InspectAPedia ^®

Water Pumps, Tanks, & Wells - Purchase, Diagnosis, & Repair PlumbingAPedia © Clearance Distances Required for Wells & Septics Water Pressure & Pump Pressure Control Adjustment Water Pump Short Cycling & Water Tank Air - How & Why to Add Air Water Tank Repair or Replacement

This website answers just about any question you may have about pumps, wells, and drinking water. Even before performing water quantity, quality, equipment function tests, there is an enormous amount we can determine about a building's water supply just by looking at the equipment. Articles here provide details on water pumps, tanks, controls, and wells and water supply inspection, diagnosis, and repair. The photograph shows a one-line jet pump, the water pressure tank, and a water softener. We know from the fact that this is a single line jet well pump that the well is a shallow one, probably less than 27' deep. Well depth may have implications for water quantity and quality and vulnerability to surface water contamination. The page top photo shows our client holding the open top of his well casing along with some unusual well casing exit plumbing at a drilled well with a modern steel casing. Our sketch at left, courtesy of Carson Dunlop, shows the basic components of a drilled well with a submersible water pump. Finding the location of your well and inspecting the condition of the well piping and equipment are an important first step to assure a functional and potable drinking water supply - that is, having enough water supply and having water that is safe to drink. Knowing the type of well you have and the type of pumping equipment will be very important in diagnosing any water pressure, flow, or supply problems. The articles listed below provide detailed advice on diagnosing and repairing problems with water pumps, water tanks, wells, and other water supply equipment.

• Air, how add an air charge or "pre charge" to a water tank to stop pump short cycling and improve water delivery and pressure
• Air, how much to add to a water tank for proper water pump and tank operation
• Air, how often to add to a water tank - how often should you need to add air to the water tank?
• Air loss signs, how to know if the water tank has lost or is losing its air charge
• Air volume controls on water tanks what are AVC's and how do they work and are they any good?
• Cisterns as a source of drinking water
• Clearances Required for Wells Distance Between Well & Septic System and other water pollution sources, Online Table of Well Distances
• Clearances Required for Septic Systems Between Septic System & Wells, Streams, Trees, property boundaries, Online Tables of Septic Distances
• Controls & Switches on water pumps and tanks, how to identify, use, and repair or replace these devices. Where & How to turn on or off water.
• Foot valve problems in your well? See See Repeated Loss of Pump Prime for a discussion of well piping foot valves and the relation to loss of well pump prime.
• Drilled Wells - steel casings used with jet pumps and submersible pumps - modern drinking water well design, diagnosis, testing, repair guide
• Driven Point Wells used for drinking water
• Dug Wells: Hand Dug Wells
• Jet Pumps: Shallow Well with One Line Jet Pump parts, components, how they work
• Jet Pumps: Well with Two Line Jet Pump parts, components, how they work
• Life Expectancy of Water Pumps - Well Pumps: how long should a water pump last? What affects pump life?
• Life Expectancy of Wells how long should a water well and its components last?
• Life Expectancy of Water Tanks how long should a water well and its components last?
• Pressure/Temperature Relief Valves, proper inspection methods, issues and hazards - see RELIEF VALVES - TP Valves
• Prime the well pump? see WELL PUMP PRIMING PROCEDURE for two methods that almost always work to get a dry well pump going again.
• Short cycling water pump causes & cures, why does the water pump keep shutting on and off so quickly? Is it a problem?
• Springs as Water Supply
• Submersible Pumps: Drilled Well with Submersible Pump parts, components, how they work
• Water Pressure Adjustment how to adjust the water pressure in a building
• Water Pressure Booster Pump & Tank Systems: how to boost water pressure in a building by installing a pressure booster pump and pressure tank for tall buildings is discussed in detail at PUMP, WATER PRESSURE BOOSTER
• Water Pressure Loss Diagnosis: a how to diagnose and repair poor water pressure or loss of water supply
• Water Pressure Repair Guide & Costs for typical well, water pump, and water tank repairs or replacements
• Water Pressure Tanks what they are for, how they work, what goes wrong, how to fix them
• Water Pump & Tank Safety notes about water tank relief valves and electrical controls, risk of tank bursting or electrical shock
• WATER PRESSURE REPAIR GUIDE & COSTS details of problem diagnosis, recommended repairs
• Water Pump Pressure Control how to adjust the pump cut-on and cut-off pressures
• Water Pump Short Cycling what to do if the water pump keeps turning on and off too rapidly
• WATER PUMP WONT STOP RUNNING what to do if you can't get the water pump to shut off on its own
• Water Requirements, Home & Outdoor Living how much water do we need, how much water is used by various fixtures and activities
• Water Tank Diagnosis, Repair & Costs an specific case offers an example of diagnosis of loss of water pressure, loss of water, and analyzes the actual repair cost
• Water Tanks, Diagnosis & Repair - how to diagnose problems with water tanks, such as the need for air, how to add air, stop water pump short cycling to avoid damage - water storage water pressure tank safety.
• Water Tank Pressure Calculations the effects on water tanks and pumps caused by changes in temperature, pressure, or volume are reviewed using Boyle's Law, Charles' Law, and the Combined Gas Law
• Water Tank Types, a description of various kinds of water supply systems, pumps, water tanks
• Water Tanks, how they work what is the purpose of a water tank in buildings, how they work, what goes wrong, how to fix water tanks
• Water Testing, Water Quality: how to test for contaminants in drinking water - what test are available, what tests to ask for, what they cost, how people cheat on water tests
• Wells, Cisterns,& Springs types of sources of drinking water, what they look like, what goes wrong, what to do about it
• Well Flow Rate, Well Yield, Well Water Quantity: How Much Water is In the Well?
• Well Flow Rate, Yield Improvement Methods How to Get More Water From a Well without drilling a new well
• Well Pits
• WELL PUMP PRIMING PROCEDURE - how to prime a water pump by several easy methods

