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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Well pump repair starts with finding what failed. When the well quits, the fault can be anywhere from the breaker to the pump down in the well. We fix the part that failed, and when repair is not worth it, we handle well pump replacement too. Big River Drilling is a licensed C-57 well drilling contractor based in Riverdale.
In California, the C-57 classification covers installing and repairing wells and pumps. Our pump crew works on private wells across Fresno, Kings and Tulare counties. We take well and pump calls 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Customers have written that we talk them through the simple checks first and come out when the well needs it.
Tell us about the well or the water problem. We come out, look at the site and give you a free estimate.
No water at the tap has a short list of causes. The power may be off, or the pressure switch may have failed. The tank or the wire to the pump can also quit. Sometimes the water has dropped below the pump.
If the pump clicks on and off, two common causes are a waterlogged pressure tank or a failing pressure switch. The tank holds water under pressure, so small draws do not start the pump. Pressure that drops with no taps open can mean a leak or a worn check valve. Most wear on a pump happens when it starts and stops, so rapid cycling shortens its life.
Air spitting from the taps can mean the water has dropped to the pump or a tank has failed. Sand in the water can bind the pump until it has to be pulled and cleaned. A pump that runs all the time may not be able to build enough pressure to shut off. A leak in the line or a falling water level can cause that.
A well pump service call works from the top down, simplest checks first. We start with the power at the breaker, then the voltage at the pressure switch and the control box. A pump motor needs its supply within about 10 percent of its rated voltage, and low voltage can damage it.
The well pump pressure switch starts the pump at its cut-in pressure and stops it at its cut-out pressure. The contacts on a standard switch can burn, and the settings have to match the pump and the tank. On a three-wire pump, the control box holds the start capacitor and relay. Every control box has a temperature limit, so shade matters in a valley summer.
Check valves hold pressure when the pump stops and protect it from backspin and water hammer. The motor and its wire can be tested from the surface with the power off. When the tests point down the well, the pump comes up with its pipe and wire. We also check the water level in the well.
A bad switch, capacitor, relay or check valve is a parts repair, but the pump is a bigger decision. Pumps wear out, and a home inspectors' chart puts a well pump's life at about 15 years. A pump near that age that fails down the well is a candidate for replacement. Keep the well log and the pump record handy, since they show the pump's depth and size.
Sometimes the pump is fine and the well is the problem. Riverdale sits in the Kings Subbasin. The subbasin's water year 2025 annual report shows levels falling in normal and dry years, rising in wet ones. When the water drops to the pump, the taps sputter air and the pump can run dry.
If the well has room below the pump, the pump can sometimes be set deeper. If the well itself has gone dry, the fix is a replacement well.
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 pump repair 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.
Learn More
We install and replace bladder and galvanized well pressure tanks, plus the switches, gauges and check valves. When the pump clicks on and off, we find out why.
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The well quit and the taps are dry. We take well and pump calls 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
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
No water from your well? Check the breaker, the pressure gauge and the switch first, then learn how to tell a failed pump from a dry well in the valley.
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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.