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What Are the Most Common Well Pump Repair Issues in Conroe?
Well pumps are generally low-maintenance and reliable pieces of equipment. If you construct the well correctly, you should be able to get up to a decade of worry-free performance from your well pump. However, you may occasionally run into an issue. These are the three most common reasons for well pump repair in Conroe:
- Hard water build-up. Conroe’s water is very hard. It has a hardness rate of 135 parts per million, meaning it has a high concentration of minerals. There is a good chance your well water is even harder, especially without adequate treatment. Well, water tends to be higher in mineral concentration because the water is coming from the ground. While underground, minerals attach themselves to the water molecules before being pumped into your home. That hard water can start to create limescale buildup in your pump over time, as the water leaves behind a mineral residue on your equipment. You can treat the water and your equipment to prevent this build-up, but sometimes that’s not enough. If you notice your pump is working harder than usual or has stopped pumping altogether, hard water may have corroded the equipment. A well pump repair team can take a look and diagnose the issue. If it’s caught early, they may be able to simply replace the damaged parts instead of the entire pump.
- No water is being pumped. There are several reasons your well pump might not be pumping water. In Conroe, though, the most common cause is a diminished groundwater supply. Aquifers that were steady supplies of groundwater for decades are now drying up. It’s a result of more wells in Texas and Texans using more water than is being replenished by the water cycle during the year. If this happened to your private well, the best option is to dig a new, deeper well. In the meantime, that lack of water can be tough on your well pump. It can force air into the system, causing issues not only with the pump but your tanks, too.
- Electrical failure at the pump. Well pumps depend on electricity to run. If something interrupts that electrical supply, your well will stop supplying water to your home. The lack of power can be due to several reasons. There may be a short in your wiring, you may have tripped a circuit, or there may be some other fault in the electrical system supplying your pump. This issue is more common in Conroe after a big storm. Wind, lightning, and heavy rains can all create issues with the electrical supply. You’ll want to call in a professional well pump repair team to investigate. They can pinpoint the problem, fix it, and then help create solutions to prevent the issue from happening again in the future.
What Factors Cause Premature Well Pump Failure in Conroe?
While you should get up to a decade of use from a standard well pump, there are a few things that will make a pump fail much, much sooner. If well pump replacement is an expense you want to avoid, you need to know what causes well pumps to fail prematurely in Conroe:
- The pump is too small for the household size. Well pumps retail for anything between $100 and $1,300. Some homeowners, to save money, will buy a smaller well pump. Unfortunately for them, this means they will be replacing that pump much sooner than if they’d spent the money for a pump of the correct size. Conroe’s average household size is around 2.7 people. Each person in your house uses approximately 80 gallons of water a day. Most 3-bedroom homes need a well pump that’s capable of pumping 8 to 12 gallons per minute to bring that water into your home. Your well construction crew can offer advice on sizes and brands they’d recommend for your property.
- Well owner isn’t maintaining the pump regularly. Wells usually require very little maintenance in exchange for inexpensive water. That doesn’t mean they are no maintenance, though. If you neglect to do regular and annual maintenance to your water well, you will likely experience significant problems with your well pump sooner rather than later. Even worse, you run the risk of complete well failure. You may even be consuming contaminated water without realizing it. So it’s essential to maintain your well correctly. If you can’t do it yourself, contract with a Conroe company to do it for you.
- There is a build-up of sediment in the tanks. One of the primary pieces of your well set-up is the screen. The screen sits at the bottom of the pipe and helps to filter out the sand, silt, and sediment in the water. East Texas soil has plenty of sand and iron gravel in it, too, so your screen will be working hard from day one. Over time, the screen may become damaged and allow sediment to pass through the pipes and into the well pump. The grit of the sand and gravel can cause damage within the pump, wearing out parts prematurely or stopping the pump from operating altogether. In some cases, a technician can clean the pump and get it working again. If the problem goes on for too long, though, you’ll be facing the cost of well replacement.
How Much Does Well Pump Repair Usually Cost in Conroe?
Repairing a well pump in Conroe will cost you anywhere from $100 to $1,400, with the average homeowner paying around $750. That cost will vary depending on factors such as:
Labor
The cost of repairing your well pump will include labor. Well pump repair technicians in Conroe often start by the hour, so the longer your repairs take, the more they’ll cost you. There may be some work you can do yourself if you want to keep costs down, so talk to your well repair team about doing prep work or clean-up yourself.
Parts
Almost every well pump repair job will require parts and materials. You’ll pay for these, and your final bill will reflect the cost. Some repairs only take a few dollars worth of wiring, while others might require the total replacement of a well pump for thousands. Your well pump repair team should discuss these costs with you before they begin the work. That way, you can make an informed choice about how you want to move forward.
Additional Fees
Conroe residents are fortunate to avoid a lot of the permitting fees homeowners in other states face when repairing a well pump. However, there are some additional fees to watch out for. Most commonly in Conroe, this is an emergency repair fee, especially after a big storm or flood. When your pump stops working, you’ll be eager to get it going again. If that’s outside of regular business hours, you should prepare to pay a premium on your repair service. If you can wait for the repairs, you may end up paying less.
How to Avoid Costly Well Pump Repairs in Conroe?
The best wait to avoid a repair bill is to prevent the need for a repair in the first place. That means doing regular, consistent maintenance on your well. Here are three things you should be doing to keep your well pump working more efficiently for years to come:
- Annual inspections. Contract with a well pump repair team to perform annual inspections on your well. This service should include a thorough inspection of all parts of the well. It should also include water quality testing and flow rate testing. These annual inspections allow a professional to look at your system and determine if any issues could become a big problem for your well in the next year.
- Routine maintenance. You play a role in maintenance, too. Make a regular inspection of your wellhead a part of your home maintenance routine. Check the condition of the casing, caps, and seals. Clean away any debris in the area and prevent weeds from growing around the wellhead. These steps will keep debris from getting into your well and discourage pests from making their home nearby.
- Actively monitoring and testing your water. Pay attention to the water you are consuming and drinking in your home. Do you notice any grit in the water? Are there any unusual tastes or smells in the water? These small changes can be an indication of a big issue. Talk to a well repair team right away if you notice anything unusual about your water. The sooner you address it, the less expensive the repairs are likely to be.
When Do You Need Permits for Well Pump Repair in Conroe?
Many private wells are exempt from permitting in Montgomery County. However, the Lonestar Groundwater Conservation District (LSGCD) requests that all private well owners register their well. Registration helps LSGCD ensure that there aren’t too many wells in the area, and those well are spread out across the aquifer. LSGCD requires some wells to have a permit before construction, abandonment, or significant modification. For basic repairs, though, you shouldn’t require a permit. If you do, you can get everything you need from LSGCD’s website.
