New sandpoint well problems

[harpeter]

I just installed a new well point well. My output is not very good. I have a 3/4hp pump with a 7 gallon pressure tank. I used a 1 1/4 inch galvanized pipe with a check valve and a 3 foot stainless steel sandpoint. I have a 40/60 pressure switch and I have the tank pressure set 2 lbs below the kick in pressure of 40. (that's according to instructions with the tank) We live on top of a aquifer and a few years ago ranch style houses had water in their basement. That would put the water table at about 7 feet. So I drove the sandpoint down to 17 feet and stopped and checked the water level in the pipe. I had 8 feet of water in the pipe which would put that 5 feet above the top of the sandpoint. So I stopped going deeper and hooked up the pump. It primed and the pump shut off at 60 lbs like it should. With a hand nozzle hooked up to my outlet faucet the water flow was bad. The pressure would drop down to 10 lbs and then back up to 20 lbs.

So the next day I disconnected every thing above the check valve and made a adapter to screw onto the galvanized pipe with a garden hose adapter.
I back flushed the pipe with 60 lbs of pressure from the cities water supply hoping that would clean the sand point screen. Hooked everything back up and this time I was able to run one sprinkler for about 2 hours with the pressure holding at about 40 lbs. After that length of time the sprinkler started slowing down and the pressure went down to zero and up to 20 lbs.
So the next day I got my son-in-laws big compressor and made another adapter so I could hook up the air tank. I thought by forcing the water back through the sand point I would clean it out better. After an hour I hooked up the water adapter and back flushed again for about an hour and a half. Hooked everything back up and was able to run a sprinkler for quite a while with a 75 foot hose. But then again the pressure dropped so I quit.

My conclusion is two things. I'm not replenishing my well fast enough to keep up with even one sprinkler. So I'm either not deep enough or I hit the bottom and maybe went into the bottom of the aquifer and maybe the sandpoint is in the clay and only part of the sandpoint is letting water in. If one foot is in the clay I only have 2 feet of screen letting water in to replenish my well, is that a big problem?

So, do I pull the pipe up or drive it down deeper?

 

[Speedbump]

As for pulling or going deeper your guess is as good as mine. That's the problem with sand points. Your driving blind.

I would go for 5 more feet, that would be easier than pulling everything.

By the way, the water down the well and all the air. It's not doing any good.

bob...

 

[Sponsor]

 

[harpeter]

As for pulling or going deeper your guess is as good as mine. That's the problem with sand points. Your driving blind.

I would go for 5 more feet, that would be easier than pulling everything.

By the way, the water down the well and all the air. It's not doing any good.

bob...

Thanks Bob,

With the set up that I discribed, I was told I could run 3 or 4 sprinklers. How much water per minute does a normal sprinkler use. Also, does the length of hose cause a drop in pressure.

My cousin told me he had a septic pump man come out and he had a 4 inch PVC pipe and when he put his suction line in the pipe he had it to the bottom of the acquifer in about 3 minutes. Then just dropped his input line in the pipe and has run his house on that for years. Have you ever heard of that?

Harp

 

[Speedbump]

I'm not real sure what your describing that the Septic guy did, but I would think there was a lot more to it that that.

The normal average sprinkler that I'm aware of uses around 2.5 gpm. You notice how vague I am about that because there are so many different brands, types and sizes to choose from. For instance, my favorite head is the Hunter. It comes with 12 different nozzles with every head, so you can go from humidity to around 30 gpm by changing the nozzle.

bob...

 

[harpeter]

My cousin had a 4" PVC pipe. He had hand dug down through the dirt until he reached the gravel. The PVC pipe was put in the hole. The septic tank guy with his suction line inserted his hose down the PVC pipe and when he was sucking up the gravel from below the PVC pipe, my cousin kept pushing down on the PVC pipe. He then added another pipe and continued until they hit the bottom of the aquifer. He said it took about 5 minutes to do that. It was slitted PVC pipe and then you could just put in your sandpoint or just a 1 1/4" PVC pipe. If you ever needed to replace anything it wouldn't be a problem.

PS...my cousin just called me and said he talked to a well digger and asked if I had a sandpint that had small holes in it. He said you should only use one that had slits in it and not holes. He said the ones with holes in it plugs up when you drive it down and it gets plugged up. I only paid like $57 for my sandpoint and he said his is like $105. I guess you get what you pay for.

 

[Speedbump]

Sounds like the easiest 4" well ever drilled.

The driller is right, you do get what you pay for. I was looking at the plastic screens at Lowes today. You aren't going to drive them cause they are plastic and have far less opening than a slotted screen.

bob...

 

[harpeter]

Bob, do you any suggestions on how to pull my sandpoint back up. Before I go deeper, I would like to look at the sandpoint and see if it is plugged. If it is, I will go buy the more expensive one. The driller said if I can turn the pipe that was driven I should be able to pull it back up. Any sugestions on how to pull it up would be appreciated. It is 17 feet in the ground.

 

[Speedbump]

We used a 4X4 a Chain, Pipe Wrench and a Railroad Spike Puller (long bar with a fork on the end to grab the chain. The Pipe Wrench was used to cinch the Chain to the Pipe by someone putting it on the Pipe just above the chain (wich a Clove Hitch in it) and pulling up to let the Wrenchs teeth bite into the Pipe. This kept the Chain from slipping up while the other guy jumped up and down on the Puller. Turning the Pipe first is a must.

Using Jacks etc pulling from one side only will only slip or break threads. You must put equal pressure up on the Pipe or someone can get hurt.

bob...

 

[harpeter]

We used a 4X4 a Chain, Pipe Wrench and a Railroad Spike Puller (long bar with a fork on the end to grab the chain. The Pipe Wrench was used to cinch the Chain to the Pipe by someone putting it on the Pipe just above the chain (wich a Clove Hitch in it) and pulling up to let the Wrenchs teeth bite into the Pipe. This kept the Chain from slipping up while the other guy jumped up and down on the Puller. Turning the Pipe first is a must.

Using Jacks etc pulling from one side only will only slip or break threads. You must put equal pressure up on the Pipe or someone can get hurt.

bob...

Bob, could you explain what the 4X4 was used for. I'm assuming it was used to put the spike puller on so it didn't sink in the ground.

 

[Speedbump]

Exactly and it gave the puller a little elevation. Usually these wells were in peoples basements with concrete floors. The 4X4 would protect the floor as well.

bob...