Some faults can be fixed above ground, but to replace the filter the spike well has to be pulled out of the ground. Before the work we assess whether the old spike well is worth restoring or whether it pays to install a new one next to it.
Faults and their signs
| Sign | Most likely fault | What we do |
|---|---|---|
| There is constantly sand in the water | Torn or washed-out filter screen | We pull out the spike well and replace the filter |
| The pump draws air, water comes with bubbles | A rusted hole in the pipe or a leaky thread | We find the leak, replace the section or reseal |
| The pump has to be primed again after standing overnight | The non-return valve does not hold the water | We replace the non-return valve |
| Flow stays low even after flushing | Filter overgrown with iron | We replace the filter or recommend a new spike well |
| The spike well's top end is bent or cracked | Impact or frost | We replace the above-ground part |
Some problems called spike well faults are actually in the pump, pressure switch or pressure tank. We check that first, and if the fault is there, water pump repair helps. If the flow has dropped gradually and the screen is intact, spike well cleaning is enough.
Spike well filter replacement
- Assessment We check whether the fault really is in the filter and assess the condition of the pipe above ground. If the spike well is very old, we tell you the risk in advance.
- Pulling out We pull the spike well out with a jack or lever, unscrewing the pipes one section at a time. A spike well holds tight in the ground, so this is done slowly to keep the threads from breaking.
- Condition check On the pulled-out spike well we inspect the filter and every pipe section. We replace rusted sections.
- New filter We choose the filter screen by the sand that came up from the ground: the finer the sand, the finer the screen.
- Driving in We drive the spike well back in at the same spot or next to it, sealing every thread.
- Pumping out We pump until the water is clear and check the joints for air leaks.
When the spike well cannot be pulled out
With old spike wells the pipe sometimes breaks at a rusted thread, and the lower part with the filter stays in the ground. Then the new spike well is installed next to it. In the regulations a spike well is a water abstraction borehole, and a borehole that is no longer used must be mothballed or decommissioned (plugged); a certificate is drawn up for the decommissioning. How it is done: borehole decommissioning.
Cabinet Regulation No. 696 of 06.09.2011 on subsoil licences, point 21 and Annex 9: if a groundwater user stops using a water abstraction borehole, it ensures that the borehole is mothballed or decommissioned, and a “Certificate of Borehole Decommissioning” is drawn up for the decommissioning. LBN 222-15, point 64: driven wells are water abstraction boreholes. Sources: likumi.lv, checked 03.11.2026.
When a repair does not pay off
A repair is worth it if the aquifer has not changed and one part is damaged: the filter, the non-return valve or one pipe section. A new spike well is the better deal if:
- the pipes are rusted along their whole length, and pulling out will most likely end with a broken pipe;
- the filter clogs with iron again and again, and each repair helps only for a short time;
- the spike well is in an awkward place, for example under paving or too close to wastewater, and would have to be moved anyway;
- the water level has fallen below the surface pump's limit. Then neither a repair nor a new spike well helps, but a borehole does.
For comparison: a new spike well installation costs from €350 (usually €350–650, without the pump). That is the price of a new spike well, not of a repair. More on the pages spike well and prices.
How much does a spike well repair cost?
There is no single price for a repair, because faults and the scope of work differ. The price depends on:
- what is damaged: the filter screen, a pipe section, a threaded joint, the non-return valve or the pump;
- whether the fault can be fixed above ground, or the spike well has to be pulled out and the filter replaced;
- the spike well's depth and location: in the garden or a basement, how much space there is above it for pulling out, and whether machinery can reach it;
- the pipe's condition: how many sections need replacing and how great the risk is that the pipe will break;
- whether the old spike well is worth restoring, or it pays to install a new one next to it.
In your request, describe the signs, the spike well's age and location. A specialist names the price once the situation is clear.