Amethyst
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
- Joined
- Dec 21, 2008
- Messages
- 12,703
This is for people who have well water to their residence ? (Of course, anyone else who wants to read it is welcome).
We've had some issues with our water supply recently, and are mulling some proposals from the plumbing company (well-system specialists) we've used since 1990. Trying to decide what to do, and would appreciate advice and insights.
Background: We have a 26-year-old home on 3 acres with a 280-foot-deep well. A pump deep inside the well pushes water through a pipe into the basement, where it goes into a pressurized well tank (nominal 50 gallons - actual capacity 12 gallons) and an iron-filtration system into the sinks, toilets, etc. This is 1990 equipment, except for the in-well pump, which was replaced in 2004. All the equipment fits under the basement stairs. The water heater and furnace are located nearby.
Careless water running (e.g. leaving sprinkler on too long) depletes the in-house water tank, and then we have no water until the well can replenish the tank. The well has a slow but steady fill rate (I think it is 1 gal/minute but am not sure). Until recently, the system has been adequate, but our needs are changing. Due to more shade from taller trees, our gutters need to be cleaned twice a year, and the house has to be pressure-washed every year or two.
Now for issues: In June, we had the house pressure-washed and the gutters cleaned. The workers ran out of water. At that time, I checked to see if any toilets were running or other leakage was occurring. I didn't find anything. It seemed that the power-washing simply used water faster, than the well could supply it. After about 2 hours, we had full water pressure again.
Then, two weeks ago, we hired cleaners to clean our basement. They ran lots of water and flushed toilets numerous times. I also ran a load of wash while the cleaners were working. The washer cut off mid-cycle and the kitchen faucet went dry. The cleaners left because they had no water. This time it took forever for the pressure to return, so we called our plumber. He spent about 90 minutes going over the whole system, interior and exterior; checked all 5 toilets (found one that runs a little, but not terribly; turned it off); dropped chlorine tablets into the well to estimate the water level, which was way down (he estimated 200 feet below ground level). He found an exterior hose bib that had been left on, possibly for as much as two weeks (depending on who forgot to turn it off). The bib doesn't leak, but the hose washer does, so there had been a steady if minor leakage for some time.
He said the interior water tank appeared to be OK, but that we had drawn down the well so much that it would take a while for it to refill. (He also warned that letting the well get so low could cause the well sides to collapse, due to lack of hydrostatic pressure). So, for the next 2 days, we showered at the gym, didn't wash clothes, and only ran water to drink and flush toilets. The water pressure on the in-house tank came back to normal.
I ran a load of wash, but the washer was barely getting water. I unhooked the washer hoses and checked the particle screens; they were clean. So I called the plumbers again. By now, the well water level was fine. However, the in-well pump wasn't pulling enough electricity. He recommended replacing it (cost: about $2600; we paid $1900 in 2004). I've read that the life expectancy of a deep-water well pump is about 10 years.
I also spoke with the head of the company, who strongly recommended a new water tank and filtration system to replace the 26-year-old ones. The cost will be $4,415.00 (for comparison, the original 1990 iron-filtration system cost $1,500.00, not including the water tank which was included in the price of the house itself). This would not involve moving any equipment to a new location.
In addition, he recommended replacing the pressurized well water tank with a 400-gallon, non-pressurized, offline storage tank and a booster pump to raise the water to the first and second floors. The advantages to this are a) less strain on the in-well pump, since it gets cycled on and off less often and b) more water available on demand for large jobs like washing the house and cleaning gutters. This would require moving all the interior water and filter equipment to a different location in the basement, since a 400-gal tank won't fit under the basement stairs. Cost: $6,165.00.
The good news is, we have enough in the Emergency Fund to do it all. The bad news is, we had other plans for that money. The other good news is, we now have water to wash clothes, etc.
Even so, we are in it for the $2600 well pump which is past its life expectancy, and probably should do the $4400 filter system upgrade. But, not sure it is worth doing the additional $6,000 upgrade. OTOH, it would be peace of mind...it's upsetting not to have water when you want it.
