Water well setup help needed

bc · Jul 4, 2020

Hello. Another project to work on. Tired of paying the RWD to water the garden. We have a 50 year old well that has never been used. They tested it and it was high in nitrates so it didn't get used. I need help on how to set it up, pump type and pipe.

Checked it today. It is 169 feet deep, only 18 feet to the water level, and has 8 inch ID steel casing that is cut flush with the ground and cemented in. I don't know what volume it will produce or what level it will pump down to.

Kinda figured it would need a 3/4 inch submersible run off of 220 volts. Will have to trench in water and conduit lines but first I just want to pump it for a while to see what volume and depth plus get a sample tested. Would like to winterize it but don't figure I will be cutting a hole in the casing 3 feet down. Thanks for any advice.

caterpillar guy · Jul 4, 2020

If your going to use it for garden water you could put a hole in the water line so it would be down in the csaing about frost line ir just below. Doesn't have to be a big hole 1/4 inch would be big enough. This would let the water drain back down below frost inside the casing. Then just make up whatever method you like to hold the pipe and pump while you pump for the test. Could be as simple as a rope with a couple half hitches in it on the pipe tied to the loader bucket or off to a post driven in beside the casing. I have pulled our 1 inch pipe and pump by hand in the past just pulling hand over hand with somebody to walk the line away from me as I pulled it up. so yours would not be that heavy maybe 300 pounds. Mine is about 100 feet deep. If everything works out, so you decide to use it on a more permanent basis then you could put in a pit-less adapter and pip it up so it would be like a regular well for the house.

showcrop · Jul 4, 2020

You could get better help if you were to post where you are. For your application you wouldn't need a really big pump. I agree with the 3/4 inch 220V. Cat guy's suggestion of a hole a little way down is good. I would tee a drain fitting in. When you are pulling a pump it doesn't pull hard until the pump comes above water level. I recommend using a constant pressure valve on it. If you are not familiar, it cuts way down on pump cycling and you need only a two gallon bladder tank. Starting is what wears any motor out. There are some misconceptions about constant pressure out there from people who don't understand pumps. Be sure to put spacer rings and a torque arrester around the pipe and wires to keep them away from the wall. The last pump that I was involved in pulling had none. Water high in nitrates will be great for a garden, and heavy pumping could clear it up.

cjunrau · Jul 4, 2020

Just drop
The pump with 100 ft rope and hose down and start pumping 1/2 horse is all you would need. I’ve
had for 20 years no problem. If you don’t want a sprinkler you can use soaker hoses on a manifold
and the pump will run till you turn it off. As long as it can’t build pressure you don’t even need
pressure tank and switch

leroy in ne · Jul 4, 2020

More data needed to fully answer properly. 1. Does this well tap a formation that the water level comes up the casing when entered. 2. How many gallons per minute at
what pumping level. 3 Use only without shut off valves ( always have hose open discharge or sprinkler when turned on). Many other possible questions could come up. It is
possible that as long as the pumping level never falls below 33 feet to use a single pipe jet pump with a foot valve and about 35 feet of suction pipe and never loose
prime and have enough water for your use. With the old hydro pneumatic tanks (not newer Bladder tanks) they used an air charging valve installed in drop pipe with
submersible tanks that allowed the water to drain back when the pump was not running, this could be used to protect from freezing, or if high enough water level pull pump
check valve so pump drains back when not running. You should talk with an older driller or pump installer in your area who would probably have the knowledge to give you
proper answers.

Janicholson · Jul 4, 2020

If the well will flow 10 GPM and not draw down more than 30 ft or so you can run a jet pump from the surface. This would reduce initial costs, and it
could be made to be removed in the winter. 50 feet of plastic pipe and a jet at the bottom would not be much to pull. and would allow inexpensive
testing of the capacity.
Another thought is to use compressed air bubbler type system it is way cheap all you need is 2 hoses (one inside the other is great, or as shown in the
video. The air bubbles up from the bottom inside the hose/plastic pipe, and pumps the water with it. It does not pressurize the water at the top, it
needs to flow into a reservoir. Almost all railroad boiler water for locomotives was pumped using that method out west during the steam era. I
personally knwe a RR employee that was the technician for 35 years, maintaining them. Cheapest setup to get flow rates and determine usability without
high $ investment. Jim
Pump

and Jet

or air

Russ from MN · Jul 4, 2020

I assume you mean 3/4 hp, not inch! I have never seen a submersible smaller than 1 inch discharge. It's fairly easy to put in a pitless adapter, all you need is a decent drill motor and a 2 inch hole saw. I have installed a few of this type, it seems to be the most common and user friendly. I think it would work in an 8 inch casing, I have always had 6 inch. Don't know where you live, but Menards sells pretty good submersible pumps for <$300, I have used a couple of them. If the well has good recovery a shallow well pump might work fine too, maybe you could borrow or rent a pump to test pump it.

LeakyBoot · Jul 4, 2020

Tell us more on the constant pressure valve? What kind of pressure builds up between
it and the constant pressure valve while it is holding back water to prevent the pump
from switching off?

David G · Jul 4, 2020

A constant pressure valve will bleed any excess back to the well, no pressure tank needed. I actually think this would be good for watering, put in smallest pump that meets the needs.

David G · Jul 4, 2020

You can also get pumps now with VFD's that will modulate.

bc · Jul 4, 2020

Thanks everyone. For now I guess I will try the air compressor with a water hose as a test to see how it does for a start. Have to stop at tsc for some more air hose. We have a couple old shallow well pumps from the cistern days but they are probably all rusted up.

With the high price of pumps I would rather go to big instead of ending up to small. Don't know where the water formations here in central Kansas are or how it tested 50 years ago but if I end up having to go to 150 feet then I better be ready. It would be nice to only have to run 110v. Yes I meant 3/4 horse. I would like to try something different the PE pipe as i never have trusted the clamps to last very long.

Also nice if the water was good enough to provide water to the barn for the horses and donkeys. Plan on renting a trencher to lay some new line around for the gardens, replace the leak prone PE pipe from house to barn, and underground 220v power to the barn. Thanks.[/img:48eb5e703e][/list]

DoubleO7 · Jul 4, 2020

When getting the water tested, do not have RWD do it.

bc · Jul 4, 2020

Tried the bubbler system this afternoon with some success. First tried a 3/8 air hose stuck into the end of a 3/4 inch 100 foot garden hose. It dribbled and gurgled a little and shot a stream about every 10 seconds at about 30 feet deep with both a pancake and then a 3 gallon compressor. Then took a female air nipple, pinched the end in a vice and tried it around 40 foot deep. Got more pressure but same intermittent flow. Could hold finger over the end and it would spray. Did this a few hours and got a sample of muddy water. Need to figure out a better jet setup and see if I can pump it down. Thanks. Will see if pics post.

Water well setup help needed

bc

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caterpillar guy

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showcrop

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cjunrau

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leroy in ne

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Janicholson

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Russ from MN

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LeakyBoot

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David G

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David G

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bc

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DoubleO7

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bc

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