FAQ

Absolutely. There can be a vast number of reasons of why you are experiencing low water pressure. Most of the time the problem can be addressed with an easy adjustment or sometimes there is a bigger issue going on within the system that needs to be corrected. Some examples of these would be a leak in a pipe, either in the well itself or under the ground between the well and the house, an older weak pump that needs to be replaced, minerals clogging up the system restricting water flow. Ultimately there is no real reason why you need to continually suffer or deal with low water pressure. Having a simple system checkup can diagnose the reason behind the issue.

A water storage tank, usually blue in color, is exactly that. A holding tank that stores water until it is empty, then tells the pump to turn on and draw water from the well. The pump, typically located in the well, will then turn off once the water storage tank is full again. This allows the well pump not to have to turn on every time you use the water for a drink of water or to flush the toilet for example. Having a larger water storage tank, even further helps to extend the life of the pump by holding more water, the pump is not required to run as often. The water storage tank has two internal parts, an air chamber in the top that holds air pressure and a water diaphragm in the bottom where the water is stored. Over time air chambers can loose their air pressure causing the water diaphragm to over extend, damaging the diaphragm and ultimately resulting in the tank prematurely failing. Well pumps that turn on all the time because of a failed tank, do not get any rest and burn themselves up. The number one cause of a pump prematurely burning up is because of a failed water storage tank. The only way to avoid this is having your system regularly maintained.

A bedrock well is a water well that taps into ledge a safe distance beneath the ground to access clean groundwater found moving through crevices. Bedrock Wells are constructed by drilling an eight-inch diameter hole into ten or twenty feet of solid ledge. On average, bedrock wells are 100 - 500 feet deep in Massachusetts. Depending on the groundwater in your area they may be deeper. When a new well is drilled, a six-inch diameter steel casing is set within the drilled hole. The casing prevents surface contaminants from entering the well. When a bedrock well is installed, a water flow test is conducted to determine the well yield or the amount of water being produced. Wells are chlorinated to kill bacteria and then a pump, water line, and the water tank is installed. Electrical power is connected, and your well is tested to ensure it is functioning properly.

The “short and sweet” answer is: if you have a large family (or use a lot of water) or have a lawn sprinkling system, constant pressure systems are nice to have. Although they are a little more expensive, they are more energy efficient and you won’t experience a drop in your water pressure when you are using multiple sources of water at one time like you would with a standard system. Additionally, smaller and lighter tanks can be used, which can help to save space.

Click here to see a visual demonstration of the difference.

The largest factor in determining the cost of a new well is the well depth. This can be tricky, because we will not know the actual well depth of a new well until we drill it. We rely on information on other wells in the area to estimate the depth of a new well.

Other factors that can affect the cost of a well include:

1. The type of system (standard or constant pressure)
2. The size of tank and horse-power of the pump (we can help you make the best decision for your well)
3. The distance of the well from the house

These types of smells are typically caused by bacteria. While not harmful, the smell is quite unpleasant. The first step would be to disinfect the well and flush out the system. Although some people do this on their own, we always recommend you hire a well contractor to ensure this is done properly.