mud pump for dug well quotation

Typically, well pumps can be broken down into two categories: jet pumps and submersible pumps. Each design is built to fit the needs of various well sizes and conditions.

Most shallow well pumps are found in wells that are less than 25 feet deep and in areas with a high water table. These pumps have few running parts and require little maintenance.

This type of pump is located above the ground, typically just inside the well house, and generates high pressure to pull the water from the well and into the home using an inlet pipe. A tank or well booster pump is recommended to accompany this type of well pump to increase water pressure to the home.

Unlike its shallow counterpart, a deep well jet pump is located within the well, though its motor stays in the well house. This pump uses two pipes: one for drawing water out of the well and another for directing the water to the home. Deep well jet pumps are typically used in wells that are 110 feet deep.

A deep well submersible pump sits at the bottom of the well directly in the water. Using its motor, the pump draws water from the bottom and pushes it out of the well into your home’s water lines. These pumps can be used in wells up to 300 feet deep. The pumps work similar to sump pumps, which draw water and pump it out.

Although professional well pump replacement comes with high pump installation costs, you may have no choice but to call a professional depending on the well pump you have. Certain pumps, like deep well submersible pumps, require special equipment to get them out without damaging components or wiring. In addition to the fragility of the well’s components, removing a well pump can be very labor intensive, with some pumps weighing more than 100 pounds.

Even if you’re considering replacing your well pump on your own, call a plumber to confirm that the well pump is the issue with your system before removing it. This will prevent any unneeded work or unintentional damage to your well system.

Use the tool below to find a well service contractor who can diagnose your well pump problem and help you determine whether or not you can replace it yourself:

Whether you live in a rural area or simply prefer getting your water from a private source, installing a well on your property has numerous benefits. You won’t have to pay a monthly water bill, and you’ll have some control over your water’s mineral and chemical contents. However, drilling deep enough to access clean water can be expensive, and you’ll need to store and purify the water once it gets to the surface.

On average, drilling a water well costs$3,500–$15,000, depending on several geological and technological factors. You may be able to dig a shallow well yourself, but it’s best to hire a professional contractor for a well that will provide water for an entire home. This guide outlines the well installation process and its costs.

The deeper you need to dig, drill, or drive, the longer the job will take and the more labor it will require. Most residential wells need to be at least 50 feet deep and have an average depth of 300 feet, but how far you need to drill to hit water depends on geographic factors. Accessing state and local geological surveys and learning about existing wells in your area will give you a better idea of the depth you’ll need. The table below includes price ranges for various depths.

Shallow, residential water wells are the least expensive to dig or drill. Sand point wells, which are shallow and can be driven by hand or machine, are similarly inexpensive but don’t usually provide a home’s entire water needs. Geothermal wells are relatively inexpensive on their own, but installing one costs tens of thousands of dollars.

Artesian wells that drill into an aquifer are more costly to drill but less expensive to run. Irrigation wells are the most expensive because they handle the highest volume of water, though residential irrigation is much less pricey than commercial irrigation.

Digging is the least expensive way to create a well, but it’s limited to about 100 feet in depth. Digging can also be thwarted by highly compacted or rocky soil. You can create a shallow well of up to 50 feet by driving a small-diameter pipe into the ground and removing the soil from inside. However, most residential-scale well projects require a drill to excavate.

Modern well systems consist of much more than a hole in the ground and a bucket on a rope. Here are some mechanical components that go into a working water well.

Well-casing pipe supports and protects the well’s walls, so it needs to be sturdy. This pipe is typically made from polyvinyl chloride (PVC), the most affordable option ($6–$10 per linear foot). Galvanized or stainless steel casing is also available for a premium ($30–$130 per foot). Steel may be necessary for earthquake-prone areas, as it’s much less susceptible to cracking and breaking. Casing pipe costs $630–$2,400 depending on its length.

Most wells need electrical wiring to operate the pump and pressure switch. These components aren’t expensive ($50–$150), but a licensed electrician needs to install them, costing $150–$500.

Some people assume that well water is cleaner than municipal water, but municipal water goes through a strict treatment process that water from private wells doesn’t. If you’re using a well for drinking water or other residential applications, you’ll need a purification system to rid the water of contaminants before you can use it. Whole-home water treatment systems cost $500–$3,000, plus another $200–$400 for installation.

