As newbies to rural home ownership, my husband and I have been learning a lot about well water. Before we went into contract on our home, we only knew that we could access water by turning on the faucet.
But well rooms? And well pumps? This was a foreign language to us.
If you’re anything like we were (clueless!) here’s a list of very basic well terms. Hopefully it will help in your decoding process:
Well
A well is an underground structure that has been dug, drilled, or bored to access ground water in an aquifer.
Well pump
Once the well is in the ground, something needs to get the water out – and into your house. A pump mechanically draws the well water into your home.
Storage tank
When the well pump brings water out of a well, the water is stored in a storage tank. An air bladder inside the tank helps maintain pressure. The pressure in the storage tank moves water though a home’s plumbing system. When the storage tank needs more water, the well pump begins working to refill the water.
Well room
Some houses have a special room where the well, well pump, and storage tank are located.
And there you have it: a water well system in its most basic sense.
Filtration systems
Homeowners who are concerned about the quality of their water add more by installing filtration systems.
A host of water filtration systems are available – from ultraviolet sterilizers (I’ll explain these on Thursday) and reverse osmosis systems, to specific filters for removing contaminants like arsenic, iron, manganese, nitrate, tannin, sediment backwash, and carbon backwash.
Water filtration needs change depending on the location of your home. Check with a credible local water filtration professional for specific and applicable information.
Sources
“Water Well Pumps and Systems – How a Water Well Pump Works.” Popular Mechanics.
Photo credit
zirconicusso/FreeDigitalPhotos.net
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Hilary Kimes Bernstein is a Christ follower, wife, mama, and journalist. She writes about making healthy decisions that honor God and happen to help the environment at Accidentally Green. Short and sweet - like her writing - Hilary is the author of several healthy living eBooks.
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You have got a few super ideas! Maybe I ought to think about trying this myself.
Many thanks!.