New Well Coming Need Advice

[DJhandy]

Lightning took out my well so have to have new Deep well with submersible drilled, I am trying to decide what I want and is best to have. I believe I want a 3 wire 1 1/2 hp SS Franklin with galvanized tank with control box. Is there a reason I should not go with this setup and go 2 wire? Or something else?
#2. Is the money for a metal casing worth it? Was told the worse that can happen is pump would need replaced but never the casing, is this true? Does Lightning not blow a hole in the metal casing and are they more prone to lightning strikes. More pumps replaced.
My well is 575' deep and pump is around 260'
Need advice soon preparing to clear for new well and needed it yesterday.

 

[Reach4]

I am not a pro. You don't want a galvanized tank IMO. Instead you want a precharged diaphragm pressure tank probably, but if you want a non-precharged tank, you can get a rust-free version. Is this for irrigation or other commercial operation or for a home?

Normally for a home you would want a 5 or 4.5 inch PVC casing to avoid rust. 4 inch PVC is OK too, and it can accept a "4 inch" pump. 4 inch will not allow you to drop chlorine pellets to the bottom for sanitizing.
575 feet deep well, in Florida??? Is that casing all of the way down or just down a fraction of the distance? If going the full depth, maybe steel becomes necessary for strength.

Lighting irreparably damaged your steel casing -- that's your story, and the insurance agent bought it?

 

[Sponsor]

 

[DJhandy]

No I do not have steel casing now I have 4" PVC. Thinking about going with steel. It is the homes water source. Yes 575' well casing and yes lightning took out casing and most of items in house including a hole in the wall. This is NW Florida all wells around here for drinking average 4-600' deep.
The galvanized tanks are fine and glass lined and I prefer over bladder. My well is 14 years old and never had issues except for capacitors until now. Was looking at CSV's but don't think really need have irrigation also. No dropping of tablets here don't think it would do any good.

 

[Brian Cannon]

You would really want a bladder tank. Much better and less headache. Amtrak well X trolls are hands down the best. I would go with a good brand name pump head and a Franklin motor. If you are going to irrigate and your well is that deep you would need a bigger hp pump to get the gmp you need. Just my 2cents.

 

[Reach4]

No I do not have steel casing now I have 4" PVC. Thinking about going with steel. It is the homes water source. Yes 575' well casing and yes lightning took out casing and most of items in house including a hole in the wall.

How far down is the hole in the casing? I would expect that could be repaired if shallow enough.

If you search for the term hydropneumatic tank, you will find some non-precharged tanks. They are not all galvanized.

 

[Texas Wellman]

Don't discount a galvanized tank. If you know how to take care of one I prefer it over a bladder style tank. If there is any hint of H2S in the water the bladder tank will amplify the smell and the galv. tank will eliminate it.

 

[DJhandy]

What are the pros/cons of using 4" Steel well casing over 4" SCH 40 PVC? Cost is about $3400 more for Steel 575' well. This equals a very expensive well.

 

[Texas Wellman]

We haven't used steel here since the 70's. Steel will eventually rust out in our area. It will also crust up making it difficult to pull and set a 4" pump which is just slightly smaller than a 4" steel pipe. What part of NW Florida are you in? Justwater (who hasn't been here in awhile) runs out of Jacksonville. You should really ask somebody who is familiar with the drilling and water in your area for a better answer.

 

[DJhandy]

I am about 50 miles East of Pensacola. What I've read online they say steel last about 50 years and PVC for ever if no lightning strike. I don't really have anyone else to ask we have basically 2 drillers in area. On the H2S that is good info. How about if the galvanized tank is glass lined which is what he wants to install, will it be as good as by old tank with the H2S? What about a Sniffer (?) are they worth installing. They both talked me out of a CSV which I kindly wanted for showers, I don't like 35 psi showers. My irrigation when on keeps the pump running so no issues there.

 

[Texas Wellman]

Are you getting multiple bids and getting different opinions? I put the air maker systems on the wells that I install (uses the snifter valve set-up) but they make the top of the well really nasty. We use straight galvanized tanks, I haven't seen a glass lined tank in ages.

