Well problem need some help

[tommu56]

If its rock you don't need casing that far down my well is 450ft and the casing is about 20 ft like yours the rock is solid with cracks if the cased all the way down how does the water get in to the center of the pipe?

I second the poly pipe route
Sure align pipe is great too
I used it for 200 ft or so at the bottom of the well then poly pipe to the pit-less adapter

http://www.wellguy.com/_images/wft048461.pdf

PVC Shur-Align® Drop Pipe | Johnson Screens

tom

 

[Mousefield]

Oh okay .... my idea sucked :ashamed:

Any idea is a good one, never know where it might lead to. Sometimes it triggers other ideas. Good try. :thumbsup:

 

[Egon]

It almost sounds as though there was Tectonic activity.

 

[stumpfield]

It almost sounds as though there was Tectonic activity.

When the driller trying to clean out the well, he got mostly gravel in sizes ranging from 1/2" to 1" and some sand. He went all the way down to the bottom and blown everything out with his drilling rig. Apparently, somewhere down there the rock had shifted side way. Now we are unable to install casing or drop the pump down more than 220'. He did tested the well's flow rate with air lift and it's producing about 10gpm.

He said the water level will return to the original 135' but it might take a couple of weeks. The water source is at around 300'. If we can set the pump at 300', then we might be able to use the well. However, he didn't think it can be done. Drilling a new well would be easier and less costly.

My problem started with corroded pipe that re-circles water back into the well and a fat electric bill. Now, I end up with a completely failed well. One thing nice was that the driller said he felt bad for me so there's no charge for all his work. Including the initial service call and all the pump guys time and material used. He lost money on this job. Wow! that's a big relief. I offered to pay him at least the $1000 move-in fee for his drilling rig. He said no. He said he didn't fix my problem so there's no charge. Now I have a lot of respect for him.

Anyway, I'm wondering if a smaller pump might be able to go down deeper. What is the smallest submersible well pump currently available?

 

[tommu56]

look at the grundfus sq flex they are pretty thin but low flow

I think they are 3" od

tom

 

[arrow]

The poster who stated you do not need casing much beyond the mantle line is correct. Your original casing failed at some point above this and let in surface water which provided the debris conduit and eventually filled up your well with mud residue.The old casing needs to be pulled and at least that part of your well needs to be redrilled. What seems to have made this impossible is a mantle shift has squeezed the snot out of the casing making it impossible to pull out. That is probably the reason why the casing has failed in the first place. It may have been imbedded too far into the mantle. The guys around here do not go but 5' or less into the mantle to set the casing. My bedrock starts at 12'. My casing is only 16'. If you cannot access your water with a submersible, then the long run solution I'm afraid is a new well.

 

[dave1949]

Maybe redrilling the existing well won't work because the bit will follow the wandering bore too much to straighten it out enough to drop a pump in. That could be the reason the driller said a new well is the fix. Just like trying to drill a hole beside a hole with a hand drill - it's almost impossible to do.

He sure was nice not to charge you for a weeks work. I would sort of feel obligated to hire him for the new well in that situation.
Dave.

 

[Mousefield]

WOW, that's great there is no charge. :shocked: Some would have given you a large invoice. So if you have to drill that new well this might take a bit of the sting out of it.

 

[CurlyDave]

I think the well driller is honest. The problem is that wells are expensive.

I would check with a couple of others on re-drilling the existing well. While the drill is going to wander with the existing hole, the new hole only really has to be "straight enough" to drop a pump down.

Maybe even ask your existing driller to think about how straight a re-drilled well has to be.

 

[Egon]

. One thing nice was that the driller said he felt bad for me so there's no charge for all his work.

There is a fellow I'd stick with.:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

The cheapest solution for the long haul may be a new well??