Drilling a Well

[Pilot]

I paid $27 per foot in 1992 when there was a housing boom. My well is 110 ft. So $9 per foot looks like a bargain to me, but probably isn't in your area and in this economy. I suspect the cost per foot goes down with deeper wells because of setup and removal costs. Prices vary with the market and it was a driller's market back then. I had several quotes. I suspect the cost per foot goes down with deeper wells because of setup and removal costs.

 

[TheGoose]

It's not really a bad pump per se. It's a varied speed pump that will maintain constant pressure by speeding up/slowing down the motor. It's a good choice if you want the pressure to stay even, but adds a significant cost to the system vs. a conventional.

A properly sized pump/tank/piping would do a very good job and you probably wouldn't notice the difference.

It's hard to say you are really paying too much for the pump install without knowing all the particulars. Trenching, wire service, etc.

Why is the Grundfos a bad pump?

 

[jinman]

I agree with Goose about your pump choice. It's not that the Grundfos is a bad pump, but it is more complicated and will be a pump that runs almost everytime you turn on the water. You won't be able to do much more than wash your hands or brush your teeth without the pump kicking on and then going off. That 2 gallon tank isnt much of a buffer. However, if you want a very small wellhouse/tank house it would be the choice because all the above ground equipment fits into a very small space.

The 85 gallon tank will require a small shed or a very large pit to bury it in. If you are putting the pump and control into a basement area, that size tank will take up more space also. If the 85 gal tank is like mine, it spews air at almost every pump cycle because of the way air is injected into the tank from the pump. My tank has a float and air bleed valve. Did your well driller say whether your 85 gallon tank is a galvanized tank or a bladder tank?

 

[RoyJackson]

Just happens I'm having a well drilled as I type this.
The quote for a 250' deep well is just under $2700, but I'm sure we're going to have to got deeper (at least 50', probably closer to 100').
My wife has the quote and extra cost per added foot, but she's sleeping right now.
I'm expecting 350' depth and a total cost for the well (not including the water line and pump) of between $4500 and $5500.

 

[TheGoose]

Oh, and btw, anything you buy from HD/ Lowe's/ Sears etc are very low quality and won't last much longer past the warranty.

If you do the work yourself I recommend getting a top brand like Goulds, Franklin, etc and stay away from the Big Box pumps and tanks.

 

[Jimbrown]

The price looks like what I would expect here in Cochise county. I drilled mine 10 years ago so don't have a current price but it looks good.

Personaly I would pay extra for a 6 inch casing but thats just me.

 

[Pettrix]

I agree with Goose about your pump choice. It's not that the Grundfos is a bad pump, but it is more complicated and will be a pump that runs almost everytime you turn on the water. You won't be able to do much more than wash your hands or brush your teeth without the pump kicking on and then going off. That 2 gallon tank isnt much of a buffer. However, if you want a very small wellhouse/tank house it would be the choice because all the above ground equipment fits into a very small space.

The 85 gallon tank will require a small shed or a very large pit to bury it in. If you are putting the pump and control into a basement area, that size tank will take up more space also. If the 85 gal tank is like mine, it spews air at almost every pump cycle because of the way air is injected into the tank from the pump. My tank has a float and air bleed valve. Did your well driller say whether your 85 gallon tank is a galvanized tank or a bladder tank?

The home will NOT have a basement, it will be a slab on grade. So should I have the tank buried or place it inside a closet within the home? Burying it might prove bad if I have to access it at some point. Also, NO shed, out here in scorpion country, sheds are havens for scorpions and every other creepy crawly thing out here.

I will have to ask about the galvanized vs. bladder.

 

[Pettrix]

The price looks like what I would expect here in Cochise county. I drilled mine 10 years ago so don't have a current price but it looks good.

Personaly I would pay extra for a 6 inch casing but thats just me.

I believe the quote I got had a 7" casing.

How close should I have the well drilled to the proximity of the home?

 

[flusher]

I believe the quote I got had a 7" casing.

How close should I have the well drilled to the proximity of the home?

Check with your county building department and/or environmental safety dept. I assume you'll need a permit to drill that well. The setbacks from buildings, fencelines, septic systems and nearby wells will be spelled out in the permitting documents. I wouldn't start drilling until I had things squared away with these folks.

 

[Jimbrown]

I believe the quote I got had a 7" casing.

How close should I have the well drilled to the proximity of the home?

The quote that you posted shows a 7" steel casing for 20 ft. Required by law in most counties if not state law to prevent conamination from surface water ater after that you have 41/2 pvc. I would go 6 " pvc it would give more pump options and make going back into the well in the future much easier.

I like my well located away from the house and all septic areas but lots of people want them close to save on electric wire. Mine is 1200 ft from the house and solar powered.

I also prefer to have a well house where all of the well aparatus in under cover and protected from heat and cold. Just drives me crazy seeing pressure tanks sitting out in the open. If you do that where you are they WILL freeze.