Thank you. I live in a foreign country where overhead tanks are mostly used instead of pressure tanks, and it was really hard to explain my engineer that I wanted a pressure tank setup and how it should work. This video got us on common terms 🙂
My goodness, I don’t know what to say. This is THE best UA-cam video that I’ve ever watched. No seriously. I wish everyone could make that type of quality of a video. You must be a professor or something. I had no idea how that borehole water system works. You did an eloquent, step-by-step explanation, repeating for clarification and hitting all the points brilliantly. Now I know. May God bless you. Thank you a million.
Your onto something kid lol I am a new homeowner of a pretty well done by a local flipper. He did an ok job and made 3/4 of his dam money. He paid $56K and we got it for $126. It is what it is we know ZERO about this stuff!! I just went in my extreme tiny closet he was sweet enough to give me lol. Low and behold the dam T is sort of moldy!! And the gauge is on less than “0” it ohhhh! What a silly lady I was NOT to get a home inspection!!! We don’t have a shut off valve either!!! That being said, can I take the rusty ol one that is NOT working? If it ain’t broke don’t fix it? We only bought this homs back in September last year. Do I have any recourse here? The box(switch) clicks so I have no idea what to do. I can see mine is new inside. Some of the screws are a bit rusty UGH. We also have a valve that can be turned, so I noticed it’s closed so I opened it and not a thing happened? Advice for my broke ass!!!
You are hands down the only person on youtube who explains things properly. You deserve a solid like and sub! Good job my man, you saved me real expensive work!!
This video is fairly accurate but there is much more not mentioned. The well pump on this system is considered a 2 wire, either 115v or 230v. If your well is set up with a 3-wire you will have an additional electrical component called a control box. If you have a control box the power goes to the pressure switch, then to the control box, then three wires come out of the control box to the well/pump. The check valve he talks about on the tank tee is not always at the tank tee. Usually you see those installed in the well. With the pressure relief valve if it leaks, you can take the cap off the end and tighten the screw down that's under the cap with a flat head screwdriver. Sometimes the factory adjustment is not correct, and eventually the spring inside them weakens and that is why they leak. The water heater in your home most likely has a pressure relief valve also. The water conditioner and water softener are also not specifically water well components. If your local water well driller or water well pump installer has a water quality business in addition to their water well business then they can take care of the whole system for you should you have issues. However I would say only a small percentage of water well guys deal with that stuff and I would not lump it in with the water well components. We have a water well at our house and have no need for a softener or conditioner. Another thing a homeowner should know is that the pressure tank or storage tank has a rubber bladder in it, and it comes pre-charged with air. If you want to make sure the air pressure in the tank is set correctly you need an air pressure gauge, you need to know what your pressure switch kicks on and off at, and then you only check the pressure or add air when the system is turned off with all the water out of the system. With it off and water run out, the pressure should be set to 2 PSI less than your pressure switches kick on pressure. So for example if your switch is set to kick on at 40 PSI and off at 60 PSI your air pressure should be ste to 38 PSI. Pressure tanks sometimes lose air like a tire does so you need to check it every 6 months or so. If it's off a couple PSI either way it won't hurt anything but if the air completely leaks out your pressure tank will no longer have a cushion and the pump with short cycle..(kick on. Kick off) (kick on. Kick off). This is hard on the pump and the pressure switch. If the pressure switch contacts under the gray cap are dark or black it could either use the contacts cleaned up with emery cloth or replace the pressure switch. Shut the power off to it and drain the water from the system before doing it though. Good luck out there.
in a 2 wire system, the switch is connected directly to the pump? what is the interface between the main power panel and the pressure switch? I have something called a Liquid Level Control that is between those two systems and I dont understand its function
I know many have said it but this was fantastic. I moved from a City water Home to a Well water home. I didn't understand the mechanics of the pluming system for my new home. But this did a great job explaining how it works.
Wow! A video we can actually follow from a Professional who speaks clearly, excellent video quality, knowledge base is the best; and anyone can learn very easily; he reviews what he says quite often so the most inexperienced novice DIY can easily digest and follow. The best on UA-cam! Thanks so much!
Thank you so very much for explaining everything very easily. My one just leaked from the tank a few days back and now I am in a process replace it looked like it is a fortune to do it and the guy was asking over $1800 with the tank and labor, but you made it seemed look very easy And can be done estimated around seven to $800 with all brand new fittings does not need any soldering
I stopped on this channel because I am planning to buy a house on well water and septic, and have no idea how either work. Your excellent patient and detailed explanation was great! Thank you very much for creating this video!...
Thank you for the clear and simple explanation of the system. As a single women with an old house, I need to know this stuff so if and when there's a problem, I at least know where to start.
Thank you for the clear and concise video! As a homeowner with a well system myself, the only point I might disagree on is when you state that your "house-bound" water passes through the salt tank before going into the house. It is my understanding that the salt tank is only used to periodically back flush and clean your tall cylindrical filter. On my system, the house-bound water travels into and out of the filter tank and then directly into the house plumbing. If the water was then circulated through the salt tank before entering the house plumbing, you would taste salt water throughout the house. Otherwise, an excellent video!
Great job on the review. I have had a well for 7 years and have had to learn the system the hard way. I have changed the tank once and the electrical component several times. When I would speak to my well guy I am sure I sounded stupid. I have always wondered how it works and now I know and can speak more intelligently to my plumber or well guy. Thanks again my friend.
I’m working for a water well drilling company in Florida and this really helped me to understand what the employees and customers are talking about when they call. Thank you so much! You’re a great teacher.
I'm working on my well pump and searching for advice I came across your video and I think is beyond perfect, really! I loved how you cut the crap that most people includes in their videos, I'm subscribing before I look into what other topics you discuss, again the simplicity in your explanation is got me hooked.
