water well house - why?

[Adron]

seven years ago I paid about $7500 for a cased well at 475’, a pump, trenching 1” line and wire 75’ to the building site and a pressure tank. I’d talk to some more well drillers before trying to do it myself.

MarkV

Mine was $10/ ft cased to 200', $6/ft for another 120' ft. Trench to the house was dug by the backhoe guy who dug the footings. Then the pressure tank guy did the tank, controls, 1" line and wiring for $1500 flat rate, and the backhoe guy filled the trench. This was a little over 3 years ago.

Think I'd keep looking for awhile.

 

[5030tinkerer]

Curious to hear what size casings you guys went with for those prices and what sort of deal you worked with the driller on, if any, if water was not found.

 

[scott_vt]

The pitless adapter allows sericing the pump without undoing pipe. It is a two part 'wedge' the 'up' face on the wedge goes on the pipe leading out of the weel to the house, the 'down' face goes on the pump piping. Smear with pipe dope, drop pump and pipe down the well and the adapter makes a seal. Need to work on the well pipe or pump? Just lift on the top of the well pipe and everything comes out.

The wedge on the pump pipe takes the place of a T.

Harry K

Just to add what Harry allready stated, you need a longer piece of threaded pipe with a tee handle to get down to the pitless adaptor. The end of the threaded rod screws onto the pitless adapter.

You also may need three men and a boy to raise the pump out of the well if its down at any real depth, because its quite heavy.

Most pump contractors have what is called a Upsadaisy to raise the pipe and pump.

 

[turnkey4099]

Makes great sense - thanks! Quick other question: I have been quoted $7500 for someone to come out and drill this well for me, but I see these 5 to 13 DIY well drilling setups all over eBay for next to nothing. I know it's a bit of a crap shoot, but my neighbor has a well drilled only 30' deep perhaps 200 yards away that works great. Is drilling a well so very difficult that it doesn't make sense to try this myself?

I wouild be looking for another driller. None that I know of will quote a price on a well. They quote a price per foot drilled with no gaurantees that you will get water.

As to the DIY drillers. Yes they work SORTA. They will drill in easy conditions, no hard rock. They produce a very small diameter well. They take a long time to get anywhere.

I looked into them way back in the 80s - decided it was an idea whose time had not come.

Harry K

 

[Adron]

I really don't know the size of the casing. This guy has been a well driller in the area for over 20 years, so I went with his suggestions. I believe the caseing was like 8" and the rest of the well below the casing was 6", but don't hold me to that.

Normally in this area/ and as required by state law/ casing runs to at least 90' minimum. However since I live within 1/4 mile of a corps of engineers lake, I had to case at least 50' below the deepest part of the lake within 1/4 mile.
(i.e. Well is 100' above lake water level, Deepest part in 1/4 mile is 50' so I had to case 200'). Driller knew of this regulation which I later confirmed.

If we failed to hit water, I would have to write the man a check for however many feet we had drilled and we would try some other place. However, in our area that seldom if ever happens.

I think the pump/pressure tank installer was the drillers SIL or so. Made no difference as he showed up when he said he would, seemed to know what he was doing, and did what needed to be done. Nothing special, just what needed to be done for the price agreed. Can't expect to beat that.

Been 3 1/2 years, so far exactly zero problems.

 

[LBrown59]

If I have a backhoe to dig things out later, can I just drill a water well, case it, drop a pump down, and then run the line the required 4' depth to the house for a pressure tank there instead of building a well house or does that well house serve some other purpose? I am trying to avoid having to keep the we'll house above freezing temps.

A well house is used mainly for the water storage tank and a jet pump when there is no garage etc for them.

Once I put the tank in the cabnet under the bathroom sink.

 

[LBrown59]

Thanks for the replies, guys. I imagine using a 4" or 6" schedule 80 PVC casing and have read about pitless adapters. The question is - what makes these special? I mean, is there some reason why folks don't just use a PVC T 4 feet down with reducers down to, say, 2", so that their 1.25" black poly line can be slipped through that sleeve and run to the house? I want to do this right, but the point of these pitless adapters is eluding me.

Go with 6'' and you will have a tremendously larger reserve of water over that afforded by 4''

 

[AMP762]

Around here you can get a price by the foot or for a price they will get you water. Pay your money or take your chances.

 

[LBrown59]

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Last time I know they charge so much a foot for the drilling and so much a foot for casing the well here.
If you can do everything but the drilling yourself you can save some money.
I did that once>> Hired a guy to drill the well then I cased it installed the pump tank and all the rest. I think the drilling cost was 2 dollars a foot at the time. Drilling the well 100' deep cost me all of $200.oo.

 

[dfkrug]

Makes great sense - thanks! Quick other question: I have been quoted $7500 for someone to come out and drill this well for me, but I see these 5 to 13 DIY well drilling setups all over eBay for next to nothing. I know it's a bit of a crap shoot, but my neighbor has a well drilled only 30' deep perhaps 200 yards away that works great. Is drilling a well so very difficult that it doesn't make sense to try this myself?

I was going to drill a well for my new house about 10y ago, using the
Deep Rock system. As a big time DIY person, I was ready to go this
way. Then I found out the state of CA only allows 2 types of licensed
contractors to drill. AND they have to watch as the sanitary seal was
poured. Anyway, that killed it.

Of course, I was subject to very close scrutiny since I was building a
new house on vacant land. If I were to drill another well, then there is
little to stop me from DIY.