Troubleshooting Water Wells, Water Tanks, Water Pumps & Water Piping
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Diagnosis & repair guide for water wells, well pumps, well pump controls, water tanks & water contaminants
Find & fix water piping leaks, bad water pressure, bad water quality, bad water quantity, well pump and water well problems
Water quality and quantity testing: how to inspect, test, repair problems with drinking water
Water contaminants, odors, tastes, sediment, and similar problems, diagnosis, and cures
Water softeners, water treatment equipment: how to install, repair, maintain
Questions & answers about installing, diagnosing, repairing, or replacing all of the components and controls for private well water supplied to buildings, such as well pumps, pump controls, water filters, water heaters, water pressure problems, water supply piping, water softeners, water tank types, leaks, problems, repairs, water quality, water quantity, water contaminants, water testing, water treatment equipment, all types of wells, well piping, well controls.

These water, well, and water supply equipment articles answer inspection, diagnosis, and repair questions about the building water supply system, including water testing, building water piping, water pumps, water wells, & water tanks as well as just about all other building plumbing system topics.

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This InspectAPedia page lists key articles on all building water supply and drainage topics as well as septic system design, inspection, testing, water supply and drain waste vent piping, wells, water supply pumps, water tanks, water testing and water treatment. New York State License # 16000005303 (inception to 2008).

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Photograph of a modern steel well casing and cap extending properly above grade level and properly capped. You can see from
the gray plastic conduit that electrical wires enter the well, informing you that this well is served by an in-well submersible well pump.

Drinking Water Tests, Water Contamination Limits, Drinking Water Testing Procedures
InspectAPedia^® -

Arsenic in Drinking Water, health effects, exposure standards, how to remove arsenic from water
Backflow Preventers, Check Valves, Flow Control Valves, Foot Valves
- BACKFLOW PREVENTER VALVE, HEATING SYS - separate valve prevents back-contamination of building water supply piping from heaters
  BACKFLOW PREVENTER, HEATER WATER FEEDER - to prevent back-contamination of building water piping thorugh water feeder
  BACKWATER VALVES, SEWER LINE - check valve in sewer line prevents building flooding
  
  CHECK VALVES, HEATING SYSTEM - on heating piping to prevent back-contamination of building water piping
  CHECK VALVES, WATER SUPPLY - on water supply piping to prevent backflow or loss of well prime
  
  CHECK VALVES, HEATING SYSTEM - check valve prevents heat circulating when not wanted
  FOOT VALVES, WELL PIPING - check valve in the well to prevent loss of pump prime
  
  SEWAGE PUMPS - check valves in sewage ejector pumps
BIOLOGICAL POLLUTANTS
Bisphenol-A, BPA - concerns about BPA-containing plastics in containers used to store food and consumable liquids
Cheating on water tests: Testing Water for Real Estate Transactions - make sure your water test is valid
Choices of Water Tests & Fees: A Summary of Types of Water Tests, Degrees of Comprehensive Water Testing, Details of Water Test Parameters
Clearances Required for Wells Distance Between Well & Septic System and other water pollution sources, Online Table of Well Distances
CROSS CONNECTIONS, PLUMBING - bacterial contamination of building piping - sources
DRINKING WATER - EMERGENCY PURIFICATION
DRINKING WATER - EMERGENCY SOURCES
Drinking Water Testing Advice for home buyers home owners home inspectors
Drinking Water Contaminant Levels - Maximum Allowed
Drinking Water Contamination and Pollution How to Detect, Test, Correct, and Prevent Well Water Contamination - US EPA - Groundwater
HOT WATER IMPROVEMENT - how to get more domestic hot water from your water heating system
Interpreting & Acting On Drinking Water Test Results what the results mean and what to do about them

Correcting Unsatisfactory Water what to do, when to do it, treatment alternatives, equipment, filters, etc.
Lead Contamination in Drinking Water: how to correct lead in drinking water
Lead Poisoning Symptoms (extreme) Feb 2006 NY Times Article on Kosovo Roma Camps
Water Treatment for Contamination, Hardness, Odors, Sediment, Etc: choices of systems, recommendations
When and How to Shock or Chlorinate a Well - Procedure for Shocking a Well to (temporarily or maybe longer) "Correct" Bacterial Contamination

