Fresh water isn’t just accessible through municipal water supply. If you have a well or water reservoir, then you can get fresh and clean water on demand by using a water well pump. Here is what you should know.
What Is A Well Pump?
A well pump is a mechanical or electric device that pulls or pumps water from depths and stores it in a pressure tank. Usually, if you have a well or a deep water reservoir and you want to get water for use and storage in your house, then you’ll want to fire up the pump and it will suck water from the well and store it in a tank.
A water tank is a necessity when you’re dealing with well pumps because these machines pump water in quantities that you can’t just use in a day’s work so it’s better that you have somewhere to store the water and from that tank, you can use the water all over the house, for gardening and other miscellaneous things around the house.
A well pump is great if you don’t want to put in any manual labor and get water out of a well on demand.
How Does A Well Pump Works?
The main gist of a well pump is either one of two ways. It can either pull water up from a well with force or it can suck the water from underground due to the difference in pressure.
When the water is used up in the pressure tank, it turns on a pressure switch that either increases or decreases the pressure in the well pressure tank. Once there is pressure difference, the water is sucked from the well to alleviate the pressure difference. The lower or deeper the well is, the higher the pressure difference needs to be to pull water out of the well and up to the ground with good pressure.
Well pumps are designed to go back to their original pressure condition after the water has been pumped. This prevents overheating of the well pump and keeps it from turning on every time a water tap is opened in the house. So, the well pump works efficiently and provides water from deep wells whenever you need it.
Well pumps can be cheap or expensive depending on the type of pump you go for. Usually, they range anywhere between $300 to $2000, but they’re well worth the investment considering their efficiency.
Types Of Well Pumps
Now that you know the general gist of a well pump and how it works, here are some different types of well pumps that can be used by people depending on their preference and efficiency.
Submersible Pumps
These pumps are the most common ones that are used by people all over the world. If there’s a well, then submersible pumps will be used, because they’re just so practical. The only thing that you need to keep in mind and ensure is that these pumps need to be submerged underwater, hence the name.
This won’t damage the pump, although the contrary of it will. The pump is attached to a pipe and once the pump starts to collect water, it passes through the pipe that reaches the ground and ejects out water at an optimum pressure, to be stored in a tank. They’re the most expensive pumps out there, but they’re really easy to use and maintain, so that’s a plus.
Centrifugal Pumps
Centrifugal pumps use impellers to suck the water in and then use rotational energy or centrifugal energy to push the water out and pump it up to the pressure tank. These pumps don’t have a lot of power in them, so they’re perfect for small and shallow wells.
Anything deeper than 25 feet and these pumps are useless. However, these pumps are super inexpensive and light on the maintenance side, so if that’s something you want, then this pump is perfect for you.
Jet Pumps
Jet pumps are usually installed outside the well, on ground level and a long pipe is inserted inside the well to pump the water. These wells are accessible for maintenance and repairs since they don’t need to be pulled out from the well and they’re dry for the most part. These pumps rely on the mechanism of suction to get the job done.
A drawback of jet pumps is that these pumps can get clogged if the well has loose sediments or sand in it. Also, they need to be manually primed, so that’s a bummer and an extra step.
Hand Pumps
These pumps are obsolete in the residential department, but they’re perfect for farms and other remote areas because they’re purely mechanical. Hand pumps work by pushing a lever that pumps the water up and allows the water to be stored in a pressure tank for use.
There’s no electricity involved and they’re really easy to use, so if you live in an area where electricity can be an issue, then these pumps have your back. However, you’re going to need a lot of elbow grease to get these bad boys to start.
Things To Know About Well Pumps
Here are some things you need to remember when looking at different well pumps and deciding as to which one is perfect for you.
The Well Size And Depth Matters A Lot
You can’t just choose a well pump, based on what you like. If the well is shallow and doesn’t have a lot of water, then submersible pumps won’t work. If your well is too deep, then centrifugal and hand pumps won’t work at all. So, an assessment is essential before well pump installation Montgomery County.
Look For Low-Maintenance Well Pumps
You need to look for pumps that don’t require a lot of maintenance. Yes, since pumps have moving parts, you’ll need to maintain a few things here and there, but you also don’t want to spend every possible hour doing said maintenance.
So, choosing a pump that is light on the maintenance side of things and has exceptional efficiency will only make things easier for you.
Priming
When looking for a well pump, make sure you know the difference between self-priming and manually primed pumps. Usually, self-priming pumps are easy to work with, since there’s no hassle involved, but not all are self-priming, so look out for this tiny detail.
Well Evaluation
You also want to evaluate how much water is in the well. Remember, if there’s not a lot of water in the well to begin with, then pumping can be a hassle and pumps will be rendered useless, so unless you want to waste your time and money, keep this detail in mind.
Pressure Tanks Are Important
If you don’t have a pressure tank to store extra water in, then making it/getting one installed should be your priority. Well pumps are extremely powerful and they pump out gallons of water, so you need a place for water storage.
Conclusion
Well pumps are convenient as long as they are electric. They pump water to the pressure tank safely for use. As there are various types of well pumps, you should consult a well pump service Washington County who can evaluate the well and your household or commercial needs to suggest the right type of well pump.