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Water Well Helpline Message Board
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Subject: Banging when well pump turns on


Author:
Linda Powell
[Edit]
Date Posted: 21:16:09 07/16/08 Wed
(71-35-155-120.tukw.qwest.net/71.35.155.120)
Recently our water line from the well to the bladder pressure tank has started to clunk loudly when the pump turns on to fill the tank. At the same time, the pipe jumps and can be heard throughout the house. We've drained the tank and checked the pressure. Everything seems fine. What is causing this?

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Subject: pumping the well of silt and sand


Author:
Jer Taylor
[Edit]
Date Posted: 06:11:02 04/25/08 Fri
(cpe-24-93-179-222.neo.res.rr.com/24.93.179.222)
We were told that our dug well of about 30 ft.. needs to be pumped out of the silt and sand...the person who pumps the septic said his pump isn't big enough...can you tell me how much is involved and approximately how long it would take..and can it be very costly...I would appreciater hearing your answer...
thankyou
Jer

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Subject: well water suddenly very hard >16 grains


Author:
Patty
[Edit]
Date Posted: 12:05:14 09/15/07 Sat
(cache-ntc-aa04.proxy.aol.com/207.200.116.8)
We've lived in our house for four years with no problem with our water. We have a filter and softener. This summer our water has become very hard, and has a sulfur smell. We change the filter monthly (charcoal filter) and I have the softener cranked up to maximum setting, but the water is still hard, and pretty smelly. What do you think is going on with our well?

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Replies:
Subject: Well, Pump or Holding Tank??


Author:
Wayne
[Edit]
Date Posted: 17:37:14 09/11/07 Tue
(proxy-3256.bay.webtv.net/209.240.206.204)
I'm disabled, so I am kind of useless. My house well is a 2 inch well, and 44 feet deep. I had a new screen installed about 8 years or so ago. The large holding tank was replaced 7 yrs. ago. The pump is a jet pump, installed in 1991. The current problem is, the pump does pump up water, but it immediately drops pressure and kicks on and off. It ends up getting too warm from turning on and off. The H20 is loaded with minerals and lime.

I don't know anything about pumps, and I can't afford to have service folks tell me untruths. The retired well man had an opinion about the problem. I thought I'd try to get some imput here. What do you think is wrong???

Thanks for your time!

Wayne

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Replies:
Subject: air pump????


Author:
Travis
[Edit]
Date Posted: 19:36:11 09/10/07 Mon
(host-64-234-0-244.nctv.com/64.234.0.244)
I have a friend that just told me tonight how his well works because I was gripping about the proposals I have been getting from the local water well drillers. ($8000+) Well any way he told me that all I needed is to have them drill the well and he would help me with the rest... His well has a air line that is run down the 2" shaft and supposidly forces water up the pipe to a water tank were it is then pumped to the house..... He said his well will fill his tank from empty in an hour 50 Gallons Ithink he said??? I have been reserching this tonight but have not found a thing. I live in south east Texas. Any thoughts?

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Replies:
Subject: sandpoint maintenance


Author:
L. Remington
[Edit]
Date Posted: 02:34:59 09/13/07 Thu
(ppp27.a1-1.56k.execulink.com/209.239.1.27)
We bought a house with a sandpoint that had been installed 3 years ago. The sandpoint is outside & used for watering the grass & gardens. We are wondering what kind of maintenace should be done before winter, as fall is fast approaching. We know the pump must be brought into the shed for the winter until spring and to tape the end of our plastic tube that comes out of the ground... is there anything else we need to do.

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Subject: 4" well??


Author:
Travis
[Edit]
Date Posted: 13:04:23 09/12/07 Wed
(host-64-234-0-244.nctv.com/64.234.0.244)
I was wondering how deep I could drive a well I have been told that the good water in my area is around 280-300 feet deep. My question is do ya think one could drive a 4" casing to that depth? I have a back hoe. Thanks

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Subject: acid in well


Author:
d. hertz
[Edit]
Date Posted: 03:11:11 09/12/07 Wed
(ool-44c2dfcb.dyn.optonline.net/68.194.223.203)
I have a 1.25" irrigation well about 20 years old. I just installed a new Goulds centrifugal pump because the old one died. I'm not getting enough water or pressuer to run my sprinlers. I was told to acid treat the well. Is this well too old to acid treat? If not how much acid is needed and how long should it remain before it gets pumped out. I was also told to use an air compressor, is this an option?

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Replies:
Subject: Old well, New well


Author:
Bob
[Edit]
Date Posted: 05:48:40 09/11/07 Tue
(FYS5021.rhbd.psu.edu/66.71.7.37)
I have a question about an old well I have. I have an old well that was dug around the 1890s. It is about 3 1/2 feet in diameter open and lined with stone. It was originally about 25 feet deep I was told, but has been open for over 65 years and is now around 10 feet deep. It has a large 5" diameter or so metal pipe that sticks up about a foot above ground level in the middle of the well. What kind of well was this?, I know at one point it did have a hand pump on it. Is there anyway that I can use this well or the pipe that is in there?..Anyplace to find a hand pump that fits a pipe that big? I need help with this well

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Replies:
Subject: New well pump but dirt now caoming out! HELP!


Author:
mandy
[Edit]
Date Posted: 15:41:50 09/09/07 Sun
(cpe-69-205-132-216.stny.res.rr.com/69.205.132.216)
ok can someone help,please. we just bought a house three months ago everything was good until a day ago. the house lost water pressure and then no water. husband checked and it was the submersible well pump we had. it was replaced today and we had water. yea, now we have another problem. coming out of the faucets on the house is dirt. we also have a water softner hooked up to. does anyone know why we now have dirt coming out of the faucets? and any suggestion on how to solve the problem.