Lead Test Result Variation Caused by Test Methods and Water Supply Lines/Entry Mains: Advice re: Testing With Lead Pipe & Lead Solder on Plumbing
METHANE GAS SOURCES - including methane in water supply, wells, water heaters, septic tanks, sewer systems
Odors in Drinking Water, causes of odors in water, health risks, treatment for odors
Total Coliform Testing, what is Total Coliform, why do we test for it, what do test results mean
Sewage or Septic contamination in Buildings - Investigation, Testing and Remediation
Tank Types Encyclopedia an encyclopedia of tanks in buildings, water tanks, fuel tanks, gas tanks, heating system expansion tanks, oil tanks, water cisterns, water pressure tanks, pressure booster tanks, antique, modern
Transite Pipe Water Supply Piping - what are the health hazards and other risks from cement asbestos (transite) water pipes?
Water Quantity Requirements, Home & Outdoor Living
WATER SOFTENERS & CONDITIONERS maintenance, adjustment, and water softener effect on drinking water and on septic systems
Water Supply & Drain Piping, Wells, Pumps, Water Supply Equipment
Wells, Cisterns,& Springs types of sources of drinking water, what they look like, what goes wrong, what to do about it

Photograph of this interesting double s-trap.

Water Supply Piping, & Drain Piping, Water Supply Equipment, other Building Pipes and Plumbing
PlumbingAPedia ^©

Pressure/Temperature Relief Valves, proper inspection methods, issues and hazards (article due in 2007)
Clearances Required for Wells Distance Between Well & Septic System and other water pollution sources, Online Table of Well Distances
Clearances Required for Septic Systems Between Septic System & Wells, Streams, Trees, property boundaries, Online Tables of Septic Distances
Clogged Drain Diagnosis: Is it a blocked drain or the septic system? - A First Step for Homeowners
CROSS CONNECTIONS, PLUMBING - bacterial contamination of building piping - sources
Diagnostic Guides for water pumps, wells, motors, in table form:
- ELECTRIC MOTOR DIAGNOSTIC GUIDE
- SHORT CYCLING DIAGNOSIS TABLE
- WATER PRESSURE PROBLEM DIAGNOSIS TABLE
- WATER PUMP PROBLEM DIAGNOSTIC TABLE
DRAIN NOISE DIAGNOSIS: may indicate defective or clogged plumbing: how to diagnose and cure drain sounds
DRINKING WATER - EMERGENCY PURIFICATION - emergency water sources, how to purify drinking water
HOT WATER IMPROVEMENT - how to get more domestic hot water from your water heating system
REVERSE OSMOSIS WATER TREATMENT - impact on septic systems & impact on water quantity used
Tank Types Encyclopedia an encyclopedia of tanks in buildings, water tanks, fuel tanks, gas tanks, heating system expansion tanks, oil tanks, water cisterns, water pressure tanks, pressure booster tanks, antique, modern
Water Pressure Adjustment how to adjust the water pressure in a building
Water Pressure Loss - Water Tank Problem Diagnosis how to determine why water pressure has been lost or why there is no water at all in a building
WATER PRESSURE LOSS how to diagnose the cause of bad water pressure
WATER PRESSURE BOOSTING how to install a system to increase water pressure at a building
Water Pressure Tanks what they are for, how they work, what goes wrong, how to fix them
Water Pump Pressure Control how to adjust the pump cut-on and cut-off pressures
WATER PUMP SHORT CYCLING what to do if the water pump keeps turning on and off too rapidly
Water Pump and Pressure Tank Diagnosis & Costs an specific case offers an example of diagnosis of loss of water pressure, loss of water, and analyzes the actual repair cost
Water Requirements, Home & Outdoor Living
WATER SOURCE ALTERNATIVES - other sources of water for watering lawns, gardens, orchards, or for purification as drinking water, besides wells and municipal water supply: comparing the effectiveness and costs of condensation, graywater systems, rainwater collection systems, cisterns, etc.
Water Tank Air Charge how to fix a water tank that has lost its air charge
Water Tanks - how to diagnose problems with water tanks, such as the need for air, how to add air, stop water pump short cycling to avoid damage - water storage water pressure tank safety.
WATER TANK TYPES what are the types of water pressure tanks, how are they tested, maintained, repaired
WATER TANK AIR INLET VALVE - how to add air to the water tank by the air valve;
Water Testing for contaminants in drinking water - what test are available, what tests to ask for, what they cost, how people cheat on water tests
Wells, Cisterns,& Springs types of sources of drinking water, what they look like, what goes wrong, what to do about it
- Basement Wells as a water source, what to watch out for, how to inspect, test, make safe
- CISTERNS - what are the types of cisterns, where are they found, when are they acceptable for drinking water storage or supply?
- Diagnostic Guides for water pumps, wells, motors, in table form:
  - ELECTRIC MOTOR DIAGNOSTIC GUIDE
  - SHORT CYCLING DIAGNOSIS TABLE
  - WATER PRESSURE PROBLEM DIAGNOSIS TABLE
  - WATER PUMP PROBLEM DIAGNOSTIC TABLE for a table of diagnostic steps for jet pumps.
- Drilled Wells - steel casings and also bored wells, how to inspect, diagnose, & repair well problems
- Drilled Well with Submersible Pump what is a submersible pump, how to inspect, diagnose, & repair
- Dug Wells - hand dug well use, safety, sanitation, and digging procedure. Case study of providing sanitary water from a hand dug well.
- Shallow Well with One Line Jet Pump what is a one line jet pump, how to inspect, diagnose, & repair
- Well with Two Line Jet Pump what is a two line jet pump, how to inspect, diagnose, & repair
- Driven Point Wells what is a driven point well, what are its characteristics?
- Hand Dug Well Procedure - a case study of the process of digging a well and assuring that its water supply is sanitary.
- How Much Water is In the Well? how do we find out well water quantity - well flow rates or draw down tests
- How to Test Well Water Quantity how can a homeowner or home buyer make a simple well water quantity test
- How to Get More Water From a Well how to improve well water yield - steps to try before drilling a new well
- Hand Dug Wells what are they, can they be sanitary and safe?
- Hand Dug Well Procedure - case study of the process of digging a well and assuring that its water supply is sanitary.
- Springs as Water Supply what are they, can they be sanitary and safe?
- Well Pits - special warnings for properties where the well and well equipment, pump, tank, etc. are outside in a pit
WELL CLEARANCE DISTANCES how far should the well be from the septic, road, property borders, buildings
WELL, PUMP, TANK LIFE EXPECTANCY how long should a typical well, water pump, or water tank last?
WELL PUMP PRIMING PROCEDURE how do we re-prime the well pump ?
Plumbing Links our big list of links to plastic piping and other plumbing defects

