If you live in a rural area, there is a chance your water comes from a private well located on your property. The various components of your well pump are instrumental in producing water from this deep hole in your ground. Your well, or your well pump, does not usually command much of your attention until you all of a sudden do not have water.

Fortunately, there are a few signs that your well pump components may need attention before you reach this dire point. Here are a few signs.

1. Low Water Pressure

Have you ever replaced your showerheads because you suspected limescale buildup had caused the flow to slow? Does the water pressure change when you shower, and someone turns on the water in another part of the house? Unfortunately, it may not be the fault of your inside components but may be the fault of low water pressure coming from your well pump.

Water pressure is the force of the water pushed through your home's plumbing system. It is measured in pounds of pressure per square inch (PSI). The ideal rating should be between 40 to 60 PSI in most homes, with 50 being optimal. A wide variety of reasons can cause low water pressure. Some of these include:

You may think adjusting the pressure switch on your pressure tank to increase your water pressure will fix this, it may not be a good idea. Ignoring the low water pressure source can lead to future system failures, and ultimately you may find yourself without water. 

2. Spitting Faucets

Turning on your faucets or showers and seeing them spit water before they start freely flowing is a sign of air in your water lines. You may also hear noise in your pipes when your water is in use. Although hearing the noise in your walls can be scary, it is not as bad as you think.

Bleeding air out of your lines may be an easy way to fix spitting or sputtering faucets, but if it continues, you need to identify where the air is entering your system. The problem may indicate the failure of your water's pressure tank caused by a failed water bladder within your well. 

If you have an older system, your well may not have a water bladder but may have a wafer or float separating the air from the water. A professional will be able to determine this for you.

3. No Water

Turning on your water and getting no water at all is a sign that something is wrong with your well or well pump. Fortunate people will find a breaker flipped in their breaker box that allows the water to flow when reversed back. An unflipped breaker, or one when flipped back on, but does not cause the water to flow, could indicate a problem with your pump although other things could cause this.

4. Cloudy or Muddy water



Have you noticed that your water is muddy or cloudy? Discolored water could be an indicator that your well pump is no longer filtering out the well's sand and silt before pumping it into your home. Unfortunately, if not quickly fixed, the abrasiveness of the sand and silt will wear your pump out even more rapidly.

If you experience any of these signs or symptoms in your home, contact Brown & Cox . We will come out and perform a thorough inspection of your well and all of its' components. We will get to the source of your problems, allowing you to have water in your home you and your family will feel safe using. Give us a call today.