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Replies:
Subject: point well question


Author:
kent
[Edit]
Date Posted: 07:49:40 09/07/07 Fri
(pool-96-228-44-205.rcmdva.fios.verizon.net/96.228.44.205)
Getting ready to drive a point well, did this many years ago and have read plenty on "how to" but I can't find the answer to one question... how do you know when you've hit water? And how much further do you go once you have?

Thank you

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Replies:
Subject: Driven well


Author:
Tom
[Edit]
Date Posted: 08:24:16 09/07/07 Fri
(xbonat.thrivent.com/64.214.85.60)
We use our driven sandpoint only in the summer. Then we let it drain down in the fall. Should I be putting bleach or something down the pipe in the fall?

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Replies:
Subject: clueless about well- help


Author:
egm
[Edit]
Date Posted: 08:29:46 09/06/07 Thu
(ca03-ch02-bl07.ca-sanfranc0.sa.earthlink.net/207.69.139.149)
hi, I live in se colorado and have a 300ft well that is was putting out 1/2 gpm. I would only turn on the pump about once a week for apx 20 min to fill the storage tank, but now the pump will only stay on for 1-2 min before it shuts off, and the tank is not full. My pump savor unit says low water thru the pump so is shutting it off. Which suggests my well is really low on water or maybe I have a silt problem?

As I know nothing about wells, where should I start? Can I pull the pump up and check it to see if its clogged up with silt? What is the best way to determine if my water level is just to low for the pump to work? Is my well going dry?

any advice would be appreciated.

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Replies:
Subject: Developing Well For Sandpoint


Author:
Jerry Hutcheson (Hopeful)
[Edit]
Date Posted: 14:53:37 08/31/07 Fri
(adsl-230-110-254.mco.bellsouth.net/74.230.110.254)
Hello,

I was preparing to put in a shallow well in Central Florida, and I am following your advice on not buying and sizing my pump until I get my well done and can measure my GPM. I am using the Brady Products system to wash the well down please see their tutorial:

http://bradyproducts.com/documents/wellinstallation.pdf

It is a very efficient and simple way of putting down a small well for irrigation. I am trying to rent a pump for developing the well using some of the techniques you have talked about and from other people. Please see:

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/WI002

I want to rent a portable centrifugal pump for my development stage however the pumps at the rental places are very high volume 120GPM to 170GPM with a 2" discharge.

My question is would this be a problem? Will this cause harm to the well or the pump. To use a pump this large on a 1 1/4" shallow well with about a 10' to 15' water level? It should produce up to 12 GPM.

Or should I just use a manual pitcher pump? Would a pitcher pump be productive enough to develop my new well?

Any help you can give would be greatly appreciated.



thanks,

Jerry Hutcheson

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Replies:
Subject: well cap seal


Author:
Dennis Martin
[Edit]
Date Posted: 08:31:24 09/06/07 Thu
(c-67-184-187-160.hsd1.il.comcast.net/67.184.187.160)
How do I release the well cap seal after loosening the only big bolt on the cap.Ive seen other caps but mine only has one 1" or so bolt off to the side of the center hole.And will the pitless adapter release itself?

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Subject: Manual pump


Author:
Nate
[Edit]
Date Posted: 11:22:38 09/03/07 Mon
(ip72-200-168-2.ri.ri.cox.net/72.200.168.2)
Hi,

We recently moved into a home with what is supposedly a 400' well. In the basement we have a pump that brings in the water, and in the yard there is a capped metal tube that rises ~1' out of the ground.

It occurs to me, however, that being 100% dependent on the electric company for drinking water could be a problem. The West Coast often experiences brownouts and blackouts when the demand on the grid is more than capacity, and this is going to happen in more and in more places as climate change makes summers hotter and winters colder.

So...does anyone make a manual accessory pump that can be installed over the portion of the well that sticks up in the yard so that water can be drawn in cases of emergency when there is no power?? I know that the suction required for a well that deep is probably fairly significant. But the electric pump in the basement is not exactly loud or huge, so there must be a way to get the water up without absurd amounts of effort.

Is there anything we can buy like that? And if so, is it even possible to access the well in the yard if we remove the metal cap??

Thanks!

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Replies:
Subject: Brady System Question


Author:
Jerry
[Edit]
Date Posted: 13:01:23 09/01/07 Sat
(adsl-152-207-89.mco.bellsouth.net/70.152.207.89)
When washing a 1 1/4" well down using the Brady system with a 2" casing. Do I need to glue the flush inside couplings on the 2" casing? If I do not glue them they may come apart when it is time to remove the casing. If I do glue them then I cannot use the casing again (for a 2nd or third well) without a ladder or sawing them in pieces because the casing will be too long.

Your help is greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Jerry

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Replies:
Subject: Broken 1 inch PVC pipe


Author:
Howard
[Edit]
Date Posted: 18:56:13 08/21/07 Tue
(ppp-69-231-9-18.dsl.irvnca.pacbell.net/69.231.9.18)
I'm looking for a tool. If you find one please let me know. I have a 415 foot well tried to pull the pump and the PVC pipe broke at 200 feet. I placed a new pump at 200 feet on top of the broken pipe but lost 200 feet and have less water. Need to cut pipe lower and remove.
Ideas?

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Replies:
Subject: curve or an ell


Author:
Richard
[Edit]
Date Posted: 08:39:39 09/01/07 Sat
(70-41-174-143.cust.wildblue.net/70.41.174.143)
I'm redoing the suction line on my pump. I'm using 2" polypipe and now have the opportunity to curve the poly pipe down to the river bed or to continue using the 90 degree ell to go down to the bed. I'd rather leave the ell out since it's a suction line and is one less connection to worry about leaking.

