I have a well pump at 385 feet, the output of which is marginal at best; two loads of laundry within a period of a couple of hours is out of the question. An adjacent neighbor had a new well dug to a depth of 1000 feet and estimates for the same are running in the $25K range. We bought this house two years ago and have thus far managed, but the previous owners had installed a concrete cistern with a capacity of about 6000 gallons with its own pump for obvious reasons.
I am looking to re-route the supply pipe from the well to discharge into the cistern with the pump to be controlled by a float switch, which if I understand correctly is a practical solution. My biggest question at present is can the discharge pipe be installed above the float switch level? My reason for considering this is for concerns for proper sealing of the newly drilled hole and not having to draw down the current water level. The cistern is buried and within a couple of feet of a basement wall which I will also have to go through. There may be good reasons for the discharge pipe to be below the water level, one already in mind is that it would be below the frost line and thereby not require heating.
Here's hoping my question and verbiage make sense- a plumber I ain't. Thanks in advance.
DM,
Afton, Virginny
I am looking to re-route the supply pipe from the well to discharge into the cistern with the pump to be controlled by a float switch, which if I understand correctly is a practical solution. My biggest question at present is can the discharge pipe be installed above the float switch level? My reason for considering this is for concerns for proper sealing of the newly drilled hole and not having to draw down the current water level. The cistern is buried and within a couple of feet of a basement wall which I will also have to go through. There may be good reasons for the discharge pipe to be below the water level, one already in mind is that it would be below the frost line and thereby not require heating.
Here's hoping my question and verbiage make sense- a plumber I ain't. Thanks in advance.
DM,
Afton, Virginny