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What Are the Most Common Well Pump Repair Issues in Spencer?
The most common calls we get about wells and well pump repair say “no water coming into the house.” It can be caused by an electrical issue or a malfunction in the well pump, or by drought and overuse. Let’s take a closer look at those problems. Don’t panic. It might be an easy fix!
No Water Coming in the Home: a Tripped Circuit Breaker
Sometimes a well pump malfunction is caused by a “tripped” circuit breaker. The electricity that powers the pump is shut off, but it’s an easy fix. Homeowners should try flipping the circuit breaker first. You might also notice that other portions of your home are without electricity, or that exterior lights have no power, etc. But sometimes, a well pump has an entire circuit breaker dedicated to it, so even if you don’t notice a lack of electricity, always try the circuit breakers first.
But sometimes, no water means well or pump problems or a lack of water available.
Droughts Can Cause a Lack of Water
Well issues that manifest as no water coming into the house home can be caused by a lack of groundwater. Severe droughts are not common in Massachusetts, but they can happen. The most severe drought in Spencer in recent memory was the drought of the 1960s. Today we’d call that a drought emergency. A less severe affected Spencer occurred in the 1980s. You might remember it.
If Spencer residents were to experience a severe drought today, the water table would drop lower. For homeowners, that means your jet pump would work harder to pull water up to the surface, and it may eventually burn out.
A submerged well pump wouldn’t work once the water level was beneath the top of the pump. If this happens, we’ll need to dig a deeper well.
To accomplish this, we’ll install an additional water pipe at the top of the well and lower the pump far enough down to be submerged again. Once the pump is immersed, we reconnect everything and test it. If the pump bottoms out before it’s submerged, we may need to drill a whole new well. That means we’ll need permits and plans, and we’ll get to those in a moment.
Overuse Can Cause Problems with Well Pumps and Well Water Supply
Sometimes homeowners cause well problems by overusing the water on hand. This is most likely to occur in the hottest months and when precipitation is little. If you notice the water pressure dropping, try to use less water for a few days.
- Hand wash dishes; don’t use the dishwasher.
- Limit showers and laundry.
- Take your car to a carwash rather than washing it in your driveway.
- Be careful not to overwater lawns and landscaping.
If you’re vigilant about water use for a few days but don’t see an improvement in your water pressure, it’s time to call our professionals.
What Factors Cause Premature Well Pump Failure in Spencer?
There are many working parts to a well pump system. And like any other machine, they must be maintained correctly to run well. A problem with any part of your well or well pump can cause the entire system to fail.
The key components of your modern submersible well system are:
- A submersible pump
- A check valve and additional valves
- A pitless adaptor
- A well cap
- Electrical wiring
- A control box and pressure switch
- The interior water delivery system – the plumbing in your home that leads to sinks, toilets, and so on
Sometimes homeowners believe their well pump is working fine until a problem with one component arises. There might be a cascading effect on the other parts. That can increase the cost to repair your well or lead to replacement.
Water Tank Pressure Problems
The pressure in a water tank is a key element of your water well system. Over time, it dramatically affects the health of your well pump. Looking closer at water tanks, we know they are affected by:
- Materials and construction methods: unlined steel tanks become corroded quickly, especially if they’re in a damp environment or a basement. We believe internal bladder-type water tanks are a better option for most homeowners.
- Installation errors: when an installer makes a mistake that could drastically shorten the life of your tank. For instance, one shouldn’t connect copper fittings to galvanized iron fittings.
- The local water: the water itself could be pretty corrosive to all your well water system components.
Let’s take a closer look at the water in Spencer.
Water Quality
Without getting overly technical here, know that water must be thoroughly tested at a prospective well site in Massachusetts before it is permitted. Once your new well is installed, you should test it again every 10 years.
A water test will report amounts of the following, among other things:
- Ammonia
- E. coli bacteria
- Arsenic
- Calcium
- Copper
- Iron
- Magnesium
- Potassium
- Alkalinity
The Spencer area tends to have hard water because of the organic material in the soil. The city’s hard water puts added strain on your well pump by accumulating on the insides of your piping. This reduces flow and makes your pump work harder, which can cause it to burn out more quickly.
How Much Does Well Pump Repair Usually Cost in Spencer?
The average cost to repair a well pump in Spencer is $626. Most jobs fall between $150 and $1,390. A new well pump could retail anywhere from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars depending on the size and style. It all depends on the type of pump and size of your well and the issue you’re having with the pump.
A better answer is that every Spencer resident has a unique well system! Your well might be newer, older, deeper, or better maintained than your neighbor’s well.
But some common cost factors affect nearly every well pump repair in Sevierville. Let’s examine them.
Size and Depth of Your Well
The size and depth of a well play a significant role in the cost to repair a well pump in Spencer.
- Shallow pumps are more economical to purchase, install and replace, but they’re only ideal for wells less than 25 feet deep, which isn’t appropriate for many homes in Spencer givent he deep aquifer.
- Deep pumps are appropriate for wells up to 150 feet in depth, and they’re always more expensive to maintain, install, or replace.
Submersible Well Pumps vs. Jet Pumps
The type of pump you have affects the price of repairs. Jet pumps are known to be easier to remove and install than submersible well pumps. They’re smaller, lighter, and available at the surface for our technicians to attend. Submersible pumps need to be pulled up from the well before our technicians can examine them.
Still, many Spencer area homeowners find a submersible pump the better choice, especially if your household has experienced well failures due to overuse.
- The drawback of submersible pumps is that they must be pulled up from the well casing for repairs.
- That’s unlike jet pumps which are already available for repair at the surface.
Remember, submersible well pumps must be entirely submerged in the water, or they won’t work.
Well Pump Workload
Spencer is near Worcester, which gets a lot of precipitation in October but considerably less in August. During the wetter months, the water table is usually higher. The dry period of August is when homeowners use more water, keeping up with their landscaping, for instance.
This creates a “double-whammy” effect on groundwater availability: there is less water filtering down from precipitation, and more of that water is getting used. If your pump is struggling to keep up with demand, or if the water table isn’t high enough to sustain it, you may have an expensive project that requires a deeper well or a more capable jet pump system.
How to Avoid Costly Well Pump Repairs in Spencer?
Test your water every 10 years, and maintain your well pump correctly. Contact us for routine maintenance on your pump at least one each year. Beyond that:
- Keep hazardous chemicals far from your well; don’t store gasoline or paint within 100 feet of it.
- Always use a professional like us for ongoing well maintenance, and be sure their license is up to date.
- Visibly check the well and well cap often.
- Be aware of changes to the ground near your well, like wet spots or sinking ground.
- Be careful about mowing the lawn near the well cap.
Finally, let’s talk about the permits you might need for well pump repairs in Spencer.
When Do You Need Permits for Well Pump Repair in Spencer?
New well construction must be fully permitted in Spencer. You’ll need to have the water tested, too. Beyond that, minor repairs do not need to be permitted. However, we don’t speak on behalf of the town, and regulations can change. You may need to contact the city directly and ask about any well pump repair that involves digging, re-piping, building electrical housing, etc.
