Pump Installation
Pump Installation
Pump Installation tests the licensed contractor’s ability to install, test, and report a pump system that matches the well’s yield and the owner’s demand without damaging the well or contaminating the water. Expect questions on licensing, pump setting, sanitary seals, electrical and pressure controls, testing, and the pump installation report.
Licensing and well protection
Pump installation work requires the appropriate Colorado license. The installer must confirm the well permit and well construction details, verify that the well is suitable for the intended pump, and protect the wellhead. The sanitary seal must remain effective; wiring, pitless adapters, and conduit penetrations must not create an open pathway into the well. A pump set below the producing zone or into fill can damage the well and shorten equipment life.
Sizing and installation
Pump selection is based on total dynamic head and required flow, not simply on well depth. Total dynamic head includes the lift from the pumping water level to the discharge, pressure head, and friction losses. Set the pump deep enough to stay submerged under normal drawdown but not so deep that it sits in cuttings or below the screen. Install check valves, pressure controls, and electrical protection according to the manufacturer and applicable code. Test the well after installation and record static level, pumping level, yield, and pump setting.
Reporting
Submit the pump installation report to DWR as required and provide the owner with the pump and test information. Accurate records matter because later work, abandonment, or a complaint may depend on knowing the pump depth and well condition.
Worked example
A well has a static water level of 80 feet and 30 feet of drawdown, so the pumping level is 110 feet. The pump is set at 140 feet. The discharge pressure is 40 psi, and friction loss is 15 feet. Reasoning: pressure head is 40 psi × 2.31 = 92.4 feet. Total dynamic head = 110 + 92.4 + 15 = 217.4 feet. The pump setting of 140 feet gives 30 feet of submergence below the pumping level, but the lift used in TDH starts at the pumping water level, not at the pump setting.
Traps that cost marks
- Using well depth as the pump-sizing head.
- Ignoring drawdown and setting the pump too shallow.
- Leaving the sanitary seal open around wiring or conduit.
- Failing to test and record pumping water level and yield.
- Skipping the pump installation report.