What Maintenance Is Required for a Private Water Well?

Proper maintenance of your private water well is the key to providing your family with safe, clean water all year long. When you depend on city water, caring for your water system is handled by trained professionals that regularly inspect and maintain the water system that serves your home. But when you live in one of the millions of households across the country who own a private well, that responsibility falls on you. With routine care and maintenance, your private well can give you decades of reliable service and safeguard your family’s health and investment.

Reasons to Maintain your Private Well

Millions of homes across the country depend on private wells to supply their water. In many cases, well water is actually safer to drink and tastes better than municipal water supplies. Still, there are times when wells can become contaminated with bacteria or minerals. Well pumps and water pressure systems can fail without warning and without yearly maintenance, you may not know what you’re drinking or what you could be putting your family’s health at risk.

Performing routine maintenance on your well can keep both your water and family safe. The better you care for your private water well system, the less likely you’ll experience an expensive repair or total water system failure. Fortunately, most water well problems are preventable with regular care and maintenance by a professional well company.

Annual Testing

Testing your well water every year is one of the most important steps you can take to maintain your private well. The EPA recommends at a minimum well water should be tested for bacteria, nitrates, and any contaminants specific to your area. You can’t know for sure if your well water is safe to drink without thorough testing. Here are some of the biggest contaminants to test for with your private well water.

We recommend testing your water for the following:

• Bacteria such as coliform and E. coli
• Nitrates & Nitrites
• Heavy metals including lead and arsenic
• PH balance & minerals
• Volatile organic compounds

You should have your well water tested at least annually, however if you notice a change in taste, smell, or color you should have your water tested right away. Water test kits are available at most home improvement stores. But don’t wait for your yearly test. Contact a professional well water testing service if you notice any changes in your water.

Maintaining Your Well’s Components

Well Pump Maintenance

The well pump is your “heart” that pushes water to your home. Testing well pump performance is important and should be done routinely. Other signs your well pump may need to be repaired include:

• Low water pressure
• Strange noises when the pump is running
• Short cycling
• Increased electricity bill

It is important to address issues with your private water well pump before the entire system fails. Watch for the signs above that your pump isn’t working properly and call a professional if you experience these problems with your water well pump.

Water Tank Maintenance

Pressure tanks are designed to eliminate water pressure fluctuation and increase the lifespan of your pump by preventing short cycling. Maintaining your water tank includes keeping up with water tank service such as annual pressure tank testing. Proper water tank maintenance should include:

• Testing air pressure every three months
• Inspect fittings for leaks
• Check pressure switch operation
• Cleaning your water tank will also include draining if necessary.

Help Preventing Well Contamination

Outdoor faucets should be covered, and temperature-controlled pipes should be insulated before winter.

Preventing water well contamination starts with a properly constructed well and having good habits when it comes to hazardous materials. You should always think of your well as your water reserve and take precautions to keep it safe.

Well Cap and Casing

Well caps and casings are your first line of defense against surface water contamination. Make sure you check your well for the following:

• Inspect your well cap for cracks or damage and ensure the well cap fits snugly over your well.
• Regularly inspect your casing and make sure it is free of cracks or corrosion.
• Electrical connections should be properly sealed to prevent contamination.

Keep Your Area Well-Graded

Surface water should always run away from your well. Make sure you grade areas around your home’s water well so rainwater and surface water flows away from your well. Don’t allow things like grass clippings, chemical fertilizers or excess waste to build up around your wellhead.

When to Call the Professionals

Annual well maintenance should be performed by a professional well-service company, like the pros at Boylan Water Well Service and Supply. Well-servicing should be done yearly or if you experience any issues with your well. Contact your local well services for professional help if you experience any of the following:

• Changes in color, taste, or smell of the water
• Loss of water pressure
• Pump short cycling
• Electrical problems with your well pump or pressure tank
• Positive contamination tests

Need emergency well repair? If your well has failed completely, you will need emergency well repair. Use these tips to help you with temporary solutions until a well professional can repair your pump.

FAQ

Stock up on Bottled Water

As long as the water is safe to drink, keep bottled water on hand for drinking and cooking. Find alternate water sources for laundry and bathing.

Water Well Services

Keep the number to your local well services company on hand. Well Service companies will have the proper tools and equipment to help you in case of an emergency.

Tools

Speaking of tools, keep your basic tool kit close by. You never know if a screw has loosened or if something can provide a temporary fix for you until a professional can arrive.

Generator

If you don’t have one already, keep or purchase a generator. During power outages or pump failures, a generator can provide you with power to your house or even your well pump.

Seasonal Well Maintenance

Seasonal weather can have an effect on your private well. Winter can affect exposed pipes. Spring could cause an increase in bacterial growth if surface water gets into your well. Summer often means more water usage which can put a strain on your system. Fall is a great time to schedule a well check-up before the freezing temperatures of winter arrive.

Well Water Treatment Options

Just because your well has been tested and requires no treatment doesn’t mean you shouldn’t understand water treatment options. Being informed about water treatment methods can help you decide if there are areas you’d like to improve your current water quality.

Here are some of the most common home water well treatments:

• Iron & sulfur removal
• Water Softeners
• UV sterilization
• Activated Carbon
• Reverse Osmosis

Iron and hardness in water are a common problem that affects the majority of wells. Installing a water treatment system can help to rid your home of these and many other harmful contaminants.

Conclusion

Routine well maintenance doesn’t have to be difficult or costly. Keeping up with yearly maintenance and staying informed about your water well can help ensure your family has access to clean, safe water. Yearly maintenance, being mindful of changes in your water’s color or taste and knowing when to call a professional will help you avoid expensive repairs or depleting entire bottles of water with your family.

At Boylan Water Well Services and Supply, we know how important your private water well is to you and your family. That’s why we offer knowledgeable well services that include everything from routine well maintenance to water well repairs. Our goal is to make owning a private well simple and keep your family happy.

Give Boylan Water Well Services and Supply a call today or schedule your well inspection online using our convenient scheduler.

Call 505-438-3416 Now!