Very good explanation. I am now replacing my close to 50 year old pressure tank. In the last few years the switch has been cycling on and off continuously and no matter how much I try to adjust the switch it doesn't hold for more than a few minutes. This water system is only for gardening and irrigation. Thanks for the detail explanation on how it functions..
thanks so much. just bought a farmhouse and really need an education on well systems. this was really informative. gives me a base knowledge of the operation. (and it was nice and slow for me to understand better.) thanks again
Thank you very much for the kind words. Please like and subscribe to my channel as many more well water and also an upcoming video on septic systems as well. Best wishes.
Awesome video...for people who going to buy a new pressure switch. Look at your old one and see if it says 30-50 or 40-60. The pressure in the tank needs to be changed accordingly to the type of pressure switch. You can change the pressure in the pressure tank with a small car tire compressor.
You can say that again, I had a reputable tradesman here yesterday to find out why the water was flowing back down the well, he changed the pressure switch and the connection on top of the pump, parts estimated at €45 and charged me €380. The problem persisted so I called him back and he wanted to change the pipe going down the well costing 210 for parts plus labour so I cleared him when I checked it out myself I found out that it was the check valve was the problem, I got the part for €5 and the problem was solved. He didn’t even touch the check valve and decided to put extra cost on me, I priced the pipe for the well and it was €68, what a shower of cowboys.
Great video! We had to put a whole house pre-filter between the pressure tank and the water conditioner because our well pumps in iron flakes that break off of the incoming pipe walls and well. We don't want particulate matter getting in the conditioner.
Thank you so much for this video it taught me a lot about my well system. You deserve major kudos because you explain the system in a clear concise way and I wish you lived in Maryland because I would shake your hand if I could. Thanks for the video!
Very clear and useful. I just replaced my pressure tank and all these parts other than the switch. I guess I should replace that but it looked fine. The plumber who did the original installation did not put in a pressure relief valve. I supposed he should have, but the install worked fine for 23 years. In the last year or so the water pressure at the house was not constant - time to replace. I am not sure whether the tank itself had a problem but the back flow check valve no longer worked- you could hear water dripping back when the pump was off. So if you are having uneven flow but the tank is not that old you might want to try replacing that first.
We’re closing on a house tomorrow that has a well. I was hoping to find a video that halfway explained what a well was all about. You have a true gift at explaining things. Thank you so much for taking the time to share your knowledge! It has helped me greatly.
How's it going. I found a house that I'm interested in but just realised it has a well that supplies the home with water. This makes me hesitate to sign the purchase agreement. I know nothing about wells and I wanted I'm worried about safety and quality of the water supply
I appreciate the thorough breakdown of all the components and the individual application for each of them, you’ve educated me greatly and I feel you’ve equipped me with the ability to take on a future repair of some of these smaller working pieces.
From reading the comments, it appears you have helped a lot of people with this video. That's fantastic, because honestly I felt you were slow and repetitive, but maybe that is because I already understand all this stuff.
Excellent video! Doing this right now in our old Maine house. Last system was black iron, rusty water and no pressure relief valve...nice, expensive, local plumber/handyman. Savings will go for WINE tonght.. Thanks
R u a plumber? This is how a well system should look. Very clean no corrosion, correctly piped with the right water treatment to protect the plumbing and your health. I wish every persons well system was this clean and neatly done!
This is fantastic. Easy to follow as you explain how each component contributes to an efficient and safe system. I live in the Philippines and will follow your model. Thank you!
I am using a 1.0 HP submersible pump to lift water from a 55m well. The pump is set at 49m and using a 1-1/4 pipe. The pump doesn't seem very strong and I was told to not run it for more than 30 minutes at a time. Once I connect a pressure tank (and switch) the well water will go through a filter and treatment system before filling a 1500L holding tank. A whole house pressure pump will supply water from the holding tank to the house. How (where) can I add a second pump to use the well water (continuous pressure) for landscaping and fill a large fish pond? I was told to replace the submersible pump with a deep water jet pump? Thoughts?
The blue tank has a diaphragm and has an air pressure charge to keep pressure on the water supply after the pump shuts off. The electrical pressure switch which starts and stops the pump can get wear on its contacts from the current passing through them. There is a surge of current when a motor starts that is much higher for a few seconds than its normal operating current. When contacts open there is often a little spark. These conditions affect the contact surfaces resulting in wear on them. Anyway this video was a helpful explanation of a typical well piping arrangement with the explanation of how it operates.
Nice job, clear explanation. You might want to remind folk to make sure all brass fittings have NL (no lead) (less than 1/4 of 1% lead) and avoid "old" fittings that can have 10% or more lead in them.
Thank you for the great explanation. I am in WISC -on a well-and have terrible iron in the water. I have a system that was supposed to take care of the problem- I was recently told it was installed backwords (installed by a master plumber). My white clinic lab jackets were destroyed in about 3 months. I am trying to figure out how it is going in and out of the house, this video helped to explain the tank. Great job.
Thank you for the thorough video. My aunt recently moved into my late grandmothers home up the hill from my home. We live in the SE(Carthage NC.if you happen to be a golfer,5 miles from Pinehurst #2)she was previously a lifelong resident in S. Fla. City utilities. Grand mother’s home has 2 well houses.original pump house ha been out of use for 15 years or so. Earlier today aunt Ruth asked me to “please go check her meter “.She said her bath tub faucet has a slow dripping leak the newer pump house is nearly the same as yours. Minus the water softener & polisher. The tag riveted to the top of the round concrete 3 ft cap had a stamped 19 & a space & then a 3. Which this means it was installed in 1993 . Parts of the stamped tag were written in sharpie and apparently some of the information was rubbed off over the years. So we’re talking about 23 years not 15. Everything looks to be in good shape. I realized once I walked into the pump House that I had no idea what I was looking at or for. I moved here eight years ago and the County just happened to be installing city water pipes at that time. I do not have a well... yet. I stayed in the pump house for 10 to 15 minutes the pressure valve reading was holding steady at 20 where yours was 54. The tag was hard to read and upside down from where I was standing but it mentioned something about gravel at 20 ft intervals I believe and a depth of 43 or 48 feet. The pressure valve did not budge while I was there and the pump did not turn on. I’ll definitely visually check the condition of electrical Contacts inside of the gray cube. She wasn’t home so I didn’t go inside to check or change washers on the faucet or anything like that.. It’s an old home that has been upgraded and improved throughout the years. She will be home later. Does the 20 pounds of pressure sound right? Any suggestions.? I’m thinking cut off valve. Maybe power switch too.?. Fix the faucet/drips. Check maintenance logs and inspect everything. Turn water and power back on. What do you think? Thanks again for the education. I have a great day
It would have been nice to talk about the pressure tank a little explaining how there is a pressurized bladder inside and how to know if it fails. When it fails you will no longer have any "draw down" meaning the water pressure will immediately fall causing the pump to turn on every time you open a faucet or flush a toilet. This is hard on the pump and it will spike your electric bill. So if you ever experience a mysterious rise in your electric usage, check your tank. There is a small valve on the top of your tank identical to a tire valve. You check this for proper Mfg recommended air pressure. If you notice any water coming out of the valve then the bladder has ruptured and the tank must be replaced. Hope this helps in any troubleshooting.
