Is all well with your well contractor? Don’t take it for granted

You’re having a little trouble with your well. But, you’ve called a well company and you’re confident everything will turn out fine once your well professional shows up. Hopefully, you’re right. Unfortunately, that’s not guaranteed.

The unfortunate truth is that some well companies know wells, and well maintenance and repair, better than other companies. Even more discouraging is the reality that some well companies aren’t, well, quite as trustworthy.

John Matthesius, the owner here at McHenry Water Well & Pump was recently called by someone who wanted to abandon a well. They told John about the price they were quoted by another McHenry County well company that had come out to look at the job.

John said that he’s usually a little lower but would be happy to come out and take a look, as he wasn’t comfortable giving a firm price without looking at the job. The price could vary primarily based on the depth of the well. With a well that was 150-feet deep or more, the price would be higher than a shallower well.

Based on the price the other company quoted, John expected to find a deep well. Instead, he found a 20-foot well and was able to knock the price down considerably.

“The customer didn’t know how deep the well was, or didn’t know what to expect to pay to abandon a well,” John said. “The other well company appears to have tried to take advantage of the customer’s ignorance of pricing for well work. Their price had a whole lot of profit built in.”

By giving the customer an honest price, based on the actual depth of the well, John developed the kind of good will he has with the vast majority of his clients. Realizing that honesty pays in more ways than one, including a clear conscience, John has no doubt that he handled the job the right way.

“The customer was clearly happy with the news that she was saving several hundred dollars,” said John. “It kind of makes you feel good when you can make a difference in someone’s life that way.”

Wells are abandoned for several reasons. For instance, someone may tie into city water, they’re demolishing a home and need to cap the well, a well has gone dry and they need to drill a new well.

“I never give a firm quote without coming out to measure the well and look at the project first,” John said. “Customers have a right to know what to expect.”

Time for that annual well check and chlorination, unless you’d rather wait until the water doesn’t flow

Spring Well Inspection Special good until May 1, 2014.

Remember when there was a pump at the kitchen sink. If you wanted water, and didn’t want to lower a bucket down the well outside, you simply pumped the pump at the sink and, with a little effort, the water flowed. Well, you probably don’t remember that. Few of us do. It was a generation or more before us.

Today, you turn a handle, or lift a lever, and out comes the water in a way that, folks back then, would have classified as nothing short of magical. In McHenry County today, is doubtful anyone relies on a hand pump at the kitchen sink to pump the water up from the well. They rely on an electric pump down in the well that provides indoor access to water.

“Rely” is really the right word, too. They ‘rely’ on that pump to the extent that they hardly ever think about it. About the only time they would ever think about it is if the lifted the lever, or turned the handle, and nothing happened. Well pumps are so reliable that, when they don’t work, it comes as a bit of a shock.

Actually, it’s not as shocking as most might think. In fact, unless folks in McHenry County think about their wells a little more often, it may happen when they least expect it.

The need to think about your well and well pump is really an annual event. At least once each year, you should do a little well maintenance. That includes checking the pressure in the water tank. It includes checking the motor and wire connections on your well pump and equipment. And, it includes chlorinating your well.

Checking the well tank will ensure that the bladder in the tank isn’t damaged, which would cause the pump to cycle and burnout prematurely. Checking the motor and connections will ensure that your equipment is up to the job for the foreseeable future. Chlorinating your well, on the other hand, will ensure that your water is clear and safe for consumption.

You may feel tempted to chlorinate your well yourself. That’s fine, as long as you know what you’re doing. If not done properly, chlorinating a well can cause more problems than you imagine. Properly done, it will ensure that your water doesn’t become contaminated with bacteria and pathogens. 

“If it’s not done right, well chlorination could clog the well pump and damage the pit-less adapter,” said John Matthesius of McHenry Water Well & Pump. “If it’s not done right, you could even cause damage to your plumbing.”

Matthesius recommends calling on a professional to chlorinate your well. He said the expense is low-cost insurance to make sure your water is safe and the job is done properly. While chlorinating the well, the professional should also check to make sure the well tank is charged properly and in good repair, as well as checking the motor and the connections.

“This time of year, we offer a $75 Spring Well Inspection,” said Matthesius. “It includes checking the tank pressure and charge, the well cap, the wires and motor, the pressure switch and fresh water quality.”

For more information about McHenry Water Well & Pump, call 815-403-3333 or visit: www.mchenrywellandpump.com.