As a result of Australia's massive physical size, many business and domestic properties find themselves in places that the water system of the nearest city cannot necessarily reach. In these circumstances, a submersible water pump inside your home's or business's well is a fantastic way to ensure a steady and consistent supply of water—but these devices do need cleaning from time to time. Read on to learn how to keep your submersible well pump clean, clear and working perfectly. This is a simple process, but it should be carried out at least annually to ensure that your pump remains in the best condition that it can and that your water supply remains uninterrupted.
STEP #1: Turn the pump off at the mains
As your submersible well pump will be connected to mains electricity, you'll need to make sure it's properly turned off and disconnected before you clean it. This is a basic safety measure that will keep you safe while you get the job done!
STEP #2: Get the pump out of the well
It's easiest to do this part with a second person to help out. To retrieve the submersible pump from the well in which it is installed, you'll need to go down and attach a rope for the person above to hoist to the top. While this happens, stay below and go up with the pump steadily to ensure it doesn't get bashed, caught or otherwise damaged by its trip to the top.
STEP #3: Find and clean the pump's water inlet
On most models of submersible well pump, the water inlet—the part that pulls the water from the well into the pump—is about halfway up the device. This is the part you'll need to clean out, and you may find that it's significantly clogged up with dirt, mud, moss and other debris.
Once you've tracked the inlet down, you'll need to get it cleaned up. Start out by manually removing all the clogging you can, and then use a firm sponge followed by a scrubbing brush to get off as much dirt as you can from every difficult and inaccessible corner of the pump.
STEP #5: Get the pump back where it belongs and check that it's in good working order
Go back down into the well and make sure the pump is properly back in place. Once the pump has been returned, reconnect it at the mains and double-check that it's in full working order. You should find that your water is running faster, fuller and clearer than it was before!
