Another Well Problem

[etpm]

I chlorinate my well following guidelines published online in several places plus from what my well guy says. It is best to look online so the instructions can be followed correctly. In general though this is how it should be done: The proper amount of non-scented chlorine bleach is added to the well. Then all the taps must be turned on until chlorine can be smelled. Start at the tap furthest from the well head. As soon as you smell chlorine turn off the tap. Flush toilets until you can smell chlorine. Now you must wait 24 hours without using any water. After 24 hours run water out of all the taps until you can no longer smell chlorine strongly. What I have found is that you will smell chlorine for at least a week. But running the water until it runs clear and the chlorine smell is almost gone is the best you can do. It doesn't take much bleach. I added a port to the cap on my well head for adding bleach. I put a plug in the port after I'm done adding bleach. I NEVER have any problems with coliform bacteria. This is because my well head is sealed and the water is not surface water. However, I do have the bacteria that causes slime. But then every water well anywhere in the world does. This bacteria is harmless. It uses iron in the ground to build the cell walls. If you have lots of iron in your ground water then you likely have more slime, AKA biofilm. This slime can trap small particles of whatever is in the water. When chlorinating the well the slime is destroyed which releases all these small particles. And these particles will come out of the taps. So it may look like a ton of stuff is in your water. But this stuff will cease appearing shortly.
Eric

 

[Travelover]

I chlorinate my well following guidelines published online in several places plus from what my well guy says.

Do you not run water back into the well in a continuous cycle to mix up the chlorine ? It seems like that would help in clearing slime from the pump intake screen.

 

[dirttoys]

Do you not run water back into the well in a continuous cycle to mix up the chlorine ? It seems like that would help in clearing slime from the pump intake screen.

Yup and to wash the chlorine off the well casing, I run the hose in and let it go for 30 minutes after I pour in the chlorine.

Best,

ed

 

[etpm]

Do you not run water back into the well in a continuous cycle to mix up the chlorine ? It seems like that would help in clearing slime from the pump intake screen.

You are correct. I forgot about that. That's why anybody who is going to do this needs to look online to see how to properly do it. The fitting I put in the cap on my well head is 1/2" pipe. I have a fitting that accepts a typical 3/4" hose and is 1/2" pipe at the other end. At least I think it is 3/4" hose. In any case I bought the fittings at the local hardware store so they are common. One end fits a typical garden hose and the other end is 1/2" male pipe to fit the 1/2" female pipe at the well head. I keep this adapter hanging from a wire at the well head. I totally forgot about this special adapter until Travelover mentioned running chlorinated water back down the well. The purpose of running chlorinated water down the well is, of course, to wash down the inside of well casing. If the well is sealed from contamination from the surface it really shouldn't be much of a worry, the well casing being contaminated. Still, as long as the well is being chlorinated it makes sense to wash down the casing as well. The fitting I put into the cap on my well casing does a good job of spraying water 360 degrees down the casing. Frankly, I just kinda lucked out. I bought the fitting and tapped a hole in the center of the cap on my well for adding bleach. I made up the adapter for a garden hose and screwed it into the fitting in the cap. Upon turning on the water the water sprayed out in a shallow cone. If I didn't get so lucky I would need to remove the cap to wash down the well casing to do the job properly. Which means that I probably would have neglected the job a couple times.
Eric

 

[Travelover]

OP here with an update. I chlorinated the well overnight then pumped it at 5 GPM for 3 1/2 hours to clear the well. The flow rate after all that was not enough to run the sprinklers without dropping down to about 25 PSI.
My conclusion is that the well pump inlet was not simply plugged with slime, so no joy there.
I talked to my well guy who put in the original well and pump and according to his records it is the original 1986 pump, so next step is to pull and replace the pump, drop pipe and wires for $3K-ish.

 

[steve tym]

Your pump is almost 40 years old? It sure doesn't owe you anything.
I woud assume the well guy will also chlorinate the well.

 

[stumblinhorse]

OP here with an update. I chlorinated the well overnight then pumped it at 5 GPM for 3 1/2 hours to clear the well. The flow rate after all that was not enough to run the sprinklers without dropping down to about 25 PSI.
My conclusion is that the well pump inlet was not simply plugged with slime, so no joy there.
I talked to my well guy who put in the original well and pump and according to his records it is the original 1986 pump, so next step is to pull and replace the pump, drop pipe and wires for $3K-ish.

A well that shallow should not be too hard to do yourself. Few hundred for a new pump, reuse the wire. Save a couple thousand for sure. I did mine at 240’ new pump was $450. 20y old wire.

 

[JJT]

OP here with an update. I chlorinated the well overnight then pumped it at 5 GPM for 3 1/2 hours to clear the well. The flow rate after all that was not enough to run the sprinklers without dropping down to about 25 PSI.
My conclusion is that the well pump inlet was not simply plugged with slime, so no joy there.
I talked to my well guy who put in the original well and pump and according to his records it is the original 1986 pump, so next step is to pull and replace the pump, drop pipe and wires for $3K-ish.

That's a fair price. I did my own 25+ years ago, last year I hired it out. $2,300 for pump replacement, I also replaced the piping and wire, for another $400. Mine was set at 190'.

 

[MossRoad]

Wasn't there a thread a couple months ago about someone dropping the pipe down the well and the process of retrieving it?

 

[Travelover]

A well that shallow should not be too hard to do yourself. Few hundred for a new pump, reuse the wire. Save a couple thousand for sure. I did mine at 240’ new pump was $450. 20y old wire.

I get it. If I was 10 years younger, poorer and the well didn't have 1" galvanized drop pipe, I might consider it. I might even consider it today it if the drop pipe was flexible poly. I've watched a lot of YouTube videos and I realize it is not that hard.