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Subject: Prime lost with full water usage


Author:
Linda
[Edit]
Date Posted: 13:24:52 08/29/07 Wed
(fl-198-70-211-245.dyn.embarqhsd.net/198.70.211.245)
I hope someone can help us........We have a submersible deep well, we had the pump replaced 4 yrs ago, we have replaced to electric box about 2 yrs ago and have replaced the primmer switch twice in 5 months, now.......our well will keep a prime if we only have one (hot or cold) faucet on at a time, but if we try to turn both (h and c) faucets on (shower), our prime is lost and doesn't catch, we then have to turn all water off and prime to tank by hand, any suggestions on what we might be able to try!
Linda

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Subject: Pump loses prime


Author:
Kathy
[Edit]
Date Posted: 09:29:45 08/29/07 Wed
(ip68-102-192-167.ks.ok.cox.net/68.102.192.167)
I have a Goulds 2hp irrigation jet pump that I had forgotten to turn off and let run all night with the water spikot turned off and no water running just the pump. Now when running the circuit of sprinklers for roughly 2 mins, the pump loses prime. I have drained the pump and tried to reprime it without success. Any ideas as to what I should try next?? Thanks Kathy

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Subject: driven well with ejector


Author:
Paul
[Edit]
Date Posted: 19:00:13 08/26/07 Sun
(ool-182d5e35.dyn.optonline.net/24.45.94.53)
I have a 39' driven well. Hit water at 21'. I have 18' of standing water in pipe. My setup is a 2" pipe with an 1 1/4 drop pipe with an ejector setup. My point is 48" with an 80 guaze screen. My question is how far above the point should the ejector be? I orignally had the ejector placed at 30' in the well. Had to be pulled to replace leathers. I was planning to place it 3' deeper to a total depth of 33'. this will have it sitting 2' above screen. By placing this deeper will this give me more water?

Thanks
Paul
Long Island, NY

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Replies:
Subject: SAND POINT


Author:
STEVE M
[Edit]
Date Posted: 13:35:41 08/27/07 Mon
(wsaf127254.amfam.com/165.200.127.254)
Is it possible for a sand point well to stop working after 6 to 7 months of not using ?

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Replies:
Subject: questions on pitcher pump well?


Author:
Steve
[Edit]
Date Posted: 16:15:23 08/24/07 Fri
(206-67-164-86.async.iserv.net/206.67.164.86)
I am going to take some advise from you guys but have some questions on the process of a pitcher pump. I have a well that I drove in the ground. It is a 2 inch pipe with a sand point as I thought I needed to drive it past 25 feet. I hit water at 20 feet and drove the pipe down another 5 feet for a total of 5 feet of water in the pipe. I was going to use a electric pump but for now I think I will just use a pitcher pump. This is only to fill the fresh water tanks on a travel trailer.
First off I have a 2 inch pipe in the ground and I was planning to use a drop pipe with the electric pump but can I get away with just reducing the 2 inch down to 1-1/4 where it goes into the pitcher pump?
Next I am not sure but does the pitcher pump hold a prime or will water settle down again? Is there a foot valve that needs to be installed or some kind of check valve?
Thanks Steve

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Replies:
Subject: Dug well near lake ran dry


Author:
Ray Swenton (help)
[Edit]
Date Posted: 09:21:42 08/22/07 Wed
(mail.bristolseafood.com/207.5.138.174)
I have a dug well 25 ft deep with cement casing all the way down on a crushed stone base. The well is 15 ft away from a large lake and the well top is 12 ft above the lake shore, which gives me about 13 ft below the lake surface.
Until recently we had 14 ft of water in the well, we had a family reunion and the well ran dry in 6 days.
I expected the water to start flowing back in , but in two weeks it has only come back to 2 ft of water?
The person that installed the well suggested that the problem is the heavy clay in the soil holding back the water and that I should drill a well.
The problem is that 2 of my neighbors have drilled wells at 385 ft and 440 ft and the water stinks of sulphur.
Instead of spending the money for a new drilled well that has smelly sulphur water,I would like to drive a well point down another 30 +/- ft,but the contractor claims it is a waste of time and money?
I also spoke to another neighbor and he suggested trenching from the well out into the lake about 20 ft and 4 ft deep, put down a layer of crushed stone and then a perforated pipe and back fill with crushed stone, so that the water flows back to the well? The area we are in is very shallow and this could be done with a large backhoe.
I would appreciate any advice or recommendations.
Thanks Ray

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Replies:
Subject: Well water reservoir in bsmt click on and off too fast


Author:
Ann Graham
[Edit]
Date Posted: 19:48:32 08/21/07 Tue
(pool-71-127-211-190.nwrknj.east.verizon.net/71.127.211.190)
Home has well water with indoor storage tank (small with with bladder I think) and notice when I do laundry it clicks on and off too fast going from 40 to 60 and down again in seconds. Is this normal or do I have to call in a well guy? Anything I can do - I've tried draining tank and starting over. This must be hard on the pump. Tks for your help.

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Replies:
Subject: Reducing down input & output on centrifical pump


Author:
Mike McCarty (confused)
[Edit]
Date Posted: 19:58:04 08/21/07 Tue
(p178n184.166.65.ruraltel.net/65.166.184.178)
new pump 2 hp centrifical, with 2in suction & output. Can the suction be reduced to fit 1 1/2 pvc. Then can the output be reduced to 1 1/4 pvc without damaging pump/motor and the valve and sprinkler system. Replacing 1 1/2 hp pump. Must order 1 1/2 hp and yard is burning up. 2hp is in stock.

