Fix a slow well cheaply (sorta) Part 1

[PaulT]

OK, so I'm late in posting my first 'bota backhoe project. Better late than never! I'm doing this from my sister-in-law's house, so I'll post some pix when I get home later. In the mean time, here's the first installment of the story for those interested.

The beginning:
We bought our house several years ago for a bargain price - what a view we got. We also got a well that failed its flow test, but the owners had a family situation just like ours and they assured us with careful use it would be fine. They were mostly right.

Now my son is 5 and he wants to play in the sprinkler toys he sees on TV. No, I tell him, we can't afford that kind of water usage/w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif Also, one shower and one load of laundry and we're done for at least an hour. And when we have guests, it seems I always end up smelly that day/w3tcompact/icons/blush.gif

Well, this project was one of the motivators to get the wife to agree to the 2710 and backhoe.

The well:
The well pumps about 50-80 gallons at a time, depending on the time of year and recent rainfall. After that, it recharges at about 1/2 gal per minute.

The Bill of materials:
Franklin electric Pumptec(* see footnote) - $99
Norwesco 1200 gallon HDPT Potable water underground cistern - $750 (hauled home in my pickup from 60 miles away)
1/2 HP shallow well jet pump from Lowes - $130
Miscellaneous plastic pipe and fittings to tap the well line into the cistern - about $30
Brass check valve -$12
Brass foot valve - $16
3 Bulkhead fittings to seal the holes cut in the tank - $60
"Pump up" inline float switch w/ counterweight - $30
9 yards of pea gravel - $110
Various galvanized NPT pipe fittings - $15
2 New pressure switches - $35
New pressure gauge - $5
Pipe dope, PVC glue, teflon tape, food grade silicon - $20
8 Stainless Steel screws - $4
Beer and food for the crew - $50
Diesel - $20

Total - $1386

The schedule:
Friday night - get the second 'bota there from about 8 miles away - no trailer yet.
Saturday - DIG, DIG, DIG!
Sunday - Armstrong digging, Place the tank, measure the fitting needs, double check all decisions BEFORE I cut the water line. Tap the cistern into the water line.
Monday - Wednesday evenings - back fill tank and gravel at the same time
Thursday evening/night - install jet pump, remove in-tank bypass and start drawing water from the cistern!
One evening 3 weeks later - replace the old pressure switch and gauge.
Celebrate!

Total time about 80 hours. I probably did 40 hours myself, with my 3 man "crew" putting in about 40 over the first weekend.

The story:
First I had to dig the hole (preferably somewhere near the existing water line/w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif). The specs on the tank say that the top of it must be buried between 8 and 32 inches below the surface. The tank is 60 inches high, and it must sit on 6-12 inches of compacted pea gravel. That meant the minimum depth of the hole had to be 74 inches. I have a 4672 hoe, so I knew I would need to use my excavator - the Armstrong Universal Pick and Shovel/w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif Also, the ground slopes some, so we would need to be deeper on the high side by about 6 more inches. Thats a lot of digging in northeast clay/rock hardpan. We almost broke the Armstrong several times/w3tcompact/icons/tongue.gif, but found that lubrication and fuel replenishment on a frequent basis helped considerably - (bbq beef, gatorade and the occasional Molson)/w3tcompact/icons/cool.gif

With the side and end clearances added in, I calculated the hole to be around 19cu yds. The tank was 8 yards, and the gravel fill was 9. That amount of dirt needs to be removed as you dig, or you will shortly find yourself boxed in. My buddy brough his 'bota over (another 2710) and he moved the piles with his FEL as I created them with my hoe. Since I was at the limits of the hoe, HOW I dug the hole was also very important, otherwise I might end up with large chunks of dirt that I could not get at (no place to park the tractor). At one point someone commented on the two tractors and said, "Oh, you've got a $45000 hole here!" All of this digging took place on Saturday and Sunday morning.

Gotta go now. I'll post part two and those pix later tonight.

(* This detects when the well pump runs dry via amp draw on the line and shuts it off. It will reset after your choice of 2,5,10,30,45 or 90 minutes. If the well is still dry after the preset interval, it shuts it off, and the timer starts over. I should've installed it years ago)


PaulT

 

[PaulT]

My buddy Rich digging the big hole

PaulT

 

[PaulT]

A pair of 2710s - Way to go!

PaulT

 

[PaulT]

When the Kubota couldn't reach, it was time for the Armstrong combination excavator. First we used the Armstrong pick.

PaulT

 

[PaulT]

Then we used the Armstrong Shovel.

PaulT

 

[PaulT]

And finally the Armstrong bucket. It seems smaller than the Kubota hoe bucket, too/w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

PaulT

 

[Von]

Paul,
Don't you have to be below frost line? won't it freeze with so little fill on the top? How far below ground are your water lines? I don't know where in NY you are, but here where we are it would freeze unless 48" down. Keep us posted this winter!

 

[PaulT]

Von,

One of my very first concerns when I began researching this spring. The company that makes the tank - Norwesco - is located in Minnesota, so they know about cold weather, too. I spoke with an application engineer, and she told me that they have uses the specs posted on their web page for years with no reported problems. Nevertheless, I have some concerns and will be paying close attention over the winter myself.

Being an analytical type person, I didn't just do this project on faith, however. I worked out a theory that I have some faith in. Read on and tell me what you all think.