Well (ha ha), that's my story...what do you all think?
Amethyst
We've had some issues with our water supply recently, and are mulling some proposals from the plumbing company (well-system specialists) we've used since 1990. Trying to decide what to do, and would appreciate advice and insights.
Background: We have a 26-year-old home on 3 acres with a 280-foot-deep well. A pump deep inside the well pushes water through a pipe into the basement, where it goes into a pressurized well tank (nominal 50 gallons - actual capacity 12 gallons) and an iron-filtration system into the sinks, toilets, etc. This is 1990 equipment, except for the in-well pump, which was replaced in 2004. All the equipment fits under the basement stairs. The water heater and furnace are located nearby.
Careless water running (e.g. leaving sprinkler on too long) depletes the in-house water tank, and then we have no water until the well can replenish the tank. The well has a slow but steady fill rate (I think it is 1 gal/minute but am not sure). Until recently, the system has been adequate, but our needs are changing. Due to more shade from taller trees, our gutters need to be cleaned twice a year, and the house has to be pressure-washed every year or two.
Now for issues: In June, we had the house pressure-washed and the gutters cleaned. The workers ran out of water. At that time, I checked to see if any toilets were running or other leakage was occurring. I didn't find anything. It seemed that the power-washing simply used water faster, than the well could supply it. After about 2 hours, we had full water pressure again.
Then, two weeks ago, we hired cleaners to clean our basement. They ran lots of water and flushed toilets numerous times. I also ran a load of wash while the cleaners were working. The washer cut off mid-cycle and the kitchen faucet went dry. The cleaners left because they had no water. This time it took forever for the pressure to return, so we called our plumber. He spent about 90 minutes going over the whole system, interior and exterior; checked all 5 toilets (found one that runs a little, but not terribly; turned it off); dropped chlorine tablets into the well to estimate the water level, which was way down (he estimated 200 feet below ground level). He found an exterior hose bib that had been left on, possibly for as much as two weeks (depending on who forgot to turn it off). The bib doesn't leak, but the hose washer does, so there had been a steady if minor leakage for some time.
He said the interior water tank appeared to be OK, but that we had drawn down the well so much that it would take a while for it to refill. (He also warned that letting the well get so low could cause the well sides to collapse, due to lack of hydrostatic pressure). So, for the next 2 days, we showered at the gym, didn't wash clothes, and only ran water to drink and flush toilets. The water pressure on the in-house tank came back to normal.
I ran a load of wash, but the washer was barely getting water. I unhooked the washer hoses and checked the particle screens; they were clean. So I called the plumbers again. By now, the well water level was fine. However, the in-well pump wasn't pulling enough electricity. He recommended replacing it (cost: about $2600; we paid $1900 in 2004). I've read that the life expectancy of a deep-water well pump is about 10 years.
I also spoke with the head of the company, who strongly recommended a new water tank and filtration system to replace the 26-year-old ones. The cost will be $4,415.00 (for comparison, the original 1990 iron-filtration system cost $1,500.00, not including the water tank which was included in the price of the house itself). This would not involve moving any equipment to a new location.
In addition, he recommended replacing the pressurized well water tank with a 400-gallon, non-pressurized, offline storage tank and a booster pump to raise the water to the first and second floors. The advantages to this are a) less strain on the in-well pump, since it gets cycled on and off less often and b) more water available on demand for large jobs like washing the house and cleaning gutters. This would require moving all the interior water and filter equipment to a different location in the basement, since a 400-gal tank won't fit under the basement stairs. Cost: $6,165.00.
The good news is, we have enough in the Emergency Fund to do it all. The bad news is, we had other plans for that money. The other good news is, we now have water to wash clothes, etc.
Even so, we are in it for the $2600 well pump which is past its life expectancy, and probably should do the $4400 filter system upgrade. But, not sure it is worth doing the additional $6,000 upgrade. OTOH, it would be peace of mind...it's upsetting not to have water when you want it.
Well (ha ha), that's my story...what do you all think?
Amethyst