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What Are the Most Common Well Pump Repair Issues in Southwick?
The most common complaint we get about wells in Southwick is “no water is coming into the house.” But it might be an easy fix.
“No Water Coming into the House” – Electrical Issues
Well pumps require electricity. So double-check that the power is on at the well switch located near your pressure tank. Then check the circuit breaker.
Occasionally homeowners will over-burden their household electricity and “trip” a circuit breaker. If several appliances, an entire wall of your home, or exterior lights aren’t working, you can be almost sure the problem is a circuit breaker. Sometimes well pumps have a dedicated breaker, so it’s still worth resetting them if your well pump has no power.
If the circuit breaker keeps tripping, there’s probably a more serious problem with your well pump.
The next common complaint is insufficient water pressure in the home.
“My Water Pressure is Poor”
Poor water pressure is often a sign of overuse. In Southwick, this is most common in July and August when the weather is hot and precipitation is little. Homeowners are watering their landscaping, washing cars, pressure washing the home’s exterior, and so on. When the water table drops thanks to overuse, jet pumps must work harder to pull the water to the surface, and submersible pumps won’t work at all if they aren’t submerged completely.
At the time of writing, Southwick residents using municipal water are encouraged to conserve it. While this doesn’t affect homeowners with wells directly, it does suggest the local water supply is limited and that the local water table is currently low.
If you suspect overuse is the problem, limit your water use for a few days. Hand wash your dishes, reconsider any sprinkler timers, and skip a shower. Wash your vehicle at a carwash. If you don’t see an improvement in the water pressure after a few days, you might have a different problem. Your well pump might be near failing.
What Factors Cause Premature Well Pump Failure in Southwick?
Older well pumps do wear out, just like any other machine. Most residential well pumps, whether they’re submersible or jet pump styles, have an expected lifespan of about 20 years. Now, that’s if you maintain them well and test the water at least every ten years, as suggested by the State of Massachusetts.
Premature well pump failure in Southwick could be caused by:
- Installer or repair errors – for instance, one should never connect copper fittings to galvanized iron fittings
- Low-quality components
- Running without water (possibly from overuse of water)
- Constant cycling
- A clogged intake valve
- Problems with the water tank
- Sporadic electricity issues related to solar power (we’ll talk more about that in a moment)
Also, some well pumps struggle with sporadic use. Imagine the well is located at your summer home, hunting cabin, or short-term rental property. It doesn’t get used daily. Those well pumps might need to be replaced more often than the 20-year standard lifetime.
Poor water quality can shorten the lifetime of your well pump, too. Well water in Southwick tends to be hard because of the organic material in the soil. Hard water leaves mineral deposits inside your equipment that puts added strain on your pump, leading to more frequent pump failure and issues.
Some of these problems are easy and affordable to repair, while others are more costly.
How Much Does Well Pump Repair Usually Cost in Southwick?
Sometimes homeowners contact us and state they expect to pay X price because their neighbor paid that much for well pump repair. But every well pump repair job in Southwick is different. Your well might be older, newer, deeper, larger, or better maintained than your neighbor’s well.
The average price of well pump repair in Southwick about $620, with most jobs falling between $120 and $1,500. The average to replace a well pump is around $1,800.
Let’s examine some cost factors that affect nearly every well pump repair job in Southwick.
Type of Well Pump – Submersible vs. Jet Pumps
There are two main styles of well pumps on the market: jet pumps and submersible pumps. The style of a pump at your home plays a huge role in your repair costs.
Jet pumps sit at the surface and pull water up to your water tank and pipes. They’re appropriate for wells about 25-feet deep at most. They might burn out faster than submersible pumps, but the good news is that these pumps are already at the surface and are easy for our technicians to reach.
Submersible pumps are located down inside the well and must be fully submerged to work. These pumps can be hundreds of feet below your lawn. They must be dragged up to the surface for maintenance and repairs, which can take significantly longer.
Depth of the Well and the Well Pump
When a submersible pump must be pulled to the surface for maintenance and repairs, it’s quite a job. Common sense tells us that a well pump 80 feet below the surface will come up faster than a pump 250 feet below the surface. More time equals more labor costs and can affect the cost of your well pump repairs by hundreds of dollars.
The size of the pump plays a huge role in the cost of repairs or replacement. A new jet pump might cost anywhere from $100 to $800 before installation. A new submersible pump could cost anywhere from $200 to $1,200, and the installation will cost more because the pump must be lowered into the well casing.
Alternative Power, Off-Grid Installation, or Solar Power
You might find this surprising, but according to the Massachusetts official state website, Southwick is an excellent place for solar power – even with a lot of winter precipitation and unpredictable storms associated with the Atlantic Ocean. We see many well pumps taken off the grid thanks to the energy savings and state incentives to add solar power.
Yes, solar power may lower your electricity bills. And it might reduce your carbon footprint (if you consider the cobalt mining done to manufacture lithium batteries and the problem of disposing of those huge batteries in the future.) But, it can pose a problem for homes that rely on well water.
If your batteries or inverters aren’t installed correctly, or if a family is over-using their solar energy, it causes issues with your well pump’s power supply. Ongoing sporadic boosts of electricity might lead to premature well pump failure. You’ll need to replace your well pump more often, and you might need to replace expensive solar batteries more often, too.
Therefore, move forward carefully when going solar with your well pump. It might be a better choice to install a solar-powered pump (they cost about $2,000 before installation) or leave the well pump attached to “shore power.”
How to Avoid Costly Well Pump Repairs in Southwick?
First, understand that well pumps are machines that will age over time, just like a car. No matter how well you maintain a well pump, it cannot last forever. Beyond that, Southwick residents should:
- Test water every 10 years or less. Elements like iron or sediments can affect the water quality and make your well pump and water tank corrode.
- Visibly check the well and well cap often.
- Store hazardous chemicals like paint, paint thinner or gasoline at least 100 feet away from your well.
- Mow your grass carefully near the well.
- Try not to overuse water (or overuse electricity coming from solar-powered batteries.)
- Use a licensed professional like us when it’s time for repairs. Don’t count on a local “handyman” when it comes to your well pump. They might do more harm than good.
- Contact us to perform a routine inspection at least once a year.
And finally, be sure any new well construction is properly permitted.
When Do You Need Permits for Well Pump Repair in Southwick?
If you’re putting a new well on your property or decommissioning an old well you’ll need to get the proper permits. We can help homeowners with that paperwork, or you can contact the town of Southwick directly.
Beyond that, simple well pump repairs don’t always need a permit. If the job is extensive, like switching from a jet pump to a submersible pump, replumbing a home completely, or building a complete well house, you may need building permits. But a simple task, like installing a new circuit breaker, doesn’t require a permit.
