How Does a Water Well Work?

How Does a Water Well Work?

By Dale Devries, eHow Contributor

January 19, 2012

Well Water

If you live outside of a town or city, most times public water is not available to you. Therefore, you need to have a private water well or a central development well for your water supply. Water below the surface of the ground can be found at various depths. Most private water wells these days are drilled. The well driller may find water as high at 10 feet or have to go down over a 100 feet. The saying that deep wells produce better water is not always true. There are many cases where shallow wells have great water. Water from a well should always be tested for bacteria, volatile chemicals, mineral content and lead. Depending on the location, there is a possibility that pesticides or herbicides have contaminated the water. Another common problem is salt water intrusion for those who live near an ocean or bay. The local health department monitors well water and has certain criteria for it to be potable. There are also standards for well location relative to the location of a septic system or chemical holding tanks. In most cases there are filters that can be placed inside a home that will filter out contaminants in the incoming well water. In other cases, such as salt water intrusion, the well must be re-drilled in a different location or at a different depth.

Components of a Common Well

Most would think getting water out of the ground and to your home is a very complicated process. The truth of the matter is, it’s a pretty simple process. Once the well driller finds water, he inserts a submersible pump into the ground. The pump has an electric wire that goes through a conduit to your home and there is a pipe that leads to a pressure tank either in or under your home. There is a control box installed for the well and a fuse box for the power. The pump is the key to bringing the water into your home. There are many types and sizes of these pumps and there are determining factors, such as size of family and water needs for the pump for your well.

How the Well Works

Once the well drillers insert the pump into a well casing and run the electric line to the main electric source the top of the well is sealed so nothing can fall into the hole. A main water line is run from the pump to the pressure tank. The pump is made up of a motor, an intake and a centrifugal pump. It is all sealed so no water can penetrate through. The water is suctioned into the centrifugal pump, which is an impeller type device. The water is then pushed out at a much higher pressure rate than it came in. That is how the pump works from the bottom instead of above ground. The water is sent to the pressure tank, sometimes referred to as a holding tank, and is kept at a constant pressure, so when you turn on the spigot the water comes out quickly. As you use the water, more water is pumped into the tank and as the pressure drops in the tank, it will automatically come on and pressurize again.

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