How to Clean and Maintain Your Submersible Well Pump: A No-Nonsense Guide

Is your well water looking cloudy or your pump making strange noises? Ignoring it could cost you big in repairs or health risks.

We will cover safety shutdown procedures, how to properly clean the pump and well casing, and the simple checks that stop problems before they start.

I’ve pulled and serviced more well pumps than I care to remember. Do the basics right and this thing will outlast your mortgage.

What Your Well Pump Does (And Why It Gets Dirty)

Think of your submersible well pump as the heart of your home’s water system. It sits deep in your well, often hundreds of feet down. Its only job is to push water up through the pipe to your pressure tank, which then sends it to your faucets.

It’s a simple, tough machine. But it lives in a harsh environment. Three main enemies work against it every day.

The Three Enemies of Your Pump

Sediment like sand and silt is abrasive and grinds away at the pump’s impellers, wearing them down over time. You’ll notice this if your water is cloudy or if you find grit in faucet aerators.

Mineral scale, from iron or calcium in the water, builds up inside the pump and piping like plaque in an artery. This restricts water flow and makes the motor work harder, leading to burnout. Iron leaves reddish-brown stains; calcium leaves white, crusty deposits.

Bacteria, especially iron bacteria, feed on minerals in the water and create a slimy, rusty biofilm. In well water systems, iron and sulfur compounds can fuel this growth, tying mineral content directly to clogging and odors. This is why iron-sulfur issues are a common concern for homeowners with private wells. This goo can clog the pump intake screen and foul the entire well system. It often causes a rotten egg smell.

The TDS Connection

Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) is a measurement of everything dissolved in your water. A high TDS reading often means you have lots of dissolved minerals like calcium and magnesium. While not dirt itself, a high TDS is a warning sign that the conditions for heavy mineral scaling are present in your well. If your water softener or test strips show consistently high TDS, scaling is likely happening down below.

The Tools You’ll Need to Get Started

Before you tackle any part of learning how to clean a deep well pump, get your gear ready. Having the right tools makes the job safer and keeps you from running back and forth to the hardware store.

Basic Safety and Inspection Kit

• A Multimeter: For checking electrical continuity and voltage. Never touch wiring without first using this to confirm power is off.
• Adjustable Wrenches (Two): You often need two-one to hold a fitting, one to turn the nut.
• A Large Bucket: For catching water when you disconnect pipes.
• Garden Hose: For rinsing components outside.
• Chlorine Test Strips: Crucial if you shock your well. You must verify the chlorine level is safe before using water again.
• Non-Metallic Brush: A nylon brush or old toothbrush for scrubbing parts without scratching them.

Essential Safety Gear

Always wear rubber gloves and safety glasses. Well water can harbor bacteria, and you don’t want it in cuts or eyes. The glasses protect you from sprays or debris when loosening pipes.

A Critical Note on Major Work

The most important tool for a full pump cleaning isn’t in your garage-it’s a well puller, or the phone number of a professional. These pumps are heavy. The piping is long. Pulling it by hand is dangerous and can damage the well itself. I rented a puller once for my own well; it was worth every penny for the control and safety it provided. For anything beyond basic wellhead inspection or shocking, call a pro.

Your Year-Round Well Pump Maintenance Schedule

Think of your well pump like the engine in your truck. You change the oil. You check the tires. You don’t wait for it to break down on the highway. A simple, consistent schedule keeps water flowing and prevents expensive repairs.

Follow this calendar. It splits tasks between what you can do and when to call a pro.

Monthly (The 5-Minute Check)

• Listen for strange noises. When the pump kicks on, go to the pressure tank. You should hear the normal hum of the motor. Grinding, screeching, or loud humming is a problem. A clicking sound usually means the pressure switch, not the pump itself.
• Check the pressure gauge. With no water running, the gauge should read steady somewhere between 40-60 PSI (or your system’s cut-off pressure). If the needle is bouncing or slowly dropping, you have a leak or a failing pressure tank bladder.

Quarterly (The Walk-Around)

• Inspect the well cap or seal. This is your #1 defense against contamination. Make sure the vermin-proof cap is securely fastened, with no cracks. The seal should be tight, with no gaps for insects or surface water. A loose cap is an open door for problems.
• Look for surface contamination. Clear any leaves, mulch, or dirt piled against the well casing. Ensure the ground slopes away to prevent rainwater from pooling at the base.

