Opening a sanitary cap and sanitizing for a layman

[Intheswamp]

Howdy. My name's Ed and I'm down in south central Alabama. Just found the forum while searching for info on sanitizing a deep well. I hope some one can give me some pointers. I've actually got a couple of problems with this well.

The well is at my mother-in-law's mobile home and is a 4" well approximately 175' deep with a 3/4hp pump. The well was brought into operation not quiet eight and half years ago.

For the last couple of years or so my mother-in-law has been getting these "specks" in her water. It started out with just a few but has gotten pretty bad now. Looking at the specks they appear to have a very slight orange tint to them and seem gelatin-like, they leave a definite "mud" stain in the tub and the tank of the toilet has a large amount of the gelatin-like substance at the bottom. If fill a clear jar with water you see many specks floating around. Running the faucet at the well results in very cloudy water coming out but then clears up fairly quickly to being not so cloudy...this is a faucet that is plumbed into the bottom of the tank so I think it may be flushing out sediment from the tank. I'm thinking iron bacteria or fungus. I'm not sure I know the difference...or it could be something entirely different.

As mentioned above I have a couple of problems. The other problem is that I've got to replace the pressure switch, it is toast. I won't go into any discussion on the installer, but I'm beginning to wonder about him. A couple of the connections under the switch cover just seemed weak...especially the ground, but there again it's been 8+ years and it's been in the weather so maybe that was a good connections with the twist of wires. The reason I say I wonder about him, is that I remember us flushing the system for 2-3 days after he finished...just kept the water running wide open and don't remember anything about sanitizing anything. This was during the time we were setting up the trailer and also the day he "completed" the well and came by for payment I had just got back from the hospital after my brother had died, so really didn't pay much attention to the well for a while...it was producing water and that's all I was worried about then.

I'm going to replace the pressure switch in the morning, the wiring I shouldn't have any problem with and I'm hoping the air will be ok "as is"....if not I'll cross that bridge later. First thing is to get the water running again.

The next thing (which I would love to do also tomorrow) is to sanitize the well and see if that clears up the orange gelatin. I've seen different amounts of chlorox recommended and I'm a bit confused on that. I understand that if I use too much then it will throw the alkalinity off and reduce the efficiency of the chlorine and that it will also be more apt to harm any metalic parts. Of course, using too little will, well, be too weak. I'm figuring on trying 1/3-1/2 gallon in 10 gallons of water poured down the well casing and see how that smells once the water circulates. I'm going to go ahead and drain the hotwater heater (probably needs flushing anyhow) before running the clorox into the system...will refilling the hw heater call for the higher ratio of chlorox? Any suggestions on this are appreciated.

This brings me to the "how do I get the chlorox down in the casing" question. My sanitary cap is the "4-bolts with the pipe coming out the center". I've read to *not* take the bolts out, but rather loosen them to relax the o-ring/seal...so how much do you loose?...1/2 turn?....1 turn?....2 turns?

Once the bolts are loosened, I take it that the pipe attached to the tank that comes from the top of the sanitary cap should be loosened at the tank so it can "pivot" up a bit when the cap is lifted up. The big question is...just how heavy is the pump, down-pipe, and wiring going to weigh? I'm no Hercules and will probably be working by myself. Should I go ahead and figure on using a hydraulic jack or 4' farm jack to lift the cap a few inches so I can get a water hose in the casing? Or should I just use the little vent hole and slowly run the chlorox and re-circulated mixture through that hole? Working through the vent hole just seems, er,...not optimal.

I've attached some pictures of what I've got to work with.

I appreciate any suggestions or words of encouragement that anybody might have.
Thanks!

Ed

Shot of the type sanitary cap I'm working with...(would there be a problem if I installed a hose bib right on top of the well where that plug is?)

