We have decided to buy a new house. It has a well which is nothing new to us. We would like to have the well tested. We know the quality of the should be tested but what about the mechanical aspect of the well? What can be tested to ensure things are working correctly? Can the pump be tested to see if its working up to par? Gallons per minute? What else can be done?

Thanks Tim

 

If there is power you can test it to see that it works but other than that there is not much more you can do than a visual inspection of the above ground components. There really is no pump test as they are generally regarded as working or not especially if it's a submersible pump. There isn't even a gallons per minute test. That is usually done when the well is first drilled.

 

You can probably DIY the exposed components like the pressure tank, switch, and other periphery, but GPM and deep down things would fall into the category of needing a well company to do it. I had a client who said their pump ran constantly, yesterday. I had to replace pressure tank (antique value unknown), rusted and pitted switch, pressure relief valve, gauge....basically everything above ground. If it had been anything to do with the pump itself, I would have recommended a well company.

 

Thanks for the replies. The house is only 10 years old. The tank and such look brand new. It is a submersible pump. ~ 500' down. I've been told though the driller that did the well has a tendency to drill extra deep even though he hit water much shallower.

Interesting Pilot Dane, I thought they could test gallons per minute and the like. Maybe that is more of a function of size of the pump.

 

The Well's GPM is the natural recharge rate for the aquifer at that depth and at that point in time; before a pump is even installed.

New York probably has a state-wide information registry for wells drilled in the past 40 years or so; if Vermont does, then New York must ?

 

The volume of water a well can deliver is not entirely a function of the pump size. A larger pump may initially deliver more water, but the head (height of water in the well) will drop if the well cannot match what the pump is taking out. In a worst case the well is pumped down to the pump itself and the pump burns out. To determine how your well is performing you would need to monitor that head height. A well company can do that.

As for testing, quality and delivery rate, if they are claiming "no problem" then have them set aside a $5,000 escrow amount to be released once a well company has tested the well and the water quality meets some standard. If they refuse it is a major red flag.

Bud

 

When you ask about testing for GPM that can be taken several ways and is a somewhat "fuzzy" number. Many wells have that data recorded on a data plate attached to the well head. Well drillers around here largely guestimate so the accuracy depends on the experience of the driller and how they perform the test. It also reflects the condition of the well when drilled. Has the aquifer changed over time?

All wells are drilled deeper than "needed". The extra depth provides an in ground storage reservoir. Around here they tend to go very deep like your 500' only when the well is a poor producer. It's not a bad thing but it means they have to build in more storage to handle the surges in water usage.

Your well might only produce 1/2 gpm but the pump can move 10. So the well is drilled deep enough to allow it to accumulate several hundred gallons of water. When everyone is taking showers in the morning the water level in the well drops but then when you go to work or to bed that 1/2 gpm is constantly working to refill the well. So, even if you come across numbers that might initially scare you... it's not the end of the world.