Low pressure is usually not the pump.
The pump is the most expensive part of a well system, which is why it is the first thing people assume has failed and the last thing that usually has.
The order things actually get checked in
A well system has a small number of parts and they fail in a fairly predictable order. Filters clog. Pressure switches stick. Pressure tanks lose their charge and start short cycling the pump. Wiring and capacitors go. The submersible pump itself, sitting a couple of hundred feet down in water at a constant temperature, tends to outlast most of what is above it.
One review of this company describes a low pressure call at a house that turned out to be a clogged sediment filter. The technician did not have one the right size on the truck and went to find one. That is the shape of most pressure complaints: a cheap consumable, not a pump pull.
The same review is also a fair warning about hourly work, and it is worth reading before you book. Ask what the hourly rate is, what the minimum is, and whether parts sourced during the visit are billed at time as well. Get those answers on the phone. A pressure problem that turns into a three hour bill because somebody went looking for a filter is a conversation nobody enjoys having afterwards.
- Sediment and cartridge filters checked before anything is pulled
- Pressure tank charge tested against the switch settings
- Pressure switch and contacts inspected
- Cycling behavior observed rather than described
- Pump pulled only once the cheaper causes are ruled out
What each symptom usually points at
Pressure that is low everywhere in the house, all the time, usually points at a filter, the pressure switch settings or the pump sizing. Pressure that collapses when a second fixture runs points at the tank or the pump. A pump that clicks on and off rapidly is a classic waterlogged pressure tank.
Air spitting out of taps means air is getting into the system somewhere, which can be a dropping water level in the well, a leak on the drop pipe, or a pitless adapter. Cloudy or gritty water that appears suddenly is usually sediment, and sediment appearing suddenly is worth investigating rather than filtering and forgetting.
None of that is a diagnosis over the internet. It is the list of things worth telling us on the phone, because the more precisely you describe what the water is doing, the better the odds that the right part is already on the truck.
Ask what it costs before anybody drives out
This is the single most useful thing you can do on any well or septic call, with this company or any other. Ask what the visit costs, what the hourly rate is if the work is hourly, what happens if the fault cannot be found, and whether you will get an itemised invoice.
It is a fair question and it should get a straight answer. If it does not, that tells you something too.
Get the water looked at
Describe what the water is doing and when it started.
What 245 homeowners said
Every quote below is a real review, word for word, from our Google profile.
I called Ray's back at 8:50PM Friday night, and not only did they answer they talked to me for 10 minutes and methodically went through what to check. We discovered over the phone that the pump float had fallen off the pole and wasn't activating the pump. He described how to fix it over the phone and saved me a lot of money not having to have an emergency response. Unbelievable customer service, most folks would have charged me the service fee.
Andre came out and he was absolutely amazing. Very kind and honest. The prices they have are great but we would honestly be willing to pay more for the customer service. We were told by another septic tank company that we had to replace our entire system, we called Ray's and that was not the case at all. Just needed a pipe cleared.
We've gotten pump outs from another local company every 7 years for the 26 years since we built our house. This time we contacted Ray's Septic. What a difference. The price was substantially less than several other companies and our usual vendor. Andre was without a doubt one of the most customer service focused people I've ever met. He performed the job, cleaned up the work area and was extremely professional.
We used Ray's to pump our ancient tank from the 1930's. Andre was our technician and he was nothing short of spectacular. Found our septic tank, didn't make a huge mess digging, pumped it efficiently, and gave us great tips for taking care of our tank moving forward. All for a very reasonable price.
They sent the most knowledgeable and polite technician, Andre. After he pumped the tank he explained I still had water dripping into the septic tank due to a faulty flapper in the toilet tank, that you could not hear running from inside. I called my plumber to come out and repair, he said Andre was right, bad flapper.
I asked around for a good priced knowledgeable and honest pumping service, most answers were Ray's. I had my pick of any day. Gabe showed up, very knowledgeable. I had just purchased my house so I didn't know where my tank or lid was, but I had the environmental diagram so Gabe found the lid in no time, pumped my tank, and took time to help me understand more about it.
Well pumps, pressure tanks and water pressure problems.
Usually not. Filters, pressure switches and pressure tanks fail far more often than submersible pumps do, and they are a fraction of the cost.
Rapid cycling is most often a pressure tank that has lost its air charge. It is worth fixing quickly, because cycling is what wears a pump out.
Air in the lines means air is entering somewhere: a falling water level, a leak in the drop pipe, or a fitting at the wellhead. It needs looking at rather than living with.
Ask on the phone before anybody drives out. Get the rate, the minimum, what happens if the fault is not found, and confirm you will receive an itemised invoice.
Yes. Most well repair work is on existing wells put in by somebody else, often decades ago.
We photograph the work and show you. If well pump and water pressure repair is not what you actually need, we say so and quote the work that is.
Tell us what the house is doing.
Septic or well. Give us the address and the symptom and we will come back to you.