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about diagnosing & repairing building water supply equipment, systems, pumps, wells, controls

Question: my pump switch was broken, how do I get it going again?

Concrete blocks from the well pit wall fell onto my pump and pressure control switch, smashing everything. I'm trying to get it working again. How do I fix-up and get the pump switch going?

Reply: your pump pressure control switch may need replacement

Amy, take a look at WATER PUMP PRESSURE CONTROL SWITCH to see details on how these switches work, are wired, and are repaired or replaced. If the blocks broke off the switch from its mount, you'll probably find it easier and more reliable to just replace the switch and its mounting tubing or hardware.

Question: water pressure loss diagnosis: the water pressure dropped throughout the whole house and the pipes are humming

What would cause a water pressure drop throughout whole house and after runs a little bit a loud humming sounds is produced through the pipes - anon

Reply: look for a well or pump problem; humming may be transmitted from an aboveground pump.

About a water pressure drop throughout the whole house and humming pipes: the observation that it's the whole house that's affected argues that the problem is with your well or pump. But with no other information a diagnostic guess would be just too speculative.

See WATER PRESSURE LOSS DIAGNOSIS & REPAIR or WATER PRESSURE PROBLEM DIAGNOSIS TABLE to see our diagnostic guide for loss of water pressure in a home.

Question: water filter plugs up after shocking the well

After shocking my well, i had to replace my whole house water filter about 6 to 8 times, because it would plug upwith black sediment. Is this normal? - Tom

Reply:

Tom, no it's not normal for shocking the well itself to cause the water filter to clog up.

