5 Reasons Your Water Well Pump May Not Be Working

If your pump is making unusual sounds, turning off and on, or causing a sputtering tap, your well water pump may be failing. There can be a few reasons why your well pump may not be working and not all of them require a well pump replacement. Check out these five reasons why your well pump may not be working and call North Florida Water Systems Inc to schedule an appointment today!

Electrical

Unless you’re using a hand pump, your water well pump most likely has some electrical components to help the pump regulate its cycles. If your pump isn’t working properly, the issue may be your pump was struck by lightning or that one of the electrical components got wet or came loose. If your pump doesn’t come on, it’s likely it’s electrical. However, if it comes on and you see sparking or smell something burning, immediately switch off power to the pump and call a water well pump company.

Parts

The well water pump likely has at least a few parts that work together to pump water from the aquifer. If one of these parts breaks down or becomes detached, your pump can stop working properly or working altogether. These parts can include a check valve, a pitless adapter, a well cap, a control box, and the pump itself. If your well is making unusual noises or the water is sputtering at the tap, it could be an issue with a part that requires either replacement or well pump repairs.

Age

Even if the water levels are perfect, your pump might simply be failing due to age. Most water well pumps can last anywhere from eight to 15 years, depending on how heavily they were used and whether or not they received proper maintenance over their lifetime. If your pump has failed because of age, there’s usually no choice left but to replace it. The good news is that if your pump is over a decade old, there are probably better and more efficient pumps available now than when it was originally installed.

Bad Water Quality

Depending on how frequently you use your well, the pump can go through thousands of gallons of water every year. This isn’t an issue when the water is clean; after all, this is what the pump was designed to do. However, well water can have hard minerals, dirt, sand, and bacteria. These can all build up in the pump system and cause blockages or damage. The best way to know more information about your well water is to have water testing and treatment performed annually. At that time, the well water technician will be able to advise you on any precautions you should be taking for the pump.

Dry Well

When a well begins to dry up, your first thought may be that the pump is failing. If you continue trying to run faucets with no or little water coming out from the well, this can damage the well pump. If you believe that your well water is running low, speak with a well water company. They can determine if your aquifer just needs time to refill, if you should dig the well deeper, or if you require new well drilling.