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Testing a well that hasn't been used in a while
- Thread starter Watson524
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Watson524
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Ok, put the amp clamp on this morning, reading way too high at 29 - 30a so I shut it right down. Appears the pump is zapped?
The well casing coming up measures just over 18" circumference so if my math is right, that's a 6" OD. Also attached are the 2 pipes coming out of the ground about 50' away. water line is 1" ID thick walled and where the electric 2 wire comes out is 1" ID but thinner walled. Ignore the copper you see, that's not part of this and is just from the ground rod at the pole from the mobile home that was there and came up in the same spot to tie into the old panel; nothing to do with the well.
Pictures of the cap included. I've marked on the top of the cap what measures 6" which corresponds to the OD of the casing. Can anyone tell me if that cap CAN come safely off? If so, I'll unbolt it, let the ring fall to the ground and give it a whack under it a bit to see if it comes loose so I can look down in. For right now, my husband is down with a shovel to dig down a foot or so and see if he can find the electric line coming out somewhere since it's not showing above grade by the well anywhere.
The well casing coming up measures just over 18" circumference so if my math is right, that's a 6" OD. Also attached are the 2 pipes coming out of the ground about 50' away. water line is 1" ID thick walled and where the electric 2 wire comes out is 1" ID but thinner walled. Ignore the copper you see, that's not part of this and is just from the ground rod at the pole from the mobile home that was there and came up in the same spot to tie into the old panel; nothing to do with the well.
Pictures of the cap included. I've marked on the top of the cap what measures 6" which corresponds to the OD of the casing. Can anyone tell me if that cap CAN come safely off? If so, I'll unbolt it, let the ring fall to the ground and give it a whack under it a bit to see if it comes loose so I can look down in. For right now, my husband is down with a shovel to dig down a foot or so and see if he can find the electric line coming out somewhere since it's not showing above grade by the well anywhere.
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Watson524
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Well that didn't take long. Electric is just below grade, about 16" from the top of the cap. Looks like some kind of nipple on the casing that goes to the black pipe. The black pipe comes out not in line with where we thought given where it sees daylight and there's a split in it a few inches out from the casing but it doesn't look like a new split and since we know the well was fine a few years ago, I doubt that's the cause of any issues but either way, since it's not a big dig, we'll likely have that moved so it's in line since I assume a newer style cap would be used when the pump gets replaced.
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That could be normal before a second has elapsed. I would try giving it 5 seconds for the current to come down.
EDIT: I now see the 1-inch pitless on the invoice.
That would either be a 5.5 inch ID casing or a 5 inch, depending on the accuracy of your measurement. Your 18 inches corresponds to 5.73 inch OD, which is too small for 5.5 inch casing. Either is big enough to pass a flow inducer sleeve past a regular trapezoidal pitless.
They may also raise the casing to newer standards. Or maybe that will be fine, since it is still safe and grandfathered.
I think pulling those 4 screws to lift the cap will not be in danger of dropping anything. But still get other opinions.
It's pretty fancy having the drilling company name actually cast in. I was picturing a plate with the name stamped or engraved in. The drilling company will be glad to see the photos, I suspect. I wonder if after investing so much in those round caps, they were slower to start using pitless adapters.
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Watson524
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It had to be on there longer than 5 or so because I took the clamp off the one side and put it on the other (it read the same on both sides). I can let it go a bit longer but that seems risky, no?
I'd definitely do at least the bulk of the digging myself since we have the backhoe, tho the next 2 days are ok and then rain for like a week on already saturated ground here in NE PA so that doesn't make me feel great about taking the backhoe down there but doable.....
If I can take that cap off, I can get a better picture. Good news tho about being able to get a flow inducer sleeve in there tho. Are they really pieces of PVC split and clamped on or is that the old way of doing it (I was reading up on some threads here).
Interesting since the casing really doesn't look different from the well we had drilled at our old house in 2002.
It's common around here for the companies to have caps like that. Different company did our old house's well in 2002. Flat cap, tho not round, has the bump out for the wires, but the well company's name is on it and even spots for GPM and depth (tho not marked).
Will wait to see if anyone else chimes in on the cap and taking the 4 bolts off and "nudging" it up and off
That is just a pitless cap. Yes you can take it off. It is not holding the pump up. There is a slide on the inside of the pitless adapter that is holding the pump up. Take the well cap off and you can see the top of the pitless.
Watson524
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I would love to but we just went down, took the bolts off and let the ring slide down and that cap won't budge. There's a groove on the overhang that has a rubber gasket in it from what it feels like. We took a rubber mallet (because we didn't want to risk cracking the cap with a hammer) and that thing won't budge. Whacked under the lip, directly sideways and on top and it's like the rubber gasket has welded itself there from when it was put on. How hard can you whack on it??
Also ran the generator again and the amps stay high even after 10 seconds so the pump obviously has issues.
Watson524
Member
Might take the car jack down tomorrow and see.... We considered somehow getting a cable or chain wrapped tight around it and pulling it up with backhoe but that seemed like overkill lol!
Watson524
Member
Got the well cap open with the help of a floor jack. It's a 5" ID casing, is that still enough for a flow inducing sleeve? The pitless is down 49" from the top and I can see the ring the rod gets threaded into. Called the well company yesterday and they're going to put me on the list but like everywhere, they're backed up but I told them I'm not an emergency anyway so no big deal.
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Yes.
Here are some pipes you could use:
solvent weld D2729 sewer pipe: OD 4.215 ID 4.056 ( white or green)
Schedule 40: OD 4.500 ID 4.026
SDR 35 OD: 4.215 ID 3.97 SDR 35 (PS46) ASTM D3034
https://www.jmeagle.com/sites/default/files/GravitySewer_one-page-slick_v1.pdf
https://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/ASTM-D3034-PSM-PVC-pipe-d_2133.html gives SDR 35 numbers also.
https://www.homedepot.com/p/JM-eagle-4-in-x-10-ft-PVC-Bell-End-Gravity-Sewer-Pipe-30569/100174444 out of stock last time I checked
https://www.menards.com/main/plumbi...m-d2729/4x10astm2729solid/p-1444438058058.htm seems in stock. 4" x 10' ASTM D2729
Watson524
Member
Sadly no menards around me but I likely have something in our barn that'll work. We just cleaned out and gave a bunch of stuff away but I kept some 10' lengths of things because you just never know....
Watson524
Member
I have 2 10' lengths of D2729 in the barn, but unfortunately it's the kind with the drain holes, no solid. I do have a solid piece of D2729 that has a bell end on it but it's only 16" long (including the bell) so I don't know if that would be long enough?
Bannerman
Well-Known Member
What is the distance from above the pump's water inlet where you would clamp and seal the sleeve to the pump, to the bottom of the pump's motor? (Extending further below the motor is preferred when there is sediment suspended in the water)
Watson524
Member
What is the distance from above the pump's water inlet where you would clamp and seal the sleeve to the pump, to the bottom of the pump's motor? (Extending further below the motor is preferred when there is sediment suspended in the water)
At this point I can't say. Well guys have to pull the pump for me and it'll likely have to be replaced. After 48 years, I don't think it owes me anything
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