Some more well questions and a whatisit

[MossRoad]

Ive scoured the internet and cant find a direct answers.

Went back out to the property yesterday and measured my neighbors ( vacant property ) abandoned well. The well casing ( steel ) is just covered by a pot.

62 feet down with a heavy object tied to a string and I am in water which appears to be the water table depth for my area. I understand it rises and falls, last week it was 67 feet but they just recently had quite a bit of rain.

The well is 135 feet deep which means there is a 73 foot water column in that casing.

I do not understand how the water gets in the casing, they are using metal pipe and Im sure that it is not perforated at the bottom few feet so how does it get in the casing? Im guessing that its like placing a straw in a glass of water.....that the water level will rise within the straw thru the bottom of the straw to become even with surrounding water level outside of straw but this casing is not buried in a lake, its buried in water bearing sand and am I to assume that this sand is so saturated with water that it will replenish itself very quickly?

I did not know this and have been wondering for a long time. ( assuming my assumptions are correct )

I do not know why the well was abandoned, there is a second well right near it that is supposedly used maybe once a year just to keep it alive from what I have been told.


Ok and what is the thing just above this well with the bicycle wheel?

Thanks

There's perforation somewhere in the pipe. There has to be or water won't enter it. Maybe this diagram will help.

 

[wheelbuilder]

If the well is in sand or gravel, the well driller installs the screen (sometimes stainless steel) with a mesh of size to keep sand or gravel found there out. If water isn't found above bedrock (or is not fit for consumption) a driller will keep boring until enough is found, or the price gets too high to make it viable. Casing runs to the bedrock to keep any non potable water out. There are enough fissures in most bedrock that useful water (at least where I've worked) can be found in most cases. No screen is normally needed in a well that reaches bedrock, and no holes in the casing.
I drilled water wells with a company when I first got out of high school. It was quite an education.

 

[1930]

If the well is in sand or gravel, the well driller installs the screen (sometimes stainless steel) with a mesh of size to keep sand or gravel found there out. If water isn't found above bedrock (or is not fit for consumption) a driller will keep boring until enough is found, or the price gets too high to make it viable. Casing runs to the bedrock to keep any non potable water out. There are enough fissures in most bedrock that useful water (at least where I've worked) can be found in most cases. No screen is normally needed in a well that reaches bedrock, and no holes in the casing.
I drilled water wells with a company when I first got out of high school. It was quite an education.

When and how does he install screen. Scenario: Sandy soil, no rock to be found, reaches a depth where driller feels adequate supply of water, drops casing into hole......is there a screen in that initial steel casing at the very bottom of casing?

I have never seen a steel casing with perforations in the side, I have seen this only in the plastic pipe sometimes used

 

[ruffdog]

Abandoned wells are not good and they should be plugged. It would be a easy path for contaminants to get to drinking water.



4D-3.531. Abandoned Well Plugging, 4D-3. Regulation Of Wells, 4D. Southwest Florida Water Management District, 4. Water Management Districts, Florida Administrative Code

 

[wheelbuilder]

When and how does he install screen. Scenario: Sandy soil, no rock to be found, reaches a depth where driller feels adequate supply of water, drops casing into hole......is there a screen in that initial steel casing at the very bottom of casing?

I have never seen a steel casing with perforations in the side, I have seen this only in the plastic pipe sometimes used

The screen is usually the same diameter as the casing and has a threaded coupling it attaches with. Some are pretty long, but if I remember correctly, 4 feet is typical. They make screens with different size openings to suit.

 

[wheelbuilder]

Abandoned wells are not good and they should be plugged. It would be a easy path for contaminants to get to drinking water.



4D-3.531. Abandoned Well Plugging, 4D-3. Regulation Of Wells, 4D. Southwest Florida Water Management District, 4. Water Management Districts, Florida Administrative Code

Yep, I'd be cautious especially if there was no cap, it had been under floodwater or the casing was cracked. Testing would be wise before use. Here in the Northeast bacteria is the usual baddie which is sometimes fixed with a chlorine dose. Some places have other things that are not as easily fixed.

 

[Tractor Seabee]

I could be mistaken; but believe that if rain affects the level of the water you have a problem.

Very true, the well is getting water that drains through a lot of organic material instead of rock and sand. Have you had the water tested? That may have been the reason for abandonment.

Ron

 

[CobyRupert]

Probably not. It just means the soil is highly porous. Where we live in this part of northern Indiana, we have all sand. All sand. People that live near lakes around here can show you that if the lake goes down, the water level in the well goes down. If it rains, the lake level rises and so does the water level in the well. On my property, I can dig down 8' and hit water. It's pretty much all flat from the middle of northern Indiana to well into Illinois over a hundred miles away. Something like only an 11' drop in elevation in a hundred miles. This area used to be called the everglades of the north. Very similar to parts of Florida as far as soils go.

That's flat!

Reminds me of my poor friend who lives out there. He's been really sad lately. His dog ran away a week ago. The sad part is when he looks out his upstairs window he can still see his dog running!!
Now that's flat!!
:laughing:

 

[the old grind]

That's flat!

Reminds me of my poor friend who lives out there. He's been really sad lately. His dog ran away a week ago. The sad part is when he looks out his upstairs window he can still see his dog running!! Now that's flat!!
:laughing:

Like when you can see the curve of the Earth and you're NOT at sea?

 

[enviramental]

The bicycle wheel is for a failure in the mechanical pieces in the well casing which include the pipe, pitless adapter, foot valve(jet pump), or submersible pump. If a failure happens a removal tool is threaded into the top of the pitless adapter. This tool pulls the adapter apart and allows removal of the inner workings of the pump casing. You can imagine 135 feet of pipe and anything hanging off if could get heavy. Lift the pipe to and around the bicycle wheel, then the pipe can be pulled to the side while not damaging whats coming out of the casing. This would also allow you to hook tractor to the internals and use that to pull, saving you a lot of physical work. Necessary when 3-4 guys aren't available to help with the pulling.