Ugh!! Water Well contractors...

[ddbackhoe]

Meh, I think it's more generational. I don't recall much "incentive to stick around" when I was starting out either. We did anyway since there was much more of a stigma to being unemployed than there is today, plus our parents were less likely (read: not at all) to support us well into adulthood.

Wasn’t that long ago company benefits included some kind of retirement/pension package. Now its a 401K and how many “employers” even do profit sharing to the employees account?

 

[Valveman]

To make things even stickier, he is my cousin.

Now that's funny! I don't care who you are.

Family always wants a driller to give them a good deal. I knew and old driller who would say, "If we are such good family why don't you pay me double?" One of the smartest drillers I ever knew. RIP R.B.

 

[RalphVa]

What is the deal with water well contractors? I'm getting to the point I'd rather have all my teeth pulled without Novocain, then have to deal with another well person. No shows, poor service, deceitful, the list goes on.

The first time I ever needed my well serviced, I had a guy show up with starched pants, silver tips on his boots and smelling like a french *****. Turned out he was a bail bondsman; his brother was the actual well guy who showed late in the evening. He temporarily got me water (repaired a split drop pipe), but I could never get him out to finish replacing the pipe.

A year or so later, I got a guy out to replace the pipe, but he didn't actually have enough pipe, so some of the better original sections (which still weren't that good) had to be re-used.

The last guy was the worst. I never met a guy that got himself so twisted up in his own lies. Long story short, he replaced a 1.5HP pump with a 5HP pump that would overdraw the well in about 5 minutes of run time. His solution was to add a pump protector cut-out to cut the pump off each time the pump ran dry.

My latest predicament started almost two weeks ago, when we noticed our pressure was starting to drop. I did some troubleshooting and found the pump is drawing about half the amps and suspect either the pump has an issue or there's another split pipe. I called the well guy that everyone recommends (he's actually pretty good) and told them my issue. They said they could get to it, but it would be a few days. No problem, I can limp along a few days. It's good service to take care of those in dire need, if someone says they can get by a few days. It's now turned into almost 2 weeks and I can no longer limp along, no water pressure today. Tried calling them again and no answer now.

It's actually put me in a pretty bad position. I have an elderly parent staying with us in an in-law apartment without water, we have goat kids being born so we're hauling water from a neighbors and I was supposed to head out of town Friday.

I should change careers and start a well business.

We had a VERY GOOD experience to replace our 35 year old well pump. Took the guy about an hour and a half from the time he showed up to the time we had the new pump and water flowing again. He's been around this area for years. Foster in central Va.

 

[Valveman]

Wasn’t that long ago company benefits included some kind of retirement/pension package. Now its a 401K and how many “employers” even do profit sharing to the employees account?

Don't get me started on what it takes to keep at least 18 employees to run a half dozen drilling and pump service trucks. Even 20 years ago we would send out well over a hundred W2's every year for employees that I couldn't even remember. Some didn't last an hour. Explain to them what they were going to do and who they were riding with that day, and they would go to the back yard like getting in the truck, then climb over the fence and sneak away. Some would last a week or two before crashing the drilling mast into the sign at the convenience store. The store owner would call for me to come get the truck, but I could never get in touch with the guys who were driving. Lol!

i know of a lot of big drilling and pump companies who have had auctions and just walked away recently. It is getting down to the small owner/operator businesses with a son or nephew helper being the only ones left. High salary, 401K, profit sharing, footage incentives, and they still break everything they don't steal. I loved the drilling and pump business. But even before you purchase that second service rig you turn into a people manager instead of a driller. Now hiring signs everywhere. We have to do something to give people an incentive to work instead of just play on their phones. Everybody wants money for nothing. When I was young, poverty was the best motivator.

 

[Citydude]

Now that's funny! I don't care who you are.

Family always wants a driller to give them a good deal. I knew and old driller who would say, "If we are such good family why don't you pay me double?" One of the smartest drillers I ever knew. RIP R.B.

Yeah, he did reduce the price for me but after months of him not showing up I told him to expect normal pay.

He refused the offer and said he will drill it at the cost we first agreed upon.

I did get a Christmas card from him so i know he's still breathing!

 

[gsganzer]

Don't get me started on what it takes to keep at least 18 employees... Everybody wants money for nothing. When I was young, poverty was the best motivator.

