Water well location question

stumpfield · Jun 5, 2006

Here's another question I would appreciate your expertise. Given the chance of finding water is equal... would it be better to locate the well near the house at a lower elevation and pump water up to a tank 100' uphill (about 600' away) or drill the well near the tank? I have spoken to two local well drillers. One tells me to drill next to the house and the other tells me to drill up above near the tank location. Obviously, it will cost more to drill above (extra 100' @ $15 per feet). Either way, I still have to run the water pipe from the house to the tank for gravity feed. I don't have grid power. The well pump will be powered by generator or solar panels. What's the advantages and disadvantages of each? Thanks for your help.

stumpfield · Jun 5, 2006

Here's another question I would appreciate your expertise. Given the chance of finding water is equal... would it be better to locate the well near the house at a lower elevation and pump water up to a tank 100' uphill (about 600' away) or drill the well near the tank? I have spoken to two local well drillers. One tells me to drill next to the house and the other tells me to drill up above near the tank location. Obviously, it will cost more to drill above (extra 100' @ $15 per feet). Either way, I still have to run the water pipe from the house to the tank for gravity feed. I don't have grid power. The well pump will be powered by generator or solar panels. What's the advantages and disadvantages of each? Thanks for your help.

3RRL · Jun 5, 2006

Tom,
My take on this...
Assuming your gonna get water both locations, you'd be running extra pipe from the well to the tank and then back to the house. I'd put the tank next to the well for that reason, regardles where you drill the well.
As far as drilling at the higher elevation, it's very common in hard rock wells to hit water at the same depth down from the surface (sometimes more or less). In other words, my neighbor sits below me about 250' and had to drill almost 700' to get his good water flow..75 gals/min. My spot, (250' above his) I only had to go 442' deep to get 100+ gals/min. We drilled the same granite ridge.
Power for the pump doesn't matter whether it's solar ofr from a generator, but if you go solar, you will most likely need a back-up generator anyway when the solar is not producing what the pump requires.

3RRL · Jun 5, 2006

Tom,
My take on this...
Assuming your gonna get water both locations, you'd be running extra pipe from the well to the tank and then back to the house. I'd put the tank next to the well for that reason, regardles where you drill the well.
As far as drilling at the higher elevation, it's very common in hard rock wells to hit water at the same depth down from the surface (sometimes more or less). In other words, my neighbor sits below me about 250' and had to drill almost 700' to get his good water flow..75 gals/min. My spot, (250' above his) I only had to go 442' deep to get 100+ gals/min. We drilled the same granite ridge.
Power for the pump doesn't matter whether it's solar ofr from a generator, but if you go solar, you will most likely need a back-up generator anyway when the solar is not producing what the pump requires.

tc35dforme · Jun 5, 2006

100+ gals/min /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

Wow...is that for real ?? That's fire hose flow!!!

I've got 1 GPM !!! /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

tc35dforme · Jun 5, 2006

100+ gals/min /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

Wow...is that for real ?? That's fire hose flow!!!

I've got 1 GPM !!! /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

Bird · Jun 5, 2006

( As far as drilling at the higher elevation, it's very common in hard rock wells to hit water at the same depth down from the surface (sometimes more or less). )

I saw some good examples of that in a development called Queeen Esther Hill in Sayre, PA. Very steep road uphill all the way about a mile and a half, if I remember right, and new homes at the very top had wells in their yards. They told me they didn't have to drill any deeper up there than they did down lower on the hill.

Bird · Jun 5, 2006

( As far as drilling at the higher elevation, it's very common in hard rock wells to hit water at the same depth down from the surface (sometimes more or less). )

I saw some good examples of that in a development called Queeen Esther Hill in Sayre, PA. Very steep road uphill all the way about a mile and a half, if I remember right, and new homes at the very top had wells in their yards. They told me they didn't have to drill any deeper up there than they did down lower on the hill.

Highbeam · Jun 5, 2006

There will be no extra pipe since you only need the one run to act as a two way pipe. Assuming equal chances of water at equal depths then I would put the well at the tank up on the hill. Reason being the energy required to pump the water from the same well will be increased if the same pump then has to pump it up the hill 100'. Less energy required is a good thing if you are off grid.

You won't need an expansion tank since the storage tank on a hill will be your source of pressure and volume until it empties. A pressure switch at the home will tell the pump to refill the tank.

Highbeam · Jun 5, 2006

There will be no extra pipe since you only need the one run to act as a two way pipe. Assuming equal chances of water at equal depths then I would put the well at the tank up on the hill. Reason being the energy required to pump the water from the same well will be increased if the same pump then has to pump it up the hill 100'. Less energy required is a good thing if you are off grid.

You won't need an expansion tank since the storage tank on a hill will be your source of pressure and volume until it empties. A pressure switch at the home will tell the pump to refill the tank.