If by shocking the well you simply poured a bleach solution into the well casing, that alone wouldn't explain the debris clogging at your water filter, but if you followed our recommended procedure of washing down the casing sides with recycled chlorinated water then indeed you may have stirred up debris in the well. After replacing the filter a couple of times this problem should stop.

If the clogging of your water filter continues then I suspect that something has happened either to the well casing (a crack or opening admitting dirt), the aquifer (changed, perhaps due to nearby drilling or blasting), or the well piping (a leak).

If the problem persists you'll need to install a higher capacity sediment filter system on your water supply. See FILTERS, WATER.

Watch out: the conditions you describe would lead me to also have a bacteria test for well contamination.

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WATER PUMPS, TANKS, TESTS, WELLS, REPAIRS

WATER PRESSURE LOSS DIAGNOSIS & REPAIR
WATER PRESSURE PROBLEM DIAGNOSIS TABLE

Water pump and pressure tank repair diagnosis & cost an specific case offers an example of diagnosis of loss of water pressure, loss of water, and analyzes the actual repair cost
Water pressure tank failures & water pump short cycling diagnosis and repair

Water Purity & Water Purification References

1-Bromo-3-chloro-5,5-dimethylhydantoin (C5H6BrClN2O2) is produced world-wide and is also used in cleaners and bathroom disinfectants and deodorizers. Here is an example MSDS for this product, provided by Leisure Time
"Bacteria in Drinking Water" - "Chlorine," Karen Mancl, water quality specialist, Agricultural Engineering, Ohio State University Extension. Mancl explains factors affecting the effectiveness of chlorine in water as a means to destroy bacteria and other microorganisms. OSU reports as follows:
- Chlorine kills bacteria, including disease-causing organisms and the nuisance organism, iron bacteria. However, low levels of chlorine, normally used to disinfect water, are not an effective treatment for giardia cysts. A chlorine level of over 10 mg/1 must be maintained for at least 30 minutes to kill giardia cysts. -- http://ohioline.osu.edu/b795/index.html is the front page of this bulletin
"Chemicals and Our Health", Nicholas D. Kristof, New York Times, 16 July 2009, p. 27. This outstanding editorial calls for improvements in public health policy to address phthalates and other environmental contaminants from common chemicals and products in everyday use. - DJ Friedman
Crystal Clear Supply provides portable ceramic water filter purifiers and portable reverse osmosis water treatment equipment - see http://www.crystalclearsupply.com/category_s/7.htm
CHLORINE IN DRINKING WATER - Does Chlorine in Drinking Water Harm the Septic Tank? - Septic Tank Cleaning Advice
CHLORINE IN SEPTIC WASTEWATER - Septic Tank Maintenance: Chlorine in Septic Systems - Septic Tank Maintenance Advice
Cheating on water tests: Testing Water for Real Estate Transactions - make sure your water test is valid
Chlorinate or Shock a Well, When, How-to - Procedure for Shocking a Well to (temporarily or maybe longer) "Correct" Bacterial Contamination
Choices of Water Tests & Fees: A Summary of Types of Water Tests, Degrees of Comprehensive Water Testing, Details of Water Test Parameters
Correcting Unsatisfactory Water what to do, when to do it, treatment alternatives, equipment, filters, etc.
Disinfectants in water: www.epa.gov/ogwdw/mdbp/pdf/alter/chapt_2.pdf provides an article on use of disinfectants for water treatment
Drinking Water Contaminant Levels - Maximum Allowed
Drinking Water Contamination and Pollution How to Detect, Test, Correct, and Prevent Well Water Contamination - US EPA - Groundwater
"Drinking Water Safety in Emergencies", University of Minnesota extension, extension.umn.edu/info-u/nutrition/BJ646.html
Drinking Water testing, contamination, correction - all topics
Drinking Water Testing Advice for home buyers home owners home inspectors
Endocrine Disruptor Exchange, Dr. theo Colborn (also see Our Stolen Future). From that website: The Endocrine Disruption Exchange, Inc. is the only organization that focuses primarily on the human health and environmental problems caused by low-dose and/or ambient exposure to chemicals that interfere with development and function, called endocrine disruptors. ... TEDX's work focuses on the endocrine system, which is the exquisitely balanced system of glands and hormones that regulates such vital functions as body growth, response to stress, sexual development and behavior, production and utilization of insulin, rate of metabolism, intelligence and behavior. Hormones are chemicals such as insulin, thyroxin, estrogen, and testosterone that interact with specific target cells. The interactions occur through a number of mechanisms, the easiest of which to conceptualize is through a lock and key arrangement.