Thank you for such a great video. Mid 2017 we moved from California to Connecticut and its our first time using a well system just like this one. Everything has been working perfectly just as you have described.
I originally made this comment in a reply to another comment by vipleather but being important it should be on its own. A second check valve is a code violation in many cities. Based on the fact that there mayalready be a check valve at the well point or integral to the pump and possible code violation. This should be mentioned in this video. Also I don't have time to watch again but did you mention that you want to use a union vs. a coupler to connect the tee to the PT being you don't want to disassemble a lot of this assemble when you need to replace the tank. . . . AND you will be using that spigot when you shock the well. Otherwise this is a very informative and well made video. Still gets a thumbs up by me.
Just found your channel. You are the best because I have the same set up at my cottage and I have no idea what is what before after watched your video now I have an idea and how to detect if something wrong. Again thank you
Excellent review of the water system, for someone like me that is considering moving into a rural home with a well, it is really helpful and most appreciated, good job.
I worked for a local well water service company in the Denver foothills for two years. This is an excellent overview of a well - pressure tank - treatment system. Towards the end you panned, showing the path of the water... good, but you neglected to say anything about the filter!
Thank You Sir for this excellent video! Most wells systems around here in PA have a whole house water filter system before the water gets into the holding tank. Have a super great week.
Thanks for taking the time to make this video. Very informative for a 1st time home owner. Not to mention being female with no clue on mechanics. I now know what everything is and does and how to increase my water pressure.😊
Glad you liked it. I really appreciate the nice comment also, it makes me very happy that my videos help. I have lots of other ones on my channel on taking care of your own home with lots of projects I do. Best wishes to you.
Very well said. (No pun intended) I wish I had someone explain all of this to me 25 years ago when we moved from "city water" to "well and septic". Sure would have saved a lot of time doing research.
Wait till you have to start replacing your septic components, that’s a load of fun too if you do it yourself? I know from first hand experiences now. Had to replace septic pump and sensor that turns the pump on and off as well as the alarm system when the septic pump not working for any reason? But thru a little research I was also able to upgrade some of the components that hopefully will be a better system now? Time will tell!
Glad it helped! Thank you very much. I will have more videos as well discussing septic systems and other home improvement projects. Thank you for watching.
Thank you so much. I was curious how exactly this worked. I’ve noticed that our pressure dips pretty low before it turns on to being the pressure up. That controller is more than likely the issue
Michael Lohre Really mine has tried to insist that he is correct ,meanwhile I have been dealing with an unreliable system for about 5 years and listening to his BS , a simple explanation that should not have been a big deal to understand,he made it that way.
I lived in the country as a kid in Michigan, and I never understood exactly how well water was pumped. We also had a sump pump, which I mistakenly thought that's where our drinking/showering water was coming from. I was always impressed that our 1800's farm house had such modern equipment at the time. I believe we must have had a tank larger than 35 gallons because it looked larger than the one in your video. 9 people lived in our house (7 kids).
Great video for explaining the well system. Since I have my own well for decades now I already knew this though. Funny part though is you mention replacing the electrical switch that turns your pump on and off. Now I did have to replace my blue pressure tank a couple years ago. But my electric switch you mentioned replacing every 5 years or so. Mine the same electrical switch from when the original well was installed way back in 1980 and still working just fine! It was checked though when the pressure tank was replaced and the well company said it’s in perfect condition and no need to replace it. Still turning water on and off as it’s supposed to. So you may not need to necessarily replace those every 5 years less your just paranoid your pressure tank going to explode? I’m lucky in the fact that my well water pretty good water and I don’t need any softener or any other chemical separator for my water. Which is a nice plus! Interesting enough though, my next door neighbors well does need the softener and chemical separator for their water. You wouldn’t think their be that much difference in water from maybe 500 ft from the two wells. But I guess there can be! Maybe it can be because our well was dug extra deep and our well is set up where the fire department can connect to my well if they ever need more water to put out a fire in our area. We’re the only ones in our area that has a well the fire department can connect to. So maybe the extra depth of the well is why we have better water maybe?
Wow ! Very well explained ! I can't think of anyone else who explains the system like you and I do a lot of Google searches! Talk about breaking it down in simple terms, man you are one of the best , hence look how many thumbs up you have.
Thank you for the very clear and concise information on how the water pressure tank works as an integral part of the water supply system. Very informative and well illustrated. Excellent job !
My husband and I bought our first home and it has a well. We’ve been battling low level is what everyone that has come out to the house. However the previous home owners lived here for 10 years are saying and getting us to do all these expensive changes but still we have little water. Could you please assist or help us we live in Connecticut? This video helped us learn more about the system and how it works.