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Subject: pump stuck 92 ft down 4" casing 18 years old


Author:
carmichael (help)
[Edit]
Date Posted: 18:25:32 05/27/07 Sun
(cache-mtc-ad09.proxy.aol.com/64.12.116.203)
looking for a tool to cut pipe off at top of pump. to set a new pump on top

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Subject: DRIVEN WELL


Author:
GENE
[Edit]
Date Posted: 10:08:10 08/19/07 Sun
(NoHost/209.33.28.236)
HI FOLKS-NICE SITE. HERES MY QUESTION I AM GOING TO DRIVE A WELL POINT ABOUT 25 FEET DOWN. WATER HERE IS AT 18 FEET. I WILL HAVE A PUMP ABOVE GROUND. WILL I NEED TO PUT SOMETHING ON THE PUMP TO KEEP IT PRIMED, OR DO SOME PUMPS HAVE AMECHANISM TO KEEP THEM PRIMED? THANKS

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Replies:
Subject: Sand point problem


Author:
Randy
[Edit]
Date Posted: 07:09:10 08/17/07 Fri
(66-191-104-26.dhcp.eucl.wi.charter.com/66.191.104.26)
OK, here's our problem. Drove a Water source 36" sand point with 60 gauze mesh and hit water at a depth of 18 feet. Drove the point down to a depth of 21 feet and we have 3 feet of water in the 1 1/4 pipe. We can run water into the pipe with a garden hose for 15 minutes without filling the pipe but when we try to pump it with a hand test pump with check valve attached, we cannot bring any water up through the pipe. Any ideas??? THANKS!
Randy

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Replies:
Subject: Got down to water now what are my options?


Author:
Steve
[Edit]
Date Posted: 14:50:31 08/12/07 Sun
(ws-hsb-01.worksighted.com/69.87.138.68)
Not sure what happened the first time but here goes. I wrote before about my first experience of trying to drive a 2 inch well and all the trouble I had before. Well I gave it another try and this time I rented a jack hammer to drive a 2 inch well into the ground. This well is for a camping trailer to fill it up with water from time to time. Anyways I have a 5 foot hole down and the pipe sticking out is only about a foot tall. I measured down to the water and it starts at 15 feet and goes down to the end of the point at 20 feet. I have checked the water level to make sure it is staying at that same height and seems to be stable. I want to put a electric pump on to pump the water out but not sure of what all I will need. I am thinking the pump and a drop pipe and some kind of a foot valve so the pipe will stay primed or am I all wrong. What things will I need to finish this and how do I go about hooking everything up to work right and not have to prime a pump all the time? Also I want to keep the 5 foot deep hole and build it up with some insulation so I can keep it from freezing in the winter time. Do I need a shallow well pump or a deep well pump? Am I missing anything? Sorry for all the questions but I am new at the whole well pump thing. Thanks Steve

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Replies:
Subject: water


Author:
Tina
[Edit]
Date Posted: 16:42:56 08/18/07 Sat
(NoHost/138.210.189.92)
We are in the process of selling our house. Our realtor told us to to dump chlorine into our well to make sure that it passes the water test. Have you ever heard of this? We have never had any problems with the water in the 22 years that we have lived here. Could you please advise if this is true & if so how much chlorine would we have to dump into the well to make sure that it passes the water test?
Thanks in advance for any help & suggestions.

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Replies:
Subject: Tennessee, well point?


Author:
nashfireman
[Edit]
Date Posted: 12:20:01 08/18/07 Sat
(c-68-52-151-208.hsd1.tn.comcast.net/68.52.151.208)
I just had a well drilled down to 300 ft. We are only getting 1/2 gpm. It was 54 ft to bedrock. while drilling to bedrock the driller made the satement that its too bad you cant use all this water in the watertable cause its almost a river. I had never known what a wellpoint was till today. I have seen them at tsc but didnt know what they were. Here is my ?. about 3 ft down there is a gravel type chirt. Brown gravel and what looks like brown sand. I know its about 20ft to the water table and on down to bedrock is the river of water he was talking about. Can I use a wellpoint to get this river of water he was talking about? If so should I get him to drill me another hole about 40ft or so or could I drive a pipe thru this type gravel to water.

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Replies:
Subject: RE: sand point


Author:
Randy
[Edit]
Date Posted: 07:19:53 08/18/07 Sat
(66-191-104-26.dhcp.eucl.wi.charter.com/66.191.104.26)
Thanks for the replys. Yes, we do have 3 feet of water above the point. When we install our hand pump and begin pumping, the pump will create suction in the casing and suck the handle right back down to the starting point. Now, if we had a loose joint, would we have suction inside our casing??

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Subject: Punp is sucking the well down


Author:
Simplkev
[Edit]
Date Posted: 16:31:30 08/15/07 Wed
(pool-71-100-201-36.tampfl.dsl-w.verizon.net/71.100.201.36)
We have a 25' well. The well water table is at 10'. This well is at a camp. We have a shed that needs water for a bathroom we built with a shower and toilet. We will also use the water to fill campers. We installed a 1/2 horse power submersable pump with a 42 gallon tank. This is an existing well that was capped it was used for and old house that burnt down on the property. My question is, the pump is pumping the well down to fast how can we slow the pump down or the flow so the well can recover and maintain water pressure without buying a smaller pump

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Replies:
Subject: used drill rig


Author:
wiz
[Edit]
Date Posted: 17:26:14 03/26/07 Mon
(Dial2-RAS1-155.eot.com/216.129.176.217)
call vareberg well,they have used bucyrus erie rotary drill rig for sale.218-847-1924

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Replies:
Subject: Shallow Driven Well


Author:
Herrick (Always Optimistic)
[Edit]
Date Posted: 15:03:11 08/16/07 Thu
(p54AD5D65.dip.t-dialin.net/84.173.93.101)
Shallow Driven Well

Intent is to have a low-capacity well, hand pump. We have a known water table at about 30 feet. Several close neighbors have verified this depth.

After successfully driving a 1-¼ inch pipe 30 feet down, on purging and cleaning the pipe, we discovered the pipe was totally plugged with sticky clay. Now, this might not have happened at all had I not listened to my neighbor and REMOVED the screen from my driving point. He claimed our soil contained too much fine particles to withstand a screen. Okay, so I have a point with no screen – that’s the first question. Is this a real mistake to have no screen or is my neighbor correct?

Not knowing exactly what the problem was at the time, we ended up pulling the whole pipe out of the ground in order to free it from the sticky clay. Now we have to start all over again. Second problem is: should I go back into the same hole? It might be a lot easier than starting somewhere else and ending up with the same problem all over again.

