Replacing a Well Pump: What to Have Ready Before You Call

A well pump rarely fails at a convenient time. You get a shower that turns into a trickle, or a faucet that sputters, or nothing at all. Once you have decided the pump is the problem, the next step is a phone call, and that call goes a lot faster if you know a few facts about your well before you pick up the phone.

Akland's FAQ says it plainly: call with the information on your well (depth, water level, distance to power) and they can get an estimate made for you. Here is what those three things mean, where to find them, and what else is worth jotting down.

The three numbers that shape an estimate

Well depth is how far down the bottom of the well sits. Most household wells use a submersible pump, a long slim motor and pump that hangs down inside the casing on a pipe and pushes water up to the house. The deeper the well, the more pipe and wire it takes to reach, and the more muscle the pump needs to lift the water that far.

Water level is how far down you have to go to reach the water. This is different from the depth of the well. A well can be 300 feet deep with water standing at 80 feet, and the pump has to be sized for the lift from where the water sits, plus the pressure you want at the house. If you know how far the level drops while the pump runs, that is useful to mention too.

Distance to power is how far the electrical run is between the pump's control equipment and the well itself. A long run needs heavier wire to carry the load without losing power along the way, which changes what the job takes.

Where to find the numbers

Check the paperwork that came with the property. The well driller's report usually lists the depth, and often the water level measured when the well was finished. If you cannot find it, say so. A technician can often work from what the old pump looks like, what is written on its label, and what the previous setup was. You can pace off the distance from the house or the pump panel to the wellhead and give a rough number.

Other details worth writing down

• The brand, model and horsepower on the old pump or control box, if you can read it.
• How it failed: no water at all, water that sputters, a pump that runs nonstop, a tripped breaker, or air coming out of the taps.
• How old the pump is, and the last time anyone serviced it.
• Whether the pressure tank is old or the pump has been cycling a lot (see our post on short cycling).
• Anything unusual about the well, such as sandy water, or levels that drop late in the summer.

Pump work versus well work

This matters for setting expectations. Akland does not drill wells. If a well needs to be drilled, a well driller comes in and does that, and Akland can install the pump after the driller is finished. On the other side, if your existing well is sound and the pump has simply worn out, that is exactly what a pump shop is for.

Sometimes a pump is not the real culprit. A tripped breaker, a failed pressure switch or a bad control box can cut your water just as completely as a dead pump. Akland says it has several skilled service technicians available to come out and diagnose your domestic water pump system, and that they can fix any domestic water issue involving the pump system. That is worth a call before you assume the worst, because replacing a pump that was never broken is an expensive guess.

Ricardo T. described one visit on the shop's reviews page this way: “Replaced my pump/control box/plumbing and had water to my house in a matter of hours.”

Ask about constant pressure

If you are already replacing the pump, it is a good time to ask about the options. Akland sells and installs energy efficient Constant Pressure Variable Speed Drive systems, which keep the pressure steadier at the tap than a standard pressure switch setup. They are not the right answer for every house, so ask the shop whether one fits yours and what it would change about the job.

What happens on the call

Expect questions. The person on the phone will ask the same things listed above, and every answer narrows the estimate. If you do not know a number, give your best guess and say it is a guess. That is better than staying quiet. The more honest the starting information, the fewer surprises when the pump is pulled and the real conditions of the well are in front of the crew.

If your water goes out after hours, you do not have to wait for the next business day. Call the shop's regular number and you can get the number for the after hours service technician, who can come out and repair or replace a domestic water pump.

Ready to start? Call Akland at (509) 452-7867 with your depth, water level and distance to power in hand, or bring what you have to the shop at 3701 Fruitvale Blvd, open Monday through Friday from 7:30 to 5.