That's the whole reason I got out of management and started working for myself, with no employees. Managing people had become a chore. At one time it was great to build a team of great, like-minded people that was focused on serving the customer and in turn reaping the rewards of success. It eventually became a non-stop circle-jerk between the employee, HR and their managers. I couldn't believe the personal things that people let bleed into their work life. Issues with the law, spouse, money etc.. etc.. And the issue isn't just with blue collar employees.

We used to realize that being successful at worked allowed us to have the lifestyle we desired. Now it seems like it's the other way around, they want their lifestyle first and expect work to conform and support it. I'm not saying we used to put work over family, but we realized the position of the cart and horse and how they worked together.

 

[BnRidge]

When I was young, poverty was the best motivator.

 

[marhar]

I am having a tough time here in NC. It is difficult to find people to even call back. Almost everyone I meet is about to retire and several references have retired.

I know many who crack on the younger generation not being willing to work but the concept of apprenticeships and mentoring seems to have died about 2 generations ago. Combined, it is where we are today. It looks unlikely that I can have a house built before the end of the year.

I think as more of the population is now on municipal water systems there are less and less well contractors. I do also agree it is hard to get a younger person to invest in the equipment and be willing to do the hard work.

 

[Boss 302]

I know in my part of the country they are the busiest people around. If you need a well drilled you better tell them your existing well is dry, if it's a new home good luck you will probably have to wait 6 to 8 months.

 

[lman]

I know in my part of the country they are the busiest people around. If you need a well drilled you better tell them your existing well is dry, if it's a new home good luck you will probably have to wait 6 to 8 months.

Do you know why that is? Are they drilling for new homes or are old wells/pumps going bad? Not much new home construction around here now and I don't know of problems with existing wells.

 

[jigs_n_fixtures]

Every Contractor I know is overtasked, and understaffed. It is currently impossible to hire people with any level of skill, in any trade. You cannot recruit younger folks to enter the trades. The Journal of Light Construction surveyed 16 to 24-year olds. less than five per cent would consider a career in the trades for any amount of money. Been that way for at least two decades.

A local MEP contractor has started hiring kids after their junior year of high school as helpers, and paying them for good grades, and working them on Fridays, (we have a 4-day school week to save on busses and heating). It is the only way he can recruit new blood.

The trades are getting older, and aging out as they get injured enough times that they can’t work and have to retire. One of the contractors I work with has a contract to do the rehab/remodels on the family housing on an AirBase. It is almost impossible to hire trades workers, who are under fifty, and can pass a background check to get clearance to go on the base. The Air Force lowered the standards so that they grant clearance if you have a felony conviction if it was more than five years ago, and you have been out of jail, and off parole/probation for 3-years.

If you are in the areas under drought, well drillers, and pump service companies are over whelmed. There are so many wells failing as the aquifers drop that they are going constantly and can’t begin to catch up. Local well service company is working 6-day weeks and getting further behind.

I rented their truck twice this last summer to service hand pumps in campgrounds, on Sundays, with our maintenance guys.

 

[lman]

Every Contractor I know is overtasked, and understaffed. It is currently impossible to hire people with any level of skill, in any trade. You cannot recruit younger folks to enter the trades. The Journal of Light Construction surveyed 16 to 24-year olds. less than five per cent would consider a career in the trades for any amount of money. Been that way for at least two decades.

A local MEP contractor has started hiring kids after their junior year of high school as helpers, and paying them for good grades, and working them on Fridays, (we have a 4-day school week to save on busses and heating). It is the only way he can recruit new blood.

The trades are getting older, and aging out as they get injured enough times that they can’t work and have to retire. One of the contractors I work with has a contract to do the rehab/remodels on the family housing on an AirBase. It is almost impossible to hire trades workers, who are under fifty, and can pass a background check to get clearance to go on the base. The Air Force lowered the standards so that they grant clearance if you have a felony conviction if it was more than five years ago, and you have been out of jail, and off parole/probation for 3-years.

If you are in the areas under drought, well drillers, and pump service companies are over whelmed. There are so many wells failing as the aquifers drop that they are going constantly and can’t begin to catch up. Local well service company is working 6-day weeks and getting further behind.

I rented their truck twice this last summer to service hand pumps in campgrounds, on Sundays, with our maintenance guys.

Where is that?

 

[ddbackhoe]

Every Contractor I know is overtasked, and understaffed. It is currently impossible to hire people with any level of skill, in any trade. You cannot recruit younger folks to enter the trades. The Journal of Light Construction surveyed 16 to 24-year olds. less than five per cent would consider a career in the trades for any amount of money. Been that way for at least two decades.

