Well yield test necessary?

Buying a house next week. I don't need the test for the mortgage, but peace of mind. Last test was done in 2005 and the well yielded 2.2 gpm. The well was installed at the end of 2003. I'm sure it's a good idea to get the test done. Company wants $325.

Thanks
Wil

Sound around ... that price seems way over the top.

If they actually charge only $325 for a well recovery rate test, jump on it. It usually takes many hours if they do it right. And they may have to change pumps. IMO no one can do it right for only $325.

So what all are they planning to do and how long do they say it will take?

Most home inspectors run an outside faucet and do the bucket test. All this does is tell you how much water can be forced through a 1/2" or smaller pipe through a Hose Bibb.

To check the actual flow rate of a pump or well, it must be done at the well. This would require disconnecting the pipes leading to the home and doing the bucket test there. This only checks the pump. To do a well test, a larger pump would almost certainly be needed to do so. Your talking bigger bucks than $325.00. I would be very leary of that price and find out just exactly what they are going to do.

One more thing. If the well does in fact only produce 2 gpm. Run!

bob...

Gary Slusser said:

If they actually charge only $325 for a well recovery rate test, jump on it. It usually takes many hours if they do it right. And they may have to change pumps. IMO no one can do it right for only $325.

So what all are they planning to do and how long do they say it will take?

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They said it will take three hours.

speedbump said:

Most home inspectors run an outside faucet and do the bucket test. All this does is tell you how much water can be forced through a 1/2" or smaller pipe through a Hose Bibb.

To check the actual flow rate of a pump or well, it must be done at the well. This would require disconnecting the pipes leading to the home and doing the bucket test there. This only checks the pump. To do a well test, a larger pump would almost certainly be needed to do so. Your talking bigger bucks than $325.00. I would be very leary of that price and find out just exactly what they are going to do.

One more thing. If the well does in fact only produce 2 gpm. Run!

bob...

Click to expand...

Bob, how come you didn't tell me to run in this thread?
https://terrylove.com/forums/showthread.php?t=24827

I called and here is what they said they do. They hook into the pressure tank and run a hose to a 5 gallon bucket and take readings every 15 minutes. They said it will take between three and six hours and they are checking the well recovery.

Bob, how come you didn't tell me to run in this thread?

Click to expand...

Here I didn't know what a deal your were getting on that size of a house. Assuming it was just another house of several, and assuming you could pick one like it with a good working water system. I would recommend that.

I called and here is what they said they do. They hook into the pressure tank and run a hose to a 5 gallon bucket and take readings every 15 minutes. They said it will take between three and six hours and they are checking the well recovery.

Click to expand...

Any yahoo can do that. That is not a well or pump test. That is just like I said in my last post. A test of the Hose Bibb.

bob...

should i just skip that test? waste of money?

not sure if this means anything, but i was in the house and turned on just about every faucet and two showers at once and let it all run for 20-30 minutes and water pressure was constant. probably didnt do anything, but i dont know anything.

thanks for your help again.
W

Yes I would definately skip that test. Your test is far better and will tell you what you need to know if you let them all run longer. Hopefully you won't run out of water, but if you do, you'll know the well has drawn down to the pump. That would be a great time to turn off the breaker to the pump to let the well recover and keep the pump from nuking itself. If you time the test, you can get a feel for just how much water you have at any given time after well recovery before running out. If you think you can live with it, fine. If not, you will be looking at a cistern, another pump and tank along with the controls to make it all work and some kind of disinfectant method for the cistern.

bob...

If the place has one, I'd be very careful of running that much water into a septic system all at once.

Based on the other thread, if the previous owner didn't have a problem, the water table would have to fall substantially before you will with only two people in the house.

wilbert said:

should i just skip that test? waste of money?

not sure if this means anything, but i was in the house and turned on just about every faucet and two showers at once and let it all run for 20-30 minutes and water pressure was constant. probably didnt do anything, but i dont know anything.

thanks for your help again.
W

Click to expand...

As already noted that test is a waste of money. Your test indicates that you probably have enough water. If your still worried either hire someone who will do an actual well recovery test - which is obviously going to cost more than your previous quote, or go back with a garden hose and bucket and do the bucket test yourself.

Open the outside faucet all the way and leave it on for the duration of the test (1hr). What you are looking for is how fast the gmp from the well falls off. If you start off filling the 5 gallon bucket in 30 seconds and 10 minutes later it takes 40 seconds that shows the water is being drawn from the well faster than it can recover. This just give you a picture of what your average gpm is over the course of an hour. If you still are pumping water after an hour, even if the flow has dropped off a bit, you should be all set as far as household use goes. Also, as already mentioned, make sure you know which breaker shuts off the pump. If you run the well dry turn off the pump for 20 minutes so you don't burn up the pump. Well pumps are water cooled.

-rick

Thanks for your help guys. I canceled the test.

The only way to do that test is to install a pump that can pump off the well to the point the water level does not fall anymore and then measure the recovery rate gpm. That's basically the same as you do for a pumping level test. Usually the pump has to be sized to move water from all but the bottom of the well and most private well pumps are not, so you change the pump for the test.

Without the right pump and doing it that way, you can not get an accurate figure any other way.

I wouldn't be concerned!

What to do if the well doesn't supply 2.2 gpm today? That's more than 3000 gallons per day (24 hours). The average person in the USA uses less than 300 gallons per day for all uses. I wouldn't worry about it except I would conserve on washing cars and watering the landscape. You should be fine.

A well test today doesn't guarantee that you will have water tomorrow. Hopefully you would get at least a 1 year warranty on all appliances (the water system) when purchasing the property.