 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Questions:
Well / Pump Problems
1 Q: I have no water, what would cause this?
A: 1) Check to see if the circuit breaker has tripped.
2) Pressure switch could be bad.
3) Pump could be bad
4) Insufficient electrical voltage.
5) Broken or nicked wire.
2. Q: My pressure switch is clicking on & off rapidly when I use
water. What does this mean?
A: This is a sign that the tank is is waterlogged, meaning the bladder is low on air or has a hole in it . The air cell / diaphragm can be filled with air, if the bladder doesn’t hold the air pressure the tank will have to get replaced.
3.Q: My pressure is lower than normal.
A: 1) There could be a hole in the piping.
2) The well could need to be acid cleaned
3) The pressure switch might be bad.
4 .Q: I run out of water.
A: 1) Low producing well (low gallons per minute)
2)The well could need to be acid cleaned.
3)Pump could be overheating.
4)Water level has dropped.
5. Q: Why do I have a poor well and my neighbors have good wells?
A: 1) Well is not deep enough
2) Wrong size screen
3) Well is not in water vein ( Not witched )
4) Poorly constructed well
5) Wrong pump
6) Needs to be acid cleaned
6. Q: Why does my pump run when no water is being used?
A: 1) The check valve on the top of the pump is bad.
2) There is a hole or crack in the drop pipe.
3) There is a hole in the pitless adapter, this is the connection that goes from the well to
the house. If this is the case, the ground will be wet around the well.
7. Q: Why is my water dirty all of a sudden?
A: 1) This usually caused by a hole in the drop pipe causing water recirculation inside the well.
2) Waterlogged storage tank.
8. Q: Why are my fittings on my tank rusty or leaking?
A: This is caused by Electrolysis, The fittings are galvanized & should be replaced with brass, copper or plastic fittings.
9. Q: There is standing water around my well. What does this mean?
A: This is a sign that there is a hole in the pitless adapter galvanized fitting. It will have to be dug up & replaced
10. Q: What does acid cleaning a well mean?
A: As your well ages the screen in the bottom of the well becomes encrusted with minerals. These minerals start closing off the small slots that allows the water to fill the well. Some symptoms of this are low water volume & dirty water. The screens are typically 4 feet long and cannot be removed, so acid is used to clean the screen and then redeveloped with an air compressor.
Well Drilling Questions
1. Q: Do I need a permit to drill a well?
A: Yes, you can get it at the county health department, or Suburban Installers can handle the permit for you.
2. Q: How long will it take to drill my well?
A: It usually can be drilled in one day.
3. Q: Does drilling deeper mean my water be better than drilling shallower?
A: Not necessarily, You should take the first water aquifer that will provide enough water for your needs. Sometimes there is only one aquifer & going through it will end up in no water at all or salty water.
4. Q: If I drill a new well, does my old well have to be abandoned?
A: Yes, any well that is not being used has to be abandoned according to the state requirements.
5. Q: Where do you drill the well?
A: 1) The well has to be 50 feet from any septic field, septic tank or sewer injector.
2) The location should also be one that can be easy to service in years to come.
3) We will “witch” your property to find the best location to drill your well.
6. Q: How deep will my well be?
A: 1) You can get a good idea of how deep your well will be by asking your neighbors. Generally the wells are all in the same ballpark.
2) Suburban Installers knows most areas from previous wells we have drilled and could give you an idea how deep the well will be.
7. Q: What is the minimum depth my well can be?
A: The state of Michigan requires that the well have at least 25’ of casing in the ground, plus the length of the screen.
8. Q: How many gallons per minute ( GPM ) do I need for my home?
A: 10 gallons per minute ( GPM ) will be sufficient to run a home. However when high flow showers and irrigation are going to be used that number will be closer to 20 gpm or more.
9. Q: What size pump do I need?
A: It depends on how deep the well, the size of the house & if you will be irrigating your lawn. Our standard size pump is a ¾ hp 10 gpm pump.