Should I intermittently purge the pipe during the driving process to eliminate collecting too much incoming clay? Does moving over a few feet and starting a new hole make ANY sense whatsoever? Seems to me, the geology 30 feet down is going to be pretty darn similar to what I’ve already got. Is this not right?

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Replies:
Subject: Sprinkler System


Author:
Scott (hopeful)
[Edit]
Date Posted: 14:13:03 08/16/07 Thu
(cpe-069-134-008-057.nc.res.rr.com/69.134.8.57)
I am building a house which is relatively close to a river and large lake (2 miles). A well was drilled that produced 3 gallons/minute flow at 300 feet. We went another 160 feet deeper to see if we could get more flow; it remained at 3 gallons/minute.

A pump was installed and I was told the flow is adequate for the house but not the sprinkler system I wanted to install to water the sod and plants.

I am not sure what my options maybe. Drilling another well is one; but that is expensive.

I do not want to run the well dry watering the yard but I do want to use sod and to be able to water it (reasonable usage).

Any thoughts?

I am not sure how much flow I will need to do all that I desire to do. Can you provide me some idea and least cost options for solving my problem?

Thanks,

Scott

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Replies:
Subject: freezing weather implications for driven well


Author:
steve guthrie
[Edit]
Date Posted: 20:36:31 08/13/07 Mon
(71-83-13-84.static.aldl.mi.charter.com/71.83.13.84)
i am ready to drive a 1.25" well 23 ft deep (or at least that's the plan!) and plan to use a pitcher pump, although electricity is nearby if a shallow well electric driven pump is the better option. i live in cold northern michigan. what can i do now prevent freezing/rupture of pipe or pump? the pitcher pump i have purchased has an internal check valve. my efforts to find an old timer hereabouts that can speak to how they did it in the good old days aren't yielding much good information. thanks in advance for any wisdom that's out there.

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Subject: How do I Retrieve The Water?


Author:
Anthony Miles
[Edit]
Date Posted: 09:46:03 08/14/07 Tue
(NoHost/66.196.231.130)
Good Morning, I have augered a 6" hole down about 12 feet and hit a solid, but water will slowly fill the the hole up 3 feet from the surface. This well is going to be used to run into a small pond for esthetic reasons. I don't need a high rate of water flow and am seeking suggestions on what type of pump to use after I case the well. Any help would be appreciated.

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Replies:
Subject: Problems with new pressure switch and tank


Author:
aleena
[Edit]
Date Posted: 08:23:24 08/15/07 Wed
(adsl-68-77-28-196.dsl.emhril.ameritech.net/68.77.28.196)
Hi My old tank had a hole in bladder i replaced the tank. Air pressure set a 38psi Old Pressure switch was 30/50. Installed new switch 40/60. Same brand as tank. Now water hits 40 slowly goes to 60 and then drops down to 0 before it comes back on. This also happened with the old switch. any ideas. I've already bleed the lines and check air pressure on tank. The reason i bought the new switch was because i tried to adjust the old one.

Thanks for any help, this is driving me crazy!

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Replies:
Subject: Pump problems


Author:
Carvel (FRUSTRATED!)
[Edit]
Date Posted: 09:46:02 08/15/07 Wed
(cache05.lax.untd.com/64.136.26.235)
My submersible pump died last week. Thinking that it would be easier to work on a pump up top, I bought a 1/2 horse pump/bladder tank combo.
This pump will supply a 150 gallon aereator. From the aereator I have another pump that supplies the house. That is why I figured that a 1/2 horse pump will work fine for the aereator.
The water table is 23' deep, with a standard 40' 1-1/4 drop pipe with a foot valve. There is a check valve between tank and aereator and a float valve in the aereator to shut off pump.
I hooked up the new pump according to manufacturers directions. The pump will kick on for approx 5 - 10 seconds and then shut off for about 5 minutes before starting again.
After talking to several people supposedely "in the know" it was hypothesized that the drop pipe was too big for such a small pump. and that I should reduce the size of the drop pipe to 3/4" and 24' long.
Please note that the pump came with a standard 1-1/4 " foot valve.
Same problem. I did notice that the manufacturers hose between the pump and bladder tank collapses once the pump shuts off. Maybe it did this before the drop pipe change, I just noticed it after.
I then bypassed the bladder tank altogether. Same problem.
Any Suggestions?

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Replies:
Subject: SANDPOINT


Author:
KEN
[Edit]
Date Posted: 14:13:25 08/14/07 Tue
(dialup-4.227.207.186.Dial1.Denver1.Level3.net/4.227.207.186)
I HEARD THAT YOU CAN CLEAN A SANDPOINT BY DROPPING DRY ICE DOWN IT. HAS ANYONE HEARD OF THIS METHOD?

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Replies:
Subject: Unidentiable loud noise


Author:
Donna Dudeck
[Edit]
Date Posted: 11:48:29 08/06/07 Mon
(NoHost/65.162.77.10)
Last week we heard a loud noise somewhere in the house it sounds like a semi-truck when it is being geared down it only lasts for about 5-10 seconds and stops. There is no steady coorelation as to when it will happen again. It has happened when the dishwasher was running or the washer, but then again it has happened when nothing is running. The water pressure coming out of the faucets is the same, but we cannot figure where this noise is coming from. Is it a sign that something is getting ready to breakdown. Could the well pump cause this noise if there would be a problem there. Could the air conditioning unit make this sound. I sure would like some suggestions on where to look before something big does happen.

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Replies:
Subject: Drilling A Well Auger Style


Author:
Chris Allen (Seeking Advise)
[Edit]
Date Posted: 07:30:17 08/13/07 Mon
(NoHost/66.196.231.130)
I am in the process of drilling an auger style well down approx. 40 feet with a 5 inch auger to accomimodate a submersible well system I have.I am currently down about 20 feet and pull the auger out of the hole every few turns. Is this the correct way? Is it unrealistic to continue turning the auger without cleaning the hole in hopes that when I break thru the top of the table water shell all of the loose soil will fall into the hole(I know, the lazy way)? The well is for livestock only.

