Most homeowners tend to overlook areas of their houses that they don't see often. One case in point: the water well. It's where your water pump sucks in water for the whole household. But since it’s buried underneath your home, you don’t always get to see if it still has plenty of water.
Fortunately, there are ways to find out if your water well is still in good shape or not. Check out the signs below to know how to detect any problems with your water well.
Your faucet is blowing air
If you open your faucet and the water that comes out is sputtering, it means that there’s air coming out of your faucet, too. This can mean a couple of things. Either your well is low on water or the pipe connecting to it is broken.
If the level of water in your well is low, your pump can no longer reach the water and so it’s sucking in air instead of water. This can damage your pump, so you need to have it fixed as soon as possible. You can check with Grundfos online to see if they have any recommendations for taking care of low-quantity wells.
If your pipes are damaged, on the other hand, air seeps in with the water. This is why when you open your faucet, the water is sputtering instead of flowing properly. You should also have your pipes checked by a professional plumber.
Sand or sediments are coming out of your faucet
If there’s sand or sediment coming out of your faucet along with water, you need to have your pump and well checked out right away. One possible reason your faucet is spewing sand or sediments is that the screen that filters out these things is old and has degraded. There could already be larger holes in it that are letting the debris pass through. Your pump will get damaged if this continues.
Another reason is that your pump is already hitting the bottom of your well. Your water pump is supposed to dip slightly when you turn it on, but if it’s sucking in sand, then the suction pipe has probably sunk to the bottom of the well.
Your power bill is suddenly higher
Two things can be the reason your electric bill suddenly increases: your water pump is blocked or your check valve is broken. If it’s the former, it means that sand, sediment, or iron bacteria are blocking your pipes, forcing your pump to work harder, hence the higher electric bill.
If it’s the latter, it means that the water pressure is lower because the water that’s supposed to flow up from the well is coming back down due to the broken check valve. When that happens, your water pump is working harder and longer. So, instead of your water pump working only for a few hours to get water into your home, it’s working 24/7, which is why your electric bill is higher.
These are some of the signs you should look out for if you think your water well is in danger. If you notice any of these signs, don’t wait for your well and your water pump to deteriorate further and seek professional help to do some repairs.
