Buried shutoff valve at pitless adapter?

[ChuckG]

I recently noticed a leak at my 200' well and traced it to a rotted packing on a shutoff valve right at the wellhead coming off the pitless adapter. The whole affair is buried about 2' down. I tightened down the packing nut a bit and the leak's down to a tiny trickle, but I've got to tend to this bugger the first dry day we get here. The handle on the valve itself has corroded pretty much to dust.

The pressure tank is about 20' higher than the wellhead in the house about 50' away from the well. Some years ago, I replaced the pressure tank and replaced the mess (galvanized tee tied directly to copper plumbing; no shutoff or drain valve, etc.) with a proper tank tee, drain valve, pressure switch and gauge and gate valve (to well). The line to the well is schedule 40 PVC.

Can anyone think of a purpose for the wellhead shutoff? Or why anyone would bury it?

 

[Reach4]

Can anyone think of a purpose for the wellhead shutoff? Or why anyone would bury it?

I can't think of a good reason to have it, but if you did, the reasons to bury it would be to avoid freezing and to prevent somebody from turning it off that was not servicing the pitless.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[LLigetfa]

Can anyone think of a purpose for the wellhead shutoff? Or why anyone would bury it?

There is no explaining stupid. If it is a gate valve, it also risks dropping the gate and melting down the pump.

 

[ChuckG]

It's occurred to me that this might be some sort of combination check/shutoff valve. It does resemble a check valve, but with a valve stem and handle. Did they make such a beast 35 years ago?

I suppose there's no harm in putting in a plain old check valve in its place, is there?

 

[Reach4]

From what I have read, there is no good reason for a check valve on a 200 ft well anywhere but at the submersible pump, unless it is required by law, or if you use a "snifter" to admit air for an old fashioned pressure tank with no diaphragm or bladder.

 

[ChuckG]

There is no explaining stupid. If it is a gate valve, it also risks dropping the gate and melting down the pump.

Looks for the world like a plain old 1" low-profile globe valve.

Reach4, my pressure tank is a fiberglass diaphragm unit.