Howdy all. I'm looking at an old farmhouse for sale that's been refurbished - well, looks like several times. The back porch is off the kitchen and has been enclosed as a sort of three-season room (i.e., no heat), and off to one end is the water heater AND the well pump, both enclosed in a closet-type affair. Lots of interesting-looking insulation processes going on in that room! (It gets colder than a polar bear's derrier here on the plains of NM, we do get the wind.) I don't think this particular county cares about codes... but is this legal? Or safe? The well itself is in the front yard on the north side, so the water line goes under the house to the south side where the pump is. Anyone have any ideas on this? Good, bad, don't-do-it, whatever! Thanks for any thoughts you may have; I haven't gone into negotiation on this place yet! Realtors just smile and do a great glaze-over job. dh in nm

-- debra in nm (dhaden@nmtr.unm.edu), July 25, 2001

Answers

How long has the pump been there. If its an old house and it works why change it.

-- Gary (gws@redbird.net), July 25, 2001.

When we bought our place in central WI 8 years ago, our well pump and well were located in the basement. Good water but the issue was that if anything went wrong with the pump a liscensed plumber could do no work on it as it wasn't compliant with Wi health codes. We have since drilled a well outside the house with the pressure tank, etc. located in the basement, but still have the old one hooked up just in case.

-- ray s (mmoetc@yahoo.com), July 25, 2001.

I don't know how old this house is. I'm thinking it's at least 40-50 yrs old but I'm sure the pump is fairly new-ish. I guess my concern is getting to it if it needs repairs or replacing, it's sort of way back in the corner behind that water heater. Yes, I figure if it ain't broke, don't fix it... it must've worked for the folks who lived in it before, but this house is a bank repo, and they're pretty tight-lipped about its history! dh in nm

-- debra in nm (dhaden@nmtr.unm.edu), July 25, 2001.

I'm new to this stuff since I bought our 40 acres in northern Nevada 5 1/2 yrs. ago. I built houses for two daughters and ourselves with pitless style wells where the pump is 220 down in the casing. The tank and elect are in the garage. Our freeze depth here on water lines is 30". By definition, a repo means nobody wanted it. How much is peace of mind worth. Our total well cost was $22/ft to drill and flush, and about $2200 for pump ,tank, controls and piping. Ray

-- Raymond Gray (RorLGray@graytv.com), July 25, 2001.

After reading the question again. Maybe I should ask, Are you sure its a well pump in the closet? Maybe its a tank or well control hardware. If the well its that far from the house, then a shallow well pump is not going to draw very good at all. It might be a deep well above ground pump, but if the well is very deep its usally best to put it in the well itself.. I still dont see an issue with it. Its in a a closed space with a "hot" water heater, The heat given off by the heater most likley will keep it warm enough. I would hope a well water test is part of the sale of the home. If the well test good from a water stand point then a total pump replacement would not that be expensive if you had to do it.

-- Gary (gws@redbird.net), July 25, 2001.

If you are worried about hidden repair costs, hire a local home inspector to go through the house. (Not an appraiser.) Make your offer contingent on an inspection. Being a repo you probably can't demand repairs, but at least you will know what you are getting into.

-- Skip in Western WA (sundaycreek@gnrac.net), July 25, 2001.

Howdy, all. Yeah, I'm sure it's a well pump... big blue roundish kind of thing! Sound familiar? Now that you mention it, I kind of like the idea that the water heater is in the same room.. I'll bet that's what the former folks had in mind. Yes, I'll have to.. and want to have the place inspected before I buy it, contingent upon the results of that. Thanks for the feedback, guys. dh in nm

-- debra in nm (dhaden@nmtr.unm.edu), July 27, 2001.

That big, blue, roundish thing is the pressure tank, not the pump. It's there to create a constant water pressure by minimizing the flucuations when the pump kicks on and off, but it doesn't pump water itself.

-- Julia (charmer24@juno.com), July 27, 2001.

Your well pump is submersed inside the well in your front yard. What you're seeing next to the water heater is the tank that holds a supply of water and maintains your water pressure. The well will turn on occasionally to fill this tank. You can adjust your water pressure at this tank and may have a pressure gauge on it. It's safe and should be legal to have the pressure tank inside the house, most are.

-- somebody (something@somewhere.com), July 27, 2001.

I have so much to learn. You guys are a wealth of information and I thank you! dh in nm

-- debra in nm (dhaden@nmtr.unm.edu), July 30, 2001.