Well Pump Installation Cost: Save Money By Doing It Right
A few simple steps can enhance your well pump’s life span,
saving you money, frustration and lost time over the long haul.
The cost of a well pump installation is not only what you pay up front, it’s also determined by how long your new pump will last before you have to pay to replace it again. Too many people fall victim to a short-lived well pump, making their true cost of a water well pump system much higher than it should be. Why pay for two well pumps when one would have done the trick?
It’s common for people to replace their well pumps somewhere between 7 and 15 years. Assuming they don’t suffer premature failure, well pumps can last anywhere from 12 to 20 years IF installed properly, which is the way we do it at Walter’s Well Pump & Tank Service. And the best part is, it only requires a few dollars in parts.
This isn’t about about some special, top secret techniques we use. We just do it the way it’s supposed to be done. It costs a little more, very little more, to do it right, but the payoff over the long run is tremendous. It’s the old “ounce of prevention” thing.
How to Get Maximum Life From Your Well Pump, Reduce Replacement Cost & Save Your Family Some Money
Two Important and Inexpensive Parts
There are two components that have the potential to save you a lot of well pump life, which means you save money over the long term. How do I know this? Years and years and years of going to people’s homes on service calls, and when I look at their well pump system, these two parts were not installed the last time the pump was replaced, or when first installed.
The First Part: Torque Arrestor
All that’s required in doing it right, and making sure you get maximum life out of your new (or current) well pump, is to install two parts that reduce wear on the pump and the electrical wiring that runs down the well and connects to the pump.
The first is a torque arrestor, which prevents the pump from twisting severely due to motor torque and banging against the side of the well each time it turns on.
How Does It Work?
Given the same horse power rating, electric motors generate more torque from a complete stop than gasoline engines, which is one reason that hybrid gas-electric cars and all-electric cars can accelerate so quickly. (Much faster than a comparable gas powered car.) When an electric motor is switched on, it goes from zero to top speed in an instant.
So each time a well pump turns on, it can generate a pretty severe twisting motion because of the torque that’s generated if there is no torque arrestor in place. This sudden burst of torque will cause the pump to bang against the side of the well, aging the pump and the electrical wiring that connects to it.
However, a torque arrestor that has not been fitted and installed properly will not provide the protection it should. It’s got to be done right.
The Second: Wire Guard
The second money-saving well pump installation component is a wire guard. It protects the wiring that supplies power to the pump, preventing it from rubbing against the side of the well when the pump cycles on and off. (Often the pump failure isn’t the fault of the pump.)
The wire guard, together with the torque arrestor, helps slow the premature aging process and failure described above, which would otherwise lead to a costly service call. You can see that the torque arrestor and the wire guard work together to enhance reliability and longevity.
The video below shows a repair being made for this exact problem.
Some people who install and replace well pumps, (more than you would think), purposely do not install torque arrestors and wire guards so your pump will fail sooner, which leads to another service call and pump replacement. Make sure your well pump installation includes a torque arrestor and a wire guard to ensure maximum life from your new pump.
