The Ultimate Well Water System Maintenance Checklist

March 8, 2021

The Ultimate Well Water System Maintenance Checklist: Your reason for stumbling across this article might be because you recently installed a well water system at home.

And you have a big question in your head.

How do you maintain it?

To begin with,

Locating a spot in installing one is already a real hassle.

You have to make sure that you chose the right spot to access the cleanest water in the area.

But you should hear this,

Over time, your water well could get corrupted and be rendered useless. And the primary factor for this…

… is poor maintenance.

But don’t worry.

I have the basic tips that will take care of that. And trust me, that well of yours could even last more than a lifetime.

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1. Dont Do It Yourself

Upon spotting that there is something wrong with your well. Don’t try anything.

No disassembling, opening caps, poking, checking ups, nada!

That’s the first thing to consider.

Homeowners always make this mistake when attempting to solve the problem.

And the result?

They just make the problem worse.

On well water issues, it would be better to rely on experts and professional well contractors.

Because here’s the thing,

Aside from the fact that they are already experts in the field, they also have specialized equipment to verify and examine your water well problem. Also, they know the right procedure to make your well water system operational and safe again.

Another thing, I bet you don’t know, but it poses a great risk.

Lend me your attention here.

As soon as you remove the well cap, you might introduce bacteria in the well, which will contaminate it afterward.

Also, there’s a possibility that you’ll lose your grip on your tools, dropping them. It could fall on the mechanisms that allow your well to work.

You don’t want this to happen.

And that’s not the only danger.

Electrocution is also possible, especially when dealing with a broken submersible pump.

So if you don’t have any prior knowledge of water well systems, let a qualified professional water well contractor handle it for you.

2. Have preventive maintenance and check up

Prevention is better than cure indeed.

And this also applies to water well systems.

When you notice that your water well has some correctable defects, do not wait for several years to call your well contractor to fix it up.

Because here’s the thing

The cost of preventive maintenance every two to three years might sound costly, but it grows when you ignore the problem. It starts destroying other systems until you’ll have to replace the entire water well with a new one.

And this means?

You will have to start all over and buy all the necessary parts to be able to use the well.

And we want to prevent this as much as possible.

Aside from that

Some problems are small enough that you can’t immediately feel its presence until it is large enough to affect you directly.

And this problem is not exclusive to mechanical ones, but also the health risk factor that may affect households who use the water for consumption.

And I bet you don’t want additional medical fees.

3. Know the possibe defects

Of course, we would want to know the state of our water wells once it shows the symptoms of possible defects.

In this case, you have to consider these four variables: a test of the water flow to know the system’s output, a check of the water level through its pumps, the performance of pump motors, and the water quality.

And when someone checks it up,

Here’s what they should do.

Make sure the procedure is sanitary and has passed the health protocol guidelines approved by your local government.

Also, conduct a 3 -year inspection on your water quality to make sure that there is no coliform and e coli bacteria contamination in your water well.

4. Take some simple ongoing steps to maintain your well

There are necessary steps that you should put in mind in maintaining your well.

And you’re lucky!

I will spill these secrets just for you. So make sure to always put this in mind.

When constructing a well, doing maintenance, or installing pump systems, the water well drillers and installers must be licensed to do the job. Know their credentials before entrusting them with your water well problems.
There must be a maintenance check-up annually. If you notice a possible change in odor, taste, and appearance, immediately have your well tested and serviced.
Keep dangerous chemicals away from your water well system. Motor oils, fertilizers, paints, and pesticides are harmful if mixed with your drinking water.
Ensure that the well cap is in place. Immediately replace it if you notice a possible rupture or crack on the lid.
Have your chemical storage facilities and buildings arranged and organized. Ask your contractor for suggestions regarding placements.
If you’re making changes to your landscape, make sure to keep the soil from reaching the well’s openings. There must be a 16-inch distance between the topmost part of the well and the ground. If possible, sloping the ground away from the well is recommended since it will improve your well’s draining capacity.
When you mow, make sure to be careful. You might hit the casing or lid, and it will compromise your well’s sanitation. Also, avoid piling the leaves near your well.
Be aware of the area around your well so that you will know the source of possible contamination. You could even prevent it in that way.

5. Hire qualified professionals

Would you entrust your water well to someone unqualified?

I bet not.

For sure, you’ll crowdsource first and ask for a great contractor before having your well fixed or maintained.

Professionalism and work ethics are the characters we ought to find, but there are also other things to consider.

But don’t worry!

And I just prepared the perfect criteria to help you hire the best contractor to take care of your water well problems.