10. Q: Can I add a constant pressure system to my house?
A: Yes, a constant pressure system can be added anytime.
11. Q: What size tank do I need?
A: As a rule of thumb you can never have to big of a tank, a bigger tank is easier on the pump. Our standard tank is a WM-12, which is a 42 gallon fiberglass tank with an air cell inside. Pumps and tanks have to be sized accordingly, the bigger the pump the bigger the tank has to be.
12. Q: What if my well does not pass a bacteria test?
A: Go to our chlorination link for steps to perform this.
13. Q: Can I pour bleach or chlorine into my well?
A: Yes, This helps kill any bacteria, and corrosion down in the well. Refer to our chlorination link for help.
Water Treatment Questions
1.Q: I notice white spotting from the water, what is this?
A: This is known as “hard water”, the white spots are from the calcium and magnesium minerals found in the water. They can be removed be installing a water softener, or if you have a softener already check to make sure it is functioning properly ( see our water treatment page )
2. Q: I notice rust stain in my sink & toilet.
A: This is the iron mineral found in your well water. A softener can take out small amounts of iron. For larger amounts of iron a RustBuster Softener or an iron filter should be used.
(See our water treatment page for more help)
3 .Q: My water has a rotten egg smell, can this be eliminated?
A: The rotten egg smell is caused from the presence of the mineral sulfur. The smell is usually more noticeable in the hot water. Here are a couple of solutions to try:
1)Remove the anode rod inside the hot water heater
2)Install an iron filter ( see our water treatment page )
4. Q: What does Reverse Osmosis ( RO ) mean?
A: A reverse osmosis system filters your well water to absolutely pure water, this water is better than bottle water quality. Reverse Osmosis system is not intended for the whole house. Typically the system is ran to the refrigerator for ice cubes / water and to a separate faucet at the kitchen sink.
1 Q: I have no water, what would cause this?
A: 1) Check to see if the circuit breaker has tripped.
2) Pressure switch could be bad.
3) Pump could be bad
4) Insufficient electrical voltage.
5) Broken or nicked wire.
2. Q: My pressure switch is clicking on & off rapidly when I use
water. What does this mean?
A: This is a sign that the tank is is waterlogged, meaning the bladder is low on air or has a hole in it . The air cell / diaphragm can be filled with air, if the bladder doesn’t hold the air pressure the tank will have to get replaced.
3.Q: My pressure is lower than normal.
A: 1) There could be a hole in the piping.
2) The well could need to be acid cleaned
3) The pressure switch might be bad.
4 .Q: I run out of water.
A: 1) Low producing well (low gallons per minute)
2)The well could need to be acid cleaned.
3)Pump could be overheating.
4)Water level has dropped.
5. Q: Why do I have a poor well and my neighbors have good wells?
A: 1) Well is not deep enough
2) Wrong size screen
3) Well is not in water vein ( Not witched )
4) Poorly constructed well
5) Wrong pump
6) Needs to be acid cleaned
6. Q: Why does my pump run when no water is being used?
A: 1) The check valve on the top of the pump is bad.
2) There is a hole or crack in the drop pipe.
3) There is a hole in the pitless adapter, this is the connection that goes from the well to
the house. If this is the case, the ground will be wet around the well.
7. Q: Why is my water dirty all of a sudden?
A: 1) This usually caused by a hole in the drop pipe causing water recirculation inside the well.
2) Waterlogged storage tank.
8. Q: Why are my fittings on my tank rusty or leaking?
A: This is caused by Electrolysis, The fittings are galvanized & should be replaced with brass, copper or plastic fittings.
9. Q: There is standing water around my well. What does this mean?
A: This is a sign that there is a hole in the pitless adapter galvanized fitting. It will have to be dug up & replaced
10. Q: What does acid cleaning a well mean?
A: As your well ages the screen in the bottom of the well becomes encrusted with minerals. These minerals start closing off the small slots that allows the water to fill the well. Some symptoms of this are low water volume & dirty water. The screens are typically 4 feet long and cannot be removed, so acid is used to clean the screen and then redeveloped with an air compressor.
