Annual checkups from your physician keep you in good health. For your private water well, regular diagnostic tests can detect problems with your water source before they require expensive repairs, or worse, leaving you stranded without water after a breakdown. Many people think well repair diagnostic tests are only necessary when they experience a problem. Let’s look at some common questions regarding diagnostic testing and preventive care.
What Areas of My Well Will Be Tested?
Diagnostic tests can reveal problems within a well system. A thorough diagnosis will test your well pump, pressure tank, pressure switch, flow rate, amps and ohms, check for leaks in visible piping and even take a bacteria sample to an independent lab for testing. During a well inspection, C&J will thoroughly evaluate various parts of the entire well system. These major parts require annual monitoring to maintain consistency and efficiency, from the well cap and control box to the submersible pump and electrical wiring.
Your water inspection will also test for water quantity. You don’t want to be left in the shower with a head full of shampoo and no water. You’ll want to ensure your well can provide enough water for your family’s needs. And if you have a larger household, your well may need upgrades to fulfill your water needs. To test water quantity, the inspector measures the dimensions and depth of the well and conducts a flow rate test. The flow indicates the amount of water coming from your well, and the flow rate measures the number of gallons per minute. On average, a home needs 100 to 120 gallons per person per day, and the flow rate should be around 6 to 12 gallons per minute. This ensures you have proper water pressure and enough water to meet basic needs such as bathing, cooking, and washing. Keeping up the maintenance of your well equipment is important to ensure many years of worry-free production.
How Often Should a Well Undergo Diagnostic Testing?
As with any structure or device that provides a vital service in your everyday routine, your well should be checked and maintained annually. C&J can usually identify a small issue and remedy it before it becomes a big problem. Preventative maintenance checks can save you money and aggravation. You don’t have to wait to run out of water to get a well diagnostic test. If you hear or feel something “off,” our licensed technicians can use diagnostic testing to uncover the problem. C&J recommends having a diagnostic check at least once a year, which will uncover minor problems that can’t be seen or heard and help prevent more expensive repairs.
Well repair diagnostic testing is a useful tool when you’re thinking about buying a new house with a private water well. An independent inspection of the well when purchasing a new home. Our experience and equipment can provide you with a comprehensive assessment of the condition of the existing well and repair replacement. If the sellers are hesitant to allow their well to be checked out, that’s a sign you should walk away from the deal.
Furthermore, many older wells were buried and, in some cases, may have been built over or cut off. Usually, we can go beyond the information provided by present and previous property owners, physical evidence, and record searches with professional equipment and knowledge gained from years of experience to locate a buried well.
How Much Does a Well Repair Diagnostic Cost?
If you need a well repair diagnostic, the good news is that it’s Spring Special Time! This Spring, we are splitting the regular well repair diagnostic fee from $150 to $75. If it’s Monday through Friday in Marion and surrounding counties, and you’re willing to put a C&J sign in your yard, we will take 50% off our fee for service and diagnostic calls.
C&J’s also offers our annual 6-point inspection for $425. A well inspection can reveal the age of the well and will help you better budget for future maintenance/replacement costs. If your well is 15 years or older, you should factor into your budget replacement parts and additional maintenance costs.
What Should You Do if Issues are Found During the Inspection/Diagnostic?
If your inspection reveals significant damage to your well or your inspector recommends a new well system, you may be looking at a costly investment. Drilling a new well can cost you anywhere from $5,000 to $15,000. The cost varies depending on your location, soil conditions, and how deep the well needs to go to find a water source.
Consistency, trustworthiness, and quality are three elements that keep C&J as a reputable company Hoosiers trust. Choose C&J, and you’ll see the savings—schedule your 6-point inspection today or well repair diagnostic today!
