The water pump has a very important job in your vehicle, without a functioning water pump the cooling system in the car cannot function properly and will result in engine overheating. Engine overheating can lead to severe issues that come with the warping of engine parts. These expensive repairs can be avoided by taking optimal care of your cooling system.
The cost of replacing the water pump does vary depending on your car’s manufacturer and what mechanic you decide on. Overall cost is somewhere between $300 and $750. The part itself is usually very inexpensive, maybe $50 or $100. What really drives up the cost are the labor hours which will vary in price from mechanic to mechanic.
The water pump on a vehicle needs to be replaced every 60,000 to 90,000 miles which is the same timeframe as the timing belt. In some vehicles the water pump is behind the timing cover, making it logical to replace these parts at the same time.
Realistically the water pump should be renamed the coolant pump. Your water pump should not be pumping just water! Ever!! It should instead be circulating a mixture of 50% coolant and 50% distilled water, with slight variations depending on the climate you and your car live in. Where is this water coolant mixture circulating? Your engine and radiator of course!
Your car engine gets HOT. And I mean hot. The controlled gasoline explosions taking place under the hood ignite at 495 degrees fahrenheit with burning temps well above 1500 degrees. The metal parts of your engine block are simply not made of a material (not much is) that can withstand that much heat, even in controlled doses on the low end of that temperature scale.
The ideal temperature for an operating engine is around 200 degrees fahrenheit. At this temp, the oil flows very well and you get excellent combustion in the cylinders. So how do we make those numbers work for the parts of the engine that are closest to the combusions taking place?
Well the geniuses behind the modern car cooling system found a way to solve this.
How the standard coolant system works, and there is little to no variation in this across vehicles, at operating engine temperature, the water pump pushes the coolant fluid out of the radiator and into the front of the engine, around the cylinders. From there it will enter the head where it cools off the valves. It then goes back out of the cylinder head and over to the radiator to be cooled down once more by the airflow created by your moving vehicle, recycled, and put back into use.
There is a thermometer which is essentially a temperature-controlled valve in the engine that reads the temperature and opens and closes a gauge, opening more when the engine is hotter allowing coolant to flow. When the engine is cold, your thermometer will signal this gauge to remain closed because we want the car to reach operating temperatures where it burns gas the most effectively, as quickly as possible.
The standard vehicle water pump is powerful! It is capable of emptying a small swimming pool in under an hour. In your vehicle this translates to full coolant circulation 20 times per minute!
A Tid Bit On Engine Coolant
I know what you’re thinking ”how could any substance come into contact with a heated surface of that high temperature and not boil?” A liquid that reaches a boiling state can no longer accept a transference of heat, meaning it’s not capable of cooling anything down. So a boiling liquid would be a catastrophe in a cooling system. A frozen coolant would likely break the water pump before causing an engine overheat.
The secret sauce is the antifreeze mixed into the coolant, a chemical called ethylene glycol. This chemical has a couple of really unique properties for a liquid. It’s freezing point is relatively low at 8 degrees fahrenheit and its boiling point is very high at 386.6 degrees fahrenheit. This makes it an ideal coolant to use.
Exchanging an old water pump for a new one can be a complicated process. This is because there are so many components that have to be removed from an engine block before you can have access to the pump. For this reason this is a repair that is typically paired with another maintenance item, like engine belt replacements that also requires the engine to be dismantled.
Doing this is a great way to drive down labor hours and in turn cost. The parts themselves are pretty easy to replace, it is the taking apart and putting back together of the engine block which really takes some time, effort and expertise.
If you are interested in replacing your water pump yourself, consider watching this video as a resource:
Are There Individual Parts Of My Water Pump That Need Replacing?
A water pump designed for a vehicle is typically sealed for life. Because of this there are no replacement parts, if your water pump is having issues with a particular component, the entire pump will need to be replaced.
So if the water pump is so tucked away and hidden in your engine block that it is difficult to easily replace, how do you know when it needs to be? As we’ve already discussed the water pump should last between 60,000 and 90,000 miles.
Luckily there are some tell signs that the water pump is not functioning properly. If your water pump is within the expiration range stated above, you should watch out for these 6 things.