Giardia exposure limits for drinking water: see www.mass.gov/dep/water/drinking/standards/giardia.htm is the current regulatory exposure limit (your minimum target for sterilization)
Health Effects of Chemical Contaminants in Drinking Water, US Environmental Protection Agency,
How to Reduce Lead Contamination in Drinking Water: how to test & correction lead in drinking water
Hydrogen peroxide: Wikipedia on history of use of hydrogen peroxide: Information on Hydrogen peroxide as a sterilant is in Wikipedia at en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sterilization_(microbiology) HO2 has been used for a long time, including by vaporization for sterilizing freeze dryers.
Hydrogen Peroxide warning: US FDA Warning about drinking hydrogen peroxide: www.truthorfiction.com/rumors/h/hydrogen-peroxide.htm This article cites a 2003 entry in Journal of Food and Science on using Hy.Perox to sterilize vegetables, referring to E.coli - NOT to Giardia.
Iodine: "Do Iodine Water Purification Tablets Provide an Effective Barrier against Cryptosporidium parvum?", Starke, Jeffrey A., Bowman, Dwight D., Labare, Michael, Fogarty, Elizabeth A., and others, Military Medicine, 25 October 2001 [possibly a later version of this article appeared in 2005 -DF] http://www.amsus.org/military medicine/milmed.htm
Interpreting Drinking Water Test Results what the results mean and what to do about them
Lead Contamination from Water Supply Lines/Entry Mains, Lead Testing & Correcting Contamination from - Lead Pipe Problems/Advice
Lead Poisoning: Extreme Lead Poisoning Symptoms Suggested by Feb 2006 NY Times Article on Kosovo Roma Camps
National Primary Drinking Water Regulations- The complete regulations regarding these contaminants available from the Code of Federal Regulations Website -(United States)
Ohio State University article on the concentration of chlorine necessary to act as an effective disinfectant, and the effects of the water's pH and temperature: See http://ohioline.osu.edu/b795/b795_7.html for details.
Our Stolen Future: Are We Threatening Our Fertility, Intelligence, and Survival?--A Scientific Detective Story, Theo Colborn, Dianne Dumanoski, John Peter Meyers. Plume-Penguin Publishing, 1997, ISBN 0-452-27414-1., ISBN13: 9780452274143. This book is a seminal work on endocrine disruptors (chemical contaminants having impact at extremely low levels in the environment).
Recommended by Daniel Friedman, this book is a critical update to the landmark Silent Spring by Rachel Carson and discusses the effects of minute trace amounts of chemical contaminants in the environment. The text "Identifies the various ways in which chemical pollutants in the environment are disrupting human reproductive patterns and causing such problems as birth defects, sexual abnormalities, and reproductive failure. Reprint. Tour. NYT."
Amazon.com Review: By O T (Ontario, BC) - 'Our Stolen Future' is a great introduction to one of the most important scientific discoveries in our time. Having recently completed a thesis project at university on Endocrine Disruptors, I have reviewed hundreds of papers on the subject. This book is a good clear overview of the scientific literature on EDs. The authors are experts - Theo Colborn is largely responsible for creating the field by bringing together diverse researchers so they could see the big picture of their work. Many of the principle investigators are interviewed and quoted at length on the way chemicals participate in and interfere with delicate hormonal systems in animals (including humans). The major accomplishment of the book is to make an easy-to-follow story out of complex research. Many resources are available to help you assess the reliability of this story, and the best thing to do if you have any doubts is read review articles in scientific journals (which are easier to understand than technical papers). The Physicians for Social Responsibility (PSR) have a guidebook for health-care professionals on Endocrine Disruptors, and the US EPA has many reports on the matter. Beware of people or websites who try to 'debunk' this book (or the science behind it) by simply declaring it false, flawed or disproven. There is far too much supporting research for so simple a refutation.
OPINION: Significant and discussed in this book is the observation that at certain critical points in the development of animals, presumably including humans, exposure to extremely low levels of endocrine disruptor chemicals (EDC's) (such as BPA - Bisphenol-A or BPA, Diethylstilbestrol - DES, dioxins, PCBs, and chemicals used in the production of certain cleansers, dyes, flame retardants, plastics, pesticides, white papers ) perhaps just a few molecules, or in the parts per trillion, is sufficient to cause disruption of the animal's development, including proper sex differentiation, or the lack of it that produced androgynous ducks unable to reproduce under such conditions.
