Buying a house with a well and was told it’s “failing” what should I check?

I’m buying a house with a well and have never owned one before. The listing agent told me a previous buyer had the well inspected and was told it was failing, but says the previous buyer wouldn’t share the report. I’m trying to understand what that could mean and whether anything I’ve seen actually points to a problem.

I measured about 6 GPM from the hose bib next to the Clack tanks and let it run for 30 minutes. The flow stayed pretty strong. The gauge by the large blue pressure tank moves between about 50 and 70 PSI. Around 70 PSI, I hear a click and the pump shuts off. I assume that part is normal, but I don’t know.

Pressure seems fine at fixtures closer to where the water enters the house. However, if I run several fixtures and then turn on the master bathroom at the opposite end of the house, the flow there is very little. Is that normal with several fixtures running?

The water also smells like rotten eggs. There are two large tanks with Clack controls and a separate salt/brine tank, so I assume one of them is the water softener. I don’t know what the other tank does. There is also a partly buried blue drum near the well with a small pump attached. I have no idea what goes in it, whether chlorine, peroxide, or something else. Photos are attached.

Does anything in the photos or description look wrong or suggest that the well is actually failing? What would you check next if this were yours? What readings or tests could I do before closing? Can anyone identify the equipment? I'm pretty technical so any direction or steps to take is greatly appreciated.

Location: Orlando, Florida
House built: 1988
Well depth, well age, and pump age: Unknown depth, possibly original to the house as there aren't any permits for a well for the address.

Posted Jul 21, 2026, 3:14 PM UTC

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