reclaiming a well in the yard

[oyarde]

Have an old un used well in the yard , tentatively planning , next summer , to have someone come out and install a new hand pump for this well . What , might this cost me ??

 

[oyarde]

My plan would be to use this for the garden next yr. I have enough hose now to reach , picked up all my remnants out of the barn on the Family Farm the past couple weeks ...

 

[showpan]

Cost depends on how deep it is. Use some string and tie something on the end of it to use as a weight and lower it in until you hit the bottom. Then mark where the top of the well is and measure the distance from that point which will tell you how deep the well is and then to the wet portion of the string to tell you where the water is. You don't want to use hose because it won't last long and if it deteriorates enough to break off then you will have an object down there that can now block any future pipes. You should only use hard pipe, not plastic. Since you measured and know how deep the well is, buy enough pipe to reach almost to the bottom save for a few feet. Since you also know how deep it is and how much water it holds, if you are ever going to use this as drinking water, you should have it tested and know what and how much if anything to shock it. Do a search on google.

 

[oyarde]

Cost depends on how deep it is. Use some string and tie something on the end of it to use as a weight and lower it in until you hit the bottom. Then mark where the top of the well is and measure the distance from that point which will tell you how deep the well is and then to the wet portion of the string to tell you where the water is. You don't want to use hose because it won't last long and if it deteriorates enough to break off then you will have an object down there that can now block any future pipes. You should only use hard pipe, not plastic. Since you measured and know how deep the well is, buy enough pipe to reach almost to the bottom save for a few feet. Since you also know how deep it is and how much water it holds, if you are ever going to use this as drinking water, you should have it tested and know what and how much if anything to shock it. Do a search on google.

I will measure it later this fall or next spring , but when I uncover it , I can see the water and would guess no more than 10 or 20 feet to the water, What Diameter should the hard pipe be ??

 

[fisharmor]

Huh, I have this same situation, but mine has a pump and its own breaker... house was on the well up till 02 when the county wouldn't let us buy it without converting.

Anyone know what type of trade service wells?

Also, I think I'm gonna direct my downspouts into the well. People keep telling me this is a bad idea because it might contaminate other wells (with rainwater? Srsly?) But nobody else within 200' is on a well.

 

[oyarde]

I used the well at my last residence for primary household source , the place I was at before that , I did not , but also had an old , covered well at the bottom of the property.I never got around doing anything with it .

 

[oyarde]

//

 

[oyarde]

//

 

[oyarde]

I figure, I can look around at the scrap yard and pick up enough pipe myself cheaper If I know what diameter would be best.

 

[angelatc]

You might want to ask the guys at a local plumbing supply house.

 

[BattleFlag1776]

I figure, I can look around at the scrap yard and pick up enough pipe myself cheaper If I know what diameter would be best.

Depends on the pump. For a well that is 20' or less, 1 1/4" to 2" is fairly standard. Do you know if there is an existing casing?

 

[oyarde]

Depends on the pump. For a well that is 20' or less, 1 1/4" to 2" is fairly standard. Do you know if there is an existing casing?

I think so , but I will look once I muster the motivation to move the heavy cover off of it that we put there .

 

[BattleFlag1776]

I think so , but I will look once I muster the motivation to move the heavy cover off of it that we put there .

If you are fortunate enough to have an existing casing, you can get a drop-in kit for under 1K. Most shallow wells these days use sch 120 threaded pvc, so 2 people can install it easily.

I don't know what 2" ductile iron costs these days but I imagine it is pretty steep.

 

[manny229]

I'm thinking of getting a hand pump as an emergency back up for my well, unfortunately my well is deep so its going to cost a bit more. I was looking at this site :

http://www.bisonpumps.com/index.htm

 

[oyarde]

If you are fortunate enough to have an existing casing, you can get a drop-in kit for under 1K. Most shallow wells these days use sch 120 threaded pvc, so 2 people can install it easily.

I don't know what 2" ductile iron costs these days but I imagine it is pretty steep.

If I can get this done next summer in at under1k , I will be happy with that.

 

[showpan]

Most wells in the area of southern Nevada used galvanized pipe for years with a check valve at the bottom. Unless you use stainless steel, most metals will eventually rot at the point of that check valve. Better to use PVC. Once you measure the depth of your well, you can do a search on google for the pipe sizing formula using whatever pump and it's gallon per minute (GPM) If you are just using a hand pump, 2" would be too big. The well casing should be around 6"-8"

 

[showpan]

Huh, I have this same situation, but mine has a pump and its own breaker... house was on the well up till 02 when the county wouldn't let us buy it without converting.

Anyone know what type of trade service wells?

Also, I think I'm gonna direct my downspouts into the well. People keep telling me this is a bad idea because it might contaminate other wells (with rainwater? Srsly?) But nobody else within 200' is on a well.

Not a good idea, rainwater from the roof contains a lot of contaminants, from the roofing materials itself, to bacteria, bird shit, etc.
You can however, use the ground as a natural filter by digging a sloped trench towards the well and filling it with gravel and then placing your top soil back on top. It's called a soakway.

 

[oyarde]

//