The Importance of Regular Water Testing

While your annual to-do list this time of year is likely lengthy, there is one task you must never leave off; water testing. This major task can have a huge impact on the overall health of your family and greatly affect the quality of your water. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulates public drinking water systems, but they do not regulate privately owned wells. As such, those who have a private well should have their well water regularly tested to ensure there are no harmful toxins or contaminants and that the water is safe to drink.

All private wells use ground water, and more than 15 million households have private wells. Polluted groundwater can cause problems like gastrointestinal illness and other issues. This underscores the need to have regular water testing done to make sure no one in your home gets sick from contaminated well water. As the experts in water testing for Minneapolis, we would like to tell you more about it and what makes it an essential part of your spring cleaning to-do list.

Because chemicals occurring naturally including arsenic, boron and selenium , they can all affect the quality of groundwater. That means, you will want to test your water annually to ensure its cleanliness as well as to prevent the need for well repair. Something else to keep in mind is that you should have water testing performed by a professional water well drilling company like Hartmann. By having your well inspected regularly by seasoned professionals, you can also prevent larger problems down the line. We can inspect your well for any necessary water well repair. We will perform a flow test to determine the system’s output, we will check the water levels before and during pumping and we will check the pump motor, among other tasks. There are several things you can do between inspections to help ensure the safety of your well and well water.

Have you recently installed a brand new well? We will test the water right after the well installation and you should have your well water tested at least once a year to ensure there are no problems.

Why not make spring cleaning your reminder to schedule water testing? To get some more information on water testing in Minneapolis, call us at Hartmann Well Drilling at 952-758-2202, or you can contact us and get a Free Estimate.

Reasons to Consider Geothermal Installation

With our cold winters and sometimes hot summers here in Minnesota, you may wonder if there’s a more efficient way to heat and cool your home. Well, there is! It’s called geothermal, and it’s an efficient and natural way of regulating your home’s temperature. We will provide some reasons why you may want to consider geothermal installation for your New Prague home.

Geothermal installation allows you to use the power of the earth beneath you. If you are one that wants to be more eco-friendly, geothermal is the way to go. It’s much more environmentally friendly than the alternatives. You can heat and cool your home without using much electricity or emitting greenhouse gases of any sort like carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide. There is no combustion required! This means you will not have to worry about dangerous levels of carbon monoxide in your home.

It’s possible you have heard of ground source heat pumps, but you may not be aware that geothermal installation offers great cooling benefits as well. During the summer, the geothermal system reverses to cooling mode, where the building or home is cooled by pulling the heat from within and placing it in the ground. This process can also create hot water in the summer and provide hot water savings in the winter.

Geothermal installation uses about 25-50 percent less electricity than conventional heating and cooling systems. Once the initial price of the geothermal heat pump has been paid, you can enjoy cost savings on your energy bills. Geothermal heat pumps only transfer heat; they don’t create it, thus making a much more efficient and cost-effective system.

These systems last too! The piping from a geothermal installation can last more than 50 years! In addition, very little maintenance is required. The total maintenance of a geothermal system is typically a third of what’s spent on conventional systems. With an installation from Hartmann Well Drilling, you will likely not need to address this area of your home’s function for decades.

So if you like to save money on heating and cooling and want to minimize your environmental footprint, geothermal is a great option to consider. If you would like more information on geothermal installation for New Prague and surrounding areas, call Hartmann Well Drilling at 952-758-2202 or you can contact us for a Free Estimate.

Benefits of Geothermal Installation in our Cold Climate

Geothermal energy is the perfect solution for many Minnesota homes. With our cold climate, you have likely heard about geothermal installation in Northfield and we are here to tell you more about it. One of our favorite topics here at Hartmann Well Drilling is geothermal installation. We are the local experts on this subject and are happy to answer any questions about it.