Annually (The Professional Tune-Up)

• Get a professional water test. Test for coliform bacteria and nitrates every year. A basic test kit from the store can give you clues, but for legal records and true peace of mind, use a certified lab. Water quality changes.
• Check the pressure tank’s air charge. This is a common failure point. Shut off the pump’s power. Open a faucet to drain all water pressure. Use a tire gauge on the tank’s air valve. It should read 2 PSI below your pump’s cut-on pressure. If it’s at 0 PSI, the bladder is ruptured and the tank needs replacement.

Every 3-5 Years (The Major Service)

• Perform a full system disinfection. If you notice a change in taste, odor, or have a positive bacteria test, shock chlorinate the well. This involves calculating the right amount of bleach, circulating it through the entire plumbing system, and flushing it out. It’s a messy, all-day job.
• Schedule a detailed professional inspection. A well contractor can pull the pump for inspection, check the motor’s amp draw, and assess the condition of the drop pipe and wire. They can also measure your water level and well yield, which tells you if the well itself is changing.

How often should you inspect your submersible well pump? You do a visual and auditory inspection every month. A licensed professional should do a hands-on, electrical, and mechanical inspection every 3 to 5 years. Pump longevity depends heavily on water quality. My own pump, in sandy soil, needed a professional look at 4 years because sand was wearing the impellers. Also, include valve inspection and maintenance in your routine checks to prevent leaks and pressure issues. Valve care complements monthly visual checks and periodic professional service.

Early Warning Signs Your Pump Needs Attention

Your system talks to you. Sputters, groans, and changes in flow are its way of saying something’s wrong. Catch these signs early.

• Sputtering faucets, especially on the upper floors. This is air in your lines. The most common culprit is a waterlogged or failed pressure tank, not the pump. The tank can’t cushion the pump, so it sends surges of air and water to your fixtures.
• A noticeable loss of water pressure throughout the house. This could be a clogged sediment filter, a stuck pressure switch, or a pump that’s wearing out and can’t build to its usual pressure. Check your simple stuff first, like the filter.
• Cloudy water or a sudden gritty, sandy texture. You might have a crack in the well casing or the drop pipe, letting sediment in. It also means sand is grinding away inside your pump. This will destroy it quickly.
• Strange noises from the pressure switch or tank area. Rapid clicking is the pressure switch turning the pump on and off too fast. A constant grinding or screeching noise is often the pump motor bearings failing. Listen carefully.

The biggest red flag is short cycling. This is when the pump turns on and off every 20-60 seconds. It will burn out the motor in days. It’s almost always caused by a waterlogged pressure tank, a massive leak, or a failed pressure control switch. If you hear this, shut the pump off at the breaker and call for service.

What are the signs that cleaning or maintenance is needed? Any of the symptoms above mean maintenance is overdue. Specifically, sandy water screams for inspection. A positive bacteria test means immediate disinfection is needed. A slow drop in pressure over months points to wearing pump components. Don’t wait for no water at all. That’s a crisis call, not maintenance.

How to Clean and Disinfect Your Well System

Difficulty Rating: 7/10. You can safely handle diagnosis and basic system cleaning. Physically pulling the pump from the well requires specialized equipment and is a job for a licensed professional.

Start with a pre-cleaning checkup. Inspect your pressure tank’s air charge using a tire gauge on the Schrader valve. If the tank is waterlogged, you’ll need to drain it and recharge the air bladder. Check the pressure switch contacts for corrosion and listen for a clean “click” when the pump cycles. A faulty switch can cause rapid cycling that wears out the pump.

Shock chlorination is the method for disinfecting your entire well and plumbing system. It kills bacteria like coliform and clears musty odors.

Step by Step Shock Chlorination Guide

1. Turn off the electrical power to the submersible pump at the breaker box. This is non-negotiable for safety.
2. Calculate your chlorine. Use standard, unscented household bleach (5-6% sodium hypochlorite). A common ratio is 2 cups of bleach for every 100 feet of well water depth, plus 1 extra gallon to treat your household plumbing.
3. Pour the mixed chlorine solution directly into the well. You may need to remove the well cap’s vent plug. Use a clean funnel.
4. Recirculate the chlorine. Turn the power back on. Attach a garden hose to an outdoor spigot or the wellhead bypass, and run the hose back into the well. Let it run for 30-60 minutes to mix the chlorine throughout the water column. You’ll smell chlorine strongly at the hose outlet.
5. Soak the system. Turn off the pump. Open every faucet in the house (hot and cold) until you just smell chlorine, then close them all. Let the chlorinated water sit in the pipes for 12-24 hours.
6. Flush it all out. This is the critical purge. You must flush the entire system to remove all chlorine, which is the answer to ‘how do u purge a water well pump’. Do not run this heavily chlorinated water into your septic system or onto grass/plants. Connect a hose to an outdoor faucet and run the water to a safe drainage area until the chlorine smell is completely gone. This can take several hours.

