| 1. |
Are
there ever times when you have to watch your well
water consumption so as not to run your well dry? If
so, what times of the year does this occur? |
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Moderate
to severe drought conditions are a fact of life in
more than half of the nation. Some utilities and
local and state governments have declared mandatory
water conservation measures, even for private well
owners. You can find additional information in these
wellcare® information sheets: Water Conservation,
What to Do if the Well Runs Dry, and Ground Water
Withdrawals. Click on the link above. |
| 2. |
We
had a salesperson come to our home. They performed
an onsite water test and then told us our water was
unsafe to drink. The salesperson suggested we could
buy one of his treatment systems to fix the problem,
but the treatment systems costs several thousand
dollars. What should we do now? |
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No
person can tell you that your water is unsafe with
an onsite test only. Only a licensed laboratory can
perform the tests to determine the safety of your
water supply. Never purchase water systems from a
non-certified or pushy salesperson. WSC recommends
having your water tested by a certified laboratory
and then getting a second opinion from a certified
water treatment professional before making a
decision. |
| 3. |
How
far should my septic system be from my water well
system? |
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Most
states require your septic system to be a minimum of
50 feet away from your well system. However, your
local requirements may be different. WSC recommends
that you check with your local or state health
department for the separation requirements in your
area. |
| 4. |
Where
is my well located? |
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Locate
the wellhead in your yard. This is the top of your
well. It should extend at least six to eight inches
above the ground to keep contaminants from entering
the system. Surface water should drain away from the
wellhead. |
| 5. |
How
do I get a well drilled on my property? |
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WSC
recommends that you hire a certified well driller
for any well construction. For more information on
selecting a well contractor please view the WSC
wellcare® information sheet, "Selecting a Well
Contractor". Click on the link above |
| 6. |
When
do you disinfect a well? |
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Your
well should be disinfected whenever any maintenance
is done on your well or you are worried that your
well may have bacterial contamination. WSC
recommends that you have a professional water well
contractor do any repairs to your well and disinfect
it afterwards. You can also disinfect your well, but
before you do, you should read the wellcare®
information sheet, "Disinfecting Your
Well". Click on the link above. |
| 7. |
What
type of treatment is needed for a well system? |
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Well
water is naturally better! So it's likely that your
well water won't need any treatment. Before you
consider any treatment, you should have your water
tested. The test results will help you to decide
what (if any) treatment you may need. Then, your
water well contractor or a professional water
treatment dealer in your area can recommend the best
treatment technology for your well. |
| 8. |
How
do I get my water tested? |
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Call
your local health department for a list of licensed
laboratories in your area. Call the laboratory and
schedule an appointment. Your test results should be
back within 2 weeks. There are also some national
testing laboratories that can provide you with a
test kit and instructions on how to properly test
your well water. You then send the sample to them
and they will provide you with the test results. |
| 9. |
What
do I test for? |
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If
there is no known contamination and no apparent
changes in smell or taste, have the laboratory test
for bacteria. For more testing options, view the
"Potential Ground Water Contaminants" Wellcare®
information sheets on the WSC website at www.wellcarehotline.org. |
| 10. |
Where
do I purchase a water treatment system? |
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WSC
recommends that you contact your water well
contractor or a professional water treatment dealer
in your area. You can find listings in the Yellow
Pages under "Water Treatment Companies." |
| 11. |
What
do I need to test for in order to sell my home? |
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WSC
has a list of recommended testing criteria that is
based on the HUD requirements. We can provide you
with that information but required testing varies
from state to state. Contact your state health
department or real estate commission for current
requirements. |
| 12. |
I
am buying a home with a well and radon was detected
in the air. Should I have the well water tested? |
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WSC
recommends that you have the well water tested
whenever you are buying a house with a well. Contact
your local health department for list of licensed
laboratories in your area. Call the laboratory and
schedule an appointment for testing. |
| 13. |
How
do I treat the contaminants? |
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There
are different treatment systems for different
contaminants, so WSC recommends that you always
consult a Water Treatment Specialist and be sure
that the treatment system is certified. |
| 14. |
I
have low water pressure and the water has a surging
and subsiding pressure variation through the pipes. |
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Your
well pump system can be adjusted to give you a
service pressure that will meet your expectations.
The surging of your water coming from your faucets
is a sign that the air change in your water tank is
out of balance with your pressure switch or the
diaphragm in the tank is torn. Your water tank may
need to be replaced. The surging will eventually
lead to pump failure. Contact a licensed well
contractor to inspect your system for this problem. |
| 15. |
At
what pressure should the pressure tank be set? |
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The
pressure setting in your tank will vary depending
upon application. You will need to know your switch
setting (check the manufacturer's instructions).
However, we suggest you contact a well contractor to
make any repairs on your well. |
| 16. |
At
what pressure should the tank be set, and how do I
adjust it? |
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To
adjust a tank’s air pressure, first shut off
electric power to the pump. Open a faucet near the
tank and drain completely. Then follow the
manufacturer’s instructions for adjusting the
pressure. However, we suggest you contact a well
contractor to make any repairs on your well. |
| 17. |
When
I shut off the power to my pump, does the remaining
water in the pipe line drain back into the pressure
tank? |
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No,
the water will not drain back into the pressure
tank. During normal operation of a well pump system
there is a pressure control switch, which reads
water pressure within your pipe line. The switch
controls the flow of electricity to your pump when
you are using water from your system. When you stop
using water, your pressure tank will fill with water
until an upper pressure setting is reached and at
that moment the pressure switch will interrupt the
flow of electricity to the pump and the pump will
stop pumping water. A valve, just above your pump
will close and hold the water pressure in your
system. When you use enough water, the cycle will
start over. |
| 18. |
I'm
having problems with my well pump. It seems to be
working fine, but I have to prime it every other
day, otherwise nothing gets pumped out. Could my
pressure tank be the problem? My water pressure
isn't that high, but seems to be okay. |
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Let's
consider some factors that could be causing you to
prime your pump so often: 1. Every two days, your
water use is greater, causing the water level in the
well to drop enough for the pump to pull in air,
either through the intake, or through a very small
break in the pipe. When the water is low enough, the
break is exposed to air and you lose pressure. 2.
The suction pipe has a loose connection. 3. The
rotary shaft seal is worn on the pump. 4. The air
volume control valve on the pressure tank sticks
from time to time, allowing air into the pump
chamber. Your best bet is to contact a certified
well driller, experienced in pump repair, to inspect
your system and pinpoint the problem. |
| 19. |
If
our well pump operates at 12 gallons per minute and
it takes nine minutes to recharge the storage tank,
does that mean we have a leak or other problem? |
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Yes.
It seems that there is something wrong with your
well system, since the average fill rate is 1.34
gallons pumped per minute. A good certified water
well contractor should be able to inspect your
system to determine if you have a failure or need
any repairs. |
