Any well experts here?

[Cord]

Have a older well that does not have a screen, but instead was gravel packed. We're having a problem with silt getting past the gravel pack and can't seem to find a solution. Bailing couldn't penetrate the gravel pack. Drillers don't want to touch it because the casing is a 7". The whole house filter is working great, but it'll clog quickly once we start watering the lawn this spring. Originally I was hoping to remove the existing gravel pack and then repack the well, but I can't find anybody to take on a old school technique like this. I sifted out some sand and small stone chips last year, but I'm nervous about dumping it down the well for fear I'll choke it off.

 

[SandburRanch]

Have a older well that does not have a screen, but instead was gravel packed. We're having a problem with silt getting past the gravel pack and can't seem to find a solution. Bailing couldn't penetrate the gravel pack. Drillers don't want to touch it because the casing is a 7". The whole house filter is working great, but it'll clog quickly once we start watering the lawn this spring. Originally I was hoping to remove the existing gravel pack and then repack the well, but I can't find anybody to take on a old school technique like this. I sifted out some sand and small stone chips last year, but I'm nervous about dumping it down the well for fear I'll choke it off.

I know very little about wells and zero about packed wells but our well pumps a small amount of sand so early on I had to do something because the washing machine fill valve stuck in the fill position because of a sand particle but we caught it before any damage was done to the house.

Knowing a little about specific gravity, in the well house I installed a recycled hot water heater as a sediment tank and that took care of that sand problem reaching plumbing components. That was bout 30 years ago but since then I've installed a filter just down stream of the sediment tank to remove anything with a specific gravity less than water.

One other item during construction, I separated house water from outdoor water and that modification should help the filter change frequency in your situation for outdoor use.

Pictured is a soil sample that shows some information about the weight of certain soil particles compared to water weight. A similar test of your water may indicate whether a sediment tank would benefit.

 

[adventure bob]

I have a similar problem only mine is starting to reduce production of the well. If gone form 8GPM down to just under 6 in 7 years. Pump has been out and works great. Silt is simply clogging the bottom. My well guy says its easier to just drop a new well than repair one of these older ones.

 

[Ford850]

I have a similar problem only mine is starting to reduce production of the well. If gone form 8GPM down to just under 6 in 7 years. Pump has been out and works great. Silt is simply clogging the bottom. My well guy says its easier to just drop a new well than repair one of these older ones.

When I had mine drilled years ago, it took less than 2 hours from the time they showed up until the left. That was drilling, sealing the casing, and capping a new 107' well. The guys came to run the line to the house on another day.

 

[Egon]

Might be able to run a small pipe down the casing and use water or air to flush it out.

 

[Cord]

I have a similar problem only mine is starting to reduce production of the well. If gone form 8GPM down to just under 6 in 7 years. Pump has been out and works great. Silt is simply clogging the bottom. My well guy says its easier to just drop a new well than repair one of these older ones.

That's what they've been saying. I was thinking that it was just a money grab, but it's now sounding like it's not possible to rehab our well. Just to let you know, we flowed ours off the top of the casing at an estimated 35gpm for several days and only saw a foot of level drop.

 

[Cord]

Might be able to run a small pipe down the casing and use water or air to flush it out.

There has been talk about trying to redevelop the well (the process you suggest), but there is a concern this could actually choke the well off and destroy it. I guess they'll blow the packing out and then start drawing in natural material. If they pull too many fines, the formation will pack solid.

 

[Cord]

I know very little about wells and zero about packed wells but our well pumps a small amount of sand so early on I had to do something because the washing machine fill valve stuck in the fill position because of a sand particle but we caught it before any damage was done to the house.

Knowing a little about specific gravity, in the well house I installed a recycled hot water heater as a sediment tank and that took care of that sand problem reaching plumbing components. That was bout 30 years ago but since then I've installed a filter just down stream of the sediment tank to remove anything with a specific gravity less than water.

One other item during construction, I separated house water from outdoor water and that modification should help the filter change frequency in your situation for outdoor use.

Pictured is a soil sample that shows some information about the weight of certain soil particles compared to water weight. A similar test of your water may indicate whether a sediment tank would benefit.

I installed a screen filter several years ago because we were getting some scale. That has cleared up and now it's the fines. Takes a good 20 minutes to settle out of a glass of water. I installed a tandem whole house filter and that has really cleaned up the water. However, I know that when we start watering the lawn, those filters will clog up pretty quickly. Plus I'm filling up my pressure tank with sediment. It's a time consuming PIA to get the pressure tank clean.

 

[PILOON]

This could just work for you.

I draw lake water and there is always some silty material that clogs any normal filter thus clogging it, also wanted very frequent changes. (and costly)
I resorted to using a swimming pool filter* with a mesh insert that was just fine enough to catch the silty material.
Needed to adapt down size to 3/4 pipe thread as pool filters are 2 inches but that was do able.
I now only need to flush a few times per year and that can actually be rigged for back flushing.
My water is always clear and porcelain bows stay white. (and clothes)

The filter is in a clear bowl that is screwed into the mounting. I installed ball valves before and after the filter so that removal for cleaning is easy with very minimal leakage.
Have been running this rig for close to 20 years with excellent success.
My indicator for cleaning is when water flow diminishes noticeably.
I use a 2" bottle brush to clean that filter and usually do that over the toilet bowl so as not to soil anything.

My silty material is a reddish brown very fine material.

*my understanding is these are basically 'sand filters' and my supplier had them in a variety of mesh sizes.

 

[alligatorob]

You might try some redevelopment tricks before replacing it. Basically just pumping harder than you normally would and doing something to agitate while you are doing it. As Egon suggested injecting air or water at the same time can help. I've seen it done with a big air compressor injecting a lot of air at high pressure in the bottom of the well, turning the well into a geyser for a while. Whatever water you get out you'll want to waste, it should be pretty silt laden. The idea is to get that silt out using aggressive pumping/agitation so that when you go back to your normal pumping its clear.

Doesn't always work and kind of depends on how much water your well will yield and how deep it is, but if it does work it should be cheaper than a new well.