Once the water is brought to the surface and purified, it needs to be stored and pressurized so you can use it in your home. A 2-gallon water tank can cost as little as $100, but if you’re going to use well water for most of your needs, you’ll probably need a large pressure tank that costs between $1,400 and $2,400.

One of the most critical parts of the well system is thewater pump, which brings groundwater to the surface. A hand pump for a shallow well can cost as little as $150–$500, but most electronic pumps cost between $300 and $2,000, depending on how powerful they are. A shallow well can sometimes use an aboveground surface pump, but a deep well usually requires a powerful, more expensive submersible pump that sits below the water line and pushes the water up. Some artesian wells can get away without using a pump system since the groundwater is already under pressure and may be pushed to the surface naturally.

Your location determines your climate, water table depth, and type and condition of the bedrock. It will also affect labor costs. For example, Florida is a relatively inexpensive place to dig a well because it has a high water table and an average cost of living. The price is higher in desert states like California, Texas, and Arizona.

You’ll need to check with your state and local government about permits for any project that involves digging in the ground. Permits can cost anywhere from $5 to $500 depending on where you live, but a well drilling company can help you determine which ones you need.

The farther a well is located from your house, the more expensive materials and labor will be. You’ll require longer pipes and electric lines, usually at an additional cost of $50–$150 per linear foot.

Drilling an existing well deeper is less expensive than installing an entirely new well. Redrill fees are usually $300–$600, and a professional can typically complete the job in a day.

Dry and rocky soil conditions, as well as dense bedrock or heavy clay, can make well drilling more difficult and thus more expensive. You may require heavy or specialized machinery, which can add up to 150% of the base price to your total.

Before drinking water from your well, you’ll want to test its quality to make sure it’s safe. Do-it-yourself (DIY) water testing kitsare available for $50–$150, but if this is going to be your home’s primary water supply, you should hire a pro. This can cost between $100 and $500, but it’s well worth checking for the presence of viruses, bacteria, fungi, heavy metals, radon, pesticides, and other contaminants.

If you’re installing a well to live off the grid, you’ll also need a way of dealing with wastewater that doesn’t involve hooking up to the municipal water system. Many professional well drillers can install a well and septic system at the same time, which will save you money on labor. Aseptic tank installationcosts $2,000–$7,000 on its own or $5,000–$22,000 when combined with a well system.

One benefit of installing your own well is that you’ll no longer need to pay municipal water bills. You’ll only need to pay for the electricity to operate the pump (about $3–$4 per month), plus maintenance costs of $100–$250 per year. Compared to a monthly utility bill of $20–$40, you can save up to $500 a year.

It’s possible to install a well yourself, but it’s more complicated than digging or drilling a hole in the ground. Here’s what you can expect from the process, whether you do it yourself or hire a professional.

Well installation professionals have the tools and experience to drill plus install the casing, pump, well cap, and other hardware. They also know how to adjust the process if they encounter anything unexpected under the soil and can help you apply for permits. You’ll pay at least $1,500 in labor costs on top of the well equipment and may pay $10,000 or more for deep wells in poor soil conditions.

Digging or driving a shallow well in an area with a high water table is within the capability of dedicated DIYers. However, you must ensure you go deep enough to get to truly clean water beneath the contaminated runoff in the upper layers of soil. These shallow, driven wells also provide a limited water supply. You can rent a drill rig for $600–$800 per day for larger, deeper wells, but this will only give you the borehole; you’ll also have to install all the hardware yourself.

Wells require maintenance and occasionally require repair. Here are signs that you may need a professional well company to do an assessment. You may only have to pay a service fee if yourhome warranty covers well pumpsor well systems.

Drilled or dug wells can last as long as the walls hold up, but the equipment that runs them usually needs to be replaced every 20–30 years. The pump may fail, or the casing pipe may develop leaks. Replacements can cost up to $10,000 in materials and labor. You can extend your equipment’s lifespan by performing regular checks and maintenance or by hiring a well company to do these for you.

It’s also possible for a well to run dry. This isn’t likely or always permanent since aquifers and other sources may need time to fill back up. A well may fill with sediment over time, which will need to be pumped and cleaned out. In rare cases, you may need to dig deeper or find a different fracture to regain water flow.