Some notes * In well installations, check valves are designed to act as surge protectors and help the drop pipe drain slowly. Check valves are not effective at eliminating backflow. Depending on the depth of the well, you will have multiple check valves installed at regular intervals. * Pressure transducers can be adjusted to provide more/less pressure to the system. * The size of the tank is not the same as how many gallons it will hold. The tank has a pressurized bladder than is charged above your system's setpoint, so a large portion of the tank is full of air. It's purpose is to store enough water under pressure to keep your pump from short cycling/turning off/on too often. There is a max number of on/off cycles a pump/motor can turn on each day as well as a minimum run time. * The electrical cable should not be painted/finished into the floor. If you need to replace the cable, you will have to tear up your epoxy flooring. It's better to have a open channel to keep everything separated from the concrete/epoxy flooring. * You need to have someone change your hose clamps for a better connection...
"Check valves are designed to act as surge protectors and help the drop pipe drain slowly. Check valves are not effective at eliminating backflow." This is completely wrong. The exact opposite is true.
Excellent overview. Functional understanding of the system as a whole is a necessary prerequisite for correct maintenance and successful trouble shooting efforts
THANK YOU VERY MUCH,FOR THIS VERY INTERESTING VEDIO, YOU EXPLAIN SO GOOD, WE WISH WE CAN HAVE SAME LIKE THIS A WATER WELL AND CAN SHARE TO THE OTHERS! GOD BLESS YOU ALL!AMEN!
My pressure tank blew out and flooded the crawl space it was in. I drug the tank out, rolled it over and found that it was actually a corroded out well tee. I guess the brass tee didn't like my well water. I moved the tank to a much more convenient place to get to and plumbed it in with all PVC. No more well tee. Everything is connected correctly, pressure switch, pressure relief valve, hose bib and water cut off valve. It's all working fine.
Amazing video!!! So informative!! So well spoken! Thanks so much for your time and effort in explaining these things! I'm in water treatment and I didn't know these things lol! Bravo 👏
Thank you for this explanation. Found a lizard had crawled into the pressure switch. It did not end well for him but I saved the money on a service call. Everything worked again after I cleaned the contacts. Again, thank you very much.
Fairly decent explanation of the components. Some somewhat obvious notations 1. Romeo NM wire is not supposed to be used for underground conductors, if that’s where they go. 2. those conductors should be in a protective conduit, 3. they appear to be 12/3 which would have a significant voltage drop especially when the pump starts, even with 240 volts again if indeed the conductors are up to 500-feet long. 5. that (spring) check valve you identify doesn’t necessarily need to be there as most submersible pumps have a foot valve installed at the top of the pump column. It is needed if that foot valve is removed or a bleed valve(or hole) is installed in the pump riser. Colder climates do this so that water doesn’t freeze in the riser pipe. With regard to operating pressure, I believe that a pressure range of 20 psig-ON, 40 psig-OFF is fairly common (and in fact Square D pressure switched had such pre-set models), further generally speaking that pressure tank is probably rated at 125-psig and not many residential submersible pumps will produce 125 psig. However, in older homes faucets and fittings can or will fail or leak at that pressure so it has value. And last, the ball valve screwed on directly to the “pressure tank tee” would be,it seems to me better for maintenance if a union had been used between the Tee and the ball valve. But your description of the function of the components is I am sure quite useful to most viewers.😊
Thank you. I live in a foreign country where overhead tanks are mostly used instead of pressure tanks, and it was really hard to explain my engineer that I wanted a pressure tank setup and how it should work. This video got us on common terms 🙂
My goodness, I don’t know what to say. This is THE best UA-cam video that I’ve ever watched. No seriously. I wish everyone could make that type of quality of a video. You must be a professor or something. I had no idea how that borehole water system works. You did an eloquent, step-by-step explanation, repeating for clarification and hitting all the points brilliantly. Now I know. May God bless you. Thank you a million.
Wow, thank you!
How to connect a 3 wire well pump to the pressure switch? Help
Your onto something kid lol I am a new homeowner of a pretty well done by a local flipper. He did an ok job and made 3/4 of his dam money. He paid $56K and we got it for $126. It is what it is we know ZERO about this stuff!! I just went in my extreme tiny closet he was sweet enough to give me lol. Low and behold the dam T is sort of moldy!! And the gauge is on less than “0” it ohhhh! What a silly lady I was NOT to get a home inspection!!! We don’t have a shut off valve either!!! That being said, can I take the rusty ol one that is NOT working? If it ain’t broke don’t fix it? We only bought this homs back in September last year. Do I have any recourse here? The box(switch) clicks so I have no idea what to do. I can see mine is new inside. Some of the screws are a bit rusty UGH. We also have a valve that can be turned, so I noticed it’s closed so I opened it and not a thing happened? Advice for my broke ass!!!
You might explain the use of a pressure guage on the holding tank with its effects with the pumps pressures
Ditto! He's brilliant!
You are hands down the only person on youtube who explains things properly. You deserve a solid like and sub! Good job my man, you saved me real expensive work!!
Nice video, but you did not address the ;able inside the pressure switch, and how it relates to the bladder pressure?
This video is fairly accurate but there is much more not mentioned. The well pump on this system is considered a 2 wire, either 115v or 230v. If your well is set up with a 3-wire you will have an additional electrical component called a control box. If you have a control box the power goes to the pressure switch, then to the control box, then three wires come out of the control box to the well/pump. The check valve he talks about on the tank tee is not always at the tank tee. Usually you see those installed in the well. With the pressure relief valve if it leaks, you can take the cap off the end and tighten the screw down that's under the cap with a flat head screwdriver. Sometimes the factory adjustment is not correct, and eventually the spring inside them weakens and that is why they leak. The water heater in your home most likely has a pressure relief valve also. The water conditioner and water softener are also not specifically water well components. If your local water well driller or water well pump installer has a water quality business in addition to their water well business then they can take care of the whole system for you should you have issues. However I would say only a small percentage of water well guys deal with that stuff and I would not lump it in with the water well components. We have a water well at our house and have no need for a softener or conditioner. Another thing a homeowner should know is that the pressure tank or storage tank has a rubber bladder in it, and it comes pre-charged with air. If you want to make sure the air pressure in the tank is set correctly you need an air pressure gauge, you need to know what your pressure switch kicks on and off at, and then you only check the pressure or add air when the system is turned off with all the water out of the system. With it off and water run out, the pressure should be set to 2 PSI less than your pressure switches kick on pressure. So for example if your switch is set to kick on at 40 PSI and off at 60 PSI your air pressure should be ste to 38 PSI. Pressure tanks sometimes lose air like a tire does so you need to check it every 6 months or so. If it's off a couple PSI either way it won't hurt anything but if the air completely leaks out your pressure tank will no longer have a cushion and the pump with short cycle..(kick on. Kick off) (kick on. Kick off). This is hard on the pump and the pressure switch. If the pressure switch contacts under the gray cap are dark or black it could either use the contacts cleaned up with emery cloth or replace the pressure switch. Shut the power off to it and drain the water from the system before doing it though. Good luck out there.
