Understanding Submersible Pump Drawbacks
If you have a water well on your property that requires a new pump, then you may want to make the easy choice and pick a submersible variety. These pumps are the most common and they are often made specifically for use in wells. However, you have the option of choosing a non-submersible or a jet pump as well. To help you understand some of the reasons why you may want one of these pumps over a submersible variety, find out about some submersible pump drawbacks.
They Are Difficult To Get To
Submersible well pumps are secured inside the well and sit on the bottom or near the bottom of it. While the vast majority of well pumps are chosen to fit through the well's outlet pipe for retrieval, repair, or replacement, some pumps are extremely difficult to get to. For example, when old and narrow outlet pipes are used, the well pump must be squeezed through the pipe. One-half to one inch clearance is often used to determine pump size, but this is not always the case. If the pump is squeezed through, it can be time consuming and costly to retrieve the pump or to simply reach it.
Not only are narrow wells an issue, but so are deep ones. This is true too, of ones that have a heavy and solid concrete top with a small opening.
Since the pump is hard to get to, it may also be difficult to maintain or to check on. Checking on the pump in relation to the level of water in the well is an important task, especially if you live in an area that commonly sees droughts. Droughts can drop the water level around the well pump. Since water keeps the motor cool, this can create an overheating issue.
Seals Can Corrode
Submersible well pumps are meant to remain in the water at all times. While the pumps are made for this, they do have seals that help to keep water out of the pump motor. Like any other motor, water will destroy this part of the machine.
Unfortunately, submersible pump seals will corrode over time, allow water into the motor compartment, and burn out. This is not something that is likely to happen with jet pumps, since water remains away from the motor.
If you do decide to go with a pump that sits outside your well, you will need to choose a model that is strong enough to pull the fluid up and out of the well. A well specialist can help you to find the correct product based on well depth and size and the volume of water you want to come out of your taps.