Hungerfords Pump Service is a recognized leader in providing quality services
to residential well owners in Connecticut for over 80 years. We offer a wide range
of services - from pump replacement, system repairs, water testing, water filtration
and preventive maintenance programs - all designed to keep your well water system
operating at peak efficiency. We offer 7 day emergency service for repairs.
Let Hungerfords Pump Service help you avoid the inconvenience
of water outages. Let us assess your water system, water quality and recommend
options to insure its reliability and purity. This can be accomplished through
our “Well Protected Plan” or Check-up Service.
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Amazing Performance From Unbelievably Poor Wells In Less Space than a Side by Side Refrigerator
- Complete self contained Well Management System use on wells that produce as little as 1/10th gpm
- Provide Consistent Pressure every bit as impressive as city water
- Remarkably Quiet
- Rectangular Storage Tanks of PE resin meeting FDA regulation 21 CFR 177.1520 © 3.1 & 3.2, extra heavy walled tanks can be fitted out for use in any orientation
- Sizes to fit through a 24” door with with metal support frame removed.
- Tanks come with everything installed on them:
- Well Manager UL Listed control panel for 1 or 2 wells built to industrial standards and installed on the tank – end or side mount available depending on tank
- All penetrations water tight
- Low water cut off protects PumpChamber
- Everything can be unbolted from tank
- Tank level controls pass NSF 61 Potable Water
- Pipe & Fittings NSF 61
- Delivery Pump sized to your need in our patented PumpChamber™ mounted vertically inside tank – all but 4” of stored water usable
- Vibration isolation mounting for PumpChamber
- Automatic Air Eliminator for PumpChamber
- Overfill Shutoff with manual reset stops overflows
- Union connections (1”) at inlet & outlet
- Service or replace pump without draining or opening tank – overhead clearance permitting
- Installation, set up and maintenance Manual
Click Here For More Information |
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Your best defense against costly repairs and the inconvenience
of water outages is a properly maintained well water system. Your water system
consists of many components that can deteriorate with age. Failure of one small
component could lead to damage or even premature failure of the expensive well
pump. Your best defense to avoid these high costs – service performed by
one of our repair professionals. And now, with a choice of our two affordable
Annual Service Contracts, BASIC and PREMIUM,
our motto of providing “Water Without Worry”
has become even easier for you to achieve. For your piece of mind and to minimize
the cost of repairs, we tailored these service contracts to meet the needs of
cost conscientious homeowners.
Click Here
for full “Well Protected” brochure.
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It is a proven fact that most water system breakdowns, and
the inconvenience they cause, could be avoided with annual preventative maintenance.
We urge you to schedule your low cost check-up now
to avoid the possibility of costly emergency service calls and inconvenient water
outages.
Our skilled service technicians can detect and, in many cases,
correct small problems before they become big problems. With our low cost Preventative
Maintenance Check-up you will receive the following:
- Your pump, motor, tank and controls will be thoroughly inspected.
- Electrical readings on the pump motor will be taken to ensure
it is working properly
- Air will be added to the tank if needed
- Any water conditioning equipment will be checked and adjusted
- A water test for mineral quality is performed
- Minor repairs are included in the Preventative Maintenance
Check-up.
- At the completion of the check-up, you will receive a written
summary of the service technician’s findings, along with water test results.
Click Here to schedule your Preventative
Maintenance Check-up
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There are two basic types of well pumps utilized in residential well systems.
The first being a Jet Pump and the second being a Submersible pump.
 Submersible
Pumps: The electric motor and the pump are installed as one unit in the
well. Submersible pumps are long cylinders usually 4 inches in diameter and 2
to 4 feet long. An electric cable is attached to the motor, and a pipe comes up
the well from the pump into the home. To ensure that water supply is reliable,
even in droughts, submersible pumps may be set hundreds of feet beneath the water
in a well. When the pump switches on, the motor runs and turns a series of impellers
that push water up out of the well. Compared to a Jet Pump the Submersible pump
is more energy efficient and allows for better water pressure in your home.
 Jet
Pumps: Unlike Submersible pumps, the motor and pump
are not in the well but are usually close to the well in a basement or utility
room. Jet pumps work by pumping water under pressure through an ejector into a
discharge pipe coming up from the well. As the jet of high pressure water is forced
into the discharge pipe, it creates a vacuum and causes water to be drawn from
the well. Back at the surface, some of the water is piped to your home plumbing
and some is routed back to the ejector to raise more water from the well. Shallow
well jet pumps have the jet assembly directly attached to the pump and are not
effective at depths below 25 feet but have the advantage of having no working
parts down the well, so they can be used in narrow diameter wells. Due to the
inefficiencies of jet pumps they utilize more electricity than submersible pumps.