Doc_Bob · Jun 5, 2006

Drill at top of hill. Gravity is your friend, use it.
Bob

Doc_Bob · Jun 5, 2006

Drill at top of hill. Gravity is your friend, use it.
Bob

stumpfield · Jun 5, 2006

( There will be no extra pipe since you only need the one run to act as a two way pipe. Assuming equal chances of water at equal depths then I would put the well at the tank up on the hill. Reason being the energy required to pump the water from the same well will be increased if the same pump then has to pump it up the hill 100'. Less energy required is a good thing if you are off grid.

You won't need an expansion tank since the storage tank on a hill will be your source of pressure and volume until it empties. A pressure switch at the home will tell the pump to refill the tank. )

I'm just curious what's keeping the water in the tank 100' uphill from draining back into the well? (if the well is located below...) Do I need some sort of special electronic valve?

Looks like it's a better bet for me to drill uphill where the tank is located. Based on little that I learned, it's about the same chance of getting water anywhere up or down. In this area, it's solid granite 20' below the surface. There's plenty of water if you hit the cracks in the rock.

Neighbors in the area below use springs water. No record of any well in my immediate area. Nearest wells is a couple of miles away at about the same elevation. He has 2 wells at 35' and 40' each with plenty of water.

What supprises me was that both well drillers said the estimated depth for my well will be around 600'. I'm still very puzzle over this assessment.

stumpfield · Jun 5, 2006

( There will be no extra pipe since you only need the one run to act as a two way pipe. Assuming equal chances of water at equal depths then I would put the well at the tank up on the hill. Reason being the energy required to pump the water from the same well will be increased if the same pump then has to pump it up the hill 100'. Less energy required is a good thing if you are off grid.

You won't need an expansion tank since the storage tank on a hill will be your source of pressure and volume until it empties. A pressure switch at the home will tell the pump to refill the tank. )

I'm just curious what's keeping the water in the tank 100' uphill from draining back into the well? (if the well is located below...) Do I need some sort of special electronic valve?

Looks like it's a better bet for me to drill uphill where the tank is located. Based on little that I learned, it's about the same chance of getting water anywhere up or down. In this area, it's solid granite 20' below the surface. There's plenty of water if you hit the cracks in the rock.

Neighbors in the area below use springs water. No record of any well in my immediate area. Nearest wells is a couple of miles away at about the same elevation. He has 2 wells at 35' and 40' each with plenty of water.

What supprises me was that both well drillers said the estimated depth for my well will be around 600'. I'm still very puzzle over this assessment.

Jimbrown · Jun 5, 2006

Drill up the hill close to the tank. Use a solar pump. My well is 100% solar. I pump from a 300ft well into 1800gallon storage tank. Most of the newer solar pumps will do close to or better than 3 gallons a minute in full sun. I have never run out of water except when doing stupid things like leaving a hose on all day and night. The thing that keeps the water from flowing back into the well is called a one way valve, almost all wells have them even regular subermisable pumps with pressure tanks have them to keep the pressure tanks from back flowing into the well.

Jimbrown · Jun 5, 2006

Drill up the hill close to the tank. Use a solar pump. My well is 100% solar. I pump from a 300ft well into 1800gallon storage tank. Most of the newer solar pumps will do close to or better than 3 gallons a minute in full sun. I have never run out of water except when doing stupid things like leaving a hose on all day and night. The thing that keeps the water from flowing back into the well is called a one way valve, almost all wells have them even regular subermisable pumps with pressure tanks have them to keep the pressure tanks from back flowing into the well.

Bird · Jun 5, 2006

Now I can't say for sure, but I thought all wells had a check valve to keep the water from running back into it, regardless of where they're located.

Bird · Jun 5, 2006

Now I can't say for sure, but I thought all wells had a check valve to keep the water from running back into it, regardless of where they're located.

Highbeam · Jun 5, 2006

The water won't drain back down the well, you'll have a check valve at the pump itself at the bottom of the well. If that well is 600 feet deep the pressure down there is pretty amazing, like 240 psi plus whatever pressure is present at the surface.

The check valve at the pump is another reason that it is so hard to pull the pump back up for service, you're talking about lifting a 1-1.5" diameter water column that could be 600 feet long plus the weight of the pipe, wire, and pump. When you lower the pump it is much easier without the water weight.

OK, a water column 1.5" across and 600' long is 55 gallons of water and weighs 412 lbs.

Highbeam · Jun 5, 2006

The water won't drain back down the well, you'll have a check valve at the pump itself at the bottom of the well. If that well is 600 feet deep the pressure down there is pretty amazing, like 240 psi plus whatever pressure is present at the surface.

The check valve at the pump is another reason that it is so hard to pull the pump back up for service, you're talking about lifting a 1-1.5" diameter water column that could be 600 feet long plus the weight of the pipe, wire, and pump. When you lower the pump it is much easier without the water weight.

OK, a water column 1.5" across and 600' long is 55 gallons of water and weighs 412 lbs.