At Home In The Woods

[Robert_in_NY]

Bob,
At some point I want to replace the PVC pipes and valves near the filter with all copper. When I get around to that task, I may add a 2nd filter.

<img src="http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=300323"/>

Obed

While I'm not a fan of pvc generally is there a particular reason you want to replace it? If it isn't leaking I would leave it alone.

 

[MotorSeven]

17gmp is good & I agree, if you keep getting debris, raise your pump at least 10'.

 

[Obed]

17gmp is good & I agree, if you keep getting debris, raise your pump at least 10'.

I should clarify. The pump is 17 gpm. The well when dug supplied about 10 gmp.

 

[Obed]

While I'm not a fan of pvc generally is there a particular reason you want to replace it? If it isn't leaking I would leave it alone.

Robert,
The pvc stop valves have not been reliable and have had a tendency to leak when using them. Thus, we hesitate to operate them. I would like to replace the PVC valves with nice dependable copper stop valves. So when I replace the valves, I might as well get rid of all the plastic downstream of the pressure tank.
Obed

 

[Obed]

I ran a couple Cat 5 network wires from the office to other rooms in the house, one to the LR and one to the guest bedroom. Wireless network connections are slower and less reliable than hard-wired connections. I eventually want to put a patch panel in the hall closet and run all the network wires to that central closet. So the two wires I just ran are somewhat "temporary".

Running wires through the exposed trusses in the basement is pretty easy but still takes a little time. When we built the house, I installed empty low voltage boxes in all the rooms and left a pull string running through the wall and subfloor.


Wiring the jacks just requires matching the wire colors to the color coded wire terminals.

 

[MotorSeven]

I pre wired too and bought the Cat tool w/connectors. Right now we are all wireless & it's fast enough for us, so I'm not going to route or hook cat wire up unless I really need it.

 

[CurlyDave]

Rick,
The well is 300 ft deep. The pump is set at 280 ft deep and is rated at 17 GPM.

We talked to the well driller and also to the pump installer. The well driller is major country and can be tough to understand. He said he had had several customers who are also reporting issues with sand/grit in their water. The well driller and the pump installer both said to watch it and if it continues, they recommend that the pump be raised 20 ft higher in the well.

Obed

Obed:

Raising the pump is one tried & true method of reducing sediment in well water.

There are two other things to look at.

The first is the possibility that the clay seal at the top of your well is leaking and that ground water is entering the well. This usually happens in the wet season and can only be fixed by replacing the seal. Raising the pump is far less expensive and is the first thing to try. If it is neither the pump height nor the seal, one last chance is to pack the well with gravel. This is an extreme step and is irreversible. If it doesn't work, you are out of other chances. My well driller says it is very effective most of the time, but I have not had the courage to try it.

 

[Obed]

I pre wired too and bought the Cat tool w/connectors. Right now we are all wireless & it's fast enough for us, so I'm not going to route or hook cat wire up unless I really need it.

Rick,
I went overboard at our previous house and hardwired Cat5 and cable to at least two different walls in every room in the house. In our new house, I decided I would wait to run wires until I actually have a need. Wireless in our house is adequate for most internet access. If I need to connect a device to our network that does not have a wireless adapter or wireless is too unreliable or slow, then I will run a wire.
Obed

 

[Obed]

Obed:

Raising the pump is one tried & true method of reducing sediment in well water.

There are two other things to look at.

The first is the possibility that the clay seal at the top of your well is leaking and that ground water is entering the well. This usually happens in the wet season and can only be fixed by replacing the seal. Raising the pump is far less expensive and is the first thing to try. If it is neither the pump height nor the seal, one last chance is to pack the well with gravel. This is an extreme step and is irreversible. If it doesn't work, you are out of other chances. My well driller says it is very effective most of the time, but I have not had the courage to try it.

CurlyDave,
What is a "clay seal" and how can it be fixed? Raising the pump 20' will cost us approximately $150.
Obed

 

[ruralruss]

"Since our filter is so easy to flush, cleaning it out every so often isn't a big deal as long as the sand isn't causing other problems (i.e. ruining our water heater, etc.)."

Obed,

We have clay silt in our well (NW Georgia) and we had to get a large back flushing filter. It is basically a water softener several layers of aggregate instead of resin beads. It works well and we never have to touch it. However, we only got 10 years out of our first pump because the silt slowly ground the impellers away. I can imagine what sand would do!