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well pumps are often capable of delivering more gallons of water per minute than
any single faucet could draw. If a hydro-pneumatic tank was not used on the system,
the pump would turn on and off every time water usage occurred in the house. For
this reason a holding tank is used on all residential systems. The water can be
used in a leisurely manner over a long time, and the pump will run briefly to
refill the tank.
As the pump pushes water into the tank, the air in the tank
is compressed causing water pressure. Once the pressure in the tank reaches a
predetermined level the pressure switch interrupts the power to the pump and no
more water enters the tank. When you utilize any water in your house the pressure
slowly deceases until a second predetermined low pressure level is reached. The
pressure switch creates an electrical closure and the well pump turns on to supply
water to the tank again.
There are two basic types of pressure tanks, galvanized tanks
and bladder tanks. Both utilize compressed air above the water to maintain the
water pressure in your home. The main difference is the air in the galvanized
tank is in direct contact with your water, where in the bladder style tank the
air and water is separated by a rubber membrane.
A properly charge tank is essential to the proper operation
of your well system. If either of these types of tank does not carry the proper
air charge a variety of issues can occur including: short cycling of the pump
(pump will turn on and off rapidly), interruptions in water pressure or ultimately
the burning out of your well pump.
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An even more important consideration
is the quality of your well water. Any number of factors can influence the quality
of the water – from naturally occurring minerals that can effect how clean
clothing gets in the washing machine to pesticides residues that can have a serious
and long lasting impact on health. The following are some common quality problems: |
- Hardness: Water described
as "hard" is high in dissolved minerals, specifically calcium and magnesium.
Hard water is not a health risk, but a nuisance because of mineral buildup on
plumbing fixtures and poor soap and/or detergent performance. Hard water can reduce
the life of water using appliances such as water heaters, furnaces, and dishwashers.
Solutions to this problem are as follows:
Installation of a water softener:
will significantly reduce the minerals content that causes scaling.
- Green/Blue Staining: pH is
rated on a scale of 0-14, pH of 7 is considered neutral. A pH reading of 6.8 and
below can cause blue/green stains in your sinks and tubs, cause metallic taste
in your water and also thin the walls of your copper pipes, eventually causing
leaks.
Solutions to this problem are as follows:
Acid neutralizing Filter:
An acid neutralizer utilizes a mineral called calcite to raise your pH approximately
1 point (a 6.5 will be raised to a 7.5). Calcite is a naturally occurring mineral
known as Calcium Carbonate which slowly dissolves with the acid water upon contact.
Installation of a pH feed pump:
An acid feed pump will inject a mixture of Potassium Carbonate and water into
the water coming from the well. This system typically is used when your water
is lower than a 6.0 and a neutralizer will not be able to bring your ph to a neutral
level.
- Brown/Black Staining: Iron
and Manganese are common metallic elements found in the earth's crust. Water percolating
through soil and rock can dissolve minerals containing iron and manganese and
hold them in solution. These minerals can cause brown and black stains on your
fixtures and tubs. Typically an iron level of .3ppm and a manganese level of .05ppm
can cause staining.
Solutions to this problem are as follows:
Backwashing Birm Filter uses
a media called Birm as a catalyst to enhance the reaction between dissolved oxygen
and iron / manganese.
Water Softener can significantly
reduce iron and manganese when levels of hardness are elevated
Green Sand Filter a chemical
named Potassium Permanganate is used to oxidize the iron and manganese. Once the
minerals are oxidized the green sand media trap the iron and manganese.
- Odor: Hydrogen sulfide (a
rotten egg smell) can be caused by the decay of organic materials and the presence
of iron bacteria.
Solutions to this problem are as follows:
Aeration units can be used
to remove the odor from the water before it reaches your fixtures. In most cases
a lower pH is helpful in this process
Backwashing carbon filter:
are effective in removing low levels of odor. Carbon is also very effective in
the removal of chlorine on city water systems.
Well Chlorination: If
the odor is being caused by the presence of Iron bacteria, a well chlorination
will often provide a temporary solution to the issue.
Total coliform bacteria are commonly found in the environment
(e.g., soil or vegetation) and are generally harmless. If only total coliform
bacteria are detected in drinking water, the source is probably environmental.
Fecal contamination is not likely. However, if environmental contamination can
enter the system, there may be a way for pathogens to enter the system. Therefore,
it is important to determine the source and to resolve the problem.
Solutions to this problem are as follows:
Well Chlorination: Well chlorination
is the practice of using chlorine in a well to kill potentially harmful bacteria.
A specific amount of chlorine will be added to your well. The chlorinated water
will be circulated back into the well so as to wash the casing in the well. Once
this is complete the chlorinated water will be run through the distribution system
of your home.
