Best way to monitor levels and store extra water for a vacation rental?

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BandC

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I recently had my well fracked in mid July. It went dry and later found out that some guests ran out of water temporarily during their stay. They never even mentioned it until I called to ask if they experienced any water issues. So now I need to find the best way to monitor the levels on my computer.

I have read about the Well Watch 660 and don't know what else is out there. I cut back the guest count from six guests to four guests for now. Does something exist where I can test how much water is used with the washer machine, dishwasher, time myself taking a shower, filling up the Jacuzzi tub, etc??

Any recommendations for a back up storage tank?

Also, when a well is fracked- is it just hit or miss if the well will continue to produce water? When the driller left in July he said it was producing 1.5 gallons per minute. I don't know if it's the same now until I can purchase a device to monitor. It concerns me to take far out reservations as I am not sure if the well can just go dry all of a sudden. Or if there will be signs that it is going dry.

Thanks in advance for any feedback.
 

Valveman

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Usually no sign the well is running dry. The pump will put out max flow until the well is dry, then nothing all of a sudden. I don't think monitoring the well level is going to help with much. I would just use a Cycle Sensor to shut the pump off when the well is dry. On a rental I would set the Cycle Sensor to restart the pump in about 20-30 minutes. It won't give them or you any warning, but it will protect the pump and automatically turn the pump back on after a set time, giving the well time to recover.
 

Reach4

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How deep is the well?
How far down is the pump?
Does the pump pump much sediment now?

I would figure this was all considered when the well was fracked. But if the pump could be set lower without picking up sediment, that would give more storage.
 

Reach4

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Does something exist where I can test how much water is used with the washer machine, dishwasher, time myself taking a shower, filling up the Jacuzzi tub, etc??
Many water softeners have metering, and the diagnostics can tell you how much water has been put through the softener output. If you have a softener, that could tell you some of things that you want to know.

Economically, it would be best to use the device to shut down the pump for a time, plus telling the guests that can happen. That would be a good way to go IMO. I expect most guests will react accordingly (shorter showers or spaced-out showers maybe) or will at least understand what happened when the water stops ... and that water will return after a time.

For a storage system, those are normally atmospheric tanks filled under control of a float switch and a Cycle Sensor. From that tank, you will have an above-ground pump supplying water to the house.

A conical bottom tank makes it easier to remove any settled sediment. You may have to take action to prevent stuff from growing in the storage tank (cistern).
 

BandC

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How deep is the well?
How far down is the pump?
Does the pump pump much sediment now?

I would figure this was all considered when the well was fracked. But if the pump could be set lower without picking up sediment, that would give more storage.

I sure do hope the well guy considered all this when fracking. Same guy originally drilled the well. He was 100% informed this time around it is a vacation rental and he and I even had a discussion about how paying guests have no interest in conserving water or running a full washer load to wash just a pair of socks, etc. That's one reason we purposely didn't get a water heater with endless hot water, etc.

To answer the other questions:

Well is 505 ft. deep
Pump is 480 ft. deep

I just talked with my partner (he does the maintenance) and he said since the well has been fracked, the water filter hasn't been as full of sediment. Keep in mind though when the well went dry we had back to back bookings for almost a month prior, and on top of that at least 5 loads of laundry were being done by housekeeping in order to prepare for the incoming guests. So basically guests checking out at 11. Houskeeping cleaning and doing laundry. New guests checking in at 4 p.m. We have sinced removed the housekeeping laundry to off site.

Since that time we have not been nearly as busy so it's kind of difficult to tell with the water filter needing changing. But my partner he believes it's a lot better with sediment and he said it got really dirty right before the well ran dry. He said he was changing it at least once a month and then he put a new one in right before the last guests, and when they left it was filthy. But filter is looking much cleaner these days.

As far as storage (please forgive my ignorance) - I just manage the property and my partner does the maintenance. But I thought you could get a physical storage tank to hold water in case of emergency?
 

Reach4

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Yep, your well guy kept that all in mind. I wonder how high the water gets after 5 days off.
As far as storage (please forgive my ignorance) - I just manage the property and my partner does the maintenance. But I thought you could get a physical storage tank to hold water in case of emergency?
The WH holds water you could use for an emergency. But for an "emergency" shower or bath, you would probably need an additional pump.

I even had a discussion about how paying guests have no interest in conserving water or running a full washer load to wash just a pair of socks, etc.
With the shutoff upon dry well, the guests could develop that interest. ;-)

I can see that the sonic well depthfinder would be nice. The Well Watch 661 kit could be interesting. You could have the display where the guests can see it, and you could point a WiFi camera at it -- presuming that the display stays on continuously.
 

BandC

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Usually no sign the well is running dry. The pump will put out max flow until the well is dry, then nothing all of a sudden. I don't think monitoring the well level is going to help with much. I would just use a Cycle Sensor to shut the pump off when the well is dry. On a rental I would set the Cycle Sensor to restart the pump in about 20-30 minutes. It won't give them or you any warning, but it will protect the pump and automatically turn the pump back on after a set time, giving the well time to recover.

OK. I thought the Well Water 660 would inform me of the water level so that if it's getting really low I can maybe warn guests to start spacing out showers, etc. ??

My concern is that if I just let it run dry then (even after warning guests of the situation before they arrive) the family may be getting ready for a wedding or something and now their load of clothes just stopped washing, two people still need to take a shower, etc. People still flushing toilets, etc. Then they will begin demanding partial refunds. I was hoping the 660 would give enough average data about guests so that I can block off a day in between guests if I think it's too many back to back bookings in a row.

The rental was running fine for almost 4 years and I'd hate to shut it down now after investing so much time into building the business. I don't mind blocking off a day here and there if the well needs to recover, but I was hoping the 660 could also let me know that maybe that isn't even necessary after the fracking was done.

Am I just dreaming here?
 
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Reach4

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As far as storage (please forgive my ignorance) - I just manage the property and my partner does the maintenance. But I thought you could get a physical storage tank to hold water in case of emergency?
You could do this: add a 119 gallon precharged pressure tank, with a valve in the line. Fill it by opening the valve, starting the pump, let the pump run until it shuts off, and the closing the valve. Then you could have an extra 30 gallons on tap for an "emergency" by opening the valve.

I think you would want to drain and refill that at intervals. You would want to include that tank in your sanitizing procedure.

If that 660 works for your well, that would be a cool tool. Your situation seems to be a great use of such a tool.
 

Valveman

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Warn and/or protect the pump all you want. When the well is out of water the customers will be out of water. You could add an additional 1000 gallon storage tank with a booster pump. Then not only would you have enough water stored for the guest, but it would be easy to monitor the level in the storage tank. A low level alarm on a storage tank means you are getting low on water. A low level alarm on the well means you are out of water until the well recovers.
 
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