Lightning is Mother Nature’s secret weapon against Barrington wells

This is what lightning can do to your car in Barrington.
In this case, the lightning also took out the well pump.

Lightning is a potential game changer when it comes to your Barrington well pump. Let’s suppose you’re one of those people who is fastidious about maintaining your well pump and well system; in other words, you have a well technician check the pump, adjust the pressure in the well tank, look over the wiring and components and then chlorinate the well annually.

You know the importance of maintenance and how, in the long run, it will extend the life of your well pump and well system and save you far more than you’ll spend on maintenance. That includes avoiding the emergency rate of having a well technician come out in the middle of the night because your well system isn’t proving water to your home. But, that doesn’t absolutely guarantee you won’t have trouble with your Barrington well.

The unfortunate reality is that Mother Nature is the potential wild card in terms of maintaining your well system.

The damage to this Barrington well pump isn't as visibly
apparent. But, the lightning did destroy this well pump, too.

A well system if fairly impervious from most of the weapons at Mother Nature’s disposal. A well pump head can withstand winds from the most powerful hurricane. Fortunately, hurricanes are not common in Barrington. But, we do have tornadoes in the area and well pumps will do well with those winds, too, though items caught up in the wind could damage a wellhead.

Floods won’t necessarily damage the wellhead. However, floodwater could get past the well cap and contaminate the well water. This will require testing, chlorinating and treating the water. But there is one arrow in Mother Nature’s quiver that can do substantial damage to a well pump if it hits the wellhead – lightning.

Lightning can fry the electronics in the wellhead and running down to the pump. It can burn out the pump or damage the well liner.

Here's another view of the car that was burned up after
it was hit by lightning.

Lightning is powerful. It can reach 100 million volts of electricity with about 30,000 amps. It can reach temperatures of 54,000 degrees. THAT’S SIX TIMES HOTTER THAN THE SUN!!!

Obviously, designing a well pump that is impervious to lightning is quite a trick. And, when lightning strikes, there’s no guarantee that the damage inflicted will be confined to the well pump. Other items in the area can also suffer. The lightning can damage trees, start cars or homes on fire.

This is all rather disturbing to contemplate. Fortunately, these lightning strikes are rare. They happen but they don’t happen often.