turnkey4099
Elite Member
As you have enough water for the house, I would use the well for awhile before punching another one. Wells sometimes improve with use.
Harry K
Harry K
Help With Burried Water Lines
- Thread starter CurlyDave
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OP
CurlyDave
Elite Member
Wells sometimes improve with use.
I have heard this.
How do I determine if it has improved several years in the future? The scenario I am thinking of is if we ever want to sell the property, a higher capacity well would have more value. Do I get the drillers back out to test it again, or it there something I can do on my own?
I have heard this.
How do I determine if it has improved several years in the future? The scenario I am thinking of is if we ever want to sell the property, a higher capacity well would have more value. Do I get the drillers back out to test it again, or it there something I can do on my own?
bugstruck
Platinum Member
Dave,
Easy for me to say sitting on 15 GPM, but I wouldn't sweat 5GPM too much. Here anything from 3 to 25 is normal and nobody is discounting houses for a 5 GPM well that I've ever heard. 2 or 3 maybe, maybe. Under perfect restrained draw you have 7200 gallons per day theoretical, as I'm sure you've already determined. Not sure what hole size they punch in your area, but I assume you've calcualted the reserve too. It's harder than you think to effectively pump past 7 or 8 GPM on deeper wells as best I recall, even most shallow wells don't get much past that with pump efficiency and line loss. So your draw down is only maybe 3GPM unless you drop a horse of a pump? Against that reserve, probably more like 1 or 2 real world. Another consideration is that it's hard to move more than 5GPM throught a typcial 1/2" line, hose, sprinkler etc. If your installing an irrigation system, that's different. I bet on 5GPM household use and hose watering, you may not even have to watch it much. It's easy to get crossed up when it's you stuff like this. Is for me anyhow. Best I recall you 75 gallons per day per person, average household use. Anything over 100 would be steep. FYI, my 1/2" hose bib with 125' of 5/8" hose attached runs 3.33 GPM wide open and it's close to the pressure tank. Pressure switch is set 35 to 52 PSI. If you run 3/4" lines everywhere, remove the hose, and crank the pressure up, you may get a little north of 5 GPM from a hosebib, but I doubt it.
I also would expect 6 or 7 GPM well in a year if it's like most here. Typically gain a little. Wouldn't waste my time retesting it, even though it would be great to know. I know we don't always agree on these things /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif, but I'd call it a day after those thresholds you set and find some way to get Happy with it. It's a decent well, just not a great one like we all hope for.
Easy for me to say sitting on 15 GPM, but I wouldn't sweat 5GPM too much. Here anything from 3 to 25 is normal and nobody is discounting houses for a 5 GPM well that I've ever heard. 2 or 3 maybe, maybe. Under perfect restrained draw you have 7200 gallons per day theoretical, as I'm sure you've already determined. Not sure what hole size they punch in your area, but I assume you've calcualted the reserve too. It's harder than you think to effectively pump past 7 or 8 GPM on deeper wells as best I recall, even most shallow wells don't get much past that with pump efficiency and line loss. So your draw down is only maybe 3GPM unless you drop a horse of a pump? Against that reserve, probably more like 1 or 2 real world. Another consideration is that it's hard to move more than 5GPM throught a typcial 1/2" line, hose, sprinkler etc. If your installing an irrigation system, that's different. I bet on 5GPM household use and hose watering, you may not even have to watch it much. It's easy to get crossed up when it's you stuff like this. Is for me anyhow. Best I recall you 75 gallons per day per person, average household use. Anything over 100 would be steep. FYI, my 1/2" hose bib with 125' of 5/8" hose attached runs 3.33 GPM wide open and it's close to the pressure tank. Pressure switch is set 35 to 52 PSI. If you run 3/4" lines everywhere, remove the hose, and crank the pressure up, you may get a little north of 5 GPM from a hosebib, but I doubt it.
I also would expect 6 or 7 GPM well in a year if it's like most here. Typically gain a little. Wouldn't waste my time retesting it, even though it would be great to know. I know we don't always agree on these things /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif, but I'd call it a day after those thresholds you set and find some way to get Happy with it. It's a decent well, just not a great one like we all hope for.
OP
CurlyDave
Elite Member
OK, the results are in, sort of.
The driller got to 780 feet and hit rock so soft it started to collapse. There is no going further. He measures an instantaneous flow rate of 6 gpm, so that will have to do.
