Extending The Well Casing

[tsingerjr]

My current well casing setup is below ground level about 2 feet. The drilled the well into what appears to be an old cistern. The water level never covers the top of the cap. The bolts on the top are getting really rusted and are starting to deteriorate. Is there any way I can extend the well casing, so that its above ground level, like its suppose to be?
thanks,

Tommy

[speedbump]

Sure you can, but you have to either pull the pump first or pull it up so that you can slip the extension down over the droppipe the pump is hanging on. This is assuming you have a submersible pump. You will also need some kind of coupling to fasten the two pipes together. Or you could weld it on if both pieces are metal. You will also have to deal with the wire feeding the pump and the pipe leading to the house.

You might want to look into a pitless adaptor if your in freeze country.

bob...

[tsingerjr]

I have a jetpump that is located in the basement.

[Porky]

However as Speedbump says, you will have to remove the drop pipe from the well first, then extend the casing to at least 1 foot above ground (a requirement in most states) and you may want to consider installing a pitless adapter as well.

[tsingerjr]

I attached pictures of my current setup. Is the drop pipe threaded?
Am I correct in assuming the following steps:
1) Remove the drop pipe
2) Remove the copper discharge 1/2" line seen in attached pic
3) Remove the cap
4) Insert pitless adapter and re-attach drop pipe
5) Extend Casing and install new cap

[speedbump]

Wow, I would be very worried about that water sitting around my casing like that. Contamination could easily get into your well.

Your steps may or may not be correct. A lot depends on what kind, type or brand pitless you are going to use.

Where does the 1/2" pipe go and what does it connect to or what does it do? I would have thought it was the wire from a submersible pump, but I'm not even sure you have a sub.

bob...

[tsingerjr]

The 1/2" copper pipe extends up about 2' and then has a 90' elbow at the top. WHat type of pitless adapter do you recommend? Regarding the water around the pipe, the water is always about 1 1/2 feet deep.

[sammyhydro11]

That 1/2" pipe is a vent for the well. What you have is poly pipe that goes through the well seal, into the well, and on the end is a foot valve. Extending that well casing is not an easy task for a DIY and should be done in a professional manner so that the joint or the pitless will not leak. Once it is done correctly, that pit should be filled in with clean material. Extending these well casings in the summer time mounts to 25 percent of our work. We either have a certified welder extend them for us, or we use a casing extension adapter and bring up the casing with 6" PVC pipe. Do not by any means extend your well casing using a fernco coupling, they are bad news. Merrill makes that extension adapter. http://www.merrillmfg.com/product/02.../features.html

sammy

www.tylerwellandpump.com

[Gary Slusser]

You do not have a pitless adapter now, the weight of the drop pipe is supported by the elbow resting on the sanitary well seal, the part with the four bolts.

Here are a couple links to posts here about extending the casing and converting a jet pump to a submersible pump. In the first link there is a discussion concerning a Fernco type seal and PVC as the extension. It is from CT and applies to extensions being a different diameter than the original casing, which PVC will be larger OD than the same size steel casing, which you have.

The second link has pictures of a casing I extended, in PA where there was no requirement to weld or no prohibition to the use of a Fernco. For what it's worth, PA has the second highest number of residential wells in the country and was number one until TX surpassed PA just a few years ago.

In most states there is no regulation saying that a homeowner can not work on their own well. Actually I have not heard of any state that prevents it.

The 3rd is about installing a pitless adapter.

http://terrylove.com/forums/showthre...=fernco&page=3

http://terrylove.com/forums/showthre...hlight=pitless

http://terrylove.com/forums/showthre...ighlight=torch

[sammyhydro11]

Using a piece of rubber as a joint in a water well spells trouble. Anything in that casing that allows it to move freely will cause major problems. Casing being misaligned can cause the pitless to not be accessed and it wouldn't take much to break the seal on the rubber coupling. Because of contamination issues, Massachusetts requires that a licensed well contractor extends casing. Using that rubber coupling is a poor way to extend casing and that is why Massachusetts is one of the states that doesn't allow it. I suggest hiring a licensed well contractor to handle this job. There are just too many variables involved where a homeowner can screw up.

sammy

www.tylerwellandpump.com

[Gary Slusser]

The Fernco insures the alignment of the PVC with the steel casing and the PVC rests on the steel casing. The backfilled dirt around the PVC keeps it from moving. A Fernco is pretty tough stuff and very difficult to impossible to break. IIRC it is Neoprene and that has been around for 50 years.

IMO MA is protecting well drillers' income at the expense of their residential well owners' freedom. I understand they refuse to allow a home owner to install their own water heater too; and possibly a water softener etc..

[sammyhydro11]

Gary, you are wrong about your statements. Massachusetts and many other states have put licensing and regulations on water wells to protect the publics health. A water well is a direct conduit to the aquifer and should be constructed in a way that contaminants can not enter the casing. The exams for the licensing consists of a lot questions pertaining to these issues. If there were no licensing requirements or regulations, then a lot of people would be getting sick because of improper well construction. Your fernco coupling idea is an improper way to extend well casing and as a licensed well contractor and certified pump installer by the NGWA, i do not recommend it.

sammy

www.tylerwellandpump.com

[Gary Slusser]

I don't agree, I say the reason for the regs is simply more government control, and that is political.

If it was about health as you claim, the EPA would be involved as they are with city water, and they are not (yet), the EPA has no regs for any private wells, and all residential wells are private.

PA has the second highest number of private residential wells in the country, TX surpassed PA just a few years ago. To my knowledge neither says their well owners can't work on their own well; or that a casing extension has to be welded steel or that no Fernco or similiar fittings be used.

Can you show us the data to back up your claim that most states have that type regulation. I already posted a link from CT okaying a Fernco type fitting when the diameter of the extension and the existing casing is different. And as you know, PVC and steel are always two different outside diameters; the steel is smaller.

Since you don't like the idea of a Fernco, and your state requires you to weld the extension, don't use a Fernco or tell others from other states they can't because that is not true.

[valveman]

I double checked the rules in Texas. I do not see anywhere they would allow anything except rigid casing from 12" above surface and down. Either way the driller and his licence is at stake if the surface completion is not adequate. I would only extend with PVC to PVC and steel to steel, to ensure a bonded connection. I've used Fernco's for extending septic drain fields but I don't think I would risk it on extending well casing.

Anybody else want to vote on this?

And yes a home owner can work on his own well in Texas but, it still has to be done up to specifications. You only have to be licensed if you do pump and well work for hire, which I think both of these are good things. We need some way to make home owners doing their own work and professionals responsible for the integrity of the aquifers. However, I will say they have gone tooooo far if the state can make you meter and charge you for every drop of the "state's" water you draw out from under "your" property!! If they get it past where the state actually owns all the water underground, then they should also say the state owns all the minerals such as oil as well.

[sammyhydro11]

Gary,so what you are saying is that the installation of water wells shouldn't be regulated??? And regulations is not about the publics safety??? Your way out of line. I thought i had heard it all. States have these regulations so you don't have a situation where someone is driving a well point 2' from a leaching field or installing a water well in an area that is known to be contaminated by a dump, or so someone is not constructing a well in a way that causes surface water contamination. Our state works very closely with the EPA and they set their regulations based on the EPA's regs. If you want to give advice on pulling and replacing a pump Gary, that's fine, but you should leave the well construction part of it alone.

Man i wish there were more licensed well contractors here!!

sammy

www.tylerwellandpump.com