Residential: 
Private water wells aren’t just a relic of days gone by. As of 2017, the EPA estimates that 13 million American households use their own wells to get drinking water.
Having your own well offers you a certain amount of freedom. Yet if something goes wrong, you can’t call up the water department and ask them to fix it. If you have a bad water pump, you either need to repair it or hire someone who can.
But in some cases, your first call doesn’t have to be to a well pump expert. Read on for some well pump troubleshooting tips that will get your pump going again.
Identifying the Problem
Your first step in well pump repair is to make sure the problem is with the well pump and not some other component.
The most obvious sign of a possible well pump problem is not having any water. If the water pump isn’t working, you’re going to figure it out pretty quick when you can’t drink water or take a shower.
There are other, more subtle indicators as well. The water pressure in your home should be consistent. If it’s all over the place, that signals a possibly bad water pump.
But what if the well pump works but no water is flowing? In that case, it’s time to bring in a professional.
Ideally, you’ll already have a relationship with a local well pump repair service. That’s because your well should get inspected once a year. Some people only do it once every couple of years, but an annual inspection is best.
How to Fix Basic Water Pump Issues
You’ve established that the water pump is to blame. Make sure to check the power source.
Is your well switch on? If it’s not, then you’re not going to have much luck with any other troubleshooting options.
If it is, then check the circuit breaker. A circuit breaker that keeps tripping speaks to a larger problem. That’s the kind of problem that requires calling someone who works on well pumps for a living.
Of course, there’s also a chance that the well pump isn’t working because of a power outage. Power outages are hard to miss, especially if they’re related to bad weather.
But the bad news is that you can’t do much in this case except call your electric company and ask when the lights will be back on. In the future, a well pump generator can help you out of such jams. If you live in the country and use well water, it’s a worthy investment.
What if there’s not a power issue? At that point, it could be a pressure switch issue. Pressure switches aren’t expensive to replace, but they are a bit complicated.
You’re better off calling a pro.
Dealing with a Bad Water Pump
A bad water pump is frustrating, but it’s not something you should try to spend all day troubleshooting. Don’t spend more than an hour at most, and that’s only if you know what you’re doing.
If you don’t know what you’re doing, there’s no shame in that. But there might be some shame in pressing forward and making things worse, especially if you contaminate your water supply.
We’ve got years of experience with both residential and commercial water pumps. Contact us today to see how we can help.
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Looking for he top Arizona submersible water pump install companies? If you need commercial or residential well inspection services in Arizona call 623-582-5069 now to schedule an appointment or to have your questions answered!
