Water Well Problems

Understand the Problem

Jerry’s Plumbing, Heating and Air Conditioning

9 September 2018

Your water well was working fine for years. Now you’re not getting the same amount of water you used to and the water you do get smells bad. Now what?

Understand Your Water Well Problems

Before you begin to panic and start worrying about how to fix you water well, it’s best to find out just what’s wrong. Have a qualified contractor come out to your home, examine your well and explain the problem so that you thoroughly understand it. Only then explore options for getting your well back into proper working order.

Don’t be shy about asking questions until you’re satisfied. Many times, homeowners find themselves in the dark because they don’t understand their water well system or what’s wrong with it when there’s a problem. And if the contractor doesn’t completely explain the problem and how they intend to fix it, the poor homeowner won’t know how to proceed.

Watch the Video

At Jerry's Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning, we want to provide you, our valued customer, with all the information and insights you want and need to maintain a safe and secure home for you and your family plumbersinwaldorfmd

- even if that means we don't provide the service we're explaining in this post.

Jerry's Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning doesn't provide this service, but it's very important. So please contact local service provider to make sure this service is up-to-date in your home.

The fact is, there’s never only one solution for every water well problem. There are different reasons for every water well system problem and each one has its own unique solution.

Work with your contractor. Have an open and frank discussion about the problem. Continue to ask questions until you understand the problem and the proposed fix. That will increase your confidence and comfort level as the repair process continues.

Find Old Wells

One problem that’s often overlooked is the existence of other, abandoned water wells on your property. If possible, check to see if your property has any old, unused wells. Abandoned wells should be properly sealed by a qualified water well systems contractor for several reasons.

First, abandoned wells can contaminate the aquifer your well uses for drinking water. Abandoned wells often have a broken cap – or no cap at all – that can allow bacteria, bugs, rodents or other objects into the well.

Even if they are capped, old unused wells will have deteriorated well casings that allows dirty surface water to infiltrate the well contaminate the aquifer.

Abandoned hand-dug wells also present a physical danger to people who can fall into them.

At Jerry's Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning, we want to provide you, our valued customer, with all the information and insights you want and need to maintain a safe and secure home for you and your family plumbersinwaldorfmd

- even if that means we don't provide the service we're explaining in this post.

Jerry's Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning doesn't provide this service, but it's very important. So please contact local service provider to make sure this service is up-to-date in your home.

Abandoned hand-dug wells also present a physical danger to people who can fall into them.

Begin your search for old wells by consulting old maps, plans or property documents, and water utility history. You may also gain some insight by talking with neighbors who have lived in the area longer than you.

Old wells often leave clues to their existence. You may spot pipes sticking out of the ground, depressions in the ground, and even old concrete vaults or pits. An old windmill usually indicates the presence of an old well.

When you have located one or more old wells on your property, it’s time to call in a qualified water well system contractor to properly seal it. Do not attempt to seal an abandoned well yourself! Sealing an old well requires special equipment, techniques, and materials to remove anything from the well and fill it with a special grout from the bottom up.

In many cases, your contractor must follow approved well sealing procedures dictated by state law. Laws vary from state to state which is a big reason this isn’t a DIY project. In addition, homeowners are required to notify their local Department of Environmental Protection or Water Quality Division to document the “decommissioning” of the well.

By using a qualified water well system contractor, you can be confident that the procedures required in your area are followed.

The licensed technicians at Jerry’s Plumbing, Heating and Air Conditioning are available to deliver quick and friendly service. Call Us Today!