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Replies:
Subject: digging into bedrock


Author:
Richard
[Edit]
Date Posted: 09:41:53 08/08/07 Wed
(70-41-172-105.cust.wildblue.net/70.41.172.105)
I'm thinking about trying to dig an infiltration type well about 25 feet away from the river next to our property. The location I'd like to try has about two feet of soil and then bedrock, the bedrock in the yard is about the same height as the river bed. Everything in this area is bedrock and I'm hoping to find a crack or two in the bedrock that would let the river infiltrate into the well. I've talked to a driller who won't take the job because of the location not meeting state regulations regarding the lack of minimum distance from the property lines and the job size being too small a job. From an individual standpoint in our area this type of well has never been a problem since we don't have decent ground water and the International Boundary & Water Commission doesn't like us putting pumps in the river, although it's perfectly legal to do so. Can anybody give me any ideas on what I could use to break or drill into the bedrock? I'm sure 6 to 8 feet deep would be plenty fine to see if there indeed is a crack. Anybody have any thoughts on the feasibility of this project. Our main reason for wanting this type of well is we can filter a lot of the silt out of the river water by gravel packing a well like this, the pump is within the secure confines of our yard less chance of theft, the pump could be maintained regardless of river conditions.

Thanks for your time.

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Replies:
Subject: well pump help


Author:
Terry
[Edit]
Date Posted: 19:36:11 07/24/07 Tue
(209-107-251-74.static.arcola-il.com/209.107.251.74)
Hi all,

My father had a problem with his well not working anymore. This is a 30+ yr old well, the drill depth is 157 feet.
We took of the red top of the well and about 4 or 5 feet we saw some type of cap with 3 electrical wires commming out, a steel wire and a threaded hole. I left for the day, due to work and well will messing with it, he some how dropped that cap/casing.....well 2 weeks later we was able to get a 1 inch plastic pipe threaded into that hole and tried to pull it out, it would not move at all, so i'm guess something is locked into the side of the 4 inche well pipe. How in the heck can we get that to release to lift it up, i know that plastic pipe(he got from a friend that had just retired from installing wells). My dad is a retired electrician and has a lot of left over 1 inch piping that is very strong and heavy we could us to pull it out.

Any suggestion. I place a makeshift camera down the well and at 4/5 ft there is a ridge in the pipe,,,then at about 30 feet another one, and at 40.....

Any ideas on how to pull this out since it seems it's locked in?

thanks

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Replies:
Subject: sandpoint depth


Author:
Tim Kletzin (happy)
[Edit]
Date Posted: 10:29:23 08/08/07 Wed
(vzcore-ce2.atk.com/138.64.2.77)
I (the rookie) have driven a sandpoint for an irrigation well in sandy soil and hit water at 19 feet. I am wondering how far the sandpoint should be driven below the water table? I have a shallow well jet pump capable of drawing 15 gpm at 25 feet if the water is ample enough. I am also wonder if the pump specs for gpm@25 feet is the top of the water in the suction pipe or the bottom of the sandpoint? If anyone can help, I'd surely appreciate it. Thanks

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Replies:
Subject: Rocky soil problems


Author:
Tim
[Edit]
Date Posted: 12:52:15 08/08/07 Wed
(rrcs-72-43-194-198.nys.biz.rr.com/72.43.194.198)
I would like to install a driven well point for lawn irrigation at my house. But I have very rocky soil. Mostly shale and slate. Is there such a thing as a "hardened" or "heavy duty" point for sale?
Thanks for your help.
Tim
Upstate New York

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Replies:
Subject: A question on Sandpoint wells


Author:
Bill Johnson
[Edit]
Date Posted: 09:45:58 08/05/07 Sun
(209NTL226-89-95.nt.net/209.226.89.95)
I have a sandpoint well in the basement of my house connected to a jetpump and a 33 gallon bladder tank.
Recently as soon as the pump has finished a cycle it losses pressure and immediately begins to cycle again for about 2 minutes until pressure is restored and then it shuts off.
I suspect there may be a bad connection in the pipe below the floor level.
I am planning on pulling the pipe and re-sinking the point again (this will be the third one in 11 years) as we have extremely hard water and the screen on the sandpoint becomes clogged over time with hardwater buildup.
At the present time it's 1 1/4 inch sandpoint with approximately 22 feet of of 1 1/4 galvanized pipe attached. When I put the new point down can I reduce my pipe diameter to 1" starting with a reducer at the point? I usually don't have to drive with a sledge when putting down the sandpoint I simply invert a 48" jackall from the floor joints and "jack" the pipe down.
Any suggestions would be appreciated.

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Replies:
Subject: Sandpoint troubleshooting needed


Author:
Mark
[Edit]
Date Posted: 09:01:43 07/31/07 Tue
(www.mcrep.com/70.91.231.1)
Good Morning, I have a 11/4 inch sandpoint down 18'. I have roughly 7' of standing water in the pipe. The 11/4" is inside a 3" casing that runs 10-13' down. I have 1 1h.p. shallow well jet pump.
When I turn the motor on, it seem like there is nothing to build up any pressure to bring up the water. When I hooked a hose with a nozzle and closed the nozzle, the pump would draw up water; but, once I opened the nozzle, I lost all of the water and pressure until I closed the nozzle and let it build up again.
Could I be drawing down that much water that air is being pumped through the casing( which is currently not sealed or airtight). Is the well not capable of supplying the water needed to run a 1 hp pump? Do I need to go deeper?
There is no pressure tank attached. The intent was to hook up sprinklers . Any ideas, suggestions, or questions would be deeply appreciated. Thank You
Mark

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Replies:
Subject: Priming an old well with a check valve in drop pipe


Author:
Duke Lane
[Edit]
Date Posted: 22:08:45 08/01/07 Wed
(c-71-195-154-180.hsd1.ma.comcast.net/71.195.154.180)
I have an old well that is 1 1/4, 17 ft. It does not have foot valve and instructions on 3/4 Flotec SW pump say to install a check valve. How do I prime with the check valve in the frop pipe? Should I put a pitcher pump on and pull it up or what?