Here in Binghamton, I believe code is 42". At that depth, there would be about 30 inches of water in the cistern above the frost line, and about 24 inches of water below it (I set the float switch so it never gets above about 52-54 inches). The water line is at about 48 inches, but the inlet is about 30 inches (12 inches above the frost line). The key to this is convection. WHile larger bodies of water (like lakes and ponds) have temperature layers, smaller bodies (like 1200 gallon cisterns) have convection currents that equalize the temperature throughout. As the well water pumps into the cistern above the frost line, where it is colder, it stirs the water, so under pumping conditions, it is not a problem. Since the cistern will provide 300 gallons or so before the float switch triggers the well to refill it, it may sit for a few days without running. How does it keep from freezing then, you ask?

Back to the convection point. Up until the point that water freezes, cold water is more dense than warm water, therefore cold water sinks in warm water. Since the colder "zone" is higher (above the frost line), and the warmer "zone" is lower (below the frost line), as the top part cools to NEAR 32 deg F, it will sink, displacing the warmer water (I believe the ground maintains a constant temperature somewhere around 52 deg F below the frost line). As the colder water sinks, it warms in the lower zone below the frost line. Eventually, the water that was colder at first warms up, and the water that was warmer at first cools down and the process continues. The average temperature must be somewhere between 32 deg F and 52 deg F, but never below 32 deg F.

Thats my theory, anyway. I based it on a little known (to me) branch of science called physics. From the discussions on light speed, I am sure there are others who can convince me that my well will freeze by January. Give me your feedback, and lets get this over with so, if I'm wrong, I can fix it before the ground freezes/w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

PaulT

 

[MarkV]

PaulT,

You have rattled the few brain cells I have left./w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif First, well done, looks like you have researched and done a great job. My question is, in your research, is there a cistern system that can be place above ground? My well in not as bad as yours, but it is on the edge. I am in Georgia, so freeze temps are not near as bad as yours, although we do get some cold weather up here in the mountains. What makes your solution unpractical for me is the rock I live on. Short of dynamite, I would not be able to get that far down in the ground. This may be a moot issue, but sure would like to pick your brain and use your research. Thanks.

MarkV

 

[PaulT]

MarkV,

There are indeed above ground cisterns available. Check out this link http://www.norwesco.com/. These guys make all of the poly tanks I have ever seen at any farm&tractor type supply company. These tanks are used for spraying, portable water (pickup beds, etc), storage of fertilizer, you name it. They have a tank for your use. They also have a manufacturing facility in Griffin, GA. If you decide to buy one of their tanks, make sure you get it from one of their distributors (they are all listed on the web site above). I paid $750 wholesale (I am a farm, so I can buy direct from wholesalers). The local Agway (farm/feed store) wanted $1200 plus delivery, and they had to wait 3 weeks!

But I'm getting ahead of myself. While you can get a cistern for your application, there are some things to consider. I appreciate you may get some frost and snow showers in the mountains there. Maybe even a 2-4 inch snow storm. I think I remember last year there was a few inches that stayed on the ground for several days - very unusual. That means you had sustained temps just under 32 deg for about 3 days. While a small cup of water might freeze under these conditions, maybe a large pail of water would not. Have you ever noticed any puddles (2-3 inches deep) freeze SOLID up there? If there is just a crust of ice on the surface of a shallow puddle that melts later in the morning, a larger tank of water (say 300-600 gallons or more) would never freeze. For added assurance, get a black poly tank, which will be much warmer inside due to solar heat. Even if you get deep freezes like we do up north, you could cycle the water through constantly, and the flow will keep enough heat in the water to prevent freezing. Since it costs a lot to run a pump continually, you only see that setup with a spring-fed above frost-line cistern, where the spring provides the constant flow. My best friend has that type of water source for his house.

If I were to guess at a solution for your situation, I would buy a black tank sized appropriatley for your water usage profile (my 1200 gal tank was probably overkill, but for the $200 difference from 600 to 1200 gallons, and since I was digging, I wanted to be sure I had all the water I could use). Your biggest problem will probably be finding an unobtrusive spot to locate the tank that is still somewhere along your existing waterline. Alternatively, you could dig a trench and locate the tank where ever you chose, assuming you can dig a trench deep enough before you hit granite. At this point, I would recommend you do connect you tank the way I did. I now have effectively 2 systems - One is a well that feeds a cistern, independant from the day-to-day usage in the house. It only feeds when the cistern is below the level I set with the float switch. The other system is a new jet pump and pressure tank (already in the house before the project) drawing water off my new shallow well cistern. I will post more details and pictures about the rest of the project tonite if my wife lets me at the computer/w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

Oh yeah, one more thing - algae and bacterial growth. I'm no expert on either (biology eludes me, too), but sunlight promotes the growth of BOTH in water tanks. Since cisterns have to have an air vent, you could create a great breeding ground for these critters. I am not worried about my setup since a) its underground and not exposed to sunlight, and b) we use the water constantly, so it cycles through often and never stagnates (babies need LOTS of clean clothes). For the above ground application, the tanks are UV resistant, but that means the plastic won't deteriorate. I'm not sure if that resistance prevents the sunlight from promoting growth as well. That would be a good question for other TBNers or the tank company. One thing I would do is more closely match the tank size to your usage so you ensure a constant flow into and out of the tank. To some degree, this is at odds with your goal of creating a water storage buffer, but use your best judgement.

BTW, search the internet for water tanks and you will find other links for other types and sizes of tanks, both above and below ground. Check carefully about the sources, there are not very many manufacturers, just many distributors. Also, do not mix applications, below ground tanks need the support of the ground to prevent collapse, and above ground tanks may not like the hostile environment in the dirt (especially the fiberglass tanks which could crack).

PaulT