Frost heaving well casing

Users who are viewing this thread

Lysle Anderson

New Member
Messages
8
Reaction score
0
Points
1
Location
Western Nova Scotia
Hello to the group. 3 years ago I had a well drilled for a cottage I was building. The well is 140 feet deep and was producing 6 gallons per minute. I only started using the water this year because the cottage was not ready until now. I put the submersible pump to 100 feet (like the well driller told me)- the water was really murky with red/brown sediment. I ran the pump slowly for 3 weeks and the water quality improved but did not clear completely. A nearby neighbour told me that 3 years ago, the frost heaved his well casing and produced a condition similar to what I'm now experiencing.

He told me that a farmer friend used a large concrete block on a front end loader to pound the casing back down to re-complete the seal.

The well driller is not responding to my calls.

Is it possible that frost can heave well casings?

Thanks in advance for any thoughts.
 

LLigetfa

DIYer, not in the trades
Messages
7,497
Reaction score
575
Points
113
Location
NW Ontario, Canada
The well is 140 feet deep...
OK, but how deep does the casing go? It should be in the report. IMHO the casing would need to be pretty shallow for frost to be able to grab it and jack it. Assuming the well uses a pitless, it could break off the pipe if the casing moves up or down.

It is possible that the casing is not well sealed to the bedrock if'n the well even bores into bedrock. Sometimes the rock is not very stable and sediment can come through fissures in the rock. You said "I ran the pump slowly for 3 weeks" but to develop the well, hard pumping is often better than slow pumping. The idea is that the high rate of flow motivates the sediment and carries it away and then pumping at a slower rate will no longer motivate sediment. Some drillers might run a surge block up and down to move the sediment and air lift it out.

A few decades ago I had a shallow well with 4 foot diameter concrete well tile and in the Spring, the frost would jack the top section opening up a gap where surface water would wash in sediment. I daylighted the well rings all the way around past the first joint and wrapped the ring with multiple layers of poly. then I cut strips of EPS insulation to line the outside of the ring.

If you have ever tried to lift a roll of poly and had it telescope, that explains what my intention was. The frost could not get a grip on the slippery poly and no longer jacked the ring.
 

Lysle Anderson

New Member
Messages
8
Reaction score
0
Points
1
Location
Western Nova Scotia
The casing is 6 inches and is down 30 feet; there is a perforated PVC liner inside the casing down to bottom. After reading your post, my guess is that the casing is not well sealed to the bedrock and the sediment is leaking through the fissures. I'll try pumping the well harder and see what happens. Running the pump slow was the suggestion of the driller- it does not appear to be working. Multiple attempts to contact the driller again for help have gone un-answered. I really appreciate the post- very informative.
 
Last edited:

LLigetfa

DIYer, not in the trades
Messages
7,497
Reaction score
575
Points
113
Location
NW Ontario, Canada
Multiple attempts to contact the driller again for help have gone un-answered. I really appreciate the post- very informative.
I would look into what regulatory government agency is responsible for licensing drillers. Then I would contact the driller one more time and notify the driller that the government agency will be your next point of contact. I am not convinced that it is a failed seal but if it was, it could pose a health hazard. Since you mention a perforated lining, that suggests the bore hole goes through unstable material which can produce sediment.
 

Reach4

Well-Known Member
Messages
38,798
Reaction score
4,412
Points
113
Location
IL
he water was really murky with red/brown sediment.
What does the sediment look like? Can you see the grains, or are they too small to see individually? How long does it take for this sediment take to settle out when you put the water into a glass jar.

Pumping hard makes sense. Don't keep pumping if you run out of water, but otherwise, I would pump for 24 or more hours continuously. I would do that while water still flows on the surface rather than freezing. How do you know if the pump runs out of water? You can either get an electronic device that monitors the pump current and shuts you down, or you keep watch.

It would be best to be able to open the line from the pump rather than having the pressure tank and pressure switch cycling.

I am not a pro.
 

LLigetfa

DIYer, not in the trades
Messages
7,497
Reaction score
575
Points
113
Location
NW Ontario, Canada
The well is 140 feet deep and was producing 6 gallons per minute.
6 GPM may make it difficult to pump it hard for any length of time. You probably need to stop and let the well recover in between sessions. It is possible however that developing the well could increase the GPM.
 

