Owning A Home With A Well
What's that boy? There’s a well in the backyard! Here’s everything you need to know about water wells, before you close on your house.
In 2015 it was estimated that 42 Million people in the
United States used wells for their home’s water supply. A great majority of these homes
are located in the north east, so it should be no surprise to you if you move
to a house and find it uses well water. Well, no pun intended, this is your
guide to what to look out for when you are interested in buying a home that has
a well.
How Does It Work?
If you remember in high school learning about the water
cycle, then you know that a good portion of water from runoff, lakes, rivers,
rain, and snow all soak into the ground. This excess water that is not absorbed
by plants will pool together deep in the ground. You can access this water by
drilling deep enough. The hole has a metal tube placed in it called a casing
that stops the ground from collapsing in on itself. Now, unless you plan on
using a bucket, you will have a pump either inside or externally connected that
will pump the water from your well to your home’s pressure tank.
Is it As Good As City Water?
Unfortunately no. Water you get in a city goes through
serious treatment to get it as nice as it is. Well water can be sandy, have
bacteria, and be full of minerals. When
water has a large amount of minerals dissolved into it, it is called hard
water. A quality water pump will have filters that stop any major debris like
sand or rocks from entering your water system.
Bacteria
You should have your well tested for bacterial growth before
you buy a house. If bacteria is detected, you may need to shock your well and
have a water treatment system installed. Many people have tanks with ultraviolet
lights that kill bacteria as the water passes through.
Is Hard Water Bad For You?
No, hard water is not a health concern, but can cause serious plumbing and quality of life issues. The minerals in the water can build up in your pipes, dropping water pressure and causing blockages over time. This can result in excess wear and even burst pipes depending on when they were installed. Even if this never occurs, hard water will leave very noticeable spots on your dishes, tile, and cars that can be very difficult to remove one dried. Don’t worry though. You can have a water softener installed that will remove most or all of the minerals in your water.
Now if you have all of these things in your home and they
are in working order, congratulations, you have a good working well! But hold on.
You’ll need to do some regular tests and inspections to maintain your well.
Maintenance
Well water should be tested at least once a year for harmful
bacteria, dissolved solids, nitrates and pH level. Once you have these tests
back, you should schedule an inspection of your entire water system to make
sure that it remains clean and in working order. Failing to do this can result
in a complete system failure, meaning you’ll be without water until a solution
is found. These parts are often thousands of dollars to replace, so good
maintenance will save you money in the long term.
Benefits of Well Water
- Unless something disrupts the well itself, you will have water at all times, even if the city water system goes down.
- Well water can taste better than city water and have more nutrients too.
- Private wells mean no water bill each month.
Cons of Well Water
- Your pump runs on electricity and is the easiest thing to break from improper maintenance. Have a backup generator or hand pump to ensure access to your water in emergencies.
- Having an entire system installed can be expensive.
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