Ready to find out what makes geothermal energy a great solution for many Minnesota residents? Read all about it below:

• Geothermal heat pumps are used as a heat source in the winter in Minnesota, and they are used as a heat sink in the summer. 
• In Minnesota, the earth’s temperature ranges at 40-50 degrees Fahrenheit at a depth of 50 feet throughout the year. This consistency is ideal for geothermal installation. 
• Trying to decrease your carbon footprint? You should definitely look into geothermal installation. This is the most eco-friendly way to heat and cool your home. 
• Geothermal systems have the potential for significant savings in energy costs and for reducing reliance on fossil fuels like oil and natural gas. Many utility companies offer discounts for their geothermal customers. 
• Geothermal energy in the Minnesota area and, really, anywhere, does not deal with any fuel market cost fluctuations because it does not use any fuel. 
• Geothermal installation can save you money on other bills in the long run. The hot water these pumps deliver is produced much more efficiently. Heat pumps can also take the heat that is removed from your home during the cooling cycle and put it directly into your hot water heater instead of back into the ground. 
• When you call us for geothermal installation, you will notice that we do not have to install an outdoor unit. This means the system runs quieter.  

At Hartmann, we love talking about all things geothermal and local residents know we are one of the experts on this subject, so we’re always happy to answer any questions about it. So, give us a call today!

If you would like to learn more about geothermal installation in Northfield, call Hartmann Well Drilling at 952-758-2202 or you can contact us to get a Free Estimate.

Getting the Facts About Water Well Repair

When your water well isn’t working, it can be a frustrating time. After all, it is one of the most essential parts of the home. This is no do-it-yourself project, so you’ll need to call in professionals to help with any water well repair. New Prague residents know they can trust the experts at Hartmann Well Drilling to quickly and accurately diagnose and fix problems.

A well drilling company like Hartmann can come to your property and determine several different things about your well. From there we can offer some maintenance suggestions and water well repair to keep your well working as it should. Some of these include:

Inspection. You should have your water well inspected on an annual basis for any necessary water well repair. We will perform a flow test to determine the system's output, we will check the water levels before and during pumping and we will check the pump motor, among other tasks. There are several things you can do between inspections to help ensure the safety of your well and well water.

Call the professionals. Never try to service your own well. You should always call in professionals who know exactly what to do when it comes to well drilling and well maintenance. We know that there are a lot of do-it-yourselfers out there, but well maintenance and repairs are not a do-it-yourself project.

And, if your well pump is not working properly and you just had a new one installed, that might mean that it was not put in correctly in the first place. You should call the water well repair experts at Hartmann Well Drilling to come out and check on the installation job to ensure it was done correctly.

Act fast. Wells can be affected by a multitude of issues but it is always important to have them dealt with as soon as possible. For example, water well damage can even be a result of lightning striking your well. You might not even notice a problem right away but a professional water well repair company like Hartmann can pinpoint the issue.

Avoid hazardous chemicals. Keep hazardous chemicals away from your well. Be sure to occasionally look at your well cap to make sure it's not broken and in need of repair.

These are just a few of the reasons to enlist the professionals for your water well repair in New Prague. Call us at Hartmann Well Drilling at 952-758-2202, or you can contact us and get a Free Estimate.

Geothermal Installation: A Few Facts & Benefits for the Home

From its cost to its small environmental footprint, this alternative source of energy provides many great unexpected benefits.  There are many different reasons you should consider geothermal installation for your Twin Cities home and we’d like to provide you with an outline to give you a better understanding of this fantastic energy source. If find you have some questions about geothermal installation and the role it can play in your household, do not hesitate to give Hartmann Well Drilling a call.

Defining geothermal energy: Geothermal energy is energy generated by heat stored below the Earth’s surface. Geothermal heat pumps then harness this energy to create heating and cooling for your home.

What geothermal energy is used for: When you get a ground source heat pump installation, you will not just enjoy heat. You will also get a new source of electricity. It can even provide cooling for your home as well!

Environmental benefits: Geothermal installation uses about 25 to 50% less electricity than conventional heating and cooling systems. And, there is no combustion required! Meaning, they don’t emit any greenhouse gases like carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide.

Variety of geothermal heat pump to choose from: There are several different geothermal systems to choose from including horizontal systems, vertical systems, closed-loop systems, open-looped systems and systems that use a direct heat exchange. An expert at Hartman Well Drilling can let you know what their many differences and benefits are.

Economics of geothermal installation: Because geothermal heat pumps are transferring heat and not creating it, this makes the system incredibly efficient.

