well drilling / puunding

[scott_vt]

Osprey,
The well was originally 165 deep. They redug that well to 450 with a rotary and ended up fracking the well for sufficient flow. After the well was fracked my static level returned to 40 ft below grade. So I have 360ft of reserve while the pump is suspended at 400 ft. I was told if I went down to 440 that I would have to upgrade the pump and at the time we felt that 360 ft of reserve was sufficient along with 5gpm. Although its nice to know that I have another 50 ft of water /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

scotty

 

[3RRL]

osprey,
I understand what turnkey4099 means about the lift above the staic water level now. In your case it seems you needed to have the pump set that deep to get below that level and still give you a reserve for drawdown.

As scott vt implied, my well guy positioned the pump to use a lessor hp pump and still have adequate water level above it. He also told me to have it set lower in the well would require a mor powerful pump? In my case he needed to consider the energy requirements of the off-grid solar system and using a lessor hp pump helped /fit my situation and still give me plenty of water. I have not yet, but will install a 5000 gal reservoir tank.

 

[3RRL]

tommu56,

Do you have any updates on your situation yet? Did you decide to go with the rotary or pounder?

 

[osprey]

I never heard of it being done that way or I don't remember if I did,but it sounds logical to me.

 

[turnkey4099]

Well, there is a need for a more powerful pump when it is set deeper for two possible reasons.

1. The deeper it is set below the static leve, the more inertia the pump hasa to overcome starting the colume of water moving. The water in the pipe between the pump and static level essentially has no weight, but it does have mass. I can't really see it being of much significance though as at startup the pump has to get the entire column of water from the pump to the pressure tank moving. Adding a few feet of depth would be a minor part of that column.

2. If the drawdown brings the water level down then that has to be considered.

Harry K

 

[tommu56]

Well No pun intended I met with the driller on Saturday he witched the area around the cabin and suggested moving well out front. There was a "vein" under were I hopped the well would be able to go but he said moving it back away from the ridge edge would cut the length of casing and might have a shallower well. He will get back to me in two weeks with price and schedule. He said that he usually only had to go 1/2 to 2/3 the depth of rotary rigs at ~20 ft per day he said was average the other cabins 440'*.666 293f t about 2 weeks drill time. I am hoping to put a solar pump in so the closer the water to top cuts how many panels and how large of pump I need.

I will post more as I get info

Tom

 

[osprey]

<font color="blue"> 20 ft per day </font>

Thats about what a rotary rig will drill in probably 40 minutes or less.

 

[Egon]

If the water is comming from rock fractures the rotary rigs just may seal off many of the small cracks just with the circulating fluid.

Egon /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[osprey]

<font color="blue"> If the water is comming from rock fractures the rotary rigs just may seal off many of the small cracks just with the circulating fluid. </font>

I could see that happening in rock you might drill past the water and miss it entirely /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif,my water was in a vain of sand 70' thick and I had a lot of water coming into the pocket. I guess their is pros and cons of both.

 

[tommu56]

the first driller kept brushing me off the weel after july 4th I called a couple mort drillers the rotary guy was 8 to 10 weeks out the other one had both machines and said he could be out in 2- 3 week he came out and looked at site and said he could pound it with out any problem. the rotary rig would have had issues trees and rough forrest roads to get up to sight. I called the first driller and told him to forget it. the new guy showed in 2 weeks The well driler started monday 7/31 got about 25 feet that day got about 40 more feet today. only about 8 more days to go for 300 ft guesstmate. I had to go home and back to work I will be back up there this weekendto check progress.