A endocrine disruptor is a synthetic chemical compound that mimics natural hormones when it is taken into the body of a human or other animal. It "disrupts" the endocrine system by turning on or off normal chemical signals that in turn can affect normal hormone levels, bodily functions, and significantly, the development of embryos. Further, unlike naturally occurring hormones ingested, for example from plants (phytoestrogens), synthetically-generated hormones accumulate in the body and can have a half-life of decades or longer.
One significance of this finding includes the observation that an important medical effect that occurs with exposure to chemicals in extremely low concentrations means that experiments to test for correlations between chemical exposure and subsequent serious medical problems will be deeply flawed if, for example, the experimental design does not include testing for the presence of the chemical at extremely low levels. A related concern is that even if harmful effects from exposure to extremely low concentrations of an endocrine disruptor are occurring, teasing out and proving that relationship can be also extremely difficult.
Potable Aqua® emergency drinking water germicidal tablets are produced by the Wisconsin Pharmacal Co., Jackson WI 53037. 800-558-6614 pharmacalway.com
"Scale formation in water heaters and methods of prevention", Krappe, Justus Maximilian, Engineering experiment station. Gas engineering bulletin; no. 6; Research series; no. 74; On cover: Engineering bulletin, Purdue university. Vol. xxiv, no. 3a. June, 1940 (Layfayette Indiana) commonly referred to in some references as "Purdue University Bulletin No. 74" - thanks to researcher Robyn Goldstein for the full citation. LCCN: 40028844 & OCLC: 1038544 - Water analysis, water softening, hot-water supply. 27pages. You can obtain this document through your local library. (full copy file at InspectAPedia 3/31/2010) Purdue B074 can be hard to locate online.
Also Bradford White Corporation (a manufacturer of water heaters) has published excerpts from that document, available at Purdue_B074_BradfordW.pdf
Silent Spring, Rachael Carson, Mariner Books; Anv edition (October 22, 2002), ISBN-13: 978-061824906.
Amazon.com Review: Silent Spring, released in 1962, offered the first shattering look at widespread ecological degradation and touched off an environmental awareness that still exists. Rachel Carson's book focused on the poisons from insecticides, weed killers, and other common products as well as the use of sprays in agriculture, a practice that led to dangerous chemicals to the food source. Carson argued that those chemicals were more dangerous than radiation and that for the first time in history, humans were exposed to chemicals that stayed in their systems from birth to death. Presented with thorough documentation, the book opened more than a few eyes about the dangers of the modern world and stands today as a landmark work.
Shock or Chlorinate a Well, When, How-to - Procedure for Shocking a Well to (temporarily or maybe longer) "Correct" Bacterial Contamination
UNESCO: World Water Assessment Programme [ copy on file as /water/Water_Assessment_UNESCO_129556e.pdf ] - , Executive Summary, UNESCO Publishing, Secretariat: C/O UNESCO/Division of Water Sciences, 1 Rue Miollis, F-75732 Paris Cedex 15, Tel: +33.1.45.68.39.28, Email: wwap@unesco.org, websearch 09/10/2010 original source: http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0012/001295/129556e.pdf - Quoting:
This report is organized in six main sections: a background, an evaluation of the world’s water resources, an examination of the needs for, the uses of and the demands on water (‘Challenges to Life and Well-Being’), a scrutiny of water management (‘Management Challenges’), seven representative case studies highlighting different water scenarios, and conclusions and annexes.
US EPA: list of drinking water contaminants: see http://www.epa.gov/safewater/contaminants/index.html
UV light: This patent application for UV light sterilization www.patentstorm.us/patents/6565803.html Lists good references on water purification for Giardia et als
Water Requirements, Home & Outdoor Living - how much water do people use, how much water do people need?
Water Tests & Fees example water test fee schedule
Water Testing: background comments on classes of water contaminants, & links to home buyer advice about water testing, drinking
Water Treatment for Contamination, Hardness, Odors, Sediment, Etc: choices of systems, recommendations