Ensure that your contractor has the license issued by your state or local government. Each one of them was issued with a national certification for water well drillers and pump installers.
Also, ask if they are a member of the national association for groundwater professionals.
They must have adequate resources or tools to perform the job for you.
You must know if they offer compensation insurance to protect you if they damage your property.
Be observant if they follow the safety protocols.
They must have past customers for reference. Make sure to reach them out and ask for their experience. Are they satisfied? How about the service fee or additional charges?
Do not immediately assume that all service fees are the same unless you know the procedure that your contractor will conduct. Let him explain the additional costs and research to affirm its validity.
When you’re sure of your contractor, ask for a written contract. It will protect both parties from possible disagreements on the scope or prices of the job.

6. Understand the problem

Do not just rely on having your well fixed. Know what your contractor is doing.

Or in short,

Observe.

Ask him questions about your well and learn. And when you finally get the hang of it, explore possible options.

Thing is

Homeowners rely on their money too much that they don’t know what was happening on their water well system.

When you finally understand its mechanism, you’ll have a greater chance of preventing possible problems in the future.

You’ll also know when is the right time to call your contractor for a possible fix.

But take note of this first,

Make sure that your hired contractor has good communication skills so he can clearly explain it.

And when he does,

Ask until you’re satisfied. A good contractor will allow his customer to grasp the root cause of the problem. And as the user, you’ll be able to explain the circumstance of your well.

Water well systems are complicated, and without a good dialogue with the homeowner, your contractor could have difficulty locating the problem.

So he’ll surely want to have a hand in formulating the best viable option there is.

7. Located nearby abandoned wells

We all know Sadako, right?

But that won’t be the reason why we need to search for any abandoned wells in the area.

You know,

There are millions of old and unused wells worldwide. And when those are disposed without proper measures, it could be a problem for your newly built water well.

So you might be wondering, why the struggle of sealing it?

To start,

These wells could give a pathway to contaminate aquifers connected to the water system where you get your drinkable water.

Those wells without care and maintenance surely have opened or broken water caps, allowing all sorts of organisms to dwell on these hollow spaces. Hence, you’ll find all kinds of bugs, frogs, insects, and rodents in there.

And you don’t want to drink their bathwater, I guess.

Aside from that, there could be possible grouting to close the well, but it might have deteriorated over time, so its debris could contaminate the well water directly.

Lastly,

It could pose a danger to anyone because they might fall right in the well. But the question remains unanswered. How do we find one?

Easy-peasy!

Just follow these following clues!

There are pipes visible in the ground.
There’s an abandoned building or house that could’ve used a well-house.
Presence of depressions.
Pits and concrete vaults with a covering of lumber or metal plates could be a sign.
Windmills that are out-of-service could be a potential location of a well.
Old maps, sketches, and information from people nearby will help.

And then finally you found one.

Pretty scary, but evidently, these wells have no potential use.

So here’s a reminder

Don’t just dump stuff on it. It’s not a basketball ring. You should call a qualified licensed water well technician to make the appropriate procedure for sealing it.

You can’t do this yourself.

A contractor or technician has the special technique and tools to abandon it properly and remove all the possible materials underneath. Even a regular cement would not suffice in sealing if sanitarily.

You know the drill,

Call and consult the water well experts.

8. Have the cleanliness of your water system verified

The homeowner’s frequent mistake before building their wells is failing to verify their water system if it is clean and drinkable.

You don’t want to spend all your money on a well that is unsafe to consume.

But there’s a way to prevent this.

The best way is to have a water sample and test it. But before getting one, have a good flush from your pressure tank and remove any filters. This way, you can get a pure sample.

An ominous indicator of a flawed water system is cloudiness, less water flow, and unpleasant smell and taste.

If you find these signs in your water, have you well verified immediately. In this way, you can affirm if it is safe.

In some instances,

There is a presence of harmful bacteria that may pose health risks. It includes e coli bacterias or coliforms. Upon detecting the presence of these microorganisms, call your trusted water well contractor for disinfection and cleaning procedure.

And I will save you from common misconceptions.

And I bet you want to know what this is.

The use of chlorine will not solve your problem. Homeowners tend to think that as long as they apply chlorine, they won’t have a contamination problem.

At some point, chlorine is indeed a disinfectant.

However, it is only good as long as the debris is removed first away from the well.

You will need more solutions to truly clean your well without destroying the water quality.

Your contractor will help you with that!

Conclusion:

The Ultimate Well Water System Maintenance Checklist

Pat your own back if you already did all the required procedures to maintain your well.

Good job!

You see

Building a water well is not the challenging part.

It is the maintenance where you keep your water clean and safe.

But I bet you’re equipped now with the knowledge to do just that!

So keep in mind of the tips, and your well will do just nicely!