Crunch
New Member
Hi,
Just wanted to share a little trick I added to my well when I recently completed pump replacement. I am no ‘brains’ so the experts may find fault or offer alternatives. It works for me.
I wanted to keep track of depth of water in well and what happens over time with use and weather.
My well is 150 feet deep, pumps at 130 from surface and water is 30 feet from surface. Never runs out of water (fingers crossed).
I purchased 200 feet of the ¼ inch plastic water line they use for garden sprinklers. Not sure of its pressure rating, so when I put it in I decided 100 feet of water or so would be roughly 50 psi and tubing should handle that. I did try a bench test on short length and subjected it to 80 psi.
In my case to keep close to not having airline with more than 100 feet of water above end (50 psi), I put end of line 20 feet above my pump. Installed pump and drop pipe and added tubing with wiring. Well end of line is open in the water. I decided that if water gets to within 20 feet of my pump I am in trouble as it never does that. Yes, I could have put pipe down to within a few feet from pump but did not want to risk bursting tube as I didn't know pressure rating.
My two uses.
First
Well had been sitting for two days after sterilization of well lines and house.
I decided to clean out well first, then run clean water to flush house.
Using compound gauge I could get an idea of what well was producing and how fast it dropped level in well and recovered.
Placed a compound gauge I had on top end of air line. I brought this air line out with the wiring. Water in this line is at same level water is in well when I added compound gauge.
Started new pump and discharged straight out of 1 inch line at well head to waste.
Pump was putting out over 15 gpm. (timed into a bucket)
I ran the pump for over two hours and watched the compound gauge drop to minus 7 psi and level out. Over next half day I ran that pump until my water was crystal clear. Gauge never went below minus 7 psi and took less than an hour to return to within a psi or two of zero.
I have been back to well over last week and gauge has not moved much with normal use.
(If I had seen water level (pressure) continue to drop I would have added a valve and slowed water discharge down to try and find as safe rate for well.
Note Over a long period of time air under pressure will be absorbed by water and give a false reading. That’s where second use comes to play to re-calibrate things from time to time.
Second
I put a tee in line and changed out my 10psi max compound gauge for higher pressure gauge. Put a tire inflator extension on the tee. Now bleed air slowly into system, that’s real slow into the line. Air will displace water from tube back into well. Pressure gauge will go up as you do so. When all water is displaced the air will escape end of tube down in well, and if you bleed air in real, real real, slow the pressure gauge will sit at a steady pressure. Times your psi on your gauge by .434 and you have how many feet of water in well above end of your tube. In my case I add 20 feet and I have how much water above pump. Add 40 feet and how much I have in well.
I can now check from time to time the water level status of my well.
Air pressure gauge gives me water depth in well and compound gauge lets me see what happens to well with some serious use. Like wife using sprinklers all weekend on gardens. I could use just pressure gauge only to get my readings, but I like to see the compound gauge go down and recover.
Note - just remember that over time due to ‘laws’ a gas (air) will be absorbed and can be released into/from a liquid and may upset your results. You may have to release pressure in the line to reset things.
currently looks like well static level has risen from when I was doing pump replacement. gauge is starting to sit on positive side.
Just wanted to share a little trick I added to my well when I recently completed pump replacement. I am no ‘brains’ so the experts may find fault or offer alternatives. It works for me.
I wanted to keep track of depth of water in well and what happens over time with use and weather.
My well is 150 feet deep, pumps at 130 from surface and water is 30 feet from surface. Never runs out of water (fingers crossed).
I purchased 200 feet of the ¼ inch plastic water line they use for garden sprinklers. Not sure of its pressure rating, so when I put it in I decided 100 feet of water or so would be roughly 50 psi and tubing should handle that. I did try a bench test on short length and subjected it to 80 psi.
In my case to keep close to not having airline with more than 100 feet of water above end (50 psi), I put end of line 20 feet above my pump. Installed pump and drop pipe and added tubing with wiring. Well end of line is open in the water. I decided that if water gets to within 20 feet of my pump I am in trouble as it never does that. Yes, I could have put pipe down to within a few feet from pump but did not want to risk bursting tube as I didn't know pressure rating.
My two uses.
First
Well had been sitting for two days after sterilization of well lines and house.
I decided to clean out well first, then run clean water to flush house.
Using compound gauge I could get an idea of what well was producing and how fast it dropped level in well and recovered.
Placed a compound gauge I had on top end of air line. I brought this air line out with the wiring. Water in this line is at same level water is in well when I added compound gauge.
Started new pump and discharged straight out of 1 inch line at well head to waste.
Pump was putting out over 15 gpm. (timed into a bucket)
I ran the pump for over two hours and watched the compound gauge drop to minus 7 psi and level out. Over next half day I ran that pump until my water was crystal clear. Gauge never went below minus 7 psi and took less than an hour to return to within a psi or two of zero.
I have been back to well over last week and gauge has not moved much with normal use.
(If I had seen water level (pressure) continue to drop I would have added a valve and slowed water discharge down to try and find as safe rate for well.
Note Over a long period of time air under pressure will be absorbed by water and give a false reading. That’s where second use comes to play to re-calibrate things from time to time.
Second
I put a tee in line and changed out my 10psi max compound gauge for higher pressure gauge. Put a tire inflator extension on the tee. Now bleed air slowly into system, that’s real slow into the line. Air will displace water from tube back into well. Pressure gauge will go up as you do so. When all water is displaced the air will escape end of tube down in well, and if you bleed air in real, real real, slow the pressure gauge will sit at a steady pressure. Times your psi on your gauge by .434 and you have how many feet of water in well above end of your tube. In my case I add 20 feet and I have how much water above pump. Add 40 feet and how much I have in well.
I can now check from time to time the water level status of my well.
Air pressure gauge gives me water depth in well and compound gauge lets me see what happens to well with some serious use. Like wife using sprinklers all weekend on gardens. I could use just pressure gauge only to get my readings, but I like to see the compound gauge go down and recover.
Note - just remember that over time due to ‘laws’ a gas (air) will be absorbed and can be released into/from a liquid and may upset your results. You may have to release pressure in the line to reset things.
currently looks like well static level has risen from when I was doing pump replacement. gauge is starting to sit on positive side.
