Water filter and lightening strike!!!!

banjobj · Jul 13, 2004

I need to intall a system for hard water and Manganese, what is a good price for such a system and any brand names would be appreciated. I also had lightening strike and burn out my new well pump last week. (200 ft. drilled well) Has anyone else experienced this?

MikePA · Jul 13, 2004

also had lightening strike and burn out my new well pump last week. (200 ft. drilled well) Has anyone else experienced this? 
Yep. Our well pump was hit a few years ago, although they couldn't confirm the lightening strike until they pulled the pump out of the well (about as deep as yours) and looked at the wires. My homeowner's insurance covered everything but the deductible.

Junkman · Jul 13, 2004

At my old home, the lightning strikes took out so many pumps that I lost count. At first, I put the claim into the insurance company, but after the 3rd claim, they suggested that I go to a different type of pump system that wouldn't get hit by lightning. That was an impossible task, so I just started to replace them at my expense. Sold the home and haven't heard from the new owners if they are still having the problem. A neighbor also would loose his at the same time, so we must have been on the same water vein. The only solution that I ever heard of, was to shut off the power to the well when there is a lightning storm. Don't know if this is a old wives tale or not, but after doing this, I never had any additional problems with lightning strikes.

PineRidge · Jul 13, 2004

A 200 foot deep well casing makes for an extremely good ground rod for lightening to do its damage. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

SPIKER · Jul 13, 2004

not many caseings go very deep, but yep, they will get hit by lightning, best way into the ground is the least amount of resistance, try adding a lightnig rod with a deep driven pipe, use some galv pipe 1.5" or 2" and drill tip to get it down 30' and add some pipe to the top and some guide wire. not sure if I would do it NOW but I sure would if it ever happened again! place it back far enough to keep it away from the house & well... maybe talk insurance co into buying the materials??? creating you're own lightning rod then the galv pipe will stand up to repeated strikes make sure it is above the level of the highest point close to the house. make it as a flag pole affair to keep it from becomming a destraction. I would use several guid wires, low enough to keep a flag going on top with out getting caught. Not sure if you like the idea, but I know what a pain it is to change them pumps and not to mention the cost... if you pull it you're self then insurance probably won't pay becasue you will have to have a PRO state it was lightning damage for them to accept a claim I'm sure...

Mark M

PineRidge · Jul 13, 2004

not many caseings go very deep, 

I'm not a well man but I always assumed (hate to use this word) that steel well casings went the full depth of the well itself. Now I'm curious as to what would prevent a collapse of the well if they don't. I remember when I was a young man helping to pull out a damaged pump and in the process one of us (hopefully not me) accidentally kicked a small stone in the casing. It immediately jammed the pump against the side of the steel casing making it impossible to pull the pump out or even lower it back down the well. I don't want to talk about what happened next but it wasn't pleasant. /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif

KubotaSteve · Jul 13, 2004

In the great state of West Virginia, we have been blessed with an abundance of limestone rock. When they drilled my well 2 years ago, they hit rock at around 10 feet then hit a spot of dirt at around 25 feet then solid rock all the way down to 455 feet. They only put casing down 40 feet which would catch the void of dirt at 25 feet. The solid rock basically acts as a well casing. I think they put something around the sides of the well casing to keep anything from getting down inside. It is similar to concrete but lighter.
I hope I never have to pull that well out for a very long time. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

MicroPilot · Jul 13, 2004

( I need to intall a system for hard water and Manganese, what is a good price for such a system and any brand names would be appreciated. ...)

Check Sears for water softeners. Theirs are highly rated and usually less expensive than other brands. Cost depends on how hard your water is and how much you use. You can get free water hardness test kits, or take a fresh sample to the softener dealer and they can test it for you.

AndyM · Jul 13, 2004

I'm not a well man but I always assumed (hate to use this word) that steel well casings went the full depth of the well itself. Now I'm curious as to what would prevent a collapse of the well if they don't. 

The steel casing only goes down until the ground is solid enough that it's not needed any more, like when they drill through rock that's solid enough that acts as its own casing.

Since you live in Ohio, you can find out how deep your well is, and how deep the casing is, by going to this website...

Water Well Log

It also tells you what kind of soil or rock they found at each level of drilling. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

My casing is only 78 feet, while the total depth of my well is 197 feet.
Yellow Clay 0 to 15 feet
Blue Clay 15 to 70 feet
Shale 70 to 160 feet
White Sandstone 160 to 197 feet