Pressure switch issues...
View attachment 10680

 

[Valveman]

If that is steel pipe the pump is hanging on, it will be very heavy. You need to work through the hole with the little blue plug. Also the hole where the wire goes through needs to be sealed, could be part of the problem. I won't speculate if Chlorine is the best thing to use or how much.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Intheswamp]

If that is steel pipe the pump is hanging on, it will be very heavy. You need to work through the hole with the little blue plug. Also the hole where the wire goes through needs to be sealed, could be part of the problem. I won't speculate if Chlorine is the best thing to use or how much.

Yes, I can imagine it will be beyond me to raise if it is steel pipe. Being installed at the very end of 2001 I would think that a pvc or other plastic-type pipe would have been used. I guess I could take the plug off and see if I can determine what is below the cap with a flashlight.

I was wondering about the seal where the wires enter the well. I didn't know whether there was a seal on down in the cap or what. Thanks for answering the question before I got to it. I'll take care of it when I close things back up.

Ok, well it looks like I'm on my own with the chlorine. Thanks for the feedback.

Ed

 

[Intheswamp]

I thought I would add that I will be having a water test done by the state/county. So far I've been by three times to get a test kit and each time the guy over water/septic systems either didn't have a kit on hand (1st trip) or either he wasn't there and "he keeps his lab locked and we can't get in there" (last 2 trips).

I'll try again Monday.

Ed

 

[Ballvalve]

I would put a hose bib on top of the tee, add the chlorine or what thru the plug hole, and then use a cut off end of a old washer hose stuck in the hole to recirculate the water for a few hours. I would seal up the wire entrance to the well with silicone and use proper electrical fittings on the new pressure switch. Cut back the wires to new copper and use crimp on connectors with no corrode paste. finish with a dog house over the well head. Don't leave it in the weather. I wouldnt think about a water test until thats all completed.

 

[Intheswamp]

Thanks fo the reply, ballvalve. I was just heading out to start replacing the pressure switch and then on to attempting to shock the well. I don't have any connectors but I'm figuring on doing a loop around the screws rather than just clamping down on the wire on one side of the screws. I will definitely cut back to good wire. I'll probably use a wire nut on the two ground wires with a pigtail coming out to the ground screw in the switch housing.

Got you on sealing the wire hole. And will hopefully be putting a shed over the top of everything when I get it going....probably still be a few weeks.

Thanks,
Ed

 

[Gary Slusser]

You can't use the galvanized plug because of the check valve in the pump outlet not allowing water to flow out of the pump into the well.

Chlorine is the only widely available product that will do the job (IRB, iron reducing bacteria) but with galvanized pipe and steel casing, after chlorinating all fixtures and appliances for a few hours, pump off the chlorine and then rinse the casing down with fresh water. Your mixture strength is fine, after getting it in the well, run a garden hose from an outside faucet down the well for the first 20 minutes and then shut it off and run water to all fixtures/appliances until you smell bleach and then run each for 10 seconds every 15 minutes for a few hours. Then run off the well and do the fresh water rinse of the casing.

 

[NHmaster3015]

If you can get that blue plastic plug out you can chlorinate through that hole

 

[Intheswamp]

Thanks for the feedback guys.

Gary, the hose bib I was wondering about to replace the plug at the top of the casing would just be for running water straight from the pump. I wasn't intending to use it for the chlorination. Will it work ok for simply running water from? And Wally Hays, yes, I went through the blue plug on the sanitary cap....1/2" clear vinyl(?) tubing fits well through there.

As I mentioned earlier, I have a problem with sand. From filling the 35 gallon container that I mixed the clorox in it looks like there was probably .75 cubic inches of fine sand/gravel(?) left in the container (Pic #,2, and 3).