If the upper part of the shaft doesn't collapse, he will install 4" PVC lining tomorrow. If the upper part collapses he will try to "punch through" with 5" steel casing. Think $.
The "official" test comes after he has installed the final pump, which will be a 5 hp job. This involves pumping for 4 hours and then averaging the flow rate. He feels we have at least 600 gallons of storage in the well, so that should add another 2.5 gpm to the official results, for 8 to 8.5 gpm. Certainly more than adequate.
Best I recall you 75 gallons per day per person, average household use. Anything over 100 would be steep.
This makes a lot of sense. The septic people would only approve my land for 450 gsallons per day of septic capacity, which they translated into 4 bedrooms. I was hoping to get approval for 6, just because I like ovekill, but they wanted a sand filter for that. I said no thanks.
Anyway they are going to install a 5 hp pump with schedule 120 PVC pipe for the pump-to-surface line. This comes threaded, in 20' sections. They use stainless connectors.
I also would expect 6 or 7 GPM well in a year if it's like most here. Typically gain a little. Wouldn't waste my time retesting it, even though it would be great to know.
Actually, I have figured a way to test it quite easily. The wellhead is next to a winter creek, and since I will have a water tap at the wellhead, all I need to do is get a water meter and let it run into the creek for 4 hours. I found a meter, rated for flows of 1-20 gpm for $40 on the internet, so the cost of a test is minimal.
...I'd call it a day after those thresholds you set and find some way to get Happy with it.
Great advice. I suspect that in a month or less, I will be dealing with the next problem and won't think about the well for years.
The driller got to 780 feet and hit rock so soft it started to collapse. There is no going further. He measures an instantaneous flow rate of 6 gpm, so that will have to do.
If the upper part of the shaft doesn't collapse, he will install 4" PVC lining tomorrow. If the upper part collapses he will try to "punch through" with 5" steel casing. Think $.
The "official" test comes after he has installed the final pump, which will be a 5 hp job. This involves pumping for 4 hours and then averaging the flow rate. He feels we have at least 600 gallons of storage in the well, so that should add another 2.5 gpm to the official results, for 8 to 8.5 gpm. Certainly more than adequate.
Best I recall you 75 gallons per day per person, average household use. Anything over 100 would be steep.
This makes a lot of sense. The septic people would only approve my land for 450 gsallons per day of septic capacity, which they translated into 4 bedrooms. I was hoping to get approval for 6, just because I like ovekill, but they wanted a sand filter for that. I said no thanks.
Anyway they are going to install a 5 hp pump with schedule 120 PVC pipe for the pump-to-surface line. This comes threaded, in 20' sections. They use stainless connectors.
I also would expect 6 or 7 GPM well in a year if it's like most here. Typically gain a little. Wouldn't waste my time retesting it, even though it would be great to know.
Actually, I have figured a way to test it quite easily. The wellhead is next to a winter creek, and since I will have a water tap at the wellhead, all I need to do is get a water meter and let it run into the creek for 4 hours. I found a meter, rated for flows of 1-20 gpm for $40 on the internet, so the cost of a test is minimal.
...I'd call it a day after those thresholds you set and find some way to get Happy with it.
Great advice. I suspect that in a month or less, I will be dealing with the next problem and won't think about the well for years.
npaden
Platinum Member
My well is 6 gpm. I've never really had any issues with not enough water and all I have is a 60 gallon pressure tank.
I can't run a sprinkler system so no nice pretty lawn but I probably wouldn't have one even if I had more water. I have a nice sized garden and several trees and shrubs that I have all set up on drip irrigation. We run the washing machine, dishwasher, shower, etc. without really ever thinking about if we have enough water or not and haven't ever had any issues.
I'm only 175' to water and it would only cost me $3k or so to drill an extra well, but I haven't ever felt the need.
FWIW, Nathan
I can't run a sprinkler system so no nice pretty lawn but I probably wouldn't have one even if I had more water. I have a nice sized garden and several trees and shrubs that I have all set up on drip irrigation. We run the washing machine, dishwasher, shower, etc. without really ever thinking about if we have enough water or not and haven't ever had any issues.
I'm only 175' to water and it would only cost me $3k or so to drill an extra well, but I haven't ever felt the need.
FWIW, Nathan
OP
CurlyDave
Elite Member
OK the latest, and now semi-final results are in.
