Tips for Residential Well Service and Maintenance
Do you have a well? Learn all about residential well service and maintenance, including how to maintain your well pump, your water pressure system, and more.
Owning your own well means independence. You have water when you need it, and you don’t pay a regular utility bill for your water. But your independence does have a price.
You have the responsibility of maintaining your well. While you certainly need a good well service to help you maintain your well, you can do some things on your own. By the time you’ve finished reading this article, you will know five things you can do to maintain your well.
1. Annual Inspections
Even a good well needs an annual inspection. If you want your well to last for decades, have a water pump service in Howell, MI inspect your well annually.
When you have the same company complete your routine inspections, they can document changes to your well’s performance and setup. They will make sure your well is operating as it should and will pinpoint potential issues before they become big problems.
Here are a few things a good inspector will do:
- Inspect the components and equipment in the well, checking them for sanitation requirements
- Conduct a flow test
- Check water levels
- Test water for contaminants
While you can certainly inspect your well on your own, you may not know what to look for. A technician with expertise in water drilling in Howell, MI will understand what to look for and have the tools to adequately inspect your well.
2. Test the Water
Have your water tested annually. This can be done when the well drilling services in Howell, MI inspect your well. A professional can test your water for you, but you can also conduct your own well water tests in between annual inspections.
Here are the contaminants you should test for:
- Iron
- Sulfides
- Manganese
- Coliform bacteria
- Nitrates
You should also have a general test for water hardness. Well water is typically hard water. Check to see exactly what your mineral content is.
Heavy mineral content will ultimately affect your plumbing.
Conduct a water test at least once a year. If you notice a change in your water’s quality, odor, or taste, conduct a water test. You should also have a water test done if anyone in your family gets sick regularly.
High levels of bacteria in your water can cause fever, fatigue, headaches, cramps, vomiting, and sometimes even death. People with weakened immune systems such as children or elderly people are more susceptible to water-contamination illnesses. If people in your house are experiencing these symptoms regularly, have your water tested.
Contact your local health department as well to learn about any water quality issues in your community. Then test your water for these contaminants.
3. Check Your Well
Keep an eye on the parts of your well. Conduct an inspection on a monthly basis before you call in a pump well service in Howell, MI. Begin with your well covers and well caps.
Well caps protect your water from dirt, rain, insects, animals, and other pollutants. If your cap has a crack or a poor seal, you have a higher risk of well contamination.
Check all around the cap to make sure it isn’t worn or cracked. If the cap is compromised, replace it.
If your well is old and needs to be replaced, you will need to decommission it and seal it off. Do not just leave an old well. Doing so could contaminate your new well when the casings rust, deteriorate and create hazardous conditions.
Your old well could also leak and contaminate a neighbor’s well. Contact a service that specializes in well drilling in Howell, MI to properly decommission and seal your old well.
4. Maintain Distance
Pay attention to the location of your well, and then properly distance waste systems, chemicals, and buildings from it. When you have a well dug by a local well service in Howell, MI, the technician will take note of its location in relation to other parts of your property.
But once you have an established well, you are responsible for making sure nothing contaminates the well. Your well should sit at least 50 feet away from septic tanks, chemical storage, and other potential contaminants. In the end, you’ll be able to maintain your well longer if you protect it.
5. Monitor Your Water
Test your water if you notice any changes in your water quality. This means you also can take corrective action when you notice changes in the water’s smell, quality, or taste.
Look at the area around your well as well and note any water quality changes. Know what a healthy well looks like, and then inspect your well regularly to make sure it is a healthy well.
You should call in a professional to test the water if you notice these changes:
- Changes in water quality
- Reduced water production
- A positive test for coliform bacteria
- Defects in the well components or wellhead
At any point in your time as a well owner, if something does not look right, call in a professional pump and well service from Howell, MI to inspect the water.
Find a Good Well Service
Water is life. Without clean water, you cannot survive. If you have the privilege of owning your own well, you also have the responsibility of maintaining it and providing your family with clean water.
You can enjoy your well for decades to come if you complete these basic maintenance tasks. Be aware of changes around your well, test your water regularly, and have a professional well service inspect your well annually.
Do you need an inspection, or are you looking for a qualified technician to drill a new well? If so, contact us. We specialize in drilling and maintaining wells.
Our technicians are ready to help you with your well today. Give us a call.
