Pump Installation
We size and set submersible well pumps for new wells and replace worn pumps in existing wells. The drop pipe, wire, controls and the electrical to the pump come with the job.
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A well pressure tank holds water under pressure, so the pump does not start every time a tap opens. As the pump fills the tank, the water squeezes a cushion of air. At the switch's high setting the pump shuts off, and that air pushes water to your taps. The pump starts again when the pressure falls to the low setting.
Based in Riverdale, Big River Drilling installs and replaces well pressure tanks across Fresno, Kings and Tulare counties. We set bladder and galvanized tanks, plus their pressure switches, gauges and check valves. When the pump clicks on and off or the pressure comes and goes, we find out why. Sometimes the tank is fine and the fix is well pump repair.
Tell us about the well or the water problem. We come out, look at the site and give you a free estimate.
The most common tank design has a bladder or diaphragm inside that keeps the air and the water apart. Because the two stay apart, the tank should hold its air charge. A galvanized tank is the older plain steel design, where air and water share one space. The water slowly soaks up that air, so an air volume control or a recharge has to replace it.
The number that sizes a tank is drawdown, the water it gives between the pump shutting off and starting again. Drawdown is usually much smaller than the tank itself. A common rule sizes the tank to the water the pump makes in 1 to 2 minutes. A bigger tank means fewer pump starts, and that is easier on the pump.
A 40/60 switch, a common setting, starts the pump at 40 psi and stops it at 60. The tank's air pre-charge should sit 2 psi below the start setting, so 38 psi on a 40/60 switch. It is checked with the pump's power off and the tank drained. A new tank's factory charge may not suit your switch, so we set it before the tank goes in.
Short cycling means the pump clicks on and off in quick bursts while water runs. The Water Systems Council names two causes: a waterlogged tank or a bad pressure switch. Most wear on a well pump happens when it starts and stops. Too much cycling can wear out the switch, the pump or the tank early.
A waterlogged tank has lost its air cushion, so it holds back almost no water between pump starts. On a bladder tank, water spitting from the air valve means the bladder has burst. A tank maker's manual calls for a new tank when the shell shows rust or a leak. Galvanized tanks can develop pinhole leaks where the water level rises and falls inside.
A bladder tank that keeps losing its charge may be rusting inside. That is when well pressure tank replacement beats adding air. If short cycling has worn out the pump too, well pump replacement can be part of the same job.
We set tanks on a concrete pad beside the well head, with the control box on a post nearby. The pad gives the tank a level, solid base above the mud. On a new water well, the tank goes in with the pump and the lines.
July afternoons average about 98 degrees in Fresno and Hanford, per the Western Regional Climate Center. One tank maker says to keep the tank out of direct sun, since sun heat can warp non-metal parts. A pump house or a covered pad keeps that sun off the tank and the switch.
Free estimates and site visits across Fresno, Kings and Tulare counties and out to Kern, Madera and Merced, about 60 to 70 miles around Riverdale.
(559) 867-3806From the first call to water at the tap, here is how it goes.
Call or text (559) 867-3806, or send the form. Tell us about the property and what you need, and we set up a free estimate.
We look for a well spot with room for the rig. State standards keep it at least 100 feet from the septic tank and leach field. We also pull the records of nearby wells.
As the licensed driller, we apply for the county well permit. Drilling starts only after the county issues it.
Our mud rotary rig drills the hole. We set the casing and gravel pack, then place the sanitary seal that keeps surface water out.
We develop the well to clear out drilling mud and fine sand. Then a pump test measures the flow and tells us where to set the pump.
We set the pump and the pressure tank and run the lines to the house. State standards call for disinfecting the well before the water goes on.
Common questions about pressure tanks across Fresno, Kings and Tulare counties and out to Kern, Madera and Merced, about 60 to 70 miles around Riverdale. If yours is not here, call and ask.
We size and set submersible well pumps for new wells and replace worn pumps in existing wells. The drop pipe, wire, controls and the electrical to the pump come with the job.
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No water, low pressure or a pump that never shuts off? We trace the fault from the breaker down to the pump and repair what failed.
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Trenching from the well to the house, with the water line and the pump's power conduit in one trench. New lines for new wells, and repairs when an old line breaks or leaks.
Learn MoreCalifornia law says only a C-57 licensee may drill a water well. Big River Drilling is a licensed C-57 well drilling contractor.
Our mud rotary rig drills the well, and our pump crew sets the pump, the pressure tank and the lines. You deal with one company from the permit to water at the tap.
No water at night or on a weekend? We take well and pump calls 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
We work Fresno, Kings and Tulare counties from our Riverdale yard, and out to Kern, Madera and Merced counties.
Real reviews from real well and pump jobs, 9 reviews on Google.
Helped out my parents asap when the others wanted us to wait 2 weeks. He came out same day!!!! and changed the valve in only 10 minutes “thank you sir!! “ (water well drilling)
Open 24 hours. The owner is always available and always answers the phone or calls back. He’s very attentive, and when we have problems with the well, he will come out and check it immediately. He takes full responsibility for his work, which is excellent. we just call and he’ll walk us through the situation and it’s usually something simple. He also was able to get us a well at reduced rate through a program that he works with
Great fokes to do business with
Short cycling, low pressure or a waterlogged well pressure tank? The pre-charge check, the 40/60 switch, when to replace the tank and what it costs.
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Well pump replacement cost in California: national ranges for submersible and jet pumps by depth and horsepower, plus labor, tanks and switches.
Read more →Tell us about the property or what your well is doing, and we will set up a free estimate. For a well or pump problem, call or text (559) 867-3806, day or night.
Tell us about the well or the water problem. We come out, look at the site and give you a free estimate.