Water Supply & Drain Piping, Wells, Pumps, Water Supply Equipment

Access Water Energy, PO Box 2061, Moorabbin, VIC 3189, Australia, Tel: 1300 797 758, email: sales@accesswater.com.au Moorabbin Office: Kingston Trade Centre, 100 Cochranes Rd, Moorabbin, VIC 3189
Australian supplier of: Greywater systems, Solar power to grid packages, Edwards solar systems, Vulcan compact solar systems, water & solar system pumps & controls, and a wide rage of above ground & under ground water storage tanks: concrete, steel, plastic, modular, and bladder storage tanks.
Cheating on water tests: Testing Water for Real Estate Transactions - make sure your water test is valid
Diagnosing Clogged Drains: Is it a blocked drain or the septic system? - A First Step for Homeowners
Drinking Water Contaminant Levels - Maximum Allowed
Drinking Water Supply, Contamination Levels, Water Testing Procedures
Drinking Water Testing Advice for home buyers home owners home inspectors
Interpreting Drinking Water Test Results and Correcting Unsatisfactory Water
Lead Contamination in Drinking Water: Testing & Correction - Advice
Lead Testing & Correcting Contamination from Lead Water Supply Lines/Entry Mains - Lead Pipe Problems/Advice
Life Expectancy of Water Pumps - Well Pumps: how long should a water pump last? What affects pump life?
Life Expectancy of Wells & Water Tanks how long should a water well and its components last?
Shock or Chlorinate a Well, How to - Procedure for Shocking a Well to (temporarily or maybe longer) "Correct" Bacterial Contamination
Smart Tank, Installation Instructions [ copy on file as /water/Smart_Tank_Flexcon.pdf ] - , Flexcon Industries, 300 Pond St., Randolph MA 02368, www.flexconind.com, Tel: 800-527-0030 - web search 07/24/2010, original source: http://www.flexconind.com/pdf/st_install.pdf
Typical Shallow Well One Line Jet Pump Installation [ copy on file as /water/Jet_Pump_Grove_Elect_Jet_Pumps_1.pdf ] - , Grove Electric, G&G Electric & Plumbing, 1900 NE 78th St., Suite 101, Vancouver WA 98665 www.grovelectric.com - web search -7/15/2010 original source: http://www.groverelectric.com/howto/38_Typical%20Jet%20Pump%20Installation.pdf
Typical Deep Well Two Line Jet Pump Installation [ copy on file as /water/Jet_Pump_Grove_Elect.pdf ] - , Grove Electric, G&G Electric & Plumbing, 1900 NE 78th St., Suite 101, Vancouver WA 98665 www.grovelectric.com - web search -7/15/2010 original source: http://www.groverelectric.com/howto/38_Typical%20Jet%20Pump%20Installation.pdf
Water Fact Sheet #3, Using Low-Yielding Wells [ copy on file as /water/Low_Yield_Wells_Penn_State.pdf ] - , Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences, Cooperative Extension, School of Forest Resources, web search 07/24/2010, original source: http://pubs.cas.psu.edu/FreePubs/pdfs/XH0002.pdf
Water pressure tanks - how to diagnose the need for air, how to add air, stop water pump short cycling to avoid damage - water storage water pressure tank safety.
Water pump and pressure tank repair diagnosis & cost an specific case offers an example of diagnosis of loss of water pressure, loss of water, and analyzes the actual repair cost
Water pressure tank failures & water pump short cycling diagnosis and repair
Water Supply & Drain Piping, water and drain pipe types, inspection, diagnosis, repairs, problem materials, clogging, etc.
Water Tests & Fees this water test fee schedule applies when testing is combined with other onsite building inspection services
Water Testing: background comments on classes of water contaminants, & links to home buyer advice about water testing, drinking water, water supply
Water Requirements, Home & Outdoor Living

Books & Articles on Building & Environmental Inspection, Testing, Diagnosis, & Repair

Our recommended books about building & mechanical systems design, inspection, problem diagnosis, and repair, and about indoor environment and IAQ testing, diagnosis, and cleanup are at the InspectAPedia Bookstore. Also see our Book Reviews - InspectAPedia.