It’s widely claimed that having a functional well will raise your property value, but there’s no data on how much of a return on investment (ROI) you can expect. The consensus is that a well that yields drinking water will add more value than an irrigation well, but a nonfunctional or contaminated well will be a liability. Wells are generally more valuable in rural areas or where people want to live off the grid.

Research your yard’s soil and the depth you’ll need to drill before purchasing a DIY well drilling kit. Just because the kit can go 100 feet into the ground doesn’t mean you’ll hit clean water.

It’s important to acknowledge that many DIY well drilling kits are sold within the “doomsday prepper” market. These kits are unlikely to be sufficient if you intend to use your well to fulfill most or all of your residential water needs. You’re better off at least consulting with local professionals who will know about your area’s geological features and water levels before starting the project. These professionals can help you make informed decisions about well installation.

A properly installed well can save you money on your utility bills and provide a private, unmetered water source. Make sure to budget for the drilling of the actual borehole and the equipment needed to pump and store the water, as well as water testing and purification if you intend to drink it. Your system should last for many years once it’s set up.

It can be worth it to install a well, depending on your needs and budget. Drilling a private well is a large investment, but if you live in a rural area or an area with poor water quality, it could increase your property value. Consult with local professionals before beginning to drill or dig.

The average well installation cost is $3,500–$15,000, including drilling and the casing, pump, and storage tank. Price can also depend on the depth of the borehole, ranging between $25 and $65 per foot.

The cost to hook a well up to a home’s plumbing system depends on the machinery used to pump and carry the water. Piping and electrical lines cost $50–$150 per foot, a purification system costs $300–$5,000, and a pressurized storage tank costs $1,400–$2,400.

The time it takes to install a well depends on its depth and the conditions of the soil and bedrock, but drilling can usually be completed in a day or two. Installing the pump system takes another day. After that, it depends on how long and extensive the pipes and electrical system need to be. The whole process should take about a week.

A mud pump is a reciprocating piston/plunger pump designed to circulate drilling fluid under high pressure (up to 7,500 psi (52,000 kPa)) down the drill string and back up the annulus. A duplex mud pump is an important part of the equipment used for oil well drilling.

Duplex mud pumps (two piston/plungers) have generally been replaced by the triplex pump, but are still common in developing countries. Two later developments are the hex pump with six vertical pistons/plungers, and various quintuplex’s with five horizontal piston/plungers. The advantages that Duplex mud pumps have over convention triplex pumps is a lower mud noise which assists with better Measurement while drilling and Logging while drilling decoding.

Use duplex mud pumps to make sure that the circulation of the mud being drilled or the supply of liquid reaches the bottom of the well from the mud cleaning system. Despite being older technology than the triplex mud pump, the duplex mud pumps can use either electricity or diesel, and maintenance is easy due to their binocular floating seals and safety valves.

A mud pump is composed of many parts including mud pump liner, mud pump piston, modules, hydraulic seat pullers, and other parts. Parts of a mud pump:housing itself

Duplex pumps are used to provide a secondary means of fuel transfer in the event of a failure of the primary pump. Each pump in a duplex set is sized to meet the full flow requirements of the system. Pump controllers can be set for any of the following common operating modes:Lead / Lag (Primary / Secondary): The lead (primary) pump is selected by the user and the lag (secondary pump operates when a failure of the primary pump is detected.

Alternating: Operates per Lead / Lag (Primary / Secondary) except that the operating pump and lead / lag status alternate on consecutive starts. A variation is to alternate the pumps based on the operating time (hour meter) of the lead pump.

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If you are a homeowner or building a home in Massachusetts or New Hampshire that has been considering installing a drilled water well to suit your home or an irrigation water well this article has been written to help you further understand the process. The first step when considering this type of project would be to gather quotes from contractors and once you have received them realizing that to most homeowners it seems like the well quotes are written in a foreign language. Do not panic this blog will help translate.

