BUYING A HOME WITH A WELL?

Alcorn Pump & Filtration strongly advises any homeowner who is purchasing a home on a well that you get a certified well inspection prior to the close of the sale. Work with your realtor to get permission from the seller to conduct a full test (see below).

To properly conduct a well inspection we recommend you hire a water well contractor who specializes in pumping equipment. Most of the time a home inspector is not qualified to assess the full pumping system, water quality and other potentially costly concerns.

Well Inspections will vary based on setup but should include:

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• Ground fault checks on the well pump(s) and controller(s) 

• Listing of well depth, pumping equipment, and type of system if known 

• Look and document the condition of the Plumbing and Electrical - Look for any safety concerns and document it 

• Check the pressure tank and or tanks

• Flow rate test on "Gallons Per Minute" GPM of the well pump production 

• Pressure test to make sure the system builds up to pressure 

• Look for any bacteria-inducing agents 

• Look at the condition of the well seal/cap

• Look for good access to the wellhead

• Check for any current filtration

• Conduct mineral water testing for Hardness, PH, Iron, and TDS

• Take pictures, document all findings, and list recommendations in a certified report 

• Alcorn Pump can also take water samples for other contaminants and take them to a certified lab for testing. This refers to "potability testing" Mostly for Bacteria, Arsenic, Nitrates, and Lead.   

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FOR REAL ESTATE AGENTS:

If you are representing a buyer or seller on a home with a private well, community well or water sources other than the city water, it is important to know the following: 

• Different types of home loans can require different types of water testing and well testing. Some may or may not require a well inspection.

• There may be different requirements for water testing for potability. Even if not required, we recommend having the water tested for safety. Bacteria, Arsenic, Nitrates, and Lead are the most common water tests requested. 

• Visit this link to see what type of water testing you may need or want.

• Water samples can take 7-10 days (sometimes longer) to receive back from the lab. This should be scheduled in advance - No water testing on Fridays.

• If a water sample comes back failed from the lab, the source will need to be addressed and a new sample will be sent to the lab. This could take a couple more weeks, depending on the problem. 

• A proper well inspection should always be conducted by an experienced water well company. A home inspection does not include this, and can at times give misleading information. 

• Ensure you use a licensed pump company for well inspections to ensure the correct information and recommendations on the pumping system are listed. This protects both the buyer, the seller, and the agent.

• If the buyer wants a well inspection, we will need permission from the seller to be on-site and inspect their well and water.

• We need to know who we are conducting the well inspection for, our point of contact, who will be paying for the inspection, who to send the report to, and who will be onsite during the inspection.

• We need access to the pumping equipment and to the home to conduct a proper well inspection and water testing.

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We conduct the following inspections and services:

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• Well inspections with a certified report

• Certified reports 

• VA Loan requirements for well inspections and water testing 

• Flow rate testing on well pumps

• Drawdown testing for water wells 

• Required water samples for potability - recommended per AZDOH

• We offer guidance and training for agents when it comes to well inspections and water testing. You can also visit this site for more information on private water wells in AZ.

Review our Well Inspection Report Example and discover how we can help you. 

Check out what our water testing covers here.