Well Drilling Questions
1. Q: Do I need a permit to drill a well?
A: Yes, you can get it at the county health department, or Suburban Installers can handle the permit for you.
2. Q: How long will it take to drill my well?
A: It usually can be drilled in one day.
3. Q: Does drilling deeper mean my water be better than drilling shallower?
A: Not necessarily, You should take the first water aquifer that will provide enough water for your needs. Sometimes there is only one aquifer & going through it will end up in no water at all or salty water.
4. Q: If I drill a new well, does my old well have to be abandoned?
A: Yes, any well that is not being used has to be abandoned according to the state requirements.
5. Q: Where do you drill the well?
A: 1) The well has to be 50 feet from any septic field, septic tank or sewer injector.
2) The location should also be one that can be easy to service in years to come.
3) We will “witch” your property to find the best location to drill your well.
6. Q: How deep will my well be?
A: 1) You can get a good idea of how deep your well will be by asking your neighbors. Generally the wells are all in the same ballpark.
2) Suburban Installers knows most areas from previous wells we have drilled and could give you an idea how deep the well will be.
7. Q: What is the minimum depth my well can be?
A: The state of Michigan requires that the well have at least 25’ of casing in the ground, plus the length of the screen.
8. Q: How many gallons per minute ( GPM ) do I need for my home?
A: 10 gallons per minute ( GPM ) will be sufficient to run a home. However when high flow showers and irrigation are going to be used that number will be closer to 20 gpm or more.
9. Q: What size pump do I need?
A: It depends on how deep the well, the size of the house & if you will be irrigating your lawn. Our standard size pump is a ¾ hp 10 gpm pump.
10. Q: Can I add a constant pressure system to my house?
A: Yes, a constant pressure system can be added anytime.
11. Q: What size tank do I need?
A: As a rule of thumb you can never have to big of a tank, a bigger tank is easier on the pump. Our standard tank is a WM-12, which is a 42 gallon fiberglass tank with an air cell inside. Pumps and tanks have to be sized accordingly, the bigger the pump the bigger the tank has to be.
12. Q: What if my well does not pass a bacteria test?
A: Go to our chlorination link for steps to perform this.
13. Q: Can I pour bleach or chlorine into my well?
A: Yes, This helps kill any bacteria, and corrosion down in the well. Refer to our chlorination link for help.
Water Treatment Questions
1.Q: I notice white spotting from the water, what is this?
A: This is known as “hard water”, the white spots are from the calcium and magnesium minerals found in the water. They can be removed be installing a water softener, or if you have a softener already check to make sure it is functioning properly ( see our water treatment page )
2. Q: I notice rust stain in my sink & toilet.
A: This is the iron mineral found in your well water. A softener can take out small amounts of iron. For larger amounts of iron a RustBuster Softener or an iron filter should be used.
(See our water treatment page for more help)
3 .Q: My water has a rotten egg smell, can this be eliminated?
A: The rotten egg smell is caused from the presence of the mineral sulfur. The smell is usually more noticeable in the hot water. Here are a couple of solutions to try:
1)Remove the anode rod inside the hot water heater
2)Install an iron filter ( see our water treatment page )
4. Q: What does Reverse Osmosis ( RO ) mean?
A: A reverse osmosis system filters your well water to absolutely pure water, this water is better than bottle water quality. Reverse Osmosis system is not intended for the whole house. Typically the system is ran to the refrigerator for ice cubes / water and to a separate faucet at the kitchen sink.
Questions:
Questions:
On this page you will find some of the most commonly asked questions related to Chlorination, Well / Pump Problems, Well Drilling, Water Treatment. Feel free to contact us for more information or help with any of these topics.
Frequently Asked Questions