...

Technical Reviewers & References

Search InspectAPedia

• Daniel Friedman - principal author/editor of the InspectAPedia^® Website
• InspectAPedia Bookstore lists recommended books, organized by topic & available for purchase. Most of our articles also include a list of recommended books for the specific article topic as well as other references, and information sources.
• Critique, contributions wanted: Contact Us to suggest corrections or additions to articles at this website, and if you wish, to receive online listing and credit as a contributor. Particular thanks are due to the many experts and also consumers who read and critique technical articles at InspectAPedia.com.
• Additional technical contributors & reference sources for this article are listed below.

Use links just below or at the left of each page to navigate this document or to view other topics at this website. Green links show where you are in our document or website.

WATER PUMPS & WELL TANKS
WATER PUMP & TANK SAFETY
WATER PUMP & TANK CONTROLS & SWITCHES
  WELL PUMP PRESSURE CONTROL ADJUSTMENT
WATER PUMP TYPES & LIFE EXPECTANCY
  WATER PUMP, ONE LINE JET
  PUMP, TWO LINE JET
  PUMP, SUBMERSIBLE
  PUMP, WATER PRESSURE BOOSTER
  PUMP & TANK REPAIRS & COSTS
  PUMP & TANK SAFETY
WATER PUMP PRESSURE CONTROL ADJUSTMENT
WATER PUMP PRESSURE CONTROL REPAIR
WATER PUMP PRIMING PROCEDURE
WATER PUMP SHORT CYCLING
WATER PUMP WONT STOP RUNNING
WATER SUPPLY & DRAIN PIPING
WATER TANK TYPES: WATER, OIL, EXPANSION, ALL
WATER TANK AIR, HOW TO ADD
WATER TANK BLADDERS & CAPTIVE AIR
WATER TANK BLADDER PRESSURE ADJUSTMENT
WATER TANK LIFE EXPECTANCY
WATER TANK PRESSURE CALCULATIONS
WATER TANK REPAIRS
  CONTROLS & SWITCHES on WATER TANKS
  INTERMITTENT CYCLING WATER PUMPS
  WATER PUMP SHORT CYCLING
  SHORT CYCLING DETECTION
  SHORT CYCLING CAUSES
  WATER TANK AIR LOSS SIGNS
WATER TANK REPLACEMENT
WATER TANK SIZE & VOLUME
WATER TANKS HOW THEY WORK
WATER SOFTENERS
WATER TESTS, CONTAMINANTS, TREATMENT
  ARSENIC in WATER
  BACTERIA TEST GUIDE
  CHEATING on WATER TESTS
  CHOICES of WATER TESTS
  CORRECTING BAD WATER
  EPA GUIDE to WATER QUALITY
  FHA WATER TESTS REQUIRED
  LEAD in WATER, ACTION GUIDE
  LEAD POISONING SYMPTOMS
  LEAD TEST VARIATION CAUSES
  SEWAGE CONTAMINATION
  WATER CONTAMINANT LEVELS
WATER TEST INTERPRETATION
WATER TESTING GUIDE
WATER TREATMENT EQUIPMENT CHOICES
  WATER ODORS, CAUSE CURE
  WATER QUANTITY GUIDE
  WELL SHOCKING GUIDE
WELLS CISTERNS & SPRINGS
  Basement Wells
  Cisterns
  Drilled Wells - steel casings
  Driven Point Wells
  How Much Water is In the Well?
  How to Test Well Water Quantity
  How to Get More Water From a Well
  Hand Dug Wells
  Springs as Water Supply
  Well Pits
  WELL CLEARANCE DISTANCES
  WELL LIFE EXPECTANCY
  WELL PIPING CHECK VALVES
  WELL PIPING FOOT VALVES
  WELL PUMP TYPES & LIFE EXPECTANCY
  WELL PUMP PRIMING GUIDE
  WELL SHOCKING GUIDE

