How does a Well Pump Work?
For many people around the world, water is not piped in by the local water company; instead, it is pumped from a well. Wells range in size and depth and the amount of water that is available. Some wells are built for a single family to use, others by an entire village. While the most basic way to retrieve water from a well is to use a bucket that is tied to a rope, a more efficient way to retrieve water is by using a pump.
The most common pump used with wells today is called the submersible pump, specifically pumps that run on electricity. Electrical submersible pumps are usually very reliable and effective for pumping water from a well. It should be noted that if you don’t have a well, you might still be familiar with an electrical submersible pump to remove drainage from a flooded basement or home.
Electrical submersible pump are hermetically sealed. This means that no external water or substances can enter the pump. If water entered the inner working of the pump, it would most likely short it out and ruin the internal parts.
Some of the components found in an electrical submersible pump include the motor, the equalizer, the intake, the pump itself, and the cable to feed electricity to the motor to drive the pump. There are many types of pumps available; however, in practically all electrical submersible pumps you will find a centrifugal pump. In an electrical submersible pump, water flows into the pump (this is called suction) and then flows out of the pump (this is called discharge).
In a centrifugal pump, the direction of the discharge is at a right angle to the flow of the suction. When water flows into the pump, it moves onto an impeller (centrifuge type device). This device spins very quickly around an axis and the water is discharged at a greater rate and pressure than when it enters into the pump. The reason for the extra energy is centrifugal force. This allows water from the bottom of a well to be pumped up to the top of the well with relative ease.
While electrical submersible pumps are extremely popular and perfect for most wells, they have difficulties working properly in areas that have lots of sand or sediment. However, since these pumps are usually hermetically sealed and have only a few moving parts, they are fairly easy to fix and maintain for prolonged use.
Many electronic submersible pumps are built specifically for home use, especially for homes that are not connected to municipal water and sewer resources. Electronic submersible pumps are not very technically complicated and thus are usually affordable.
It should be noted that although they are a great option for use in the United States and other developed countries around the world, since they do require maintenance from time to time, electrical submersible pumps are not the best to use. Also, replacement parts can be difficult to obtain.