In the US alone, an estimated 40 million people depend on residential wells for their drinking water and other household water needs. Most of these people live in rural areas, away from the municipal water systems that provide water in most towns and cities.
For anyone considering a move from an urban to a rural area, that means that many of the homes you’re looking at may need well inspections before you buy and periodically afterward. You might ask, what benefits do I get from these inspections.
Keep reading for some of the key benefits you get from regular well inspections.
Ensure Good Water Flow
Ever gone to someone’s house and found the water pressure isn’t great. For homes in rural areas, that doesn’t necessarily mean a problem with the pipes. It might mean a problem with your well.
While it’s not particularly common, wells do occasionally run dry. A well inspection lets you know that your well has enough water in it and that it refills at the rate you need.
This can prove more important if you live somewhere regularly affected by droughts. The last thing you want is a dry well under those conditions.
Find Water Contaminants
Any responsible well owner wants a well that delivers safe, clean water to the home. That’s why a good well inspection goes beyond merely checking the water level and water flow. A good inspection also checks your water for common water contaminants.
That can include bacteria, pesticides, and even heavy metals. If your local well inspectors don’t do water safety checks, you can conduct your own water safety check with a private lab. In most cases, that means providing the lab with a recent water sample.
The lab will run a bevy of tests and provide you with the results.
Preventative Maintenance
Wells are meant to serve as permanent structures, but a lot of things can influence them. Erosion is often a big contributor to well damage and may even cause a partial collapse inside the well.
You well also depends on the condition of your well pump. An inspector will normally check the condition of the pump and let you know if they spot any problems. This lets you get repairs done on the pump before it becomes a major problem and needs emergency service.
For more information on emergency well services, you can find more information here.
Is Well Inspection Necessarily?
Well, inspection is very much necessary as it provides much crucial information. Well, inspection will help you in knowing your water condition. It helps you in getting ensured that your well water is safe to drink or not. It helps in knowing that whether your well requires any repair or not.
This inspection will help you in extending the life of a well. You can cut down any major repair cost if your well is inspected regularly. It will overall ensure to provide a better water quality to you and your family.
Tests Involve In A Well Inspection
A good inspection involves various stages. Some of the prime stages are mentioned below.
Flow test: This test is done for determining the system output. It is among the
- A most important test for getting an overview of the flow. This check is done by measuring the water level. The water level is measured before and during pumping.
This check also involves inspection of pump motor performance. Mostly the amp load, line voltage, and grounding are checked in the motor. It involves checking of pressure tank and contact with the pressure switch.
- Equipment check: Equipment is the most important part for the easy running of a well. Well, inspection involves a brief inspection of well equipment. This step ensures a longer life for the well. It gives an overview of the requirements and life of well equipment.
- Water test: This test is the most important step to ensure better water quality. It involves testing the purity and safety of the water. You can know about the level of bacteria and other minerals via this test. This test is done various times to know various things related to water.
This test monitors iron level, manganese level, hardness of water, presence of sulfides. It helps in solving problems related to plumbing, staining, water appearance, and many more. You can get an overview of the purity and safety of well water via this test.
Tips To Maintain Better Water Quality In Well
You can get pure and safe water in the well by following few tips. top tips for maintaining the water quality of well are mentioned below.
- Use Hazardous chemicals.
- Prefer a separate well and residential waste system.
- Frequent check if well water quality.
- Keep well inspection report safe.
- Do a quick well inspection in case of change if water tastes or orders in well.
Well Inspections and You
For many people, living or retiring to a rural area is a lifelong dream. It’s an escape from the hustle and bustle of urban life. It likely also means choosing a home with a well and taking on regular well inspections.
While an expense and potentially a small hassle, well inspections do provide benefits. You get the peace of mind that comes from knowing you have safe water and sufficient water flow. They also let you stay ahead of maintenance issues.
Looking for more home maintenance tips or ideas? Check out some of the posts in our Home Improvement section.