GUILFORD - The lack of significant, widespread rain in recent months has contributed greatly to well water running low at homes across the state. But, contractors say there are easy ways to avoid this issue.
Ann Delaney, an avid Guilford gardener, says her well stopped producing water Tuesday morning after she had watered her plants for roughly 45 minutes.
"What you want to do is run it for maybe 10 or 15 minutes, let it sit for about 20 to recover and, then, you can start watering again," said Bill Reynolds, co-owner of Rhodes Pump Service, as he was about to install a new water pump in Delaney's well.
It's not just beautifying outdoors that could be causing your well to run dry. You also need to periodically check all of your toilets to make certain the flap, inside the water tank, is not leaking. This scenario would promote continuous water flow. One way to test for leaks is to put several drops of food color in the toilet tank and check to see if any of the color seeps into the toilet bowl.
The best way to be alerted to well trouble: installing either a low water cutoff at a cost of approximately $200, or a pump tech sensor, which can run you in the neighborhood of $400.
"When the pump is pumping water, it's pumping a load and when it senses no load, it disrupts the electricity to the pump," said Reynolds, who noted the power would be cut off, saving the pump.
Mrs. Delaney opted to purchase the pump tech sensor with her new pump and wasted no time getting back in the garden.
"No place I'd rather be but here, with or without water," she said with hose in hand.