The Home Reference Book - the Encyclopedia of Homes, Carson Dunlop & Associates, Toronto, Ontario, 2010, $69.00 U.S., is available from Carson Dunlop, and from the InspectAPedia bookstore. The 2010 edition of the Home Reference Book is a bound volume of more than 450 illustrated pages that assist home inspectors and home owners in the inspection and detection of problems on buildings. The text is intended as a reference guide to help building owners operate and maintain their home effectively. InspectAPedia.com ^® author/editor Daniel Friedman is a contributing author. Field inspection worksheets are included at the back of the volume.

Crystal Clear Supply provides portable ceramic water filter purifiers and portable reverse osmosis water treatment equipment - see http://www.crystalclearsupply.com/category_s/7.htm
Handbook of Disinfectants and Antiseptics, Joseph M. Ascenzi (Editor), CRC, 1995, ISBN-10: 0824795245 ISBN-13: 978-0824795245 "The evaluation of chemical germicides predates the golden age of microbiology..." -
This well-focused, up-to-date reference details the current medical uses of antiseptics and disinfectants -- particularly in the control of hospital-acquired infections -- presenting methods for evaluating products to obtain regulatory approval and examining chemical, physical, and microbiological properties as well as the toxicology of the most widely used commercial chemicals.
Potable Aqua® emergency drinking water germicidal tablets are produced by the Wisconsin Pharmacal Co., Jackson WI 53037. 800-558-6614 pharmacalway.com
Principles and Practice of Disinfection, Preservation and Sterilization (Hardcover)
by A. D. Russell (Editor), W. B. Hugo (Editor), G. A. J. Ayliffe (Editor), Blackwell Science, 2004. ISBN-10: 1405101997, ISBN-13: 978-1405101998.
"This superb book is the best of its kind available and one that will undoubtedly be useful, if not essential, to workers in a variety of industries. Thirty-one distinguished specialists deal comprehensively with the subject matter indicated by the title ... The book is produced with care, is very readable with useful selected references at the end of each chapter and an excellent index. It is an essential source book for everyone interested in this field. For pharmacy undergraduates, it will complement the excellent text on pharmaceutical microbiology by two of the present editors."
The Pharmaceutical Journal: "This is an excellent book. It deals comprehensively and authoritatively with its subject with contributions from 31 distinguished specialists. There is a great deal to interest all those involved in hospital infection ... This book is exceptionally well laid out. There are well chosen references for each chapter and an excellent index. It is highly recommended." The Journal of Hospital Infection.: "The editors and authors must be congratulated for this excellent treatise on nonantibiotic antimicrobial measures in hospitals and industry ... The publication is highly recommended to hospital and research personnel, especially to clinical microbiologists, infection-control and environmental-safety specialists, pharmacists, and dieticians."
New England Journal of Medicine: City Hospital, Birmingham, UK. Covers the many methods of the elimination or prevention of microbial growth. Provides an historical overview, descriptions of the types of antimicrobial agents, factors affecting efficacy, evaluation methods, and types of resistance. Features sterilization methods, and more. Previous edition: c1999. DNLM: Sterilization--methods.
U.S. Army Field Manual 21-10, Field Hygiene and Sanitation, 1988, web search 07/02/2010, original source: http://www.enlisted.info/field-manuals/fm-21-10-field-hygiene-and-sanitation.shtml
The purpose of this manual is to assist individual soldiers, unit commanders, leaders and field sanitation teams in preventing disease and environmental injuries. The manual provides information on preventive medicine measures (PMM) to the individual soldier as well as essential information for the unit commander, unit leaders, and the unit field sanitation team on applying unit level PMM.
When Technology Fails, Matthew Stein, Chelsea Green Publisher, 2008,493 pages. ISBN-10: 1933392452 ISBN-13: 978-1933392455, "... how to find and sterilize water in the face of utility failure, as well as practical information for dealing with water-quality issues even when the public tap water is still flowing". Mr. Stein's website is www.whentechfails.com/
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