For systems with a backwashing filter or softener, you need to know how to backwash an inground well pump system’s filters. Put your water softener into bypass mode and manually regenerate any filters before you start the shock process. After flushing the well, you must also flush the softener resin tank and replace the filter cartridges to prevent chlorine damage.

To prevent recurring bacterial contamination, shock chlorinate anytime the well is opened for service, after a power outage or flood, or if a water test comes back positive. Ensuring your well cap is sealed and your system maintains proper pressure also helps keep contaminants out.

Dealing with Sediment and Scale Buildup

If you’re seeing sand, silt, or grit in your faucets, the problem is usually at the source. Sediment often means a failing well screen or a shift in the aquifer feeding your well. It can also stir up after nearby drilling or during periods of low water levels.

The single best prevention for sediment is a whole-house spin-down or cartridge sediment filter installed after the pressure tank. I have a 100-micron spin-down filter on my own home’s main line. It catches the big stuff, and I just open the valve every few months to flush it out. A second-stage 5-micron cartridge filter catches the fine particles. This protects everything downstream: your water heater, appliances, and faucets.

Understand this clearly: you cannot clean the interior of a submersible pump yourself. If sand has locked up the impellers, only a pro with a puller truck can retrieve the pump, disassemble it, and clean or rebuild the submersible pump. Trying to do this yourself risks dropping the pump and piping into the well.

For minor, occasional sediment issues, you can purge the system by running an outdoor hose at full flow for 15-20 minutes. This can flush loose sediment that settled in the bottom of the well and the drop pipe. If the problem continues, your well screen or formation is likely the issue.

Mineral scale-that white, crusty buildup-is a different enemy. It’s caused by hard water, measured in Grains per Gallon (GPG). Water with more than 7 GPG will rapidly coat heating elements in your water heater and restrict flow in pipes. Scale can also build up on the pump itself over many years, reducing efficiency.

Preventing scale requires a water softener. The softener exchanges hardness minerals (calcium and magnesium) for sodium or potassium, stopping scale before it forms. If you have both sediment and hardness, install the sediment filter before the water softener. The filter protects the softener’s control valve from getting clogged with grit.

The DIY vs. Professional Verdict: When to Call for Help

Knowing where to draw the line saves you money and prevents disasters. Some tasks are homeowner-friendly. Others require a pro with the right tools and insurance.

What You Can Handle (The DIY Zone)

You can confidently perform these routine checks and basic maintenance.

• Testing Your Water: Collecting samples for annual bacteria and nitrate tests is simple. Use a certified lab’s provided bottles and follow their instructions exactly.
• Shock Chlorination: You can shock your well yourself to address bacterial contamination. It involves calculating the right amount of bleach, circulating it through the system, and flushing it completely. Patience is key here.
• Checking the Pressure Tank: Use a standard tire gauge to check the air charge in the tank’s bladder. The pump should be off and water pressure bled to zero first. Compare the reading to your pump’s cut-in pressure setting.
• Inspecting the Well Head: A visual check is easy. Look for cracks in the well cap, broken seals, or signs of insect or surface water intrusion. Make sure the area is clear of debris and slopes away from the casing.

When You Must Call a Licensed Professional

If a task involves opening the well, touching high-voltage wiring, or pulling heavy equipment from deep underground, your job is to make the phone call, not to make the repair.

• Any Electrical Work: This includes the control box, wiring to the pump, or the breaker panel. 240 volts is not a DIY project.
• Pulling the Pump: You cannot clean the interior of a submerged pump like a Franklin or Resun from above ground. Pulling the pump requires a rig, pipe wrenches, and know-how to avoid damaging the drop pipe or wiring. One slip can drop the pump to the bottom of the well.
• Replacing the Pump or Drop Pipe: This is major surgery for your well system. A pro will ensure the new pump is correctly sized, seated, and wired.
• Damaged Well Casing: If you suspect a crack or breach in the steel or PVC casing, this compromises your water’s safety. A professional must assess and repair it.