• Thanks to Alan Carson and Bob Dunlop, Carson Dunlop, Associates, Toronto, for permission to use illustrations from their publication, The Illustrated Home which illustrates construction details and building components. Carson Dunlop provides home inspection education, publications, report writing materials, and home inspection services. Alan Carson is a past president of ASHI, the American Society of Home Inspectors.

Books & Articles on Building & Environmental Inspection, Testing, Diagnosis, & Repair

• Our recommended books about building design, inspection, and repair, and about indoor environment testing, diagnosis, and cleanup are at the InspectAPedia Bookstore.
• ...

More Information on Building Diagnostic Inspections and Repairs

• If Your Water Tank is Not Working Properly See These Diagnostic Guides

WATER TANK REPAIRS
  CONTROLS & SWITCHES on WATER TANKS
  INTERMITTENT CYCLING WATER PUMPS
  WATER PUMP SHORT CYCLING
  SHORT CYCLING DETECTION
  SHORT CYCLING CAUSES
  WATER TANK AIR LOSS SIGNS
  WATER TANK AIR, HOW TO ADD
  WATER TANK AIR VOLUME CONTROLS
  WATER TANK AIR ADD AT AIR VALVE
  WATER TANK AIR IN BY DRAINING
  AIR HOW MUCH TO ADD
  AIR HOW OFTEN TO ADD

• If You Need Help Diagnosing a Loss in Water Pressure or Other Pump & Well Problems See These Guides

WATER PRESSURE LOSS DIAGNOSIS GUIDE
WATER PRESSURE & FLOW MEASUREMENT
  Water Pressure Intermittent
  No Water Pressure
  Well Tank relation to Water Pressure
  Shaking the Water Tank?
  Water Pressure Tank Problems
  Water Pressure Tank Diagnosis
  Water pressure Later Returns "on its own"
  WATER PRESSURE REGULATOR ADJUST
  Water pipe clog diagnosis
  Water pipe clog repair guide
  Making the "right" repair
  Typical Water Tank & Pump Prices
WATER PUMP PRESSURE CONTROL ADJUSTMENT

InspectAPedia® Home & Site Map - Building & Environmental Inspection, Testing, Diagnosis, Repair, & Problem Prevention Advice: In-depth research & advice on diagnosing, testing, correcting, & preventing building defects & indoor environmental hazards. Unbiased information, no conflicts of interest.

The Mold Information Center: What to Do About Mold in Buildings, When and How to Inspect for Mold, Clean Up Mold, or Avoid Mold Problems

Use this simple, economical mold test kit by following our instructions on how to collect and mail mold samples to our lab

Environmental Inspection, Testing, & Diagnosis On-Site IAQ, Gas, Air Testing, Mold Investigation, Sick Building Diagnosis, Lab Services, & Remediation Plan Preparation - indoor air quality testing, problem source determination, supporting lab work, written remediation plan addressing removal of environmental and other hazards and prevention of their recurrence.

Building Inspection, Problem Diagnosis, Forensic Investigation & Testing, Repair Consulting

Contact Daniel Friedman for website content suggestions or for fee-paid consulting