I need to perform a repair in my well.


  #1  
Old 05-27-16, 03:34 AM
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I need to perform a repair in my well. What ladder and safety equipment?

It seems that I have a bit of ground water running into the well where the conduit and pipes enter the well after a few days of hard rain.

I don't want to turn this thread into a just dig downwards outside of the casing thread for reasons beyond the scope of this thread.

The repair needs to be done about 4 feet down.

I'd like to perform the well myself as I have not had good luck with the well guys around here.

What sort of ladder would I need to descend safely in to the well and what sort of other safety mechanisms should I have in place while doing what I need to do?

The well is a 2 foot diameter shallow well that is 38 feet deep. Water level is around 22 feet deep.

The well guys in my area are pretty feckless with their flip flops and plumbers that I know just cite that it is super easy.

I am a bit more paranoid.

Thank you.
 

Last edited by jj94auto; 05-27-16 at 03:59 AM.
  #2  
Old 05-27-16, 03:57 AM
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How many micron filter to not have brown water during ground water runoff?

Please don't turn this into a thread about how I need to fix my ground water runoff....it might not even be ground water runoff based upon a few threads that I have posted here. Let's stay focused on the components of this thread please.

So when it rains heavily for days on end, my water supply from my shallow well/internal well pump goes brown and stays that way for about 2 weeks. Yes, I have run water tests for bacteria bla bla bla. Yes I used bottled water during that time period.

I have one pre filter (about 10 inches long and pleated) that filters at 50 microns entering the house.

When the brown water hits, I generally take that filter out and thrown in a DuPont 5 micron carbon filter, it reduces the amount of brown sediment, but it doesn't eliminate it. (which surprises me....it really does). I already know that the 5 micron generally won't last long, but it is just cost effective enough while I work out my problems.

Questions:

1) Is there a micron level that would completely and immediately eliminate the brown water? I know it is going to be extremely restrictive...but I'd just like a simple answer. Would a 1 micron do it? If not then specifically *why*?

2) The term "pre-filter confuses me". I mean, can't you just run 2 pre filters with 2 pre filter housings (like I have seen examples of here) to save the life of your more restrictive filters? If not numerous pre filter housings, what am I supposed to be running? I don't want to have a whole lot of non-standard stuff involved here if I can help it.

3) Could I ultimately run 3 pre-filter housings in a row e.g. 50 micron, 5 micron, 1 micron to save the lives of the filters? If so, how do I know which filter to replace when water stops flowing in the house? A filter replacement regiment? Numerous gauges (which sounds expensive)?

Thanks for your help!
 
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Old 05-27-16, 04:42 AM
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Please don't turn this into a thread about how I need to fix my ground water runoff.
Let's stay focused on the components of this thread please.
Yes, I have run water tests for bacteria bla bla bla.
Yes I used bottled water during that time period.
but I'd just like a simple answer.
Sorry.
I may have a solution but it doesn't fit your requirements for responding to your question.
 
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Old 05-27-16, 04:52 AM
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What size micron filter you need depends on the particles size in your water. The cheapest and easiest is to simply try filters getting progressively finer until you find one that works. I would stick with pleated filters and avoid the charcoal one you mentioned. Pleated filters have much more surface area and should last considerably longer before becoming clogged. They are commonly available down to .35 micron and can be washed and reused which will help keep the cost down long term.
 
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Old 05-27-16, 04:56 AM
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Why do you need to go down inside the well? Any repair I can think of should be accomplished from outside.

I'm assuming you have a dug well and have 2' diameter pre-cast concrete rings for the well liner. And, since you say you don't want to dig I assume you want to do a Band-Aid fix on the inside to spare yourself the labor/expense of digging.
 
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Old 05-27-16, 04:59 AM
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Sorry.
I may have a solution but it doesn't fit your requirements for responding to your question.
Well you are a super moderator....go ahead and say what you want to say. I'd like to avoid global derailments of my thread with the mini miranda. You all are about the most pragmatic mods that I have ever met.
 
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Old 05-27-16, 05:02 AM
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What size micron filter you need depends on the particles size in your water. The cheapest and easiest is to simply try filters getting progressively finer until you find one that works. I would stick with pleated filters and avoid the charcoal one you mentioned. Pleated filters have much more surface area and should last considerably longer before becoming clogged. They are commonly available down to .35 micron and can be washed and reused which will help keep the cost down long term.
Thank you for the very awesome heads up. I had no idea that pleats when down that far. I was just thinking about readily available at my local walmart. Fortunately I have amazon prime to play around with.
 
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Old 05-27-16, 05:14 AM
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Why do you need to go down inside the well? Any repair I can think of should be accomplished from outside.

I'm assuming you have a dug well and have 2' diameter pre-cast concrete rings for the well liner. And, since you say you don't want to dig I assume you want to do a Band-Aid fix on the inside to spare yourself the labor/expense of digging.
Great question. I hope to have a good answer. I'll allude to this older thread:

http://www.doityourself.com/forum/we...ow-well.html#b

Please see post 1. I suspect that the area around the conduit is leaking into the well. Some say that the orange staining below it does not indicate a sufficient amount of intrusion to turn my water brown, but I am not so sure about that.

As far as digging from the outside, I quite honestly lack the physical strength to dig 4 feet down in an effort to resolve this.

There are rocks about 2 feet down. A small 3 foot dig to bury a small animal has taken me about 4 hours in the past. Plus the well has that concrete slab area around it to stop other types of runoff.

I think that sealing from the inside could at least serve as a diagnostic maybe?
 
  #9  
Old 05-27-16, 05:59 AM
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Another way to extend the life of element filters would be to install a spin down separator (Russco is one brand) ahead of the element filters. The separator has a screen filter and a drain valve. Every so often you open the drain (bucket underneath) and the flow of water washes off the screen.