Whats your hardness that you don't need a softner?
in a 2 wire system, the switch is connected directly to the pump? what is the interface between the main power panel and the pressure switch? I have something called a Liquid Level Control that is between those two systems and I dont understand its function
Purchasing our first house with a well. This video is priceless. Thank you for your thoughtful production. It is very exciting and interesting
I know many have said it but this was fantastic. I moved from a City water Home to a Well water home. I didn't understand the mechanics of the pluming system for my new home. But this did a great job explaining how it works.
Glad it was helpful! I really appreciate that.
Best explanation I ever heard. Clear enough that I can understand without having any background on this issue. Thank you VERY much.
Wow! A video we can actually follow from a Professional who speaks clearly, excellent video quality, knowledge base is the best; and anyone can learn very easily; he reviews what he says quite often so the most inexperienced novice DIY can easily digest and follow. The best on UA-cam! Thanks so much!
Thank you so very much for explaining everything very easily. My one just leaked from the tank a few days back and now I am in a process replace it looked like it is a fortune to do it and the guy was asking over $1800 with the tank and labor, but you made it seemed look very easy And can be done estimated around seven to $800 with all brand new fittings does not need any soldering
It’s videos like this where we need a double thumbs up option.
Thank you thank you. Especially your effort to define the terms used. Top notch.
Clear, concise explanation without irrelevant music and rock star graphics. Well done. Just what I was looking for. Thank you.
I stopped on this channel because I am planning to buy a house on well water and septic, and have no idea how either work. Your excellent patient and detailed explanation was great! Thank you very much for creating this video!...
Thank you for the clear and simple explanation of the system. As a single women with an old house, I need to know this stuff so if and when there's a problem, I at least know where to start.
So glad it helped, thank you for watching
Thank you for the clear and concise video! As a homeowner with a well system myself, the only point I might disagree on is when you state that your "house-bound" water passes through the salt tank before going into the house. It is my understanding that the salt tank is only used to periodically back flush and clean your tall cylindrical filter. On my system, the house-bound water travels into and out of the filter tank and then directly into the house plumbing. If the water was then circulated through the salt tank before entering the house plumbing, you would taste salt water throughout the house. Otherwise, an excellent video!
Great job on the review. I have had a well for 7 years and have had to learn the system the hard way. I have changed the tank once and the electrical component several times. When I would speak to my well guy I am sure I sounded stupid. I have always wondered how it works and now I know and can speak more intelligently to my plumber or well guy. Thanks again my friend.
I’m working for a water well drilling company in Florida and this really helped me to understand what the employees and customers are talking about when they call. Thank you so much! You’re a great teacher.
So nice of you to say, thank you
I'm working on my well pump and searching for advice I came across your video and I think is beyond perfect, really! I loved how you cut the crap that most people includes in their videos, I'm subscribing before I look into what other topics you discuss, again the simplicity in your explanation is got me hooked.
Very nice of you to say, I really appreciate that.
Very good explanation. I am now replacing my close to 50 year old pressure tank. In the last few years the switch has been cycling on and off continuously and no matter how much I try to adjust the switch it doesn't hold for more than a few minutes. This water system is only for gardening and irrigation. Thanks for the detail explanation on how it functions..
thanks so much. just bought a farmhouse and really need an education on well systems. this was really informative. gives me a base knowledge of the operation. (and it was nice and slow for me to understand better.) thanks again
Thank you very much for the kind words. Please like and subscribe to my channel as many more well water and also an upcoming video on septic systems as well. Best wishes.
Explanation is concise, better than some college lecturer.. thank you.
Thank you for an excellent explanation! I've just moved to a place that has a well and I've noticed it needs some work.
Fantastic video! You are an amazing teacher. You can really tell that you want your viewers to thoroughly learn the subject matter. Thank you.
I'm being trained in as a plumbing designer and this is priceless, thanks so much!
Lol I was waiting for someone to comment hahah new training video
Awesome video...for people who going to buy a new pressure switch. Look at your old one and see if it says 30-50 or 40-60. The pressure in the tank needs to be changed accordingly to the type of pressure switch. You can change the pressure in the pressure tank with a small car tire compressor.
Can you give courses to all tradesmen on UA-cam on how to do explainer videos. So many are so bad. You're one of the best!
Thank you for the very kind comment!
You can say that again, I had a reputable tradesman here yesterday to find out why the water was flowing back down the well, he changed the pressure switch and the connection on top of the pump, parts estimated at €45 and charged me €380. The problem persisted so I called him back and he wanted to change the pipe going down the well costing 210 for parts plus labour so I cleared him when I checked it out myself I found out that it was the check valve was the problem, I got the part for €5 and the problem was solved. He didn’t even touch the check valve and decided to put extra cost on me, I priced the pipe for the well and it was €68, what a shower of cowboys.
Thank you for explaining this in layman's terms so newbies to well systems can understand it better!
This is a great video. Just bought a house with well water, and this video explained everything. thank you
Great video! We had to put a whole house pre-filter between the pressure tank and the water conditioner because our well pumps in iron flakes that break off of the incoming pipe walls and well. We don't want particulate matter getting in the conditioner.