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Replies:
Subject: First attempt at driving a 2inch well and failed. Help


Author:
Steve
[Edit]
Date Posted: 14:02:46 07/29/07 Sun
(69-87-133-214.dsl.iserv.net/69.87.133.214)
Well this weekend I tryed to drive my well at my property that I have a camping trailer on and it did not go so well. I got sections of 2inch Galvanized pipe and all the drive couplers and a few drive caps. I first dug a hole in the ground about 4feet by 4feet square and down about 5 feet then used a post hole digger to go down another 3 feet down to start the pipe. I figured it would be less to drive that way. I screwed up and started with a 10 foot long pipe and now I know why 5 foot is better. The 10 foot was all over the place had a hard time getting it to go in straight. Every time I hit it it moved around. I kept at it and got it down about 8 feet total into the ground and got ready to add pipe and the drive cap was stuck. I could not get it off. I ended up cutting it in half to get it off the threads and then the threads where all smashed down and stripped out. While I was hitting it it loosened up so I kept tightening it down. Well anyways now its stuck in the ground and I have to get it out and try and save the point. Any ideas? I was told get a Hi-Lift jack and put a exhaust clamp on it and try and jack it up with that? So any one have any wise advise on how to go about this again?
ALso I used a sledge hammer but did not swing it I just let it fall on the cap.

1. Do I need to fill the pipe I am driving with water to help it go in? I did dump water in the hole to help it but was told I should have put water into the pipe.

2. On the pipe and couplings do I need to screw on the pipe so that it touches the other pipe? The pipe I bought does not have enough thread. I used a 36 ich pipe wrench and tried to get it as tight as I could and still they did not meet each other.

3. I messed up and put the drive cap on the pipe and now I am going to use a small section of pipe with the pipe cap and use that to drive the rest in. Otherwise I will go and rent a jack hammer that has a attachment to drive it in.

The soil is sand and gravel and not many rocks. The biggest rock I got out when digging was the size of a large apple.
I am going back there next weekend and try and pull the point ans start over with 5 foot sections and see what happens. All in all I did get that 8 feet in about 1 hour so I thought I was doing ok.

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Replies:
Subject: No presure after running well empty


Author:
Patrick
[Edit]
Date Posted: 20:20:13 07/29/07 Sun
(h104.6.17.98.ip.alltel.net/98.17.6.104)
We have a 40YO well that is about 30 feet deep - works fine - until recently my wife left the hose on over night and we woke up to no water. We turned the hose off and left the pump off for a while - now when we turn the pump back on we can only get up to 10 pounds of pressure. Not sure if it is the well or do we need to re-presurize the presure tank. Any suggestions or help would be great.

thanks.

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Replies:
Subject: Six inch diameter well at 45 degress.


Author:
Bob Arens
[Edit]
Date Posted: 05:06:35 07/28/07 Sat
(cache-mtc-aa09.proxy.aol.com/64.12.116.13)
I need to drill a 30 feet deep well at a 45 degree angle for a 6 inch diameter well casing and submersible pump. I know that wells are usually verticle but mine needs to at a 45 degree angle. Is this doable?

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Replies:
Subject: how to prime


Author:
chris
[Edit]
Date Posted: 13:10:07 07/27/07 Fri
(dialup-4.253.40.219.Dial1.Dallas1.Level3.net/4.253.40.219)
I went away for a week and turned off my well. Now the pump is running but no pressure is building. How do I prime the well?

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Replies:
Subject: Clay silt in well water


Author:
Belinda Bowman (At rope's end)
[Edit]
Date Posted: 11:30:38 07/23/07 Mon
(NoHost/207.4.90.26)
We are having problem with clay silt in our well and our water when we use alot at one time clogs our filter coming into the house and the water looks like Tang or orange in color. My whites are no longer really white because of this. Our previous well went dry 5 years ago. We had two dry holes drilled, one 500 ft and one 420 and then this well is only 160 but the well driller could only measure up to 66 gallons a minute. The water was coming into the well so fast that was the last measurement he got. He was afraid the well drilling rig would sink out of sight. He said we had hit a gusher or an underground lake. I reckon God decided we couldn't take another dry hole. Back to the problem, what can be done to stop this silt problem? The stuff looks like orange powder that is wet on the filter. Our water is good to drink when the filter has been cleaned. It only has a dingy look then. We live in the country and have no option to public water. Please help. I am thankful for my water but I still have a bad problem. Also this well is 885 ft from our house. We have put a small fortune into this water situation and I am just about sick of it. I need the cheapest way possible.

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Replies:
Subject: Low water pressure


Author:
Carrie Firle
[Edit]
Date Posted: 09:48:52 07/23/07 Mon
(rtc14-121.redred.com/64.72.180.121)
Our home shares a well with a horse camp that the State of Minnesota now owns (we used to own the campground but sold it). Anyway, we live on top of a hill and the campground is below the hill. The pressure tank is in our basement. We have noticed the last couple of years with the increased activity at the campground that our water pressure is really low on the weekends when there are more people using water. It's also like it drains our lines once in a while in the house because when I turn a faucet on, we get that air/sputtering noise. Is our pressure tank going bad or do you think our well just can't keep up? (We've been having unusually hot and dry summers here in Minnesota the last couple of years). The State is going to dig their own well this fall--do you think that will solve the problem when we are the only ones pumping from the well?
Thank you.
Carrie Firle

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Replies:
Subject: pump type for well


Author:
r. stout
[Edit]
Date Posted: 01:26:52 07/17/07 Tue
(ool-44c2dfcb.dyn.optonline.net/68.194.223.203)
I have a 1.25 inch shallow well used for a sprinkler systemThe swl is 12 feet and the formation is course sand and gravel. The well is about 15 years old and has a stainless stell well point. When pumped with a pitcher pump it produces 5 gpm. The pump is a shallow well jet pump. The problem is that when the pump is turned on there is a humming noise, no water then the circut breaker trips. Pump is about 5 years old. Can it be repaired? If it has to be repalced is there any advantage or disadvantage to replacing it with a centrifugal pump rather than a jet pump? thanks

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Replies:
Subject: What pipe can I use for 2 inch with drop pipe?


