Wells are so convenient that there are more and more people who are having them installed on their property. After all, who would not want to save money by having your own source of water to use for your cooking, drinking, and other everyday needs? However, even though wells are often considered to be more reliable than the water from local water utility companies, they also have some issues every now and then that an owner will encounter.
Having a well is a good investment, but well owners must be ready to face the challenges that come with it. One of the issues well owners sometimes have to deal with is a well that has low or no pressure.
What does a no pressure well mean?
When a well is said to have problems with pressure, this would mean that it is currently not able to pump water the way that is expected to, which results in other issues that may be annoying and cause inconvenience to the people who need water for their daily needs. In the event that there is no pressure, the main cause of this usually has something to do with a part of the well, mainly the well pump.
However, there are other parts that may also be the culprit behind the pressure to be destabilized, and this can only be accurately pinpointed by having the well inspected, preferably by a well professional.
How do you know if your well pump has no pressure?
If your well pump is having problems with pressure, you can see this when one or more of the following signs are present.
There is no water coming out from my faucets.
If you open a faucet in your house and there is no water coming out of it, it is understandable to be concerned. Oftentimes, the water comes back after a couple of hours, and the water will come out again. However, if this happens a lot, this might indicate a failing well pump.
There is water coming out of my faucets, but it takes a while to come out.
If there is water coming from the faucet but only in little amounts, this also indicates that there might be a problem with your well pump. This usually happens when the pressure system of the pump is faulty, as it is taking twice as much effort to run when it should do its job seamlessly if there are no issues. It is also possible for your faucets to spurt water due to air that has made its way to your pipe system.
There is water coming out of my faucets, but it looks dirty.
When there are no issues you can see yet with the faucet’s water pressure when you open it, you might see a problem when you get water only to observe that it looks cloudy. There are also times when there is some dust-like sediment on the water itself, which can be a cause of concern. This is another result of a no or low pressure well pump, as it will not be able to have the water filtered properly before it can be transported into your faucets.
What are the reasons why your well pump is not releasing any pressure?
When your well pump is not releasing any pressure, it is highly possible that it can be traced to various reasons. No pressure well pumps often mean that they are not running, and this can be a huge problem for the household.
If your well pump has no pressure:
- It may be because your well pump has been turned off.
Why this happens: There might be a time when your well pump has shut off on its own. This can be due to a problem with the pump’s motor, or may be due to a failed cycling process. When a well pump’s cycling process is affected, this is often traced to a clogged part of the well pump.
What to do: Make sure that the switch is turned on, however, be careful as there is a risk of electrocution. If there are problems with the parts, make sure to turn the pump off before doing any inspection.
- It may be because there is a power outage.
Why this happens: Well pumps need electricity to run, and if you do not have a generator and there was a power outage, your well pump might struggle to get back to its work. This is often the case when the household still continues to get water during the outage, causing the water supply to dwindle.
What to do: After the power outage, it would be best to have your well primed. You can do this by putting water into your pump casing, which removes the air that was stuck inside, affecting the water pressure. Make sure that you follow your well pump’s manual in how to prime, as the process will vary depending on what kind you have.
To avoid the issues that power outages bring with them, having a solar powered backup unit will ensure that the pump still works and that the pressure is not lost.
- It may be because of the pressure switch.
Why this happens: Pressure switches are a part of the well pump which is responsible for controlling the water by sending signals to the well pump. It does so by switching off when there is a sufficient water supply, which signals the well pump to stop pumping, and switching on when the water pressure is no longer sufficient, making the pump do its work again.
What to do: Check the settings of your pressure switch. You might need to adjust the levels in the pressure such as make it into a lower set point. If this does not work, you may have to get the pressure switch replaced.
- It may be because of a loose wire.
Why this happens: Loose wirings can be more common than what well owners think. This might be because of improper installation, or may be loosened, disconnected, or broken on its own after a couple of years.
What to do: Inspect your pump for any loose wiring. If there are any signs of damaged wires, it might be time to have them, replaced.
- It may be because of the voltage.
Why this happens: Your pump’s motor may be set to a voltage that is not enough to make it run properly. This happens when the person who installed the well pump did not measure the voltage that the motor needs, which made it feed insufficient voltage to the machine.
What to do: Inspect the requirement of your motor when it comes to voltage. If it is being supplied with the correct amount, check for any loose wires.
Can you fix a no pressure well pump on your own?
It is absolutely possible to fix your well pump by yourself, however, this is often not recommended. This is because there are many risks that come with having an inexperienced individual do the inspection and fixing, as it can result in contaminating their well water. A contaminated well can be the home of several bacteria, which can, unfortunately, cause sickness and disease in your household.