Thank you so much for this video it taught me a lot about my well system. You deserve major kudos because you explain the system in a clear concise way and I wish you lived in Maryland because I would shake your hand if I could. Thanks for the video!
You belong on Ask This Old House man. Perfect explanation. Much appreciated!
Very clear and useful. I just replaced my pressure tank and all these parts other than the switch. I guess I should replace that but it looked fine. The plumber who did the original installation did not put in a pressure relief valve. I supposed he should have, but the install worked fine for 23 years. In the last year or so the water pressure at the house was not constant - time to replace. I am not sure whether the tank itself had a problem but the back flow check valve no longer worked- you could hear water dripping back when the pump was off. So if you are having uneven flow but the tank is not that old you might want to try replacing that first.
explained very professional like but where a home owner with no knowledge can completely understand thank you
We’re closing on a house tomorrow that has a well. I was hoping to find a video that halfway explained what a well was all about. You have a true gift at explaining things. Thank you so much for taking the time to share your knowledge! It has helped me greatly.
Much appreciated. Congrats on the house, wells are a good thing, just a little different. Thanks for the kind words
How's it going. I found a house that I'm interested in but just realised it has a well that supplies the home with water. This makes me hesitate to sign the purchase agreement. I know nothing about wells and I wanted I'm worried about safety and quality of the water supply
This took the mystery out of the whole well system! Thanks for posting this!
You're very welcome!
I appreciate the thorough breakdown of all the components and the individual application for each of them, you’ve educated me greatly and I feel you’ve equipped me with the ability to take on a future repair of some of these smaller working pieces.
From reading the comments, it appears you have helped a lot of people with this video. That's fantastic, because honestly I felt you were slow and repetitive, but maybe that is because I already understand all this stuff.
Very clear and comprehensive explanation of how a system and its components work.
The water takes a Left-Hand turn…always happy to help! Your welcome!!
Excellent video! Doing this right now in our old Maine house. Last system was black iron, rusty water and no pressure relief valve...nice, expensive, local plumber/handyman. Savings will go for WINE tonght.. Thanks
R u a plumber? This is how a well system should look. Very clean no corrosion, correctly piped with the right water treatment to protect the plumbing and your health. I wish every persons well system was this clean and neatly done!
Besides the shark bites! Lol
I really appreciate that. Not a plumber but I have done a lot of work with pros to learn. Thank you for the nice words.
Thank you for the clear and detailed explanation!! Hope to retire in 2 years and build my own house- videos like this are invaluable!
This is fantastic. Easy to follow as you explain how each component contributes to an efficient and safe system. I live in the Philippines and will follow your model. Thank you!
Thank you very much
I'll be drilling a well and researching well pumps and filter systems. Thank you for the clear and detailed explanation!
I am using a 1.0 HP submersible pump to lift water from a 55m well. The pump is set at 49m and using a 1-1/4 pipe. The pump doesn't seem very strong and I was told to not run it for more than 30 minutes at a time. Once I connect a pressure tank (and switch) the well water will go through a filter and treatment system before filling a 1500L holding tank. A whole house pressure pump will supply water from the holding tank to the house. How (where) can I add a second pump to use the well water (continuous pressure) for landscaping and fill a large fish pond? I was told to replace the submersible pump with a deep water jet pump? Thoughts?
@@MrEye4get good
Have been looking for this level of detail for quite some time. Thanks man, best tutorialvideo on this topic on FaceTube.!
This video was extremely informative in explaining a bunch of components in my new house. Thank you so much for putting it together.
The blue tank has a diaphragm and has an air pressure charge to keep pressure on the water supply after the pump shuts off. The electrical pressure switch which starts and stops the pump can get wear on its contacts from the current passing through them. There is a surge of current when a motor starts that is much higher for a few seconds than its normal operating current. When contacts open there is often a little spark. These conditions affect the contact surfaces resulting in wear on them. Anyway this video was a helpful explanation of a typical well piping arrangement with the explanation of how it operates.
Nice job, clear explanation. You might want to remind folk to make sure all brass fittings have NL (no lead) (less than 1/4 of 1% lead) and avoid "old" fittings that can have 10% or more lead in them.
Taking all the lead out of fittings shortened there life expectancy many times over when dealing with acidic well water.
Omg thank you . I've been having so many issues for a year now . This solved it . ❤
Best video! Easy to understand and follow. I like your step-by-step tour of all the components !
Thanks a lot for sharing, I'm building a house in Africa and I will definitely use this technic for my well. it's simple and straight forward
Hands down, the best explanation on the web. Thank you.
Thank you I really appreciate that
Thank you for the great explanation. I am in WISC -on a well-and have terrible iron in the water. I have a system that was supposed to take care of the problem- I was recently told it was installed backwords (installed by a master plumber). My white clinic lab jackets were destroyed in about 3 months. I am trying to figure out how it is going in and out of the house, this video helped to explain the tank. Great job.
Thank you for the thorough video. My aunt recently moved into my late grandmothers home up the hill from my home. We live in the SE(Carthage NC.if you happen to be a golfer,5 miles from Pinehurst #2)she was previously a lifelong resident in S. Fla. City utilities. Grand mother’s home has 2 well houses.original pump house ha been out of use for 15 years or so. Earlier today aunt Ruth asked me to “please go check her meter “.She said her bath tub faucet has a slow dripping leak the newer pump house is nearly the same as yours. Minus the water softener & polisher. The tag riveted to the top of the round concrete 3 ft cap had a stamped 19 & a space & then a 3. Which this means it was installed in 1993 . Parts of the stamped tag were written in sharpie and apparently some of the information was rubbed off over the years. So we’re talking about 23 years not 15. Everything looks to be in good shape. I realized once I walked into the pump House that I had no idea what I was looking at or for. I moved here eight years ago and the County just happened to be installing city water pipes at that time. I do not have a well... yet. I stayed in the pump house for 10 to 15 minutes the pressure valve reading was holding steady at 20 where yours was 54. The tag was hard to read and upside down from where I was standing but it mentioned something about gravel at 20 ft intervals I believe and a depth of 43 or 48 feet. The pressure valve did not budge while I was there and the pump did not turn on. I’ll definitely visually check the condition of electrical Contacts inside of the gray cube. She wasn’t home so I didn’t go inside to check or change washers on the faucet or anything like that.. It’s an old home that has been upgraded and improved throughout the years. She will be home later. Does the 20 pounds of pressure sound right? Any suggestions.? I’m thinking cut off valve. Maybe power switch too.?. Fix the faucet/drips. Check maintenance logs and inspect everything. Turn water and power back on. What do you think? Thanks again for the education. I have a great day
Burke, paragraphs are your friend. John
This is one of the best videos I have seen on UA-cam. Thoroughly informative! Thank you!!