We have the media and gov’t officials telling everyone they aren’t worth anything without a college degree. Of course, there does seem to be quite a few young adults laying around mom and dads with all the comforts so there’s that. Apparently high school kids don’t need jobs in this area either.
On the flip side, I know of a couple recent college grads that are having a heck of time finding something. One is a certified music teacher with a masters in education.

 

[grsthegreat]

i never did anything with my masters degree......was a useless waste of time, but kept me from eating too much. after getting into electrical trade i have NEVER been out of work.

 

[etpm]

I see a lot of these. Looks like they sell the same Chinese made pump under many different names as they all look the same. Can't really do a 1.5HP load if it is on 115V, as that would be a 24 amp motor, and you can't get a 115V breaker larger enough to start it. Probably less than 1HP in reality. They are usually oil filled motors with ball bearings. Worries me as to what kind of oil they are using? Years ago we had some oil filled motors, and it isn't good when the oil gets in the well. Water filled motors with a Kingsbury type bearing are better.

However, the brand name pump companies have cheapened up their pumps so much there probably isn't much difference. Any pump will last longer if you limit or eliminate the on/off cycling, which is the most usual cause of a destroyed pump. For that price, especially if you install it yourself, you can't help but try one.

I have a lot of customers using Hallmark and Tuhorse. With a CSV to keep them from cycling to death, both of those seem to be lasting pretty good so far.

Greetings,
My well is about twenty years old now. It is fairly shallow at only 62 feet deep. When I connected to it I put in an anti-backflow valve. This valve is about two feet from the pitless adapter. I was told by the well driller as well as several other folks to put this valve in. It seems like maybe I should remove it.
My pump is a Grundfos pump and it has worked flawlessly. But I am thinking about avoiding the rush and having it replaced this coming summer when the weather is warm. When I do so I will also install one of those CSVs. After learning about them from the website per your suggestion I think one would be a really good idea.
Since you are in the business do you know if Grundfos still makes good pumps? Is there a better brand? I'm 65 years old and would love to install a pump that will outlast me. Then my son can deal with it.
Thanks,
Eric

 

[PILOON]

"certified music teacher with a masters in education."
Could he be over qualified? happens U know. Budgets can hurt.
I've known a few cases of over qualification.

I once had a qualified electronic engineer apply for a technician job but wanted bigger pay.
I rejected his application and soon was defending us in court,
Heck he'd wanted to modify everything to make it better.
I won since all our products were aviation and could not be modified without tests upon test for re certification.
Hey, we could not substitute a mil spec transistor with a 'radio shack' equivalent.

IMHO the big shortage will be in the blue collar and manual labor sector.
Entitlement is often another factor.

Oh, running a business is not a walk in the park.

 

[jigs_n_fixtures]

Where is that?

South East Idaho

 

[jigs_n_fixtures]

Greetings,
My well is about twenty years old now. It is fairly shallow at only 62 feet deep. When I connected to it I put in an anti-backflow valve. This valve is about two feet from the pitless adapter. I was told by the well driller as well as several other folks to put this valve in. It seems like maybe I should remove it.
My pump is a Grundfos pump and it has worked flawlessly. But I am thinking about avoiding the rush and having it replaced this coming summer when the weather is warm. When I do so I will also install one of those CSVs. After learning about them from the website per your suggestion I think one would be a really good idea.
Since you are in the business do you know if Grundfos still makes good pumps? Is there a better brand? I'm 65 years old and would love to install a pump that will outlast me. Then my son can deal with it.
Thanks,
Eric

Call now and get lined up.

 

[randyjs]

We have the media and gov’t officials telling everyone they aren’t worth anything without a college degree. Of course, there does seem to be quite a few young adults laying around mom and dads with all the comforts so there’s that. Apparently high school kids don’t need jobs in this area either.
On the flip side, I know of a couple recent college grads that are having a heck of time finding something. One is a certified music teacher with a masters in education.

I recently saw a newspaper article saying that 51 percent of college grads are making less than $30,00 per year, I'm retired from manufacturing maintenance and haven' made that low amount since the late 70's. Many go and get student loans and can't find a job in their field. All the operators in the plants I worked in are making more than $30,00 a year.

 

[ddbackhoe]

"certified music teacher with a masters in education."
Could he be over qualified? happens U know. Budgets can hurt.
I've known a few cases of over qualification.

Oh, running a business is not a walk in the park.

She is looking for a teaching post in elementary music education and has been interviewing in 3 states. She is fully qualified and all school districts are saying how they have so few qualified applicants with many vacancies. makes you wonder…