August 2010
Preventing a Sick Well
Maintaining your well saves money and protects your health

It's easy to take clean, safe water for granted.

If you live on a municipal water system, getting water is as simple as opening a faucet. Besides paying the water bill, that's pretty much all you need to know.

But if you live in the country - or what used to be the country - it can be a little more involved. That's because you own and maintain the water system.

Even if you hire a professional well company for regular maintenance, it still pays to understand your well system and check on it occasionally.

One of the easiest tasks is to simply listen out for the well pump. Does it cycle on and off frequently? That's a sign that the pressure tank could be waterlogged or that the control that regulates the pump may be malfunctioning. Either means you're spending more on electricity and wearing out the pump faster than normal.

Waterlogging is a condition where the air reservoir in the pressure tank is low. Well pumps don't compress water; air in the pressure tank compresses to exert force on the water and supply pressure to your faucets and fixtures. If the air reservoir is low, the pump runs more frequently.

Your system may have either of two types of pressure tanks. One type uses air within the tank to maintain pressure on the water system. Over time, the captive air can be absorbed into the water, reducing the pressure. The remedy is to drain the tank so the air is replaced.

The other type incorporates a plastic bladder to keep the air and water separate. This keeps the air from being dissolved into the water. But if the bladder ruptures or develops a leak, the pressure tank has to be replaced.

The well system's pressure switch automatically cuts the pump on and off when user-set limits are reached. If your pump is running too frequently, it may be because this switch is malfunctioning or needs adjustment.

Another reason the pump may cycle frequently is water leaks. Make sure there's not a leaky pipe or faucet that's draining water as well as electricity.

The other part of maintaining your well system is keeping the water supply clean. You can do this by:

• making sure the well cap is secure. Ensure that insects and vermin can't get in.
• not using paint, gasoline, fertilizer, pesticides and other household or agricultural chemicals near your well.
• keeping the top of your well at least one foot above ground level when landscaping and sloping the soil so surface water runs away from your well.
• not piling leaves or other materials around your well.
• taking care to not damage the well casing when working in the immediate area.
• testing your water regularly and anytime there's a change in its taste, odor or appearance.