Running Your Well to Clear

In changing your pump, we want you to be aware of the following:

Replacing a pump can cause disruption to the water quality. Iron, slime, manganese, casing flakes, etc. that have built up in the well over time can discolor the water and bring “sediment” into the house. In addition, it is NYW law that any time a well cap is removed, the well be properly disinfected to prevent the introduction of bacteria into your water. Chlorine reacts with iron and creates red/orange/brown colors. You will want to run your well to clear before using the water in the house.

Running to clear: it is strongly recommended the well be run to clear off of the pressure tank and to the outside (away from water sources or nice plants) and not through any water treatment or fittings or septic system. Sediment/color can plug fixtures, water filtration, and toiles requiring intervention to correct or clean out. A hose should ben attached to the pressure tank and run through a window or door to the outside. Open the spigot on the pressure and and let it go. Rlu of thumb is to run it until the color is improved and you no longer smell chlorine.

If the Well Runs Dry:

Kow that in changing a pump, it is unknown how much water the well refills itself at. In running the water to clear, it is possible that the well can be run dry. This is not a concern as long as someone is prepared and able to turn off the pump. Please keep an eye on the water running out of the hose to see if this happens. If you have a low water cut-off switch (handle bar on the side of the pressure switch) this will trigger if the well runs out of water. To reset, allow the well to recover for at least 5 minutes, and hold the handlebar at no more than 45 degrees until the pressure gaugue reads 30 pis. If you do not have a low water cut off and the well runs dry while pumping it to clear, be sure to turn off the breaker for the pyump and allow at least 5 minutes for the well to recover before turning back on.

When to Call:

Every well is different as far as how long it takes to clear. Some wells need only a few minutes, others can take days before it is back to normal. Very occasionally, intervention is needed, like a cartridge filter. We are here to help you, if needed.

Know that every situation is fixable and any concerns are temporary. Most people will not experience any issues and a little clearing time is all that is needed.

If you have any questions or concerns please know that you can contact us at any time. If you reach us after hours, we will call back promptly the following morning.

Thank you for choosing Hawk Drilling Company to service your well needs! We hope you are very happy with the service.