As I stated, I used approximately 3/4 gallon of clorox added to 35 gallons of water. Yesterday morning (after sitting overnight) I started the de-chlorination. The pump started out flowing water with a light turbidity about it, at about the 20 minute mark it suddenly darkened up a lot (Pic #4). This was after running the single faucet with the pump maintaining ~28 psi. I went ahead and let the outside faucet run for an bit over an hour. Checking the water at the 1-hour mark the water had greatly cleared, though it was still not completely clear and fine particles could still be see swirling around in a jar and settling down in the middle of the jar (Pic #5). During the flush of the outside faucet I allowed the tank to re-fill several times and then turn the faucet back on again...this seemed to move the pressure from ~28 psi to up around 32-33 psi...not sure if that matters...the cut-out pressure moved to ~52 psi rather than 50 psi (so maybe it's really the meter rather than pressure that changed?). Noted in the bottom of the tub was a good bit of fine sand.

I caught probably a couple of gallons of water from each faucet in the mobile home and dumped outside. The hot water I drained to the outside. After that I let everything run for a while. I'm pretty sure the chlorine was cleared up but by then most everything I smelled smelled like clorox.

Here's where I met my waterloo... The faucet at the kitchen sink had needed replacing for a while so I figured now, while the MIL was gone and I was "on a roll" I would replace it. Had a cheap (which) I think I'm going to return faucet that I mounted on the sink. Got everything took apart and hooked back up. I thought I was home-free. I turn the water back on at the well and....LEAKS AT THE SINK!!!! Appears to be PB and I'm not so sure what to do. Needless to say, I cut the water off and it's still turned off...gotta get the leaks fixed. The leaks are at the fittings at the end of the PB and I'm considering using some type of compression fitting...I believe Quest or Qest fittings have been recommended. I understand that a repiping would be the proper route, but $$$ keeps me from that at the moment, especially since it looks like I'll be needing to get a well-digger up here to check out my sand issue.

Any suggestions on fittings for the end of the PB?

Thanks once again,
Ed
View attachment 10694View attachment 10693View attachment 10697View attachment 10695View attachment 10696

 

[Intheswamp]

I got the kitchen sink issue squared away last night. All appears well except for the sand issue, will see what the well driller says.

Ed

 

[Intheswamp]

In reading about wells and proper well construction, etc., I've come upon something that has gotten my attention. I was at the well the other day and something made me grab the casing and try to shake it. It wobbled fairly easily. I thought these things were supposed to be secure and when I mentioned it over the phone to the well driller (not the original driller) he stated the casing isn't supposed to move any, that it should be encased in cement/grout that *seals* the well. Nope, nada, no cement...just a pvc casing going down into the ground...looks like the original driller "forgot" about grouting. Also, please bear with me, before I mentioned this about the loose casing the driller had commented that "...you're not supposed to be getting sand where you're at."...we sit on top of a limestone formation which is known to be a good aquifer and apparently we pull our water from a non-sandy formation. Does that make sense?

Anyhow here is what makes the "no sand" statement the driller made and the lack of a seal around the casing interesting... The sand is a really fine sand, almost like beach sand from down around Gulf Shores, Alabama. For several years I've been having an on going battle with fireants building a large hill right beside the well casing. Matter of fact, before I started working on the well I shoveled a bunch of the "hill" over into the edge of the woods just to get it out of the way (I let the ants calm down over night). I'm beginning to think that the sand that is in the water is coming from the top of the well rather than from down in the well, that's the fireants are contributing to the "sand".

In talking with the driller that I'm going to hire to fix whatever is wrong he wanted to know the depth of the well, length of casing, etc.,. Basically I needed the well completion log. I called off and on for three days trying to get a copy of this from the original driller. They kept promising they'd fax it to me "in just a little while". Finally, they just quit answering the phone (caller id I presume).

Late Friday afternoon I called ADEM (Alabama Department of Environmental Management) and actually got connected with the guy over private wells here in the state. I explained that I was having a problem and told him I needed to get a copy of the well completion log. He checked their system for two years either side of the time mine was drilled but there hadn't been one filed for my well. He didn't sound too happy about the well drilling company not submitting the form and said that he would be calling them and get the log for me. I hope to hear from ADEM the first of the week. I wonder what the ADEM guy will say when I mention that the well was never sealed? I wonder if I even need to mention it?

Anyhow, that's where I'm at for now....
Ed