3 Preventable Causes Of Well Pump Burnout

Pumps are one of the most common sources of well problems. As you can probably guess, the pump bears the responsibility of drawing water up out of your well and into your home. This article will take a closer look at three common causes of one of the most devastating pump problems — a complete burnout.

1. Waterlogged Pressure Tank                   

           

All well pump systems utilize a component known as the pressure tank. As its name implies, the pressure tank collects and pressurizes the water coming up from the well. That way, your home can enjoy an uninterrupted and evenly pressurized flow of water. Without a pressure tank, water pressure would gradually decrease the longer you ran a particular fixture.

Pressure tanks may occasionally develop a problem known as waterlogging, which can lead to pump burnout. Waterlogging occurs when parts of the tank meant to be occupied only by air fill up instead with water. This makes it more difficult for the tank to regulate pressure as the water level drops.

Worse still, when the pump turns on to refill the tank, the volume of water that flows in will be much smaller than desired. The reason for this has to do with the fact that water cannot be compressed in the same way as air. With less water in the tank, it will soon reach the level when the pump has to turn on again.

Chronic waterlogging causes your pump to have to operate much more frequently than it should. Overheating often follows. And an overheated pump stands a much greater chance of burning out than one which remains within acceptable temperature levels.

2. Leaky Foot Valve

Foot valves are one of the most important features of the pipe that extends down into your well. The foot valve can be found at the very tip of this pipe. The foot valve's job is to prevent water that has entered the pipe from dropping back down into the well. So long as the pump remains running this isn't too hard, since the water is being actively drawn up from above.

The foot valve's real job comes into play during periods when the pump stops running. If the foot valve develops a leak, then water will slip back down out of the pipe. If all of the water dribbles out in this manner, the well will have lost its prime. The next time the pump turns on, it will only be able to suck up air until primed once again.

If the unprimed pump runs for too long, it will overheat and soon burn out. Therefore, if you have noticed that your well needs to be re-primed on a regular basis, you must have your foot valve professionally inspected as soon as possible.

3. Insufficient Water Level

Every well differs in terms of its water's depth. Not only that, but this depth will often experience some degree of fluctuation over the course of the seasons. Unfortunately, many pump burnouts stem from an insufficient water level. This causes the well pipe to begin sucking in air, which in turn causes the pump's temperature to increase beyond safe thresholds.

To compensate for a weak well, contractors will often add an extra section of pipe known as the tail pipe. The tail pipe simply extends the depth of the well's reach, ensuring that the foot valve never rises above the water level. For more information about keeping well pump burnouts at bay, please contact Tennessee's experts at Henry Drilling LLC.