 

[Craigpump]

My father installed Harvard "glass lined" tanks back in the 60's & 70's, we pulled one of his old tanks out about 6 yrs ago. The few times a year we install a standard tank, we use Flexlite composite tanks.

You can get more than a 35 psi shower with a standard tank, all you need to do is set the pressure switch to cut out higher.

How did they talk you out of a CSV?

 

[Valveman]

Like TW said, if you know how to take care of one, there is nothing wrong with a bladderless tank. But if you do not have iron or sulfur in the water, a bladder tank would be best as you don't have to do anything to take care of it, like you do the bladderless tank.

Of course you can set up the irrigation to keep the pump running. But that means the irrigation is using all the water the pump can produce, so if you need water in the house at the same time, the shower pressure will be low. A CSV lets you match the irrigation to the yard and not the pump. This way you don't have to set the irrigation up for max flow, and you can have good shower pressure in the house and irrigate at the same time.

If you got talked out of the CSV because you have H2S and need the galvanized type tank, then OK. But if they tried to tell you the CSV would hurt the pump or anything like that, the contractor doesn't know what he is talking about and I would be very suspicious of anything else he says as well.

 

[DJhandy]

I do have H2S but has not been bad with the galvanized tank. Since I haven't received much on the steel casing I think I will go with PVC. So should I go with a 3 wire pump an the glass lined tank or the bladder tank. I am getting down to the wire her need well now but they can't get to me yet. I was very interested in the CSV and one basically said no not needed, the other one said it puts too much back pressure on pump. Can't you use CSV with galvanized tank? But if I have to choose CSV or no H2S, I go with no H2S. Also can't I install a CSV later above ground from what I have read? I've read all about them and the early troubles with some etc. I think the stead 50+ PSI would be good for lots things, I'd think I was in the city. Thanks to all who have replied and hope to have a well soon just wish we had more drillers to choose from, most went bust around 08 around here.

 

[Texas Wellman]

3 wire vs 2 wire probably not enough of a difference to worry about. The only thing I like about a 3 wire is that the c-box will blow before the pump motor does if it short cycles. Make sure you get a good quality pump from either Franklin, Goulds, Grundfos, etc and not a cheap big box store plastic head pump.

You can always add a CSV but make sure they use a brass style bleeder or drill a hole in the pipe, but don't use a rubber bleeder as it can blow out due to the increased back-pressure.

I would not use glass-lined but I really don't know much about them. I'm not sure what the difference is vs. straight galv. tanks.

Good luck and let us know how it turns out and post some pictures.

 

[Reach4]

It seams to me that if you could add your air with a micronizer instead of a snifter valve, it would probably be better with H2S.

 

[Valveman]

I do have H2S but has not been bad with the galvanized tank. Since I haven't received much on the steel casing I think I will go with PVC. So should I go with a 3 wire pump an the glass lined tank or the bladder tank. I am getting down to the wire her need well now but they can't get to me yet. I was very interested in the CSV and one basically said no not needed, the other one said it puts too much back pressure on pump. Can't you use CSV with galvanized tank? But if I have to choose CSV or no H2S, I go with no H2S. Also can't I install a CSV later above ground from what I have read? I've read all about them and the early troubles with some etc. I think the stead 50+ PSI would be good for lots things, I'd think I was in the city. Thanks to all who have replied and hope to have a well soon just wish we had more drillers to choose from, most went bust around 08 around here.

A CSV will work with a standard (bladderless) tank. You just have to make allowances for the air injector. If using a CSV with a bleeder system you want to use the brass not the rubber bleeder as TW said. But also because the bleeder only puts in air when the pump cycles, it won't put in as much air with the CSV, as it doesn't cycle as much. But you can put the bleeder 10' down instead of 5' down, so when the pump does cycle it will inject twice as much air.

A CSV will also work with a micronizer. You just want to set the CSV at say 55 PSI when using a 40/60 pressure switch. That way the pump delivers full flow from 40 to 55 PSI to make the micronizer add air. Then when the tank is filled to 55 PSI the CSV will go to work and hold a constant 55 PSI. At this point the flow you are using determines the flow the CSV allows, which could be low enough to keep the micronizer from adding air. But there would be enough air added before the pressure reached 55 to make the system work fine.