For hundreds of years, people living in the desert have depended on water well systems to provide potable water for consumption, agriculture and daily living. Today’s modern residential water well systems are expertly engineered and constructed to deliver water to home owners in communities or locations that might be off the typical water grid. Learning how does a residential well work in Phoenix Arizona will help you to better understand the individual components involved and thus, expedite questions about repairs, maintenance and installation services when they are needed.

Here are the basics of how a residential water well system works.

how-does-a-well-work-in-phoenix-arizonaA residential water well system is used to deliver water to a home that does not have municipal water services. The type of well system that is needed will largely depend on depth needed to ensure the water is potable. The depths of these systems can range from 15 feet to five hundred feet of which is primarily dependent upon the height of the water table and topography of the location.

Once a professional Phoenix residential well installation company has inspected the location, they will begin the drilling process. There are several methods and tools they use to drill a residential water well system such as:

  • The Rotary Method: using a drill rod with a rotating-drill bit, this device is driven into the ground. As the drill is forced into the ground, excess dirt and rock is lifted to the surface.
  • Drive Point Method: this is a system that is similar to oil drilling, where a system of interconnected pipes is lowered into the ground. Once the pipes reach the water table, the water will begin to flow into the pipes.
  • Auger Method: in this method, an earth auger will bore a hole into the ground. As the hole is dug, the hole will be lined with casing materials or concrete.
    For residential systems with water tables less than 50 feet in depth, the auger and drive point method are most common.

What are the Components of a Residential Well System?

A residential water well system is comprised of several individual components that work together to deliver water to a home.

The Casing

After the water well hole is dug, it needs to be lined with a casing in order to provide a smooth pathway for water to travel to the home. Typically the casing will be a PVC pipe ranging from 4 to 6 inches in diameter and in some cases steel.

The Water Well Pump

The water is pumped to the house by use of a water well pump. Typically there are two types of pumps that are used – jet pumps or a submersible pump. A jet pump works like a vacuum in that it sucks water out of the ground and into a water tank. Many deep water wells utilize a submersible pump that is located inside the casing and utilizes electrical power to push water into a storage tank.

The Storage Tank

A water tank or pressure tank is used to store water for use inside the home. A pressure tank has an air cavity that is designed to keep the water pressurized which ensures that the water pump does not have to always run when water is needed for the home.

The Pressure Switch

For residential water wells that have a submersible pump, the use of a pressure switch is needed. This is a pressure-sensitive device that monitors the pressure inside the tank and will power the pump to push water into the tank when it reaches a desired level.

Thanks to improvements in technology, installing, maintaining and servicing residential water wells is much more efficient than in years past. However, each of these residential water well systems needs to be drilled and installed by a professional residential water well service provider for safety and integrity of the system. Since all of the components of residential water wells need to work in conjunction in order to provide potable water to a home; staying on top of routine service and maintenance can help reduce expensive repairs and keep your residential water running smooth for years.