Re: there one minute and gone the next -- Water Well Helpline Message Board

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Subject: Re: there one minute and gone the next

Author:
Vey
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Date Posted: 08:01:11 05/28/08 Wed
Author Host/IP: user-0c6t2gb.cable.mindspring.com/24.110.138.11
In reply to: sherry 's message, "there one minute and gone the next" on 21:30:28 05/27/08 Tue

>we have a 375' deep well and recently we had to
>replace our submersible pump because it wasn't big
>enough to pump that far.

Hmmm. If it pumped it once, then it would do it again unless it was worn out.

>we pulled the pump and i took
>it to a well supply store and they put a bigger pump
>on our motor. when we pulled the pump the line was wet
>for about 100'. ok it took me most of the day to drive
>to the store and get it fixed and when i returned and
>replace the pump and dropped it back in the well i had
>no water coming to the house and u could hear the pump
>and it wasn't covered with water. so we pulled it back
>out and the line was dry.

You maybe didn't get it down far enough?

> my question is does the
>casing have to be covered in order for the well to
>store the water because we decided to drop it back in
>there and hours later we had water again?

The answer is no. You don't need to have the well covered. The cover is t keep dirt, bird droppings, etc. out.
>
>i was thinking that without the cap being on the
>casing it aloud the water to flow instead of store. it
>would be appreciated if someone could tell me how we
>lost our 100' of storage in a matter of hours and
>explain to me just exactly how water is stored in a
>deep well

Water flows in the bottom and rises to the level of the water table. It stays there until the pump is turned on. When the pump is turned on the level drops until the water coming in the bottom equals what is being pumped out. Then the level stops dropping and stays steady.

If you use a pump that is too big, then you can pull water out faster than it can come in the bottom. When that happens, the pump stops pumping since the water is below the pump.

Most people recommend positioning the pump about 20 feet off the bottom. That way it will not be sucking sand, but will get all the storage it can. If the pump is 20 feet off the bottom and the water runs out it means that either the pmp is too big or the well is "going dry" which really means t is not producing enough water for it's intended purpose.

A common mistake made by people who have low volume wells (but don't know it because they were not there when it was dug) is to replace a worn out pump with a bigger pump. They see 1/3hp and put a 1/2hp on. Or 1/2hp is replaced with 3/4hp. Then they write in here because they are overtaxing the well and either it is gong dry or they are sucking sand.

What they don't take into account is that bigger isn't always better. Also, wells tend to produce less as they age. Sometimes this can be fixed and sometimes not.

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Re: there one minute and gone the next sherry 13:31:39 05/28/08 Wed

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>>we have a 375' deep well and recently we had to >>replace our submersible pump because it wasn't big >>enough to pump that far. > >Hmmm. If it pumped it once, then it would do it again >unless it was worn out. > >>we pulled the pump and i took >>it to a well supply store and they put a bigger pump >>on our motor. when we pulled the pump the line was wet >>for about 100'. ok it took me most of the day to drive >>to the store and get it fixed and when i returned and >>replace the pump and dropped it back in the well i had >>no water coming to the house and u could hear the pump >>and it wasn't covered with water. so we pulled it back >>out and the line was dry. > >You maybe didn't get it down far enough? > > > my question is does the >>casing have to be covered in order for the well to >>store the water because we decided to drop it back in >>there and hours later we had water again? > >The answer is no. You don't need to have the well >covered. The cover is t keep dirt, bird droppings, >etc. out. >> >>i was thinking that without the cap being on the >>casing it aloud the water to flow instead of store. it >>would be appreciated if someone could tell me how we >>lost our 100' of storage in a matter of hours and >>explain to me just exactly how water is stored in a >>deep well > >Water flows in the bottom and rises to the level of >the water table. It stays there until the pump is >turned on. When the pump is turned on the level drops >until the water coming in the bottom equals what is >being pumped out. Then the level stops dropping and >stays steady. > >If you use a pump that is too big, then you can pull >water out faster than it can come in the bottom. When >that happens, the pump stops pumping since the water >is below the pump. > >Most people recommend positioning the pump about 20 >feet off the bottom. That way it will not be sucking >sand, but will get all the storage it can. If the pump >is 20 feet off the bottom and the water runs out it >means that either the pmp is too big or the well is >"going dry" which really means t is not producing >enough water for it's intended purpose. > >A common mistake made by people who have low volume >wells (but don't know it because they were not there >when it was dug) is to replace a worn out pump with a >bigger pump. They see 1/3hp and put a 1/2hp on. Or >1/2hp is replaced with 3/4hp. Then they write in here >because they are overtaxing the well and either it is >gong dry or they are sucking sand. > >What they don't take into account is that bigger isn't >always better. Also, wells tend to produce less as >they age. Sometimes this can be fixed and sometimes >not.

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