They’re easy to maintain: When you choose geothermal installation you can expect low maintenance. Their total maintenance costs are usually 1/3 below that of conventional systems.

The endurance of a geothermal installation: Geothermal energy is a continuous source of heat and energy, so you will never have to worry about it running out. Ground source heat pumps have inside components that will work for about 25 years, and the ground loop will work for more than 50 years.

Geothermal installations are quiet: Once your geothermal installation is complete, you will notice the system is much quieter than conventional heating and cooling systems.

Are you interested in learning more about geothermal installation in the Twin Cities? Call Hartmann Well Drilling at 952-758-2202 or you can contact us to get a Free Estimate. 

Well Drilling in Wintertime

Our Minnesota winter is notorious for huge temperature drops as well as our snow accumulation. Take a pick or a shovel out to your lawn in the dead of winter and you have an idea of just how difficult drilling can be through frozen ground. The depth of frost alone in Minnesota frequently reaches five feet below ground! Ground water within the soil freezes and gets hard as a rock.

So, being that the need for well drilling in Shakopee is not dependent upon season, if the need arises, many wonder if it this can be done. According to Hartmann Well Drilling, the answer is a resounding “yes"!

The equipment we employ to carry out well drilling is used to drill through gravel as well as rock. Though the ground may be frozen solid several feet down, it poses little challenge. A frozen soil is ultimately no more difficult to penetrate than is rock.

Typically, when encountering frozen ground, well drillers choose between fixed or rotary cutter drill bits which are dependent upon how hard the material is that is to be drilled. Drill bits of this sort are rather sophisticated and run thousands of dollars apiece.

The primary issues in well drilling during a Minnesota winter are the air temperatures to the workers carrying out the job for customers. Other than the comfort of individual well drillers, well drilling can be done without issue, providing you and yours with a safe, sufficient water supply.

The water that a well will be accessing, of course, is found in the water table. The water table, generally found at a depth way below the freeze line of the ground surface, is not affected by the outdoor temperatures, it being buffered by the many feet of soil and rock between it and the surface above. That is not to say that there are not issues that may arise as water makes it way to the surface. The piping that makes its way through the ground to your home and/or the well portion that is above ground can most certainly freeze. Items such as “hot cords” can be wrapped around piping to help prevent the line itself, the pumps and all wares that house water at any step in the process from freezing.

For more information concerning well drilling in the Shakopee area, as well as any other services provided by Hartmann Well Drilling, call us at 952-758-2202 or get a Free Estimate.

Utilize Water Well Repair to Keep Your Flow

Your well water level varies at different points throughout any year. Your typical year offers its highest water well levels in spring (think snow melt), lowers in the late summer towards fall (think less rain). Spells of time without so much in the way of rain, will wreak havoc upon your water well levels. Those drawing their water from the ground (dug wells, shallow bedrock dug wells, wells located on high ground, etc.) are likely to be affected by dry conditions.

If you are running into issues such as no water or are experiencing general fluctuations in pressure, these phenomena can serve as indicators that your well is having a hard time keeping up with your demand. You may have issues with some of the components found within your well (waterlines, pumps, valves, etc.). If the above represent your experience, call on Hartmann Well, professional water well repair specialists to Minneapolis residents. We will pay you a visit to assess the problem(s) and go from there.  

To make it through this period of diminished water supply, conserve water and take notice of when and just how much you use. Wait a little bit to do your laundry. Cut your shower length down by a few minutes. Use your dishwasher at a time separate from when laundry is being done. Take a scattershot approach with your water usage throughout the day and night. This will allow replenishment to occur over time.

If you have attempted our suggestions to no avail, do not hesitate to call Hartmann Well. We can help with making some possible changes within your overall well set-up and water supply. We can take steps like dropping the pump itself deeper into the well so that it rests further down into the water table. You can try digging your existing well itself deeper, possibly allowing for additional water sources to enter your well.

These tasks being more involved than those which can be implemented from within the house, may call for a water well repair specialist. If you go as far as trying to carry out these tasks on your own, with minimal success (or even the likely possibility that you can damage your water system), call on a professional.

If you are interested in water well repair services near Minneapolis, please feel free to contact us at Hartmann Well at 952-758-2202 or you may Contact us.