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What Are the Most Common Well Pump Repair Issues in Tampa?
Tampa residents who use private well systems to get water into their homes should be aware of several common issues that can affect well pump operation. Tampa occasionally experiences drought conditions that can become severe enough to cause private wells’ water levels to decrease, making it difficult for your pump to operate as intended. Drought conditions can also cause sediment to build up in the water, which can clog pipes. A faulty pump switch is another common problem that frequently leads to build-up inside pipes. Build-up along the inside of pipes can cause sediment to mix with your home’s water supply and, if severe enough, can even decrease water pressure as the flow capacity of the pipes becomes increasingly restricted.
The other most common well pump issues Tampa residents experience are typically things that can be fixed easily. For example, a pump switch not operating correctly is a frequent problem. Well pump switches regulate the pressure within a well tank and are set to turn on and off at specific pressures. However, sometimes the pump switch doesn’t read the pressure level correctly, which causes it to malfunction and sometimes results in low water pressure.
Another issue that private well owners in Tampa should be aware of is their water quality. Tampa residents should have their water tested for bacteria and contaminants yearly as it’s common for harmful bacteria to contaminate the well casing if is damaged, or if improper plumbing connections have been used. Testing your water yearly can identify any harmful contaminants and alert you to any problems your well or well pump might be experiencing. Tampa residents should also be sure to disinfect their wells with chlorine after it was first drilled as well as after in other situations such as after any repairs have been made, a new pump has been installed, or the well was flooded.
What Factors Cause Premature Well Pump Failure in Tampa?
A major contributing factor to premature well pump failure is not sticking to the recommended 2 to 3-year maintenance routine. Ensuring you schedule regular inspections with our team is an essential way of prolonging the life of your well pump because small issues can arise that are impossible to detect without an expert like ours. For example, your well pump’s pressure tank includes an air bladder and when this bladder develops a leak, the pressure in the tank decreases causing your pump to start and stop frequently, which can strain the motor.
Depending on the location of your well pump, you might be able to hear a clicking noise that indicates your air bladder has developed a leak. But in many situations, the pressure tank is located in an area that makes this detection impossible without our professionals’ inspection. A faulty pressure tank bladder can take years off of your pump’s life expectancy and without regular inspections, the first sign that something is wrong could be the pump’s failure to bring water into your home.
Another cause of premature well pump failure is having an inappropriately sized pump for your water usage. The more water you use, the more your pump has to work to deliver water into your home, and if it is constantly running it’s going to wear out quickly. In some situations, a household’s water usage increases over time, such as if the number of people living in your home has increased, or if you’ve added appliances that use water. When this happens, it can be a good idea to take a look at your current well pump’s capabilities and reevaluate if it’s still the best choice for your current water usage.
Unresolved plumbing issues can also lead to premature well pump failure. For example, if you have a toilet that’s always running or a faucet that’s always dripping, this means that the well pump is also constantly running to deliver the water. This wears out the pump very quickly and is also expensive and can waste thousands of gallons of water over time. If you have any plumbing issues that might seem minor, it’s important to have them resolved by our professionals quickly before they lead to a more costly problem.
How Much Does Well Pump Repair Usually Cost in Tampa?
Well pump repair costs fluctuate based on many factors. In Tampa, it can range from $168 to $1,365 with an average cost of $755. These prices include the typical charges for the materials and equipment needed to complete the repairs, as well as the labor costs associated with the work.
Many factors help determine how costly a well pump repair job will be. Issues such as your pump’s age and complexity, its current condition, how much regular maintenance it’s received in the past, and even the climate the pump was exposed to can affect how much your costs will be. Let’s take a closer look at some of the most significant factors that influence well pump repair costs.
Depth of the Well
Creating a well for private water usage varies greatly according to each location. Some areas in Tampa have high water tables and wells don’t have to be drilled very deep to reach the water. In other locations, accessing the water requires drilling much further underground. This results in a deep well that requires a more powerful pump to move the water up to the surface. It can be more challenging to detect issues with deep well submersible pumps and more expensive for our crews to access them when repairs are necessary.
Pump Type
There are two basic pump types used in private wells – jet pumps and submersible pumps. Jet pumps are the most commonly used type for shallow wells of 25 feet deep or less. This type of pump is mounted above ground and uses suction to draw water up from within the well. Jet pumps are typically less expensive to repair as they are easier for our crews to access than other types.
Submersible pumps, on the other hand, are placed deep inside the well casing underground. They are used when the water table in your area is very low and requires a deeply dug well. Submersible pumps are connected to a power source on the surface but the actual pumping mechanism is deep underground. This makes discovering a problem more challenging and accessing the pump to repair the issue more time-consuming and expensive.
Frequency of Pump Maintenance
One of the tricky issues with well pumps is that most of the time, they show no obvious signs of wear or minor problems until there’s a complete failure or major issue. For this reason, if you have your pump regularly inspected and maintained, our professionals will be able to detect any problems while they’re still small and relatively inexpensive to repair. However, if you’ve been neglecting your maintenance, it’s much more likely that any issue you experience will be the result of multiple component failures and will be significantly more costly to repair. Well pumps involve many moving parts that can all potentially cause problems for homeowners if they fail or malfunction. The pump, motor, and storage tank can all wear out more quickly when not properly maintained.
How to Avoid Costly Well Pump Repairs in Tampa?
The best way to avoid costly repairs in nearly every situation is to stick to the recommended regular maintenance schedule. This is the best way to detect issues with the pressure bladder or find parts that need to be replaced before a bigger and more expensive problem develops. Lowering your water usage is another way to prolong the life of your well pump, as prolonged usage shortens its lifespan.
It’s also a good idea to have your water quality tested. The hard water common in Tampa contains lots of minerals that can build up along the inside of your pipes and pump system, hindering the flow of water over time. Tampa residents who have hard water might want to consider getting a specialized pump or installing water treatment solutions.
When Do You Need Permits for Well Pump Repair in Tampa?
Before drilling a new well, Tampa residents need to obtain a site inspection and permit from the Southwest Florida Water Management District. The correct paperwork must be submitted along with a $150 fee prior to site inspection. If you need your well pump repaired, you will have to go through a Florida-licensed water well contractor like us, and we will typically handle the permit application process for you by applying in advance of the date the repairs will be completed.
If you’re having an issue with your water tank or the piping associated with that, it is not considered a part of the well system, and you will not need a well permit to repair or replace those items. However, you should always check with the city to determine if a plumbing permit is necessary for those situations.
