it will burn out prematurely. 

Use Adequate Insulation

With East Stroudsburg’s normal freezing temperatures, well pump insulation is critical. Regular freezing can cause severe damage to both your pipes and your well pump over time. Talk to Mr. Blue Plumbing to ensure that your pump is adequately insulated, especially if you use a jet pump for your well. 

Check Your Water Hardness

If you’ve noticed recurring problems with your well pump, you may want to look at overall water hardness, not just for your area but also in your specific property. Installing a softener as part of your system can help decrease sediment buildup in your pump. Planning for sediment challenges can also put you in a better position to address any problems with your well pump and the rest of your plumbing. 

When Do You Need Permits for Well Pump Repair in East Stroudsburg?

While East Stroudsburg requires permits for various construction projects, including any new construction, you should not need a permit to take care of well pump repairs. At Mr. Blue Plumbing, we will let you know if you need a permit for your planned project.