New Well Owner With Lots of Questions

[EricBryant24]

Hi everyone. My wife and I just purchased our first home. The home features a well and septic system and I have no experience with either of these systems. As for the well, I do not know how deep it is and I have a bunch of questions regarding it. We moved in yesterday and noticed the water was a little brown/yellow which I have heard can be common when a well sits for a while. I don't believe that the house has been truly lived-in since 2012.

I was told that I would need to "shock" the well. Which means pouring a gallon of bleach in the well and keeping everything off for around 12 hours. Then to run the taps until the smell of bleach is gone. I plan to do this but have not done it yet. Does this sound right to everyone?

As for the construction of the well, I was wondering if anyone would have any insight into that. I have some pictures of the equipment that I can find.

So, does anyone see any problems or concerns that are evident from these pictures?

I was surprised to see the water level so high looking down the well pipe. I don;t know if you can tell from the picture but it is maybe 24 inches from the opening of the pipe. The house does seem to be in a low spot and the ground is very wet with a significant amount of standing water. I talked with my neighbor and he said that his well looks the same way this time of year.

Also, I don't seem to have access to the well pump, does anyone have a guess as to where that is or could be?

FYI, the pressure tank seems to be sitting around 50 psi.

Thanks so much for any information or tips you could provide. I look forward to learning more about this.

 

[Reach4]

Usually the power comes up from the ground in a pipe/conduit to that area with the protrusion on the cap and goes down to a submersible pump. Do you have an above-ground pump? My well cap has a part that lifts off and a part that stays with the casing.

http://www.moravecwaterwells.com/index.php/maintainance/disinfection-and-testing is my favorite shock/disinfection method, tho it is more complex than most use.

Look up "pitless" to get info on what is probably about 3 ft underground in the casing.. Use a mirror on a sunny day to shine light down the casing. Do you see wires?

More tips will follow.

 

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[Craigpump]

See all those insect nests in the cap? That's because it's the wrong well cap, those insects can lead to a bacteria count.

The tank fittings leave a little to be desired, I'd like to see a pres relief valve installed.

 

[EricBryant24]

Thanks for responding so quickly!

Reach4, I thought that the cap seemed to be missing something. The power line/conduit would make sense. As craigpump points out, it does look like the cap is wrong and I did notice the insect nests. I do not think I have an above ground pump. If I do, then I have no clue where it is. If it is not above ground and does not seem to be in my basement, does that mean it is in the well? If so, how deep could it be, and what happens if the pump goes bad?

craigpump, forgive me for what may be a dumb question. But if I were to install a pressure release valve, where would it go? There are two valves coming off of the tank, one looks like a hose fitting and the other controls water flow to the entire house. Would it go between the tank and these valves? If I did have a pressure release valve, when would I use it?

Thanks.

 

[Reach4]

Your pump is probably about the same depth as your neighbor's pump. Probably not 500 feet. Could be 50. Could be more. Presumably you will see the pitless.

I am still wondering how the wires get to the pump. Is it possible that your water comes from a different well that you have not found yet?. You could hold your ear to the casing while running water. I expect you should be able to hear the pump when it cuts on.

 

[EricBryant24]

I have not had a chance to listen for the pump to turn on, but I will. I am fairly confident that this is the well we are using as I only have about an acre to look on and this is the only well I have found.

What kind of cap should I get to replace this one? The caps I have been looking at all have a channel for the conduit which I do not have. I assume that this would leave a hole for insects and the like to get in.

Do you guys know what the green thing in the last picture is? I am not even positive that it is associated with the well.

Thanks.

 

[EricBryant24]

The green thing is a propane regulator. So not associated with the well...

 

[Reach4]

For the well, a submersible pump needs wires. Logic says there might be a water-tight wire feed-through through the casing at about the level of the pitless. I have no experience with the various possibilities. I have one well with one pitless.

That box that has (614) 878-7756 on it... that would contain a start capacitor. Those have limited life. I would look to replace that capacitor, because if it fails, that would be expected to destroy the pump. That can be DIY. But it would not be extravagant to call a well company to let them do it and to inspect for flaws. I would call R. C. Berry to see if they would tell you about your well. http://www.thecityofcolumbus.com/well-drilling/index.html

You will want to sanitize your well and get your water tested. For well cap, measure your casing. The inside diameter is the nominal size of the casing. But for a well cap, the OD is often specified. I would get one with a screened vent (I presume those are most common). The cap you get will probably have a threaded hole for the conduit. I would use a PVC plug to fit that hole to keep stuff out. One inch NPT is the common thread. http://www.simmonsmfg.com/index.php/our-products/well-caps/watertight-well-caps/ is an example of a good brand.

Look down the well. If you see it is dry to the point of the pitless but damp below the pitless, I think that would indicate a leak at the pitless or the wire feed-through. You will want to get that fixed.

For the green thing, I was thinking it might be a propane regulator. Not part of the well stuff anyway.

 

[Craigpump]

Ah yes....

The wires are spudded through the casing and are wrapped in gray tape.

The best cap is going to be a vented cap with screens and a plug put into the conduit tapping.

There several ways to chlorinate, but the way most well & pump guys do it is to pump the water level down, introduce the chlorine and then circulate the chlorinated water through hose down the well. Don't be surprised if the water gets dirty and plugs filters, screens and aerators. Don't do laundry until the chlorine is gone. Use chlorine specifically designed for water wells.

 

[Reach4]

The wires are spudded through the casing and are wrapped in gray tape.

Thanks. I think you are saying that the wires run through a separate waterproof threaded conduit to a wire spud fitting through the casing much like the water does through the pitless.

Where does the gray tape come into play-- abrasion resistance as the wires transition from horizontal to vertical?

 

[Craigpump]

No, the tape was used to create a water tight splice rather than use shrink tubing to seal the splice.