LLigetfa
DIYer, not in the trades
Anyone that has followed my tales of woe may remember that I have a 60 foot deep "mud" well, meaning that it is not drilled into rock but rather stops at the transition between clay and bedrock where there is a layer of sand/gravel. The well casing is not screened, just open at the bottom. If I pump the water too fast, it motivates fine sand/clay so I limit the flow with my micronizer which acts as a dole valve.
In the past I had the bottom 10 feet of casing fill up with the sand/clay mix which over time reduced the GPM the well would produce and recover. About 10 years ago I pulled the pump and cleared out that 10 feet by hand augering and then dropped the old pump back down and pumped it until it ran relatively clear. By that time, I think the old Goulds pump was pretty much worn out. I replaced it with a Grundfos that performed better than the Goulds did when new.
Due to the micronizer reducing the flow, my iron filter does not get the needed GPM for a thorough backwash. I would work around that by periodically opening up the micronizer's bypass to allow for a more vigorous backwash. One time when I was doing just that, it motivated the clay/sand that ran through the system. I have not done that again since and don't know the state of my well now. I suspect I will need to clean it out again.
I will not do the manual method of augering again as it is too labour intensive and I have other options at my disposal now. I just need to decide on what option or combination is best. My current employer has a water tanker that I can use to flush out the casing using chlorinated city water. I also have access to a towable air compressor with enough CFM to blow the well. Lastly, I was given a free 1/2 HP submersible that was used in a lake for the last 15 years and was working when it was pulled.
One thought I have is to just use that pump to flush out and develop the well again. I would put a reducing Tee on the 1-1/4" pump outlet. It would have a small side port that I would put a 90 degree elbow on with a short section of 1/2" pipe directing a jet of water down. On the top of the Tee, I would put a 1" barb fitting to connect 1" poly pipe. At the other end of the poly pipe, I would put a 1" ball valve. With the ball valve I can control the ratio of water that is redirected down into the sand/clay silt versus brought up to the surface. I could then also adjust the depth of the pump as to how close it is to the silt.
The pump has a fine mesh screen that is likely to get blocked with small stones if I stir them up enough so I might have to pull up the pump a few times to clean them out. I might setup a tripod with rope and pulley to raise/lower the pump which I have not done in the past. I'm no spring chicken so need whatever mechanical advantage I can get.
In the past I had the bottom 10 feet of casing fill up with the sand/clay mix which over time reduced the GPM the well would produce and recover. About 10 years ago I pulled the pump and cleared out that 10 feet by hand augering and then dropped the old pump back down and pumped it until it ran relatively clear. By that time, I think the old Goulds pump was pretty much worn out. I replaced it with a Grundfos that performed better than the Goulds did when new.
Due to the micronizer reducing the flow, my iron filter does not get the needed GPM for a thorough backwash. I would work around that by periodically opening up the micronizer's bypass to allow for a more vigorous backwash. One time when I was doing just that, it motivated the clay/sand that ran through the system. I have not done that again since and don't know the state of my well now. I suspect I will need to clean it out again.
I will not do the manual method of augering again as it is too labour intensive and I have other options at my disposal now. I just need to decide on what option or combination is best. My current employer has a water tanker that I can use to flush out the casing using chlorinated city water. I also have access to a towable air compressor with enough CFM to blow the well. Lastly, I was given a free 1/2 HP submersible that was used in a lake for the last 15 years and was working when it was pulled.
One thought I have is to just use that pump to flush out and develop the well again. I would put a reducing Tee on the 1-1/4" pump outlet. It would have a small side port that I would put a 90 degree elbow on with a short section of 1/2" pipe directing a jet of water down. On the top of the Tee, I would put a 1" barb fitting to connect 1" poly pipe. At the other end of the poly pipe, I would put a 1" ball valve. With the ball valve I can control the ratio of water that is redirected down into the sand/clay silt versus brought up to the surface. I could then also adjust the depth of the pump as to how close it is to the silt.
The pump has a fine mesh screen that is likely to get blocked with small stones if I stir them up enough so I might have to pull up the pump a few times to clean them out. I might setup a tripod with rope and pulley to raise/lower the pump which I have not done in the past. I'm no spring chicken so need whatever mechanical advantage I can get.