Well Casing Extension: Most
older wells were buried in a small enclosure underground. This was done so your
water supply lines were protected from freezing in the winter. The issue with
your well being buried is twofold. First, the seal at the top of your well has
a rubber gasket; over time this gasket can deteriorate allowing surface water
(rain water) to enter your well. This could be a potential source for bacteria.
Second, your well must be vented to allow air into your well when the water is
drawn out. In some cases this vent would end in your basement, be tied to a close
by tree or even just stick up in the buried enclosure. In most cases this vent
is not screened, therefore leaving an open conduit into your well. Hungerfords
can install a casing extension that is approved by The Department of Public Health
that will eliminate the aforementioned issues.
Ultra Violet Light:
Ultraviolet (UV) disinfection uses a UV light source, which is enclosed in a transparent
protective sleeve. It is mounted so that water can pass through a flow chamber,
and UV rays are emitted and absorbed into the stream. When ultraviolet energy
is absorbed by the reproductive mechanisms of bacteria and viruses, the genetic
material (DNA/RNA) is rearranged and they can no longer reproduce. They are therefore
considered dead and the risk of disease has been eliminated.
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If you have no water or very little water, check the
following:
- Is the water off in all of the faucets?
Sometimes dirt clogs the strainer and only one faucet does not work. This indicates
that your water pump system is probably ok.
- Did someone leave a garden hose
running? Sometimes a garden hose that is left running will draw enough
water so that there will be no or very little water in the rest of the house.
- Is a toilet running? This
is the most common reason for running a well down. The only way you can really
check to see if a toilet is running is to lift the cover off the tank and look.
You cannot tell by simply looking at the bowl.
- Did someone leave a valve off on
the discharge of the water tank? It is a very easy thing to correct if
it has happened and it certainly does not require a service call.
- Is a fuse blown or a circuit breaker
off? Check to see. If the circuit breaker trips again after resetting it
or a fuse blows again after replacing it, you had better give us a call so we
can find out why.
If you find the pump is running and you have no water,
turn it off. A pump running dry can damage itself very quickly. Small leaks can
use a tremendous amount of water and power. The average family uses about 50 gallons
of water per person per day. A one gallon per minute leak will use 1440 gallons
a day. Leaks should be repaired as soon as possible. If you have any questions
about your water system, please call our Service Department at:
1-800-441-9287
The best way to avoid emergency calls is to have your water
system inspected once a year and minors repairs done by our service technicians
before they become serious problems.
Dirty or cloudy water can be
caused by.....
Over pumping - Sediment and
dirt can be stirred up if you are using an abnormally high amount of water. Check
to see if toilets or hoses are running, and if faucets have been left open.
Sediment in tank - If the
pump is off, you can stir up sediment from the bottom of the storage tank as the
system starts to run low. Check the electrical services to see if the circuit
breaker is tripped or the fuse is blown.
Filtration equipment - Sediment
and dirt may be coming from a faulty filtration system - switch to by-pass to
see if the water clears up.
Very slow flow or little pressure can be due to....
Plugged filters - Switch to
by-pass to see if the rate improves. Have filters changed or serviced if the pressure
is normal in the by-pass mode.
Heavy usage - Check hoses,
faucets, showers, etc. to see if you are using an abnormally high amount of water.
The pressure should improve as you shut off each of these uses.
Strainer - Check and clean
the strainer in each faucet - dirt and sediment can partially block the flow and
affect the pressure.
Pressure switch - If the pressure
is still low after checking the above tips, you may have a faulty pressure switch.
Call Hungerfords Pump Service’s Service Department to inspect and replace
the unit if needed.
Staining usually appears as discolorization on sinks or bath
tubs, typically in the area directly below the faucet. In some cases, staining
can show up in the laundry – as either rust colored spots or as difficulty
in getting clothes really bright. Staining is an indication of problems with the
quality of the water due to high mineral content or low pH.
Stains that are brown, black or reddish-brown in color can
be caused by high levels of iron or manganese in the water. These two elements
are very common in well water in this area. There are several treatment options
discussed in the article on conditioning equipment.
Blue-green stains are caused by acidic water that is slowly
dissolving copper water pipes. Water is measured by a pH scale – the lower
the number, the more acidic the water. If the pH of the water is below 6.7, it
will start to slowly corrode the internal surfaces of copper water pipes. The
blue-green stains you see are the salts produced when the pipes react with the
acid in the water. The lower the pH, the faster the pipe will corrode.
More important (and some thing you can’t see as a stain)
is the effect of low pH on lead. Older houses have soldered pipe joints containing
lead. The acidic water can dissolve the lead out of the solder, creating potential
health problems.
Contact Hungerfords Pump Service for advice on how to deal
with these issues.
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