Cushing & Sons
Water Well Pumps & Systems
Water Well Pumps & Systems
1-800-831-8883
When you turn the tap you set a series of actions in motion.
To ensure adequate water pressure, well water is stored inside your building in a pressure tank. Normal water pressure is between 40 and 60 psi (pounds per square inch).
As water continues to run, the volume of water in the pressure tank drops, which also lowers the water pressure.
When the pressure drops below 40 psi a pressure switch activates the water pump system. The submersible water pump pumps water into the pressure tank until normal pressure is reached and the pump automatically shuts off. A safety valve installed on the pressure tank is designed to release pressure should it exceed 75 psi. Click video on right for a demonstration of the pump cycle process.
Pump Selection & Installation
Before Cushing & Sons recommends a pump, we will factor in:
How a pressure tank works
- How much water will be needed at peak demand
- The well’s yield potential in gallons per minute
- Diameter of the well at the pumping level
- Depth of ground water below the surface
- Distance and elevation of the home above the well
- Future needs, such as irrigation
Because Cushing and Sons provides well-to-faucet water systems by licensed, certified and experienced technicians, we can guarantee the performance of the system and its components.
We have believed for years that the best items to recommend to our customers are products that are time proven and are commonly available to the trade. We recommend items such as Franklin motors and control boxes, Square D pressure switches, Flomatic check valves, and top pump brands that are locally available in New England.
We do this for two reasons, the first is that the parts are not proprietary, so in the event we are not available to work on your system, many others can. The second is that these top performing products allow us to offer long warrantee periods on our installations because of the demonstrated long service life.
How water pumps works
Cushing & Sons installs complete systems. We use only high quality components – not the parts you can buy at your local “big box” discount retailer. The difference is that a pumping system installed by Cushing & Sons is dependable, fully guaranteed and installed by our installation and repair staff.
A submersible water pump is comprised of a series (usually 10) of small impellers, stacked horizontally on top of each other. When activated, the impellers rotate at approximately 3,450 RPM moving the well water up the drop line and into the pressure tank. Because the water pump operates electrically, wires must run down into the well and be connected to the pump. All wiring connections are permanently sealed to avoid voltage leaks and short circuits. A torque arrester and cable guards are installed above the pump to prevent wires from twisting and chafing during pump operation. The torque arrester extends the life of the pump by preventing voltage leaks and short circuits that would be caused if the wire coatings were compromised.
Well & System Repair
Most systems installed in our trade are designed for a service life of a minimum 7 years, however we design for a 15-20 year life before maintenance is needed. While water quality can affect the length of service life, properly sized quality components installed properly can significantly increase service life.
Common problems are:
- worn out pumps,
- failed pressure tanks causing frequent starts and stops of the pump as well as pressure loss,
- plugged systems with mineral deposits,
- failed water delivery lines,
- failed submersible power lines, and
- rusted out casing.
While we have utilized 19 pound per foot well casings for many years, many in the industry have used less thick casings. In 2019 alone, we replaced the top portion of lighter wall casings on existing wells on over a dozen wells due to rusted out casing allowing surface water to contaminate the well. These wells were rehabilitated by exposing the top eight feet of casing from grade and replacing it in total in lieu of total well replacement. We also extend wells that have the pre-1970 buried well heads and bring them up to code and solve contamination from surface water sources.
Failed water lines
Plastics developed in the 1970s and 1980s were developed with an estimated life span of 40-50 years. We have found the polymer in these plastics fail and cause leaks. Commonly this is noticed with cracking of the pipe as it becomes brittle; this happens literally in a few weeks time once the polymer fails. Replacement of the piping down hole and horizontal run from well to house has become more common in the past few years.
Our trained personnel can promptly diagnose and repair water system problems.
Pump Check Up (PCU)
Cushing and Sons can preform inspections of water systems. We call it a PCU. Be it for peace of mind, suspected problem, or for property sale; we can check out the system with a complete report. Inspection of the well head, static level, condition of the wiring, pressure tank, pump cycle time, pump wire continuity, amperage draw, and related items is done and suggestions for repair or upgrades are given. Additional services such as water quality testing, system disinfection, and quantity pump testing can also be performed.