Well Water Systems Reference

Why this reference exists

About 13 million U.S. households (~10%) rely on private wells. Plumbers in rural + semi-rural service areas earn 30-40% of revenue from well-system service: pump replacement, pressure tank, water treatment, flow + pressure diagnostics. Equipment lasts 10-25 years; service calls are predictable. This reference is the working framework for wells.

Well types

Drilled well (deep):

• 100-400+ ft deep, 6" steel or PVC casing
• Submersible pump at bottom of well, hangs from pipe + wire
• Most common modern installation
• Lifespan: well 50-100 years; pump 10-25 years; pressure tank 8-15 years

Driven well (shallow):

• 25-50 ft deep, 1.25-2" diameter steel pipe driven down
• Surface pump (jet pump) at house pulls water up
• Older + rural; sometimes still in use
• Limited yield + susceptible to drought

Dug well:

• Hand-dug 10-30 ft, 3-5 ft diameter
• Surface pump
• Surface contamination risk
• Pre-1950 typical; many no longer in service
• May need replacement with drilled well

Hand-pump well:

• Off-grid emergency or supplemental
• Manual pump, no electricity
• Limited flow

For most modern service: drilled wells with submersible pumps.

System components

Submersible pump (in well):

• Sealed motor + pump in one unit
• 1/2 to 10 HP residential typical
• Stainless steel or composite housing
• Reverse-rotation 240V 3-wire OR 2-wire
• 50-200 gallons-per-minute output

Drop pipe + cable (from pump to surface):

• 1" or 1.25" galvanized steel OR poly drop pipe
• 12-2 or 10-3 submersible cable
• Connections waterproofed with heat-shrink

Pitless adapter:

• Connection between well casing + buried supply line
• Below frost line
• Allows pump pull-out without disturbing supply line

Pressure tank:

• Stores pressurized water; pump cycles less
• 20-80 gallon residential
• Bladder type: pre-charged air bladder; modern standard
• Galvanized: older type, no bladder, air-water mixing problem
• Captive-air: middle ground

Pressure switch:

• Senses pressure, turns pump on at low setpoint (typically 30 psi), off at high (50 psi)
• 30/50, 40/60, 50/70 pressure ranges
• Inexpensive part

Pressure gauge:

• Visible pressure reading
• Useful for diagnostics

Check valve (at pump or wellhead):

• Prevents back-flow when pump off
• Pump life depends on this functioning

Water treatment (optional, common):

• Sediment filter (10-50 micron pre-filter)
• Water softener (hard water mitigation)
• Iron filter (orange staining)
• Acid neutralizer (low pH water; copper pipe pitting)
• Carbon filter (chlorine + taste)
• UV sterilizer (microbial)
• Reverse osmosis (drinking water)

Diagnostic: low pressure / no water

Customer reports low pressure or no water:

Step 1: Check pressure tank + switch

1. Pressure gauge reading
2. If 0 psi: pump didn't fire OR pump failed OR power off
3. Listen for pump operation when running fixture
4. Check pressure switch contacts (audible click)
5. Verify breaker not tripped

Step 2: Verify electrical

1. 240V at pressure switch contacts
2. Continuity in pump cable (use meter)
3. Insulation resistance (megger) for pump motor

Step 3: Check tank pre-charge

1. With pump off + system drained, check air valve pressure
2. Should be 2 psi below pump-on setpoint (28 psi for 30/50 switch)
3. If low: re-charge with air OR replace tank bladder

Step 4: Pump pull-out (if needed)

For replacement OR investigation:

1. Disconnect power, lockout/tagout
2. Cut electrical at pressure switch
3. Remove well cap
4. Pull pump using pull-out winch (typical drop pipe + pump weighs 80-300 lbs depending on depth)
5. Inspect pump, drop pipe, cable
6. Replace components as needed
7. Reinstall pump
8. Restore electrical
9. Prime + test

Pressure tank sizing

Rule of thumb:

• 1 gpm continuous demand → 40-44 gallon tank
• 2 gpm → 62 gallon
• 5 gpm → 119 gallon

Most residential: 40-80 gallon tank.

Bladder failure (10-15 years typical): tank replacement is a modest part cost plus labor.

Water treatment recommendations

Based on water test (customer pays a modest lab fee for testing):

Hard water (high calcium + magnesium):

• Water softener: ion exchange resin
• Mid-range install cost
• Salt consumption: 6-12 bags/year typical residential

Iron (red/orange staining):

• Iron filter (greensand, BIRM): chemical or air-injection
• The priciest of the well-treatment installs
• Customer-replenished media

Manganese (black staining):

• Same as iron filter (often combined)

Low pH (corrosive water):

• Acid neutralizer: calcite + magnesium oxide media
• Mid-range install cost

Sulfur (rotten egg smell):

• Air-injection iron + sulfur filter combination
• A premium install, similar to the iron filter tier

Sediment:

• Spin-down or cartridge filter at point-of-entry
• The cheapest install on this list

Bacterial (E. coli, coliform):

• UV sterilizer + sediment pre-filter
• A modest, mid-lower install cost
• OR chlorination feed pump (less common residential)

Drinking water taste / quality:

• Reverse osmosis under sink
• Among the cheapest installs here
• Modest annual filter replacements

A water test guides which treatment makes sense. Customer pays for testing first, then quote treatment.

Common service issues

Pump short-cycling:

• Pressure tank waterlogged (failed bladder, OR mass flooded)
• Check pre-charge; replace bladder

No water at faucet but pump running:

• Leak in supply line
• Check valve failed
• Pressure switch stuck open

Pump runs constantly:

• Pressure switch stuck closed (replace)
• Check valve failed (water draining back)
• Leak in system

Pump won't start:

• Pressure switch failed open
• Wire break
• Pump motor failed (megger test)
• Breaker tripped (verify panel)

Cloudy/silty water:

• Pump sucking from low (well draw-down)
• Casing failure (debris entering well)
• Aquifer disturbance from drilling nearby

Air in lines:

• Check valve failure (water draining back, air drawn in on restart)
• Well draw-down (pump pulling air at high demand)

Common pitfalls

• Pump replacement without testing tank: pump fails again because tank waterlogged
• Wrong wire size for depth: voltage drop, pump fails
• No splice integrity: water enters cable; pump grounds out
• Forgetting pitless adapter: pump install impossible without
• No water test before treatment: wrong treatment installed
• Treatment sized wrong: undersized softener regenerates daily; oversized wastes salt
• No customer education: customer doesn't refill salt; softener fails

Customer talking points

For pump replacement:

1. "Submersible pumps last 10-25 years. Yours is [X years old]."
2. "Replacement: $X. New pump good for 15+ years."
3. "While we're pulling: I recommend replacing the check valve + cable + pressure tank if any are old. Saves a second pull."

For water treatment:

1. "Your water tested [X result]. That's why you see [staining / hardness / odor]."
2. "Treatment options: [list with costs]."
3. "Treatment lasts 7-15 years before media replacement."

References

• EPA Private Drinking Water Wells
• NGWA (National Ground Water Association) standards
• AWWA (American Water Works Association) standards
• State health department well-water requirements
• Manufacturer manuals (Goulds, Grundfos, Franklin, Aermotor pumps)
• Manuall internal: Annual Whole-Home Plumbing Inspection, Annual Sump Pump Service