Valveman

Cary Austin
Staff member
Messages
14,599
Reaction score
1,296
Points
113
Location
Lubbock, Texas
Website
cyclestopvalves.com
I would like to know about the size, depth, and length of perforations in the liner. But even though it is 3 years old it has never been developed. You are going to half to clean it up like the new well that it is. Driller should at least call you back.
 

Lysle Anderson

New Member
Messages
8
Reaction score
0
Points
1
Location
Western Nova Scotia
What does the sediment look like? Can you see the grains, or are they too small to see individually? How long does it take for this sediment take to settle out when you put the water into a glass jar.

Pumping hard makes sense. Don't keep pumping if you run out of water, but otherwise, I would pump for 24 or more hours continuously. I would do that while water still flows on the surface rather than freezing. How do you know if the pump runs out of water? You can either get an electronic device that monitors the pump current and shuts you down, or you keep watch.

It would be best to be able to open the line from the pump rather than having the pressure tank and pressure switch cycling.

I am not a pro.
The sediment appears to be quite fine- it goes through a 1 micron filter easily. It takes a couple of days for it to settle. At present, I do not have a pressure tank or pressure switch- the pipe comes to ground level and runs away from there. I run the pump, watch the water flow and shut the breaker in the cottage. I did not install the water into the cabin until the water quality improved.

As it turns out, the driller sent me a text last evening saying he would call me today. Time will tell whether that actually happens....
 
Last edited:

Lysle Anderson

New Member
Messages
8
Reaction score
0
Points
1
Location
Western Nova Scotia
I would like to know about the size, depth, and length of perforations in the liner. But even though it is 3 years old it has never been developed. You are going to half to clean it up like the new well that it is. Driller should at least call you back.
I have no details about the liner- I think it goes right to the bottom of the well. I was here when the driller installed it but he did not explain much about it's purpose. There is a rope coming from the liner up to surface- the rope is slack and not holding something. Presumably, it is to bring the liner up if the need arises. The driller cautioned me not to lose the rope down the well....

I should have mentioned that after the well was drilled, the water was crystal clear and perfect. Something obviously happened to it while it was not being used.

That is why suspicion fell on the casing seal.
 
Last edited:

Lysle Anderson

New Member
Messages
8
Reaction score
0
Points
1
Location
Western Nova Scotia
I would look into what regulatory government agency is responsible for licensing drillers. Then I would contact the driller one more time and notify the driller that the government agency will be your next point of contact. I am not convinced that it is a failed seal but if it was, it could pose a health hazard. Since you mention a perforated lining, that suggests the bore hole goes through unstable material which can produce sediment.
I would agree about the unstable material that the bore goes through based on speaking with neighbours with wells close by.
 

Reach4

Well-Known Member
Messages
38,798
Reaction score
4,412
Points
113
Location
IL
I should have mentioned that after the well was drilled, the water was crystal clear and perfect. Something obviously happened to it while it was not being used.
Suppose the uncased area is not all rock. Maybe there was a fine clay layer. As the water sits against the clay stratum, some goes into the water.

So they put the liner in, but did not seal the area above the slots. That area between the well bore and liner may still be wet with water, and clay could still flow down the outside of the liner and through the slots at the bottom of the liner.

I hope heavy pumping washes out most of the stuff.
 

Lysle Anderson

New Member
Messages
8
Reaction score
0
Points
1
Location
Western Nova Scotia
Suppose the uncased area is not all rock. Maybe there was a fine clay layer. As the water sits against the clay stratum, some goes into the water.

So they put the liner in, but did not seal the area above the slots. That area between the well bore and liner may still be wet with water, and clay could still flow down the outside of the liner and through the slots at the bottom of the liner.

I hope heavy pumping washes out most of the stuff.

Many thanks for the helpful posts. I have a better understanding of the topic now. I appreciate the help. I will update the thread with any further information as it becomes available.
 
Top
Hey, wait a minute.

This is awkward, but...

It looks like you're using an ad blocker. We get it, but (1) terrylove.com can't live without ads, and (2) ad blockers can cause issues with videos and comments. If you'd like to support the site, please allow ads.

If any particular ad is your REASON for blocking ads, please let us know. We might be able to do something about it. Thanks.
I've Disabled AdBlock    No Thanks