If you live in a rural part of the country, you may not enjoy the luxury of a connection to public water. You may have had to install a well to cater for your family's needs, and you may have been enjoying fresh water for some time with no problem. However, you've recently noticed a few issues and may wonder what's going on. Could this be a problem with your water pump or an associated part?
Complex System
Most people do not give a second thought to their well or pumping system on a day-to-day basis, as they simply turn on the tap or shower and receive their water at the correct pressure. However, the system is made up of a number of different parts that are equally as important if this efficiency is to be maintained.
How It Works
For example, the pump itself is designed to fill up a separate storage tank that is pressurised and equipped with an air bladder. The pump will activate as needed and top up the tank until a separate control switch determines that the pressure is correct. At this time, the switch will flip and isolate the water pump until such time as the tank runs low, as detected by falling pressure levels.
Problem Areas
If an issue were to arise with the pressure control system, then the tank may be "fooled" into action when it is not needed. You may notice that it is short-cycling in this way if you can hear it switching on and then switching off shortly thereafter, and this is a situation that will need to be fixed or the pump may fail completely. You also need to determine that the storage tank is secure and is holding the water properly, as if not, there will be a constant outflow from the tank, and this will cause fluctuations in pressure levels.
Furthermore, the pump itself relies on a number of internal components which will inevitably wear down as time goes by. You may be having problems with the impeller or the bearing, and this may cause the pump to behave erratically or to quit altogether.
Getting Things Fixed
Most people do not fully understand the inner workings of their water well systems and may not know where to look in order to determine the extent of the problem anyway. This is why it's important to bring in a well pump repair contractor.