The driller went out and dropped 4" PVC well liner into the hole today. He got 720' into the well before the walls collapsed to the point where he could not go on. Since the water-producing levels were all above this depth, this is OK.
The static water level is 40' from the top of the well, which is good.
He is now recommending a 3 HP pump, with a flow rate of 9.5 GPM at startup (250 feet of head) and 6.5 GPM @ 900' of head.
He re-checked his log and says he got one gallon in 9 seconds, which is just over 6.5 gpm, and this number is reported to the state.
Once the pump is installed he will run the 4-hour test, and because there is almost 700 gallons stored in the hole, we think that it will show 8-9 gpm for four hours. Since the absolute max the pump can put out is barely over 9 GPM, there will be no way of ever determining if the well has improved. He will report the four hour test to the bank, and I will get a copy, but this test does not get reported to the government.
This seems completely adequate, even though more would have been better.
P.S. The control scheme he wants is a pressure tank & switch at the house, with a magnetic contactor (relay) at the wellhead. There will be a signal wire from the house to the wellhead in the same trench as the supply line. The local supply at the wellhead will be a simple tap, with a pressure reducer.
The driller went out and dropped 4" PVC well liner into the hole today. He got 720' into the well before the walls collapsed to the point where he could not go on. Since the water-producing levels were all above this depth, this is OK.
The static water level is 40' from the top of the well, which is good.
He is now recommending a 3 HP pump, with a flow rate of 9.5 GPM at startup (250 feet of head) and 6.5 GPM @ 900' of head.
He re-checked his log and says he got one gallon in 9 seconds, which is just over 6.5 gpm, and this number is reported to the state.
Once the pump is installed he will run the 4-hour test, and because there is almost 700 gallons stored in the hole, we think that it will show 8-9 gpm for four hours. Since the absolute max the pump can put out is barely over 9 GPM, there will be no way of ever determining if the well has improved. He will report the four hour test to the bank, and I will get a copy, but this test does not get reported to the government.
This seems completely adequate, even though more would have been better.
P.S. The control scheme he wants is a pressure tank & switch at the house, with a magnetic contactor (relay) at the wellhead. There will be a signal wire from the house to the wellhead in the same trench as the supply line. The local supply at the wellhead will be a simple tap, with a pressure reducer.
Egon
Epic Contributor
Good show on the well! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
I like that control scheme. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Egon /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
I like that control scheme. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Egon /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
OP
CurlyDave
Elite Member
Final results on the well are in.
The driller put our permanent pump in about a week ago, chlorinated, and then came back & ran a flow test on Monday.
Things have improved. In a 4 hour test he got 9 gpm (throttled back some) for 3 hours and then opened the valve wide and got 12 GPM for the last hour. 12 GPM is actually the maximum the pump will put out, so the well could even be a little better than that.
My worries about water are over.
P.S. He has temporarily put the pressure tank at the wellhead, and since I have the RV parked there this will be welcome.
The driller put our permanent pump in about a week ago, chlorinated, and then came back & ran a flow test on Monday.
Things have improved. In a 4 hour test he got 9 gpm (throttled back some) for 3 hours and then opened the valve wide and got 12 GPM for the last hour. 12 GPM is actually the maximum the pump will put out, so the well could even be a little better than that.
My worries about water are over.
P.S. He has temporarily put the pressure tank at the wellhead, and since I have the RV parked there this will be welcome.
OP
CurlyDave
Elite Member
Final results on the well are in.
The driller put our permanent pump in about a week ago, chlorinated, and then came back & ran a flow test on Monday.
Things have improved. In a 4 hour test he got 9 gpm (throttled back some) for 3 hours and then opened the valve wide and got 12 GPM for the last hour. 12 GPM is actually the maximum the pump will put out, so the well could even be a little better than that.
My worries about water are over.
P.S. He has temporarily put the pressure tank at the wellhead, and since I have the RV parked there this will be welcome.
The driller put our permanent pump in about a week ago, chlorinated, and then came back & ran a flow test on Monday.
Things have improved. In a 4 hour test he got 9 gpm (throttled back some) for 3 hours and then opened the valve wide and got 12 GPM for the last hour. 12 GPM is actually the maximum the pump will put out, so the well could even be a little better than that.
My worries about water are over.
P.S. He has temporarily put the pressure tank at the wellhead, and since I have the RV parked there this will be welcome.
Egon
Epic Contributor
Good show! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Egon /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Egon /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
