Well Pump Repairs – Are You Ready?

In the vast majority of cases, well pump repairs are considered by property owners to be something of an emergency. That’s because there’s a fair chance that you’re suddenly without water or the water pressure is hugely reduced. In either case, you’ll probably want to move fast.

If you suspect you need well pump repairs, here’s a quick checklist of things to keep in mind.

• Have the number of a local plumber to hand. No, this isn’t just a case of diving on to an Internet trade directory in a panic. Instead, make sure you know of a local professional plumber that understands your pump and your installation. You’ll want him or her to get to grips with the problem immediately upon arrival – not spend a lot of time at your expense learning about the equipment concerned. • Know your equipment. Essentially, that means reading the operating and troubleshooting guide – assuming you have one. The logic is simple and some faults, although only some, might be within the scope of basic DIY to fix. An example might be a power supply failure. Apart from anything else, being able to accurately describe your equipment and where you think it’s gone wrong might help your plumber diagnose the problem over the phone.
• Have some bottled water in the house. No, this isn’t survivalist philosophy, just common sense. If you have intermediate tanks that's fine, but depending upon your plumbing infrastructure, having some bottled water around ‘just in case’ might help you at least make coffee and cook until your emergency plumber arrives.
• Use water sparingly if you suspect something’s wrong. A pump that’s making noises it really shouldn’t needs attention – and fast. Even if all appears normal in terms of water delivery, put everyone in the house onto emergency measures such as no baths, showers or car washing. A strange noise just might indicate that the equipment's about to turn up its toes – so start being conservative with water use until a plumber has checked it out.
• Keep some basic tools to hand. A leaking pipe or joint might just need a slight turn with a wrench to solve the problem – at least until a professional can check it out for you. So, make sure you have some basic handyman tools and know where they are. Of course, don’t get carried away ‘fiddling’ with your well pump – repairs are usually best left to someone qualified.

Above all, don’t put off calling a plumber for help because you hope-against-hope that your problem will sort itself out. The chances are, it won’t and well pump repairs for problems that have been ignored over some time might just cost you extra dollars unnecessarily.

Sarah Saadoun works for HMS Plumbing, a family-owned business in Manassas, Northern Virginia. If you need well pump repairs, Herve and his dedicated employees at HMS are proud to be serving the plumbing needs of Northern Virginia residents and businesses. For reliable Fairfax plumbers HMS Plumbing is your first choice.

Writer and Online Marketing Manager in London.