Extending the Life of Your Deep Well Pump
No matter how expensive or inexpensive the pump you purchased was, these ideas will keep your pump going for years to come. Besides getting the most bang for your buck, these will help you avoid the hassle of pulling the pump out of the well and having to replace it sooner than expected. Check out the tips below:
Check valve
A check valve is a one way valve that prevents water from flowing back through the line into your pump when it is not running. This can damage the pump and also cause a loss of pressure. A lot of pumps will have one of these built in, but cheaper ones will have a plastic check valve that is not as reliable. For best results, get a brass check valve like this one and install it right on top of the pump. These typically only cost around $20 but will help immensely. It also helps to install one right when the water pipe enters your house, before the pressure tank.
Torque Arrestor
Throughout the life of your pump, it will start and stop hundreds, even thousands of times. Each time your pump starts, it’s startup torque will twist the pump and the pipe it hangs off of, causing the whole installation to move. The wires could get twisted around the pipe or rub against various surfaces such as the well casing or itself. Eventually, the insulation of the wire gets worn down and creates a short circuit that prevents the pump from running. This is where the torque arrestor comes in. This useful accessory clamps to the top of the pump where it meets the pipe and stops the installation from twisting. It will also protect the pump from banging against the well casing. It typically costs less than $15; buy it here.
Heat shrink tubing
Usually, your pump will come with a couple feet of wire. In order to get the wire up to your power source, you will have to splice some wires together. To get the most robust and reliable connection, be sure to solder your connections together and then protect them with heat shrink tubing. It may be tempting to use electrical tape, but heat shrink tubing will be do a much better job protecting those connections for only a marginal cost difference. Check it out here.
Float Switch
If your well has a long recovery time, your pump may run out of water. This can be very damaging to the pump, as running it dry could cause it to burn out. A float switch will sense the water level and automatically shut off the pump if the water level is too low.
While not all of these tips may apply to you, utilizing even some of them are a sure way to get more out of any deep well pump you may purchase. These recommendations are both cost effective and simple to implement.