It would have been nice to talk about the pressure tank a little explaining how there is a pressurized bladder inside and how to know if it fails. When it fails you will no longer have any "draw down" meaning the water pressure will immediately fall causing the pump to turn on every time you open a faucet or flush a toilet. This is hard on the pump and it will spike your electric bill. So if you ever experience a mysterious rise in your electric usage, check your tank. There is a small valve on the top of your tank identical to a tire valve. You check this for proper Mfg recommended air pressure. If you notice any water coming out of the valve then the bladder has ruptured and the tank must be replaced. Hope this helps in any troubleshooting.
Great explanation for us who are new to well systems. Thanks a lot. Great video
Thank you for watching
Thank you for such a great video. Mid 2017 we moved from California to Connecticut and its our first time using a well system just like this one. Everything has been working perfectly just as you have described.
Thank you very much for the kind words and for watching my video. Best wishes to you in your new home.
Glad I came across this video cuz I accidentally skipped to something that's gonna fix my problem thanks
Thanks for a great explanation. About to undertake an old house renovation - this is exactly what I needed.
Glad you found it helpful and thank you for the kind comment.
I originally made this comment in a reply to another comment by vipleather but being important it should be on its own. A second check valve is a code violation in many cities. Based on the fact that there mayalready be a check valve at the well point or integral to the pump and possible code violation. This should be mentioned in this video. Also I don't have time to watch again but did you mention that you want to use a union vs. a coupler to connect the tee to the PT being you don't want to disassemble a lot of this assemble when you need to replace the tank. . . . AND you will be using that spigot when you shock the well.
Otherwise this is a very informative and well made video. Still gets a thumbs up by me.
Really clear and straightforward explanation. This answered all my questions about a well pump system. :)
Just found your channel.
You are the best because I have the same set up at my cottage and I have no idea what is what before after watched your video now I have an idea and how to detect if something wrong.
Again thank you
Excellent review of the water system, for someone like me that is considering moving into a rural home with a well, it is really helpful and most appreciated, good job.
😳Oh my God he is the best about explanation very clear thanks a lot bro and be bless!👏👏👏
Glad it was helpful!
I worked for a local well water service company in the Denver foothills for two years. This is an excellent overview of a well - pressure tank - treatment system. Towards the end you panned, showing the path of the water... good, but you neglected to say anything about the filter!
Thank you for the clear and detailed explanation of how the well system works.
Thank you I really appreciate it.
Terrific video. I have always been on city water but about to buy a well water home. The idea was a black box in my mind until I watched this video.
I don’t have well water 💦 but it’s good to know how it works. 🙏 thanks for your time
This was so helpful as a first time home buyer. Thanks!
Thank You Sir for this excellent video! Most wells systems around here in PA have a whole house water filter system before the water gets into the holding tank. Have a super great week.
Thanks for taking the time to make this video. Very informative for a 1st time home owner. Not to mention being female with no clue on mechanics. I now know what everything is and does and how to increase my water pressure.😊
Glad you liked it. I really appreciate the nice comment also, it makes me very happy that my videos help. I have lots of other ones on my channel on taking care of your own home with lots of projects I do. Best wishes to you.
Very well said. (No pun intended) I wish I had someone explain all of this to me 25 years ago when we moved from "city water" to "well and septic". Sure would have saved a lot of time doing research.
Wait till you have to start replacing your septic components, that’s a load of fun too if you do it yourself? I know from first hand experiences now. Had to replace septic pump and sensor that turns the pump on and off as well as the alarm system when the septic pump not working for any reason? But thru a little research I was also able to upgrade some of the components that hopefully will be a better system now? Time will tell!
Thank you so much, new cottage owner with a well system - You explain things so clearly and at a good speed - thanks again!!
Glad it helped! Thank you very much. I will have more videos as well discussing septic systems and other home improvement projects. Thank you for watching.
Thank you so much. I was curious how exactly this worked. I’ve noticed that our pressure dips pretty low before it turns on to being the pressure up. That controller is more than likely the issue
Another example of a good and well explained video! Thank you for the clear information.
Glad it was helpful!
I wish my well installer would have given me an explanation that was even one fourth as clear as this. Thank you so much
Michael Lohre Really mine has tried to insist that he is correct ,meanwhile I have been dealing with an unreliable system for about 5 years and listening to his BS , a simple explanation that should not have been a big deal to understand,he made it that way.
Next time tip him or buy him a case of beer.
I lived in the country as a kid in Michigan, and I never understood exactly how well water was pumped. We also had a sump pump, which I mistakenly thought that's where our drinking/showering water was coming from. I was always impressed that our 1800's farm house had such modern equipment at the time. I believe we must have had a tank larger than 35 gallons because it looked larger than the one in your video. 9 people lived in our house (7 kids).