No. A bad water pump is not one of those issues that you can slump off until next month while you continue to drive your vehicle. If you’re noticing any of these 6 tell signs and don’t want to fix or can’t afford to fix your car right now, you’re going to want to consider ulterior modes of transportation. Driving a car with a faulty water pump will lead to engine overheating which causes catastrophic damage to your vehicle.
As we’ve discussed, the water pump pushes coolant throughout your engine block and radiator, helping to keep your car from getting too hot. Without the cooling system a car’s metal parts would warp under the heat of the controlled explosions. When your car overheats, the parts that will break soon after include warped cylinder heads, a cracked head gasket, etc. Repairs will be in the thousands of dollars.
Replacing a water pump in your vehicle will run you anywhere from $300-$700 if you go to a mechanic, depending on where you live, the car you drive and the mechanic you choose. The part itself is pretty inexpensive. It is the labor that really drives up the price. This is a labor intensive repair as the water pump is often buried and requires other parts to be removed in order to access it.
Part: A water pump itself is usually in the range of $50 -$100. Pretty affordable considering the part will last you for 60,000 – 90,000 miles.
Labor: As we’ve discussed, it is the labor that is pricey for replacing this particular part. You can expect to spend at least $200 but it may cost up to $650
It will take between two and three hours to replace a water pump in the standard vehicle. The actual time frame will fluctuate due to factors like the make and model of your car which will dictate where the water pump is located within the vehicle and what engine will need to be removed before the part can be accessed.
In closing, a water pump is essential to your ability to operate your vehicle. Look out for the signs that yours needs to be replaced.
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There are a number of factors that will affect the cost of either installing a new well pump or replacing an existing one. Well size is one of the biggest factors, but also important to consider are the type of pump, the depth of the well and whether you have pressure tank issues in an existing system.
The biggest factor affecting the cost of a well pump installation or replacement is the size and depth of the well. Pumps installed in shallow wells require less work to install and can use more affordable “shallow” pumps, which are best suited for wells less than 25 feet deep. Deep pumps, which are more expensive to install and a costlier purchase, are necessary for wells with depths up to 150 feet.
There are a number of different types of well pumps which range in price, installation cost and effectiveness.
Jet pumps are an older style of well pump which deliver less volume and pressure when compared to more modern submersible pumps. Jet pumps are susceptible to “loss of prime” problems, meaning that the spinning impeller inside of the pump (which must be inside water to develop enough lift to move) becomes air-bound. Modern submersible pumps do not have this issue as they are self-priming and submerged by default.
Submersible pumps are a modern replacement of jet pumps and are significantly more expensive. They are commonly made of cast iron, stainless steel and sometimes thermoplastic. These pumps are built to be completely sealed, which saves homeowners significantly on repairs and utility costs. While the upfront investment may be expensive, these pumps can save time and money in the long run. They also create pressure faster than jet pumps and are generally quieter and more energy-efficient.
Constant-pressure well pumps are some of the most expensive pump options available. That’s because they use a variable frequency drive system, called a VFD, to ensure a constant, even rate of water pressure across your whole house, regardless of how many faucets, toilets and showers are running simultaneously. This ingenious system is complex and prone to high repair costs, but will guarantee consistent, even water pressure.
Windmill water pumps can have a high upfront cost, but are an excellent choice for off-grid living or in areas with frequent electricity outages. These can be expensive to install unless you already have a tower in place. Tower installation alone can cost between $10,000 and $20,000, not to mention the cost of the windmill and its associated pump.
Another excellent option for off-the-grid living, solar pumps take advantage of the power of the sun to power submersible or jet pumps. Pairing solar power with a high-end submersible model can be a great bet unless you live in an area with regular inclement weather, which makes solar-driven utility less efficient.
For true off-the-grid living, nothing beats a classic hand pump. While you may tire yourself out just pumping enough water for one shower, you will never lose access to your well due to weather or utility issues. Hand pumps are also one of the cheapest options available.
Unless you live in a hilly area and can build your water storage tank above your home, most wells will pump water to a pressurized storage tank. If you are having pressure issues with your water, it may not be the pump at all, but could be a problem with your water storage tank. Replacing this tank can cost anywhere from $750 to $4,000 depending on the capacity and type of pressurized tank.
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