deep water well advice

[amashinga]

Hi, First the background info:

I have a deep well. 480' with a 1hp submersible on galvanised pipe. I live on top of a high area in the pacific NW. 90% granite and pockets of soil. The water even at that depth has an extremely high iron content and is very hard.

I have a hole somewhere along the pipe. It is an irritation because the pipe is only 12 years old. I need to pull it and replace it.

My questions are, considering how badly the galvanised lasted, should I look at a different solution ?. I have heard of folks using pvc with a nylon rope to support the pump. I have even heard some say that the threaded pvc will take the weight (480 feet, yikes).

Any suggestions ?

Bruce.

 

[CrownHawg]

My well is approximatley 75ft and I use black plastic pipe with a nylon rope to the submersible, works great! 480 foot of pipe will be HEAVY though!! Might look at a good vinyl covered steel cable. Good luck!

 

[Mousefield]

Our pump is down about 140 feet into the well that is 160 ft deep. First year we had to get fixed. It is on a black poly pipe and nylon pull rope. When they pulled it out they had a rig mounted on a pickup truck and rolled the pipe onto it, (big drum). Not sure how thick the poly pipe it but think the diameter is 1 inch.

 

[jonyyuma]

Our pump is down about 140 feet into the well that is 160 ft deep. First year we had to get fixed. It is on a black poly pipe and nylon pull rope. When they pulled it out they had a rig mounted on a pickup truck and rolled the pipe onto it, (big drum). Not sure how thick the poly pipe it but think the diameter is 1 inch.

My well head was down 140 feet too in 170 ft shaft. It was on white pvc 1 in diamenter., with the #10 wiring taped to the pvc. No rope needed. But 480 foot yikes, that will be hard to pull up and scotch and disassemble too.Spike arresters are recommended here, i had one motor fried in the shaft.

 

[gsganzer]

My pump is also set deep at 450'. The pipe is also galvanized. The first year I owned the place, I had a short down the well and had to pull the pump. Like yours, the galvanized pipe was rusted through in several places, so we had to replace several sections. They were replaced with the same thing.

I'm not sure there are any other choices for that deep. hopefully someone else will chime in.

You would think that they could put a sacrificial anode somewhere, so the pipe wouldn't rust. Might we worth checking with a corrosion engineer.

 

[Mousefield]

My pump is also set deep at 450'. The pipe is also galvanized. The first year I owned the place, I had a short down the well and had to pull the pump. Like yours, the galvanized pipe was rusted through in several places, so we had to replace several sections. They were replaced with the same thing.

I'm not sure there are any other choices for that deep. hopefully someone else will chime in.

You would think that they could put a sacrificial anode somewhere, so the pipe wouldn't rust. Might we worth checking with a corrosion engineer.

Just a though, why couldn't you use stainless (aircraft?) steel cable as a pull rope and and then poly pipe. You would need to have a way to pull up the pump, other than by hand, because of the depth. In my earlier post I mentioned the well guys had to roll the poly pipe onto a big roll and I think they had a winch for the pull rope. They did have some roller's and/or pulley's on the rig to help it up.

 

[jinman]

My well is 386' deep with the pump sitting around 320'. My driller used schedule 80 PVC pipe in 20' sections with threaded unions. I don't recall seeing any cable except the electrical cable going to the pump. I suppose the electrical cable could have a cord build into the sheathing, but I never noticed. If my well is ever serviced, they will raise the pump and pipe one section at a time and disconnect at the unions in the reverse order that they were installed.

Down about 10' in my well pipe, the driller put a small hole in the pipe so water sprays out all the time when the pump is running. When the pump shuts off a shrader valve allows air into the top of the pipe and the water level draws down to the level of the hole. That way the pump doesn't have to start against the tank's head pressure since the tank has a checkvalve where the pressure regulator attaches to the inlet pipe.

 

[Kays Supply]

Weight isn't the issue when that deep. The pressure the pump builds to get it to the top is the issue. Roughly 1 psi will push water 2.3'. That would be 209psi to get the water to ground level plus the pressure you want in the house. Roughly 300psi at the pump. Threaded Sch 80 with threaded sch 80 couplings is a common practice in my area. I have seen high pressure poly used. It is pretty scary pulling that much PVC pipe up out of a hole.

 

[Jimbrown]

They make a special PVC pipe just for wells. It comes in 25 foot sections and has brass connectors at both ends. AAny half decent drill/well guy should have it or be able to get. I have 125 ft of it in my well.

 

[Kays Supply]

If you have ever heard several hundred feet of pipe and pump go down a well, threaded pipe is the last option for me. I found this product with some search time. HDPE PE 4710 /DR7. It is rated for 333psi. If I were putting a pump down that far, it would be high on the list. Just some food for thought.

Oh! Brass fittings double clamped for sure.