They are particularly useful for stopping sand and larger particles, but you can get fairly fine screens. Won't help with your brown water problem but will help extend filter element life. You can even get an automatic drain valve that does the cleaning cycle automatically; to use that you have to plumb the drain to a drain of course.

Every so often the screen does have to be removed and manually cleaned, but not often and it's easy.

For your element filters, you may want to look at graduated elements. Not sure if they are available for the smaller housings, but for sure you can get them for the 4.5 x 10 filters. They also help extend element life. They are sort of like having 2 or 3 filters of progressively finer filtration in series, but in a single element.
 
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Old 05-28-16, 06:42 AM
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Here is an answer to your first question. It is good to be paranoid! The well could hold a very dangerous situation. Many times the well will have a lack of oxygen and that could lead to asphyxiation. Leave the project to the pros. If they try to make the repair with out air monitoring first, tell them to leave your property. If they end up killing themselves, you would still be liable. Just food for thought!
 
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Old 05-28-16, 07:43 AM
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One solution that has merits is to have a well company drill a 4" well below the bottom of this well. They usually don't charge for the footage already dug. I had one 75' deep and was running low on ambient water in the 30" tube. I had them drill another 100' and found water. Was only charged for the 100' plus piping a bracing for the 4" tube inside the 30" bore. I agree digging is not an option.
 
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Old 05-31-16, 03:55 AM
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Thank you all! I may come back with additional questions. Chandler, your response is over my head. I am not bright enough lol.

What would your idea accomplish and how much do you think it would cost?

CarbideTipped, I may come back for some additional thoughts.

Landfill Wizard? Lack of oxygen? Really?
 
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Old 05-31-16, 04:44 AM
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What would your idea accomplish
It would get you water. I thought that was your bottom line. Drilling a well is much more efficient than boring or digging. I don't know why it was over your head. Cost is anyone's guess for your area. They would drill the hole and install a liner and a pump with piping and wiring.
 
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Old 05-31-16, 07:27 AM
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It would get you water. I thought that was your bottom line. Drilling a well is much more efficient than boring or digging. I don't know why it was over your head. Cost is anyone's guess for your area. They would drill the hole and install a liner and a pump with piping and wiring.
I am getting water though. It only turns red twice a year. Seems a bit drastic to go that extreme.
 
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Old 06-01-16, 04:01 AM
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Also, since the thread was merged together (which makes no sense since the questions were completely different...but I guess the troll did their job), no one has answered how to safely enter my well.

Are there dedicated ladders for that purpose? Are there other safety measures that can/should be put in place?
 
  #16  
Old 06-01-16, 04:40 AM
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Search and read about "confined space entry". There's a lot more to it then simply getting a ladder.
 
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Old 06-01-16, 05:12 AM
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Search and read about "confined space entry". There's a lot more to it then simply getting a ladder.
981,000 hits on google. If no one is going to provide more specific input, I guess that flip flops and a ladder are just fine.
 
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Old 06-01-16, 01:29 PM
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Looks as if you plan on doing this no matter what advice you get from us. Smart remarks only drive us away, so temper it a little bit. Entering a well which could very easily emit harmful gasses is not a safe thing to do without the proper equipment. If you choose flipflops and a ladder as your solution, you don't need us.
 
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Old 06-01-16, 02:11 PM
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I've gone down my 36"x17' well a bunch of times, and might be doing so again this summer. What are some safety tips?

In the past I've just suspended a ladder from the top and climbed down.

The air at the bottom has always been fine, but now I'm thinking it wouldn't hurt to pump clean air in, just to be safe.
 
  #20  
Old 06-02-16, 06:27 AM
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Looks as if you plan on doing this no matter what advice you get from us. Smart remarks only drive us away, so temper it a little bit. Entering a well which could very easily emit harmful gasses is not a safe thing to do without the proper equipment. If you choose flipflops and a ladder as your solution, you don't need us.
Wow, your post is ridiculous...moderator or not. You told me to drill a new well even though I have water and then never came back to tell me why you felt that I should just drill a well. I humbled myself by stating that I wasn't as smart as you and didn't understand your post and you still gave me abuse indicating that you couldn't understand what was so difficult to understand.

*One* poster came by to mention that there could be lack of oxygen in the well (not specifically harmful gasses). (I questioned it politely).

Not many posts indicating why I shouldn't do this, just a vague go google it type of post.

I praised you mods for being down to earth and this is what I get.

It seems that you lack the ability to listen and it seems pretty hypocritical that you tell others to do so in your signature.

A poster (Pulpo now banned) complains to me about me posting 2 threads on different matters and you honor that request just because the poster (not even a moderator) said it. The poster trolled into this thread because of an argument he initiated in another thread with me. Talk about a weak society who just does anything because they are told to do so. I mean....if I told you to jump off of a bridge would you do it?

The thread has low traffic not because of anyone's responses, but rather the fact that two different threads were merged together that should not have been.
 

Last edited by jj94auto; 06-02-16 at 07:05 AM.
  #21  
Old 06-02-16, 11:59 AM
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Your initial post indicated the water you had was being contaminated by ground water. One viable solution is to drill a well to obtain purer water without runoff. My suggestion was to save you money and get you water at the same time. If that offended you, my apologies.

Methane gas is prevalent in dug holes. Lack of oxygen in deeper holes could be a problem, too. Warning you of these potential harmful situations showed a little compassion, rather than belittling your efforts. I won't apologize for that.

To bring this thread back in line, tell us what you want to accomplish and how you plan on doing it. We'll only offer advice if you ask for it. How is that? It seems our suggestions have fallen on deaf ears.
 
 

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