Water Well Pump Repair & Installation, Peter Snelten & Sons
Family-Owned & Operated Since 1923.

Serving Cook County, McHenry County, Lake County,
Kane County & Dupage County Illinois. 

Water Well Pumps

After a water well is drilled to provide water to your home a well pump in most cases is placed below the water level within the well to pump water into your home. Sometimes a shallow well pump is needed in shallow wells (25’ or less). There are different sizes of pumps available and the size needed for your home’s situation is determined by the size of your home, how many water fixtures are in your home, and the water demands of your family.

The pump provides drinking water to your home from a water well in the ground nearby. The well pump is combined with a pressure tank, water pressure is then evened out throughout your home and the number of times your pump needs to turn on and off is reduced due to the water held in the tank.

Choosing a water well pump can be as easy as replacing the one you currently have. New installations or homes with currently undersized pumps, however, may require a little more research prior to purchasing a new pump.

A water well pump is a pump that is used in extracting water from a water well. They include different HP motors that are necessary depending on GPM needed and the depth of the pump. There are 2 & 3 wire models. 3-wire models are typically used with bigger applications 3 HP/5 HP/10 HP.

Shallow Well Pumps

Shallow water well pumps or jet pumps are used in shallow wells with a depth of 25’ or 4 inches in diameter or less. These pumps are not submerged in the well but are instead placed above ground and pump the water through an inlet pipe. This increases the PSI (pounds per square inch) of the pump and allows for constant water pressure to your home.

Water well pumps know when to turn on when the pressure within the home’s water system drops below a certain level. The pump then lifts water into the home until the default pressure is restored. 

Convertible Jet Pumps

Convertible jet well pumps are great for people with a fluctuating water table. These pumps can operate in wells with depths between 0-90’ depending on the assembly. Like shallow well pumps, convertible jet well pumps are not submersible and are placed above ground in a well housing.

Submersible Well Pumps

A submersible pump (or sub pump, electric submersible pump (ESP)) is a pump which has a hermetically sealed motor. The whole assembly is submerged in the water to be pumped. Designed to operate in the deepest wells, ranging from 90-300’ deep. The main advantage of this type of pump is that it prevents pump cavitation, a problem associated with a high elevation difference between pump and the water surface. Submersible pumps push water to the surface as opposed to jet pumps having to pull water. Submersibles are more efficient than jet pumps.

The major advantage of a submersible pump is that it never has to be primed because it is already submerged in the water. Submersible pumps are also very efficient because they don’t really have to spend a lot of energy moving water into the pump. Submersible well pumps are available in 2-wire and 3-wire models. 3-wire models feature above ground starter controls, making maintenance much easier compared to 2-wire models.

What About Water Pressure?

What controls the water pressure is a water well pressure tank. When someone turns on a faucet, air pressure in the tank forces water throughout the plumbing until the pressure drops to the preset trigger pressure, usually set at 40 psi (pounds per square inch). At that point the pump runs: supplies demand and excess water builds storage in the tank until pre-set shutoff triggers at 60psi. Well systems usually have a 20lb working cycle. 

Pulling & Installing A New Water Well Pump Through A Roof

This was an interesting job where we pulled a pump in order to replace the pump. Not every well is easily accessible. Water well pits can be placed in many different locations. We find them in basements, garages, etc. In this case, sometimes there is a hole in the roof available and sometimes we need to cut a hole in order to get access to the water well pit. At times our truck does not have access to these types of jobs and we then use portable equipment. We either use a tripod, generations-old equipment still in use to this day, or we use a upsadazy (tri-wheeled motor mounted on an aluminum frame). Where there’s a well, there’s a way.

Brands Of Well Pumps We Carry