Choosing a New well or just a new pump

[weigelbrood]

Hey all,

I moved into an old farm house last year and have had nearly constant problems with the current well/pump setup. the well, pump, and pressure tank are all situated in an old cistern under my patio. It is accessible with a 7' ladder through an access door. There is often a 1' of standing water in the cistern. The pump and pressure tank are about 2'-3' off the floor so are not in direct contact with the water. We have an older model Myers pump 1/2hp that only manages about 35psi max. Any higher setting will cause the pump to run continuously. 20gal bladder tank that is almost new. I had a well installer come and evaluate the current setup and give me a price for drilling a new well and installing all equipment in the basement.

The current well is in an inconvenient location and is only about 40' from the septic tank. Possible contamination? Water level in well stands at about 20' from ground level. New well would be drilled near road for possible future municipal water hookup (probably not in my lifetime).

I may purchase my own equipment to avoid paying extra with the well guy. What size pump would you recommend? Does a 2 wire or 3 wire, 115v vs. 230v save on energy or pump wear and tear? I would like maximum flow rate possible and for adequate pressure, with as little energy use as possible.

Thanks in advance for any and all input.

[sammyhydro11]

You should give some details on the problems that you are having so it can be determined if you need a well or not. Is it a point well that you have now? Drilling a water well close to a roadway can lead to sodium problems but sometimes that is the only place where it can be drilled because of septic offsets.Having the pumping equipment int that tank with the moisture content can lead to problems. Your existing well only 40' from the septic might be a little shady. Have you had periodic water testing done to determine if you are getting any contamination?

sammy

www.tylerwellandpump.com

[Porky]

sammyhydro11 gave you some good advise concerning the drilling of a new well.
Now here's mine! First have the water tested for coliform bacteria. If it's OK I'd continue with your existing well but I would recommend having it tested for coliform bacteria by an approved laboratory annually.

You didn't specify the diameter or the depth of the existing well however if it's a 4" minimum diameter and currently supplies enough water I would install a 1/2 hp or 3/4 hp (if the well can supply the water) 230 volt 2 wire submersible pump in the well and probably with a Pitless Adapter. This will mean you will have to run 230 volts to the well.

A 2 wire pump is simpler to connect and 230 volts allows you to run smaller underground wire. A 2 wire or 3 wire, 115v vs. 230v won't save on energy or pump wear and tear!

A submersible pump will give you more pressure by readjusting the pressure switch cut-off and and the tank pressure to 2 lbs less than the cut-on pressure switch adjustment.

I would move the tank and pressure switch to a more accessable location.

In addition to installing the submersible pump in the well, perhaps an easier, simpler and better solution for you would be to remove the 20 gallon bladder tank and replace it with a Pside-kick www.cyclestopvalves.com.

The Pside-kick includes a Cycle Stop Valve, the pressure switch, the tank, a faucet, a pressure guage and a master water cutoff valve to the house. The Pside-kick is small and can be mounted almost any where.

The nice thing about a CSV is that it extends the life of the pump and gives you constant pressure (like city water) while giving you a variable flow as required.

[speedbump]

Buying the pump, tank etc yourself bothers me. First of all, you would probably go to the big box store and buy junk because it's a little cheaper. The guy who drills the well would more than likely put in quality equipment that would last longer and provide you with better pressure etc. Beside the quality of equipment, you have his experience installing the pump etc. If you do it, that in itself could be costly.

bob...

[Gary Slusser]

If you are going to test the water and use the result as a basis to continue using the old one, you need to test for more than just Coliform bacteria. Add nitrates, nitrites, arsenic, sulfates, chlorides, pH, TDS (total dissolved solids), iron, hardness and manganese if possible.

And remember that a new well is no guarantee of better water quality.