Well Pump Buyer's Guide

The days of using a bucket and rope to retrieve water from a well are long gone.

Pump technology has put an end to this primitive method.

Using centrifugal force, well pumps shoot water from its underground reservoir up to your home for your use.

The depth at which your well sits will determine which style of well pump you'll need:

Shallow Well Pumps
Shallow well pumps are found in applications of 25' or less. This style of well pump is not submersible and is placed outside the well in a well housing.

A feature you should look for is overload protection, which prevents motor burnout. The best shallow well pumps are accompanied by a tank or a booster to increase PSI, which provides constant water pressure to your home. If size is a restriction due to your well housing, choose a pump with a
booster as this will take up less space.



Deep Well Pumps
Deep well pumps can be used in wells as deep as 90 - 300' below ground. Unlike shallow well pumps, deep well pumps are submerged inside your well.

Considering these pumps can be several hundred feet below ground, a 3-wire model makes maintenance easier. This is because the starter controls are above ground, wired to the pump. a 2-wire model is easier to install, but should the pump fail, you'll need to bring it up to ground level to fix it.



Convertible Jet Well Pumps
Convertible well pumps can operate between 0 - 25' with a shallow jet well nozzle or between 25 - 90' with an ejector assembly. These pumps are not submersible and are situated in a well housing. These pumps are popular with people who have a fluctuating water table.

The jet portion of the pump, otherwise known as an ejector, has the primary function of increasing pressure to help draw water from a deeper depth. The pump works by creating a vacuum in the suction pipe and relies on atmospheric
pressure to force the water from the well to the pump.