Please help me document my well and water system

craigpump said:

Do NOT throw stones in your well! Use ice cubes instead.

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Thanks for the hint craigpump ,I did just read about some one else dropping a bit of wood down there on string and screwing up there pump and wonder what happened to my lead weight.

I am trying to find the Static water level it was 100ft when drilled so I was going to try some string and I now I guess your icecube method to get a rough idea.

LLigetfa said:

The $64 question now is what is the current static water level?

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So I used the string and icecube method and got it stuck :-( but with some jigging it came up along with some of the fishing line that I lost last time So thank you again for the hint about the ice cube craigpump.

So drum roll the current static water level is still 100ft the same as it was when the well was drilled back in 1995 it was scary spot on right at 100ft.


So next task is to remove the pressure switch so I can get access to the pressure gauge and replace it. Once I do that I will get every thing back up and running and I should be able to check the kick on pressure and off pressure and then go and pump the needed air in to the pressure tank.

Ok new gauge Installed I used a short stem to bring it above the pressure switch so I could see it and wont have to remove the pressure switch if I needed to swap it out again



The pressure gauge shows 50 PSI
The pump kicks in at 29 PSI

When I drained down the pressure tank It showed 13 PSI I pumped this up to 27 PSI

Quick test shows new numbers for pump rate

Drawdown is now 6 gallows
Cycle time is 225 seconds

6 divided by 225 seconds = 0.0266 X 60 seconds = 1.6 GPM

At this point, you should take out the venturi and clean it up along with the piping between it and the tank. Cut in a draincock while you are at it with a decent sized ballvalve so that you can run more GPM tests.

You will find that you get more GPM at the turn-on pressure of 29 PSI than what you get at the turn-off pressure of 50 PSI.

On the side of that venturi, you will probably find an adjuster that controls how much water is forced through the small orifice and how much bypasses. It should be adjusted to suck air for at least two thirds of the pump cycle.

Run some GPM tests after the iron filter both with it in-line and in bypass (the black valves). That will give you some idea of its condition. You can temporarily open up the bypass on the venturi (the small brass setscrew) to allow more GPM for a manual backwash. You can lightly thump the side of the iron filter tank while backwashing to get things moving. That might bring it back from the dead. If the air remover is installed on the wrong side, there's a chance that filter media blew up into the top basket and plugged it up in which case you probably need to take the head off and clean it.

In the end, if you need more GPM than that system can deliver, you will have to forklift it out and put in a system that doesn't use a venturi to aerate the water.

Hi LLigetfa,
Thanks again for all your help, I need to go and pickup some larger pipe wrenches as I don't have any thing big enough to get on to the 2 nuts either side of the venturi. Any recommendations for cleaning it ? I was thinking a air hose and a water bath or some vinegar. Must remember to grab a few gallon buckets as well so I have some water on hand just in case.

Can I put the draincock here near the shut off value ? as that's about the only bit of piping that is off the ground ? but its after both the iron and uv filter (both have diverts)




Now another lame question I have only worked with copper and PVC piping what piping is being used here is this what is called pex ? are these fitting compression fittings or glued in





I was reading last night some feedback and comments you made Here about Aermax that uses a air pump so this might be another way to remove the venturi so might research a air pump system rather than a manual venturi.

It is common practice to put a drain valve in the line that Tees into the bladder tank. You need it there to flush out the iron buildup.

Yes, the pipe you show is pex. There are two method of fitting. One is to use a compression ring, and the other (that you have) is to stretch out the pipe and quickly insert the fitting. The pex has memory and shrinks back to form a tight seal.

Thanks LLigetfa, for all the education I think I might replace the Tee so I can have the draincock off the back of the Tee as there is not much room any where else is it worth putting a pressure relief value in as well ?

I just did a fast update to my knowledge of pex and read up on the compression ring and stretch pipe options funny that the well uses plex but the rest of the house is copper. If I do have to break the plex and I hope I wont then might use a gator bite connector, In a few years I might be redoing the water heaters in that case I might move to pex and then invest in a stretch pipe tool.

Well I can not seem to undo the union to be able to remove the the Hydrocharger/venturi so I need to go and try and get some pipes to increase leverage to see if that might help.

but what might be my show stopper is now I have a leak in the Hydrocharger/venturi water flow adjustment screw Happy times...

SimonT said:

...now I have a leak in the Hydrocharger/venturi water flow adjustment screw Happy times...

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BTDT

The water wears it down and then the rough surface chews up the O-ring. If you remove it and polish up the roughness, you can use the next size up in O-ring.

Hi LLigeta,

I changed out the O ring and stopped the leak but then played with the screw and some how busted the screw head clean off, To be able to have the water back on I had to use a normal bolt and pretty much cut a new threads in to the Hydrocharger/ventur as I hunted at every pumping store and hardware store with out any luck. Of cause with a normal bolt it now means that the Hydrocharger/venturi is all the way on and putting lots more air in to the water so much so that the water comes out and you can see the tiny air bubbles.

I think I have a few options

Replace the Hydrocharger/venturi and if lucky just put a new screw in (Do you know of any store online store that holds them)

Temporary just remove the Hydrocharger/venturi and if possible replace with a air pump system rather than a Hydrocharger/venturi.

With the bolt replacing the screw I would guess its full open I now have a GPM of 3.5

I have done a lot of calling around and I think I found a blue plastic Hydrocharger/ventur for about $60

SWT also has a plastic unit as well but still trying to get pricing http://www.swtwater.com/catalog/1215_air_injectors.htm


But as you first posted in its basic design a ventur will drop my GPM so maybe its better to look at a airpump method but then should I also look at a holding tank as well.

Take advantage of the extra GPM you have now, and do a manual backwash. If it doesn't run relatively clear by the end of the first one, do two or more.

SimonT said:

...should I also look at a holding tank as well.

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The air needs contact time for best results. Bladder tanks are not usually used as precipitation tanks. Over time the iron may build up between the sides of the tank and the bladder.

Did a manual wash in to a bucket to look at water and it was pretty clear after 3rd 5Gal I put hose in the drain and then rocked and banged the side of treatment unit. But water was stil clear.

Water noise as it go's in tank is not so loud now as I guess water is not being forced through such a small opening.

Yer I read that for iron filters that use air the longer the water is held the better thats why a pressure tank is not so great.