We lift out the old pump, check the rising main, cable, safety rope and the borehole, and lower a new pump to the right depth. Installing a new pump costs from €200, the pump extra. In your request, give the borehole depth and what you know about the old pump.
When the pump should be replaced, not repaired
- The motor has burnt out or the winding leaks to the casing: the pump trips the fuse or the residual current device (RCD).
- The impellers are worn by sand: the pump runs, but the pressure and the amount of water are much lower than before.
- The pump is old, and spare parts are no longer available or cost almost as much as a new pump.
- The pump does not suit the borehole: it is either too powerful and draws the water level down to itself, or too weak to supply water upstairs and through the filters.
If it is not clear whether the pump is at fault, we first check everything above ground: the pressure switch, the capacitor box (on single-phase pumps it sits outside the borehole), the cable and the protection. Quite often the pump turns out to be fine and does not need lifting. When a repair makes sense: water pump repair.
How a borehole pump is replaced
- Disconnecting We switch off the power, close the valve to the house and release the pressure in the system.
- Lifting out We disconnect the rising main at the borehole head or the pitless adapter and lift the pump out together with the pipe, cable and rope. From a depth of 40–60 m this is heavy work, so we use a tripod and a winch.
- Checking We inspect the pipe, the cable splice, the rope and the non-return valve, and measure the borehole depth and the water level. If the pump was sitting in sand or silt, we tell you whether the borehole needs cleaning.
- The new pump We fit a new non-return valve, join the cable with a watertight splice, lower the pump to the chosen depth and secure the rope at the borehole head.
- Start-up We check the current draw, the pressure, the pressure switch settings and the pressure tank pre-charge. We run off the first water until it is clear.
How we choose the new pump
The new pump does not have to be the same as the old one. We choose it by four values: the borehole casing diameter (3 or 4 inches), the dynamic water level, the borehole yield and the pressure the house needs, including height and distance. If there is a borehole passport, it contains the pumping test data. If there is no passport, we measure the water level on site.
If the old pump wore out because of sand, we also check whether it was lowered too close to the screen. If sand keeps coming with the new pump too, the cause is in the borehole, and changing the pump will not fix it: borehole cleaning.
If the pump is stuck in the borehole
A pump can get stuck if the rope has rusted or snapped, the cable has wound around the pipe or the pump has sunk into sediment. Do not force the pump out by pulling on the cable or the pipe: if they break, the pump will fall into the borehole, and getting it out will be much harder. We lift a stuck pump with fishing tools. If that does not work, we discuss repairing the borehole or a new borehole: borehole repair.
How much does borehole pump replacement cost
Installing a new submersible pump costs from €200. The pump is not included: its price depends on the output, the pumping head and the manufacturer, and we name it before the work. The total price depends on:
- the depth the old pump has to be lifted from, and whether it is stuck;
- whether the rising main, cable, rope and non-return valve need replacing;
- whether the borehole head has a pitless adapter or a caisson, or whether they need installing;
- whether the pressure tank or the pressure switch also needs replacing.
All prices: prices.