Well water

[gbclaytor]

New member.

Howdy, we recently purchased a house in the country that has a well on the property. The sellers switched to county water due to poor water level during drought years.

I don't know exactly what I have out there. There is separate plumbing for irrigation. The pump works and there is a very small tank. I don't know if it's a softener or what.

My question is; how do I figure out what I have? Should I get a small storage tank, so the pump doesn't work 24/7 while I'm using it? I really just don't know what I have or how to use it. I'd like to tie it into the house and alternate between the water company and the well.
Thank y'all
G

 

[Valveman]

Yeah probably not going to be able to alternate house use between city and a well. Got to pick one or the other. City won't like that nice fresh well water accidentally getting back into their, shall we say not always perfect distribution system. They will have rules against that. As long as your well will make enough water you can use it for the house, irrigation, or both. It doesn't hurt a pump to run 24/7 if you are using water 24/7. I have a 2HP running 3 GPM to my drip system, and because we are having a drought, it hasn't shut off in nearly 3 months keeping my garden alive. I have another pump on a stock water tank that hasn't shut off in 17 years. Pumps are actually made to run 24/7. They last longer that way than if you cycle them on and off 50-100 times per day.

Got to figure out what you have. It is your water system, you can make it do anything at any pressure you want. I hate it when people on a well complain and want for "city like pressure". It's your water system, you can have enough pressure to wash a car in the shower if you want, you just have to make it happen. Post a picture of what you have. We can help you figure it out.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Wondering]

Yeah probably not going to be able to alternate house use between city and a well. Got to pick one or the other. City won't like that nice fresh well water accidentally getting back into their, shall we say not always perfect distribution system. They will have rules against that. As long as your well will make enough water you can use it for the house, irrigation, or both. It doesn't hurt a pump to run 24/7 if you are using water 24/7. I have a 2HP running 3 GPM to my drip system, and because we are having a drought, it hasn't shut off in nearly 3 months keeping my garden alive. I have another pump on a stock water tank that hasn't shut off in 17 years. Pumps are actually made to run 24/7. They last longer that way than if you cycle them on and off 50-100 times per day.

Got to figure out what you have. It is your water system, you can make it do anything at any pressure you want. I hate it when people on a well complain and want for "city like pressure". It's your water system, you can have enough pressure to wash a car in the shower if you want, you just have to make it happen. Post a picture of what you have. We can help you figure it out.

Cary, if you don't mind me asking what pressure do you run your pumps at? I'm sure you have all of yours on a CSV.

 

[gbclaytor]

Yeah probably not going to be able to alternate house use between city and a well. Got to pick one or the other. City won't like that nice fresh well water accidentally getting back into their, shall we say not always perfect distribution system. They will have rules against that. As long as your well will make enough water you can use it for the house, irrigation, or both. It doesn't hurt a pump to run 24/7 if you are using water 24/7. I have a 2HP running 3 GPM to my drip system, and because we are having a drought, it hasn't shut off in nearly 3 months keeping my garden alive. I have another pump on a stock water tank that hasn't shut off in 17 years. Pumps are actually made to run 24/7. They last longer that way than if you cycle them on and off 50-100 times per day.

Got to figure out what you have. It is your water system, you can make it do anything at any pressure you want. I hate it when people on a well complain and want for "city like pressure". It's your water system, you can have enough pressure to wash a car in the shower if you want, you just have to make it happen. Post a picture of what you have. We can help you figure it out.

Yeah probably not going to be able to alternate house use between city and a well. Got to pick one or the other. City won't like that nice fresh well water accidentally getting back into their, shall we say not always perfect distribution system. They will have rules against that. As long as your well will make enough water you can use it for the house, irrigation, or both. It doesn't hurt a pump to run 24/7 if you are using water 24/7. I have a 2HP running 3 GPM to my drip system, and because we are having a drought, it hasn't shut off in nearly 3 months keeping my garden alive. I have another pump on a stock water tank that hasn't shut off in 17 years. Pumps are actually made to run 24/7. They last longer that way than if you cycle them on and off 50-100 times per day.

Got to figure out what you have. It is your water system, you can make it do anything at any pressure you want. I hate it when people on a well complain and want for "city like pressure". It's your water system, you can have enough pressure to wash a car in the shower if you want, you just have to make it happen. Post a picture of what you have. We can help you figure it out.

Cary,
Thanks for replying.
Here's a few pics. I turned it on and it runs. I heard the dog barking, and went to investigate. I found the first repair, before I can do much else. I guess it's a good sign. Lol
Gary

 

[gbclaytor]

I really just want to use it for irrigation and to water the foundation. I'd like to do something like what you had said in your reply. Set up drip system in our flower beds and trees. As well as a soaker hose around the house. Eventually, there will be a few animals that will require a stock tank, but I need fencing first.
G

 

[Valveman]

Cary, if you don't mind me asking what pressure do you run your pumps at? I'm sure you have all of yours on a CSV.

My house has a 2HP, 25 GPM submersible with a 60 PSI CSV, 50/70 switch, and a 10 gallon tank. Runs 3 GPM to the drip system in my garden, 6 to 18 GPM for the yard sprinklers, and supplies the house as well.

My shop has a 1.5 HP, 16 GPM sub with a 50 PSI CSV , 40/60 switch, and a 10 gallon tank. Supplies 30 gallons per hour to the evaporation air conditioners in the shop, 12 GPM to the yard sprinklers, fills the 10,000 gallon test pit with a hose, as well as supplies the toilets and ice maker for the shop and office.

The stock water well is a 1/3HP, 7GPM submersible that runs 24/7. It uses a pressure relief valve set at 53 PSI, as that is the back pressure it takes to make it pump the 3 GPM the well can supply.

 

[Valveman]

I really just want to use it for irrigation and to water the foundation. I'd like to do something like what you had said in your reply. Set up drip system in our flower beds and trees. As well as a soaker hose around the house. Eventually, there will be a few animals that will require a stock tank, but I need fencing first.
G

That is a regular submersible pump, 1HP or less, with about a 60 gallon size pressure tank. The lid on the control box will tell you the actual horsepower. Being as it has a 60 gallon tank, that will hold about 15 gallons of water, I would guess it is also about a 15 GPM pump. But it has a Pumptec, so it maybe a low producing well. Get the leaks fixed and do a well test. See if the pump will run a large amount of water for an hour or two. If not, let the well recover and start the test over valving back the flow until you figure out how much the well will make.

 

[gbclaytor]

Thanks. Yes, he told me that when the lake level goes down, so does the well. We are next to lake Lavon, in Collin Co. I'll see what I can get accomplished and get back to you in a few days. I know that there are multiple hose bibs in my pasture. (5 acres). I m not sure how many. I'll just have to let it run and walk around listening for water. I'm pretty sure that I have found them all, but hard to tell in the tall grass.
G