This is How Iron Buildup Breaks Pumps

Here at Gainesville Pump we frequently write posts discussing the impact of iron on well pump equipment. It's not that it's an obsession (okay, maybe it is), rather it's due to the fact that it is the most common issue faced by well pump owners in Gainesville and the surrounding areas of Northeast Florida.

Take a look at this photograph. On the left you see a complete mess, gunked up, filled up, blocked up, stopped up and clogged with iron and other mineral buildup. On the right you see the constriction on a line coming from the chlorinator. The chlorinator is supposed to help remove the iron, but even still iron buildup can be so much that chlorinators themselves become impacted by it.

So what, there's iron buildup everywhere. It's not toxic, it doesn't make us sick, why should we care? Well, iron buildup can affect all of your appliances. Clothes washed in saturated water will never come as clean, sometimes even staining. Just like the lines pictures above, all of the pipes and tubing for your appliances will face the same issues. Flow will be restricted which can cause low pressure in the house, while simultaneously creating massive back-pressure on the pump. As that pressure builds up over time there's only so much the pump will be able to handle before it gives out. We want to catch the issue well before it gets to the point.

We've made a point of educating our friends and customers about how to identify the issues, how to prevent them and when to call in the pros.

Check out more of our posts for more information about the causes, consequences and treatments of iron and mineral buildup.