Most local building codes require licensed well contractors for this work. Their expertise protects your safety, your property value, and your groundwater from contamination.

FAQ: Hiring a Pro and Surge Protection

How do I find a good well professional? Look for a state-licensed well driller or pump installer. Ask neighbors for referrals and check for positive reviews specifically about well service, not just general plumbing.

Why is a surge protector for my pump necessary? Lightning strikes and power grid fluctuations can send a voltage spike down to your pump, frying the motor instantly. A whole-house surge protector might not be enough.

Protect your pump’s motor by installing a dedicated well pump surge protector at the control box. The control box houses the start/run circuitry and relay that operate the pump, so protecting it with a surge protector helps prevent damage from surges. It’s a one-time cost that can prevent a multi-thousand dollar pump replacement. I added one to my system after a nearby lightning strike took out a neighbor’s pump.

Keeping Your Water Safe: Testing and Recommended Products

Maintenance is not just about the pump’s lifespan. It’s about what comes out of your faucet. Your vigilance is the final filter.

Your Non-Negotiable Testing Schedule

Test your water for coliform bacteria and nitrates every year, without fail. Do it in the spring if you have seasonal changes. If you notice red stains (iron), blue-green stains (acidity), or scaling (hardness), order additional tests for pH, iron, and hardness.

Annual testing is your early warning system for contamination that you cannot see, smell, or taste. It tells you if your maintenance is working.

Recommended Products for a Healthy System

Using the right gear makes maintenance easier and your water safer. Look for these categories.

• NSF-Certified Sediment Filters: Install a simple spin-down or cartridge filter after the pressure tank. It catches sand and sediment before it reaches your plumbing and appliances. NSF certification means the filter materials are safe for drinking water.
• Well Pump Surge Protectors: As discussed, this is critical insurance for your pump’s electronics.
• Quality Pressure Gauges: Replace cheap plastic gauges with a solid brass liquid-filled gauge. It gives you an accurate, reliable read on your system’s pressure, helping you diagnose issues early.
• Waterproof Well Cap Seals: A sanitary, vermin-proof well cap with a proper rubber gasket is a must. It’s your first defense against surface contaminants.

Always prioritize products that meet NSF/ANSI standards for safety and material quality. This is especially true for any part that contacts your drinking water. It’s the standard professionals trust.

Clean maintenance leads directly to clean water. When you care for the system, from the pump deep in the well to the cap at the surface, you can trust the water filling your glass.

Common Questions

How do I check and maintain the pressure tank and switch for optimal pump performance?

Shut off the pump’s power and drain all water pressure from the system. Use a tire gauge on the tank’s air valve; it should read 2 PSI below your pump’s cut-on pressure (e.g., 38 PSI for a 40/60 switch). Listen for rapid on/off cycling, which indicates a waterlogged tank or faulty switch needing immediate attention. If the readings don’t align with your system, adjust well pump pressure switch settings. This helps dial in the proper cut-on and cut-off pressures.

What is the proper way to disinfect my well and pump system to prevent bacterial contamination?

The key is thorough contact time and complete flushing. After adding and circulating chlorine, let the solution sit in your entire plumbing system for 12-24 hours. You must then flush all chlorinated water from the well and pipes until no smell remains, using an outdoor hose to avoid damaging your septic system or landscaping.

When should I consider hiring a professional for pump maintenance or repairs?

Call a licensed pro for any task involving high-voltage wiring, opening the well casing, or physically pulling the pump. If you hear a constant grinding noise, have no water, or see sand consistently in your water, the pump likely needs to be pulled—a dangerous and equipment-intensive job best left to experts.

How can I protect my pump from damage due to power surges or lightning strikes?

Install a dedicated well pump surge protector at the control box. A whole-house suppressor may not be enough. This device is critical insurance against voltage spikes that can instantly fry the pump’s expensive motor, especially in areas prone to electrical storms.

What water testing schedule should I follow to ensure my well water remains uncontaminated?

Test for total coliform bacteria and nitrates every year without fail. Additionally, test anytime you notice a change in taste, odor, or appearance. For a comprehensive baseline, consider a full test for metals, minerals, and pH when you move into a new home or install a new pump.

Make Maintenance a Habit for Pump Longevity

Schedule a professional inspection every year to catch wear and tear early. Test your water quality regularly to stop contamination before it starts.