Well casing material question

[rlee6]

I posted this question at CountryByNet. I hope to get your opinions.

I am getting a new deep well. I have a choice between PVC and galvanized steel, 4" dia. I live in central Florida and freezing is not quite a concern. Thanks. By the way, PVC is $700 cheaper, $3500 vs. $4200.

 

[Farwell]

I have a 5 1/2 inch PVC casing 122 foot well and am very happy with it. Many of the wells in Michigan are going to PVC, not sure why other than cost.
Freezing is not a problem because the line running from the well to the house is below the frost line.
Farwell

 

[Egon]

Think I'd go for the pvc if it meets specifications for your application.

 

[Defective]

PVC will not decay in the ground.

Steel will rust. Galvanize won't even slow it down much. For that matter, zinc (galvanizing) is toxic. It's generally fairly safe as it takes a long time to disolve, but metal poisoning is a cumulative thing.

 

[kmdigital]

Definitely go with PVC. No one, and I mean no one in the midwest has used steel in over 25 years that I know of.

 

[SteelDust]

Huh, must be a regional thing. In my search for property I must have looked at hundereds, if not thousands, of well logs online. Not once did I see anything but steel casings used.

 

[Syncro]

I posted this question at CountryByNet. I hope to get your opinions.

I am getting a new deep well. I have a choice between PVC and galvanized steel, 4" dia. I live in central Florida and freezing is not quite a concern. Thanks. By the way, PVC is $700 cheaper, $3500 vs. $4200.

For what its worth, I'm having a new 180' well sunk next week and it will be 6" PVC, but the top 20' will be steel so the casing that sticks out of the ground will be the stronger steel. They tell me PVC eliminates rust and holds up well, the down side is that it cannot be deepened should the need ever arrise in the future. In my case thats moot as the well will be artesian. The other down side of PVC is that its light sensitive, I was told to be sure the casing has not been left out in the sun for long periods of storage (years I guess).

 

[bugstruck]

Most here were steel until say 8 years ago. For me...I just like the feel of cold steel It's a hundred year solution and you can't crack it very easily.

 

[Onthesauk]

I'm with Steeldust, we just don't see a lot of PVC out here, but a lot fewer of our wells are deep. I just had a 48 foot well drilled a week ago, pump guy recommended a couple of driller, told me to pass on one of them because he uses PVC. Have no idea what the significance of that is.

 

[CurlyDave]

My house in CA was originallty built in 1928. When I do various projects outside, I come across pieces of the original galvanized water line and gas line that have been burried for 78 years.

The galvanized pipes are very corroded on the outside.

I would go with PCV.