Author:
Steve
[Edit]
Date Posted: 12:55:50 07/21/07 Sat
(69-87-138-115.async.iserv.net/69.87.138.115)
I am planning a 2 inch well into the ground with a 1-1/4 drop pipe into it. Can I get away with using regular black pipe for the 2 ich casing attached to the well point and then use galvanized for the drop pipe? Thanks

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Replies:
Subject: Stuck installing Brady method sandpoint


Author:
Doug
[Edit]
Date Posted: 14:56:18 07/01/07 Sun
(S010600032f390153.cc.shawcable.net/70.66.246.51)
Using the Brady method of washing down a sandpoint. Worked great in the non water sand...but as soon as i hit the water table level everything stopped! Using 2" pvc, serrated, and a pressure washer with the wand taken off (just the hose) got down to 12" (water table in about 15 minutes! Now the water layer is absorbing any water that i try to wash with (not bringing any sand up the 2" pipe anymore) and I'm unsure as to how to proceed. I need another 7 feet to account for dry weather and my 4" sandpoint. i've tried adjusting the length of my hose down the pipe but just can't get and sand to move up the pipe! help

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Replies:
Subject: Do i need to go deeper with my sand point


Author:
Steve Martinson
[Edit]
Date Posted: 08:18:38 07/20/07 Fri
(198-184-227-52.firestonebp.com/198.184.227.52)
I have a 1 1/4" sand point that i have driven down to about 14' and i have water standing in it up to about 8' from the bottom off the sand point, I have installed a check valve on top of the pipe and installed a jet pump. But after many times of priming the pump i can not get any water pressure.
Do you think i have to go deeper for a better water supply?
When i pull the check valve off water is at the top of the pipe for awhile.

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Replies:
Subject: air in water line at faucet when f;irst turning it on.


Author:
oleson (wondering)
[Edit]
Date Posted: 11:49:01 07/05/07 Thu
(rapids-hiper2-13.wctc.net/209.94.161.174)
I have a somall amount of air comiong from the faucet when I first turn it on. You stated it was not coming from my tank. Any other ideas or sugestions?

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Replies:
Subject: sulphur coming from the well


Author:
Joni P. Collura (Help! The offer is almost here...)
[Edit]
Date Posted: 04:30:51 07/14/07 Sat
(pool-71-169-38-155.pghkny.east.verizon.net/71.169.38.155)
My house is on the market, and an offer may be coming in any day....HOWEVER, in the past week I have had a distinct smell of sulphur coming from all of the faucets, showers, etc. I have never had this problem before. Last year, we installed a new 2.5 horsepower pump. I had had a 1.5 horsepower pump for nineteen years, prior to the new pump last year. I live in a 3800 sq. ft. home with four bathrooms. The well is about 150 ft. from the house. The well water was tested this past week and there are no signs of harmful bacteria - a good thing. The filter on my softener when removed was full of a gray/black color - sulphur. Due to the fact that the sulphur smell was coming from both the hot and cold faucets, I am assuming that the problem is definitely in the well, due to the research that I have read via the internet. How do I rectify the sulpur problem. Should I have a backwashing oxidation filter placed in the house? More importantly, is the sulphur an indication that my well is eventually going to run dry? I still have the same water pressure that I had prior to smelling the sulphur coming from the faucets, etc. I would appreciate any information that you can offer to me. Thank you. Ms. Joni P. Collura

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Replies:
Subject: Water Table Depth


Author:
Jodi
[Edit]
Date Posted: 07:49:43 06/29/07 Fri
(NoHost/66.196.231.130)
Hello I am wanting to see if there is anyway to find out the water table depth in my area. We are located 2 miles southwest of Slidell, Tx and 12 miles northwest of Krum, Tx.Our personal home well is 375 feet, but we are wanting an
extra shallow depth well to water livestock. Any advise would be appreciated.

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Replies:
Subject: water well problem


Author:
Louis Bittle
[Edit]
Date Posted: 15:35:44 07/12/07 Thu
(ppp-70-253-210-176.dsl.austtx.swbell.net/70.253.210.176)
Subject: water-well problems


Hi mr. Dungan, My name is Lous Bittle and I am 68 years young and I live in Rockdale Texas, I would like your opinion on my well problem please. the problem or situation is this. at this time I have a two inch pvc plastic pipe in the ground,down to 100 feet, it is open at both ends. it has been there since october last year, I haven't checked the water level in it since then, but I was getting water up to about 85 feet, as I hand drilled the hole 3.5 inch down to 120 foot, but can only get the two inch pvc pipe down to 100 foot without hammering it. I tried to hammer it and it won't go , seems like the hole must have collapsed down there. so I pulled the pipe out and it had packed clay about two feet up inside the pipe. then I put the pipe back in the ground and air jetted it down to 100 foot and I am pretty sure it is open at this time, but I still can't drive it down any. The water sand is at about 105 foot and i drilled in it down to 120 foot, by the way that water sand looked pretty and clean as I was drilling,but the sand sure did seem hard, in other words the bit did not just fall down thru the sand, I had to actually twist the drill and it felt gritty and took about five minutes to go down 1 foot while drilling. I used a public water supply (rural water supply) supplied by a water hose to my drill pipe (3/4 inch black pipe) I will chech the p