If you use a private well as your water source, it’s your responsibility to make sure that you get clean and safe water. That means you have to maintain your deep well pump motor, water caps, and valves. You also have to buy them from reputable sources and take care of the area around your well.
The added expense of unnecessary repairs and replacements is not the only risk you run if you don’t do the proper maintenance. You’re risking the well-being of every person in your home if your drinking water becomes contaminated.
You need a professional to look over your water well system yearly. In the meantime, be on the lookout for these issues:
- Your water seems a bit weird. The well water may look strange, smell off, or taste odd. If you notice such a change in the quality of your well water, buy some bottled water in the meantime until you can get a professional to check your well water system.
It doesn’t matter if the contaminant doesn’t pose an immediate danger to your health. You can never be too cautious. Besides, do you really relish the thought of drinking water that smells like rotten eggs?
- Your electricity bill has gone through the roof. Obviously there are many possible reasons for this. But if you have a private well, you need to make sure that this spike in your energy bill isn’t due to some problem in your pump. Your energy use may have increased because your pump is cycling on and off or running continuously.
- The faucet tends to sputter. When you turn on a faucet, do you get a blast of air first, then a few short bursts of water before the flow of water becomes normal? It’s a sign that there’s air in your plumbing. If it keeps on happening, it usually means that you need servicing for your well pump. It may only be a matter of a failed valve that needs replacement, but it may also mean the drop pipe attached to the pump is damaged.
- You have strange plumbing sounds. When you hear weird noises in your home, don’t be too quick to pin it on ghosts. It’s more likely that the groans and other noises emitted by your pipes are signs that your pump has real problems.
- The caps are damaged or not installed properly. These caps keep contaminants – including insects and other animals – from entering your water supply. Imagine if a rat gets in, dies, and decomposes in your water supply. It’s not exactly a pleasant image, is it?
So if you’re using a water well system, you have to be alert for any problems. A pro must also check your system regularly, so that your deep well pump motor and your whole system can last as long as the two decades they’re often designed for.