Homeowners with their own wells are often unfamiliar with the process of removing or installing submersible well pump equipment. This blog gives a brief overview of the process of replacing a submersible well pump. If you are interested in where to purchased submersible well pump equipment from, check out this article for some help!

Diagnosis

The first part of the process involves identifying a problem. Perhaps the water pressure or flow are low indicating that the pump is worn out. Perhaps you have a very high electrical bill because the pipe going down to the submersible well pump inside the well is made of metal that has rusted and now has a hole in it! Maybe you woke up and there is just no water. Whatever the reason, a proper diagnosis is in order. A technician will check that your pump equipment has power supplied and that the pressure switch or other control equipment is working properly. They will also perform electrical checks of the submersible pump motor & wire. For many situations, the problem is on the surface with a bad switch or failed control box. Once they have an understanding of the failure they can make repairs to the surface equipment and get the water turned on. For some situations, however, the problem is much deeper - literally! In those cases, the submersible well pump must be removed from deep in the ground to repair the problem.

Equipment and Access

Most Submersible well pumps in the Napa Valley are installed at depths of over 150’ in depth. The combined weight of the pump, wire, pipe, and the water in the pipe are often over 150 pounds. For deep wells with large pumps and piping, the weight can be many tons! Between the weight of the equipment, the water and and the potential for danger, most pump companies do not pull wells by hand anymore. With this in mind submersible well pumps are installed or removed from your well using a “pump truck” or a crane. This equipment needs access to within a few feet of the well and an access road free of trees, branches, and landscaping. Many homeowners do not realize that access to the well site needs to be preserved to ensure the submersible well pump can be replaced. In some cases, very large cranes can be utilized to reach long distances over landscaping or buildings, but this quickly increases the costs involved in removing and installing your well pump. To ensure both fast and cost-effective service for your well pump, keep access to the well site open with branches and brush cleared. If lawns or muddy areas must be traveled across, most pump companies will use tread matts or plywood to minimize damage to the lawn and provide traction so the equipment will not get stuck. Keep in mind that the additional time and materials involved in these extra efforts will increase the costs of the work to be done.

Disconnection of Equipment

After locating and setting the pump truck up next to your well, the technicians will ensure that the pump is turned off and then disconnect the plumbing and electrical connections from the well pump. Your well will not be able to provide water for you at this point. If this is a straight forward repair or replacement you will probably not have water for a few hours. If the well casing is dirty or there is evidence that the well casing is deteriorated or damaged, then additional time will be required to clean/repair the well casing, perhaps several extra days. For extended periods of repair Oakville Pump Service helps our customers connect to a neighbor, or in the event that there is no neighbor nearby, we can provide a water trailer with potable water in it.

Removal of the Submersible Pump Equipment

Now, back to the process of removing or “pulling” the submersible well pump. The well pump, pipe, and wire are lifted out of the ground in sections of pipe that are ~20’ long. After each 20’ section of pipe is removed and disconnected, it will be placed horizontally on supports near the well and the wire will be spooled/coiled up as it is removed from the well. The removal process can be a very messy process! The water often contains iron, manganese, and other minerals that have coated the piping and the wire. These minerals coat the pipe and wire often become dislodged and fall in proximity to the well site.

Inspection/Testing & customer update.

Once the pipe, pump power cable, check valves, torque arrestor, and pump are out of the ground, the well is covered for safety and sanitary purposes. Each component that has been removed from the well is inspected/tested. Pump depth, Pump Model, Well depth, and depth to water are recorded and notes made on the condition of the equipment that was removed from the well. At this point, one of our project managers will have a discussion with the customer to help them understand what our technicians found during removal/inspection. We help our customers understand what went wrong and the best way to move forward with consideration for budget, quality, warranty, and longevity in mind. If there are any improvements in technology available we will explain those improvements and make recommendations accordingly.

Installation

Once a plan has been made with the customer on which components need to be replaced, the new components are prepared for installation. A small amount of NSF chlorine rated for drinking water systems is put into the well casing. The submersible well pump is connected to pipe and wire and then lowered into the well 20’ at a time. The wire is secured to the pipe and and check valves are installed according to manufacturer recommendations. When the full pump depth is reached. the well seal is fitted to the topmost piece of pipe and then the assembly is set on the well casing.

Well Flushing and Project Completion

Remember all those minerals and deposits on the pipe, wire, and pump we mentioned during the removal process? Well, those are also in the well and they have been disturbed! After the new equipment has been reinstalled into the well, the water from the well is often tinged with a red, brown, or black color. The pump is turned on but this water is not directed into the piping network or storage tanks, this turbid water is flushed to an appropriate place until the water runs clear and clean again! The chlorine that was put in the well was mixed with the water as the submersible pump and equipment was reinserted. This chlorine works to ensure that the well and submersible pump equipment is clean and ready for use. The chlorine is removed and neutralized during the flushing process. During the well flushing process, the technicians will be working to clean up the site and restoring it to the original condition as much as is possible. The technicians will also be working on implementing other repairs/upgrades to other equipment such as the pressure switch, pressure tank(s), or control box while the well is being flushed. When the water is clear, they will reconnect the well to your piping system, verify water is flowing appropriately and wrap up!

If you are located in Napa County and you’re struggling with your submersible well pump, give our talented team a call at Oakville Pump Service today!