Signs of Well Pump Failure and What You Can do to Confirm it

If you’ve moved into a home with an older well pump or your well pump installation is getting up there in years, the prospect of dealing with a well pump replacement sometime in the foreseeable future is likely high. While most pumps are designed to stand the test of time to deliver quality water to your home for 10 years or more, there will definitely come a time when it no longer does the job it’s supposed to.

Recognizing the initial signs of a failing water pump is the first step in ensuring that you’re taking the appropriate steps to prevent a full on failure. Really, the signs of a failing well pump will be hard to ignore, but knowing what these signs mean and what you can do when they start appearing is going to make facilitating a water pump replacement in Columbia, TN much easier.

Recognizing the signs

As mentioned above, it’s not hard to spot trouble with a failing well pump—the problems usually arrive in stages:

• Low water pressure
• Intermittent water flow
• No water flow

Depending on the age of your pump these three problems could arrive in quick succession or they could arrive in stages—either way, it’s best to keep an eye out for them if and when you start to notice irregularities.

What you can do

How do you confirm that problems with your well pump aren’t electrical problems or mechanical failures masquerading as an entire pump failure? Make sure you’re performing these critical checks and balances before you assume a water pump replacement in Columbia, TN is in order:

• Check for power. This is the quickest and easiest thing a homeowner can do and it can yield a lot of insight in regards to your problem. If you’re getting intermittent power or there’s a power failure, it could mean a component replacement rather than a new well pump.
• Pressure switches can shut a system down if there’s too much draw, leaving you with a pump that doesn’t appear to be working properly. Locate and reset this failsafe and see if your pump functions appropriately again—if it does, consult a pump expert about why your switch tripped; if it doesn’t, consult someone about the potential for a pump replacement.
• Check to see if you have discolored water in the pump and consult with a well pump expert to have your pump cleaned and the source of the discoloration pinpointed. Iron oxide is naturally occurring in a pump, whereas other water contaminants could signal anything from a broken seal to a compromised well.

If you’ve gone through the above things and nothing addressed the problem at hand, it’s time to consider calling a well pump professional. A professional can further troubleshoot the issue and help you come to a solid conclusion about your well pump—either by nailing down the issues that’s causing improper function or by telling you definitively that you need a water pump replacement in Columbia, TN.

Categorised in: Well Pump Failure