Great video for explaining the well system. Since I have my own well for decades now I already knew this though. Funny part though is you mention replacing the electrical switch that turns your pump on and off. Now I did have to replace my blue pressure tank a couple years ago. But my electric switch you mentioned replacing every 5 years or so. Mine the same electrical switch from when the original well was installed way back in 1980 and still working just fine! It was checked though when the pressure tank was replaced and the well company said it’s in perfect condition and no need to replace it. Still turning water on and off as it’s supposed to. So you may not need to necessarily replace those every 5 years less your just paranoid your pressure tank going to explode? I’m lucky in the fact that my well water pretty good water and I don’t need any softener or any other chemical separator for my water. Which is a nice plus! Interesting enough though, my next door neighbors well does need the softener and chemical separator for their water. You wouldn’t think their be that much difference in water from maybe 500 ft from the two wells. But I guess there can be! Maybe it can be because our well was dug extra deep and our well is set up where the fire department can connect to my well if they ever need more water to put out a fire in our area. We’re the only ones in our area that has a well the fire department can connect to. So maybe the extra depth of the well is why we have better water maybe?
Thank you for an amazing and detailed explanation, sir! It was very helpful! Gods Bless you, sir, stay safe, and Keep America Great, please.
Good job and the recap was perfect, way better than what Home Depot has up. Will be installing this weekend. Thanks again.
I appreciate the nice comment thank you very much
Wow ! Very well explained ! I can't think of anyone else who explains the system like you and I do a lot of Google searches! Talk about breaking it down in simple terms, man you are one of the best , hence look how many thumbs up you have.
Excellent video! It showed me exactly what was going on with my well and what I need to look at ie the pressure switch. Thanks for posting it.
You sure you're not Super Mario? Best explanation of the well pressure plumbing system I've ever seen!
Great breakdown, description and explanation of parts. Thank you.
Thank you for the very clear and concise information on how the water pressure tank works as an integral part of the water supply system. Very informative and well illustrated. Excellent job !
Thank you very much, glad it was helpful.
Fantastic looking at property with wells.
Thanks so much
Thank you, I've looked all over for an explanation of this, fantastic, I got it now.
Glad it helped. I have some other plumbing and well vids too you might like also. Thanks for watching
My husband and I bought our first home and it has a well. We’ve been battling low level is what everyone that has come out to the house. However the previous home owners lived here for 10 years are saying and getting us to do all these expensive changes but still we have little water. Could you please assist or help us we live in Connecticut? This video helped us learn more about the system and how it works.
Some notes
* In well installations, check valves are designed to act as surge protectors and help the drop pipe drain slowly. Check valves are not effective at eliminating backflow. Depending on the depth of the well, you will have multiple check valves installed at regular intervals.
* Pressure transducers can be adjusted to provide more/less pressure to the system.
* The size of the tank is not the same as how many gallons it will hold. The tank has a pressurized bladder than is charged above your system's setpoint, so a large portion of the tank is full of air. It's purpose is to store enough water under pressure to keep your pump from short cycling/turning off/on too often. There is a max number of on/off cycles a pump/motor can turn on each day as well as a minimum run time.
* The electrical cable should not be painted/finished into the floor. If you need to replace the cable, you will have to tear up your epoxy flooring. It's better to have a open channel to keep everything separated from the concrete/epoxy flooring.
* You need to have someone change your hose clamps for a better connection...
"Check valves are designed to act as surge protectors and help the drop pipe drain slowly. Check valves are not effective at eliminating backflow."
This is completely wrong. The exact opposite is true.
thanks for your efforts, it helps me!
Thank you very much! No one else could seem to explain it very helpful
Excellent overview. Functional understanding of the system as a whole is a necessary prerequisite for correct maintenance and successful trouble shooting efforts
Duuuuuuuuude great video!!!! That was well worth my time to watch. Thank you for the enlightening Sir!
THANK YOU VERY MUCH,FOR THIS VERY INTERESTING VEDIO, YOU EXPLAIN SO GOOD,
WE WISH WE CAN HAVE SAME LIKE THIS A WATER WELL AND CAN SHARE TO THE OTHERS! GOD BLESS YOU ALL!AMEN!
Thank you very much
My pressure tank blew out and flooded the crawl space it was in. I drug the tank out, rolled it over and found that it was actually a corroded out well tee. I guess the brass tee didn't like my well water. I moved the tank to a much more convenient place to get to and plumbed it in with all PVC. No more well tee. Everything is connected correctly, pressure switch, pressure relief valve, hose bib and water cut off valve. It's all working fine.
Excellent presentation , very clear and concise . Looking forward to view more of your videos . Thanks for making this video .😀
Amazing video!!! So informative!! So well spoken! Thanks so much for your time and effort in explaining these things! I'm in water treatment and I didn't know these things lol! Bravo 👏
Great job. Your verbal thoroughness is incredible. Straight to the point. I've subscribed.
Hey my water tank won't build a pressure I got water flowing there's just no pressure going into my tank to feed my house what should I do
Thank you for this explanation. Found a lizard had crawled into the pressure switch. It did not end well for him but I saved the money on a service call. Everything worked again after I cleaned the contacts. Again, thank you very much.
WOW That is the first time I have ever heard of that being an issue! Glad you liked the video. Thank you kindly.
Fairly decent explanation of the components. Some somewhat obvious notations 1. Romeo NM wire is not supposed to be used for underground conductors, if that’s where they go. 2. those conductors should be in a protective conduit, 3. they appear to be 12/3 which would have a significant voltage drop especially when the pump starts, even with 240 volts again if indeed the conductors are up to 500-feet long. 5. that (spring) check valve you identify doesn’t necessarily need to be there as most submersible pumps have a foot valve installed at the top of the pump column. It is needed if that foot valve is removed or a bleed valve(or hole) is installed in the pump riser. Colder climates do this so that water doesn’t freeze in the riser pipe. With regard to operating pressure, I believe that a pressure range of 20 psig-ON, 40 psig-OFF is fairly common (and in fact Square D pressure switched had such pre-set models), further generally speaking that pressure tank is probably rated at 125-psig and not many residential submersible pumps will produce 125 psig. However, in older homes faucets and fittings can or will fail or leak at that pressure so it has value. And last, the ball valve screwed on directly to the “pressure tank tee” would be,it seems to me better for maintenance if a union had been used between the Tee and the ball valve. But your description of the function of the components is I am sure quite useful to most viewers.😊
Excellent breakdown of each component! Great job!