New to Owning a well-Want to upgrade

[william whitworth]

This is the setup at the property we bought. It is one of many wells on the property, but the only one running. We have seriously shallow water.
My question is this, does the tee at the top of the well head actually hold the piping/pump up or can it be removed so that I can replace the piping when I replace the check valve that I used JB Weld to fix last night? In case you're wondering, the casing to the check valve split open sometime in that past couple of days, any ideas as to why it would do that all of a sudden?

Thanks so much!

 

[Reach4]

My question is this, does the tee at the top of the well head actually hold the piping/pump up

Yes.

Normally the only check valve would be just above the pump, or even built-in to the the pump.

Why did it split? Water hammer???

If that is in a pit, it is best to put a pitless adapter in and extend the casing above ground. The reason is that pits can flood and contaminate the well.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[william whitworth]

Yes.

Normally the only check valve would be just above the pump, or even built-in to the the pump.

Why did it split? Water hammer???

If that is in a pit, it is best to put a pitless adapter in and extend the casing above ground. The reason is that pits can flood and contaminate the well.

The well head actually sticks up above the ground about 2 feet or so, most well heads around here are covered or inside a house. This well is located about 500 feet away from the house and the pressure tank, it's a very complicated setup where they tied all the plumbing from the previous wells into each other.
I wish I knew why it split all of a sudden. We noticed a bit of a pressure drop over the last couple of days so I went out to check everything and found it spraying.

I was hoping to be able to remove that tee and replace it, but I guess that's a no go.

 

[william whitworth]

Could I unbolt the well head, lift the pump/piping up a foot or so, secure it, and then swap out that tee??

 

[Valveman]

Could I unbolt the well head, lift the pump/piping up a foot or so, secure it, and then swap out that tee??

You can if you have the right tools (clamp) to hold that slick pipe. But usually the coupling or tee is what you hold onto when pulling the pump.

If your in Lubbock you could come by and see me out on west 50th street. I would be glad to help you.

 

[Reach4]

Could I unbolt the well head, lift the pump/piping up a foot or so, secure it, and then swap out that tee??

Somebody with the right lifting and, more importantly clamp device, could. I would not be one of those people.

https://terrylove.com/forums/index....h-iron-pipe-at-370ft-for-less-than-400.13291/ is some discussion about a well much deeper than yours.

That thing the tee sits on is called a well seal. It is important to not totally loosen the bolts because there is a plate below the rubber section that has 4 threaded holes that the bolts thread into. It is important to not drop that plate. You would have to loosen the bolts enough to stop squeezing the rubber part that expands out under pressure to try to seal.

 

[william whitworth]

Thank y'all so much for your help! At least now I know more than I did yesterday.

 

[Craigpump]

Why are galvanized fittings so popular down south & in Texas?

 

[PumpMd]

Galvanized fittings were used because that's all you had before PVC fittings came around in the late 60's. Easy way to let you know it's a very old well and it could be a galvanized cased well or it was one from the early days of PVC cased well here in my area.

 

[Texas Wellman]

#1. Get rid of the valve on the discharge. Good way to burn out the pump and fry the well.

2. Replace the faucet on top of the tee with a relief valve.

3. Replace the check valve with a double tap check valve with a snifter valve. The well probably has a bleeder.

4. Go see valveman. He'll fix you up.

 

[Craigpump]

Galvanized fittings were used because that's all you had before PVC fittings came around in the late 60's. Easy way to let you know it's a very old well and it could be a galvanized cased well or it was one from the early days of PVC cased well here in my area.

Yeah but I see lots of pics with galvanized fittings rather than brass. Why? Brass doesn't corrode like galvanized and it isn't that much more $$$.

 

[william whitworth]

Galvanized fittings were used because that's all you had before PVC fittings came around in the late 60's. Easy way to let you know it's a very old well and it could be a galvanized cased well or it was one from the early days of PVC cased well here in my area.

Is there an issue if it is a galvanized cased well? How would I find out if it is?

 

[william whitworth]

#1. Get rid of the valve on the discharge. Good way to burn out the pump and fry the well.

2. Replace the faucet on top of the tee with a relief valve.

3. Replace the check valve with a double tap check valve with a snifter valve. The well probably has a bleeder.

4. Go see valveman. He'll fix you up.

1. You're referring to the gate valve? Can do, less to replace. I think originally there were multiple wells tied in together.
2. Relief pressure would depend on pump pressure, correct? How far over should I go?

So should I replace as much galvanized as possible with PVC?

 

[Reach4]

Is there an issue if it is a galvanized cased well? How would I find out if it is?

I presume that white casing in your picture and not galvanized painted white.

Galvanized rusts, so with my 4 inch galvanized casing, there is a worry that my 3.75 OD pump will get stuck the next time it is pulled. With 4 inch PVC, I could use even a 3.9 inch OD pump.

 

[ThirdGenPump]

Why are galvanized fittings so popular down south & in Texas?

It's not just a Texas thing. Seems to be
everywhere outside the northeast. My two local plumbing supply houses don't even carry galvanized anymore. While it's rare that I want galvanized parts, it's hard to find them on short notice.

 

[Valveman]

Is there an issue if it is a galvanized cased well? How would I find out if it is?

It is not galvanized casing. It is 5" PVC with a steel liner above grade completion. It may even be one that I drilled. If not I'll bet I know who did. But I did not set that pump. I would not have put the pressure relief on the well head, or installed a check valve and gate valve in those locations. But I will also bet that even though it has a galvanized tee holding the pump on that 5X1 1/4 well seal, the pump is set on 1 1/4 sch 80 PVC.

And most likely that check valve froze and busted because the well house has a heat lamp or small heater, and when the power went off, the well head froze. Also not going to be a hydro tank. Probably an 80 gallon bladder tank. A lot of pump installers in this area worked for me at one time or another, so most of the wells are done the same way.

 

[PumpMd]

Yeah but I see lots of pics with galvanized fittings rather than brass. Why? Brass doesn't corrode like galvanized and it isn't that much more $$$.[/QUOTE


Since galvanized lasted in most cases and got fixed on the other few cases, they were never seen as a problem by most pump installers would be my guess.

 

[Reach4]

If William changes out his tee, do you think he should also change out the well seal while he is at it?

 

[PumpMd]

Is there an issue if it is a galvanized cased well? How would I find out if it is?

Yours is easy because it has PVC in your picture but here it could be a steel surface casing up top and the only way to find out is by looking inside your surface casing to see what material was used on the inside casing.

 

[william whitworth]

It is not galvanized casing. It is 5" PVC with a steel liner above grade completion. It may even be one that I drilled. If not I'll bet I know who did. But I did not set that pump. I would not have put the pressure relief on the well head, or installed a check valve and gate valve in those locations. But I will also bet that even though it has a galvanized tee holding the pump on that 5X1 1/4 well seal, the pump is set on 1 1/4 sch 80 PVC.

And most likely that check valve froze and busted because the well house has a heat lamp or small heater, and when the power went off, the well head froze. Also not going to be a hydro tank. Probably an 80 gallon bladder tank. A lot of pump installers in this area worked for me at one time or another, so most of the wells are done the same way.

Do you think it's possible that it froze and cracked during this winter but didn't start leaking until now? There's actually no heat lamp on that particular well, just an insulating blanket and a big heavy metal cover.
I'll probably stop by in a day or so and chat with you.