Phase one of any well drilling project is Drilling the water well. A drilled water well is constructed by drilling through the surface material into solid bedrock underground and lining the upper portion of the hole with a steel pipe which is referred to as casing. Casing must be set 10 -15′ into the bedrock by code depending on the state and 18″ above grade. If you have very sandy soil that does not hold formation like clay soils a process called mud drilling must be utilized to hold the hole open to allow the driller to seat the casing into the well. The Mud drilling process is only used to seat the casing and the pricing will mimic the casing depth. The typical average of casing depth is 20-40 feet in Massachusetts and New Hampshire but its important to understand that it is possible for the bedrock to be located deeper. In honesty i always tell my clients to prepare for 20′ best case 120′ worst case for our predominant service areas however pockets of Western, MA  and South Eastern ,MA are notorious for deeper pockets of rock. Once the casing is firmly seated into bedrock by the driveshoe drilling will continue until an adequate water flow for your projects needs has been achieved.

The other terms when it comes to the drilling aspect of the project that tend to raise eyebrows are the retention pit and hydrofracturing. A retention pit is just what it sounds like a pit to retain water and drillings  coming out of the well head during the drilling process. Depending on the lots layout this may or may not be necessary and typically during an initial site visit it will be understood if a pit will be needed. Hydrofracturing is the next term that due to recent issues in the oil drilling field has become a scary term to some homeowners. Water Well Hydrofracturing is a process used to clean out veins in the rock to allow water to flow freely into the well. During the drilling process the driller may notice large changes in the lithology of rock that indicate that hydrofracturing may be the best solution for achieving flow when drilling and that is when this process is recommended opposed to drilling deeper.

Phase two of a well drilling project would be the pumping system. Most Well Drillers in Massachusetts and New Hampshire start the base package off with a 1/2 hp pumping system set at up to 300′ a 20 gallon tank and up to a 50′ offset line all necessary accessories and a pitless adapter. To start off lets talk about the pumps first and foremost pumps run on curves now without getting to engineery on you this means that each pump can only be set at certain depths to preform the way you want them to. What this translates to is that if you end up with a deeper well a larger pump will be necessary to achieve the pressure you need for your system. Once the well is in place and the depth and flow have been determined your contractor will propose a final recommendation for approval based off of the prices detailed on your proposal.  However this is why you will see multiple pump options on the well drillers quotation.

The first thing the pump crew will typically do when completing the pump installation is the offset line which is the electrical and water line from the well to the home. Most companies offer excavation services to dig this line or offer the homeowner the ability to supply the excavation themselves. The offset line connects to the well through an brass adapter called a pitless adapter. A pitless adapter is comprised of two pieces one connects to the water line in the offset and the other connects to the line going down the well holding the submersible pump this adapter is located 6′ under ground.  The electrical line is run from the home through conduit which is a piping approved for direct burial up the side of the well casing into the well cap where the wire continues down the well attached to the water line by guides and tape to the water pump below. An item called a torque arrestor is used just before the pump within the well to hold the pump in place so that when the pump starts up it cannot slam against the sides of the well deep within the ground.

Now its time to do the inside work which includes the tank, gauge pressure switch and/orcontrollers. The offset line runs into the homes utility room in most cases where the technician will connect a pressure tank to the line. The water line is then connected to a tank T which is an adapter that goes into the water pressure tank and allows the offset line to be connected to the line that will eventually be tied into the home.  In front of the pressure tank on the tee you will see two important items the gauge which will tell you the pressure of the system  and the Pressure switch. The pressure switch controls the well pump and provides a signal to turn on or off the water. The water well system is now ready for final connections by the designated plumber and electrician.

We hope this blog was able to explain thecomponents of the water well system and how they relate to the quote you received from Northeast Water Wells. If you have any further questions on any certain component you will find that most of the main components and services have hyperlinks to their individual pages on our website but please do not hesitate to call with any further questions and one of our qualified specialist would be more than happy to assist you. If you have yet to receive a quote feel free to submit a contact us inquiry on the right side of this page or call into our office 1-800-562-9355. Northeast Water Wells has been providing quality water well systems to homes across Massachusetts and New Hampshire Since 1966. Thank you for reading and we hope you have a wonderful day!!

We provide advice about what to do when things go wrong, how to inspect hand dug wells for safety, safe practices for actually digging a well, and how to address hand dug well sanitation

The world wide popularity of hand dug wells is accounted for by the ease of construction without specialized equipment, the simplicity of water raising equipment (a bucket on a rope has worked for thousands of years), and the ability of the Dug well to hold a large volume of water in storage for times of peak demand.

on hand (the well"s static head) in a hand dug well depends not on the well"s overall depth, but the depth and diameter of the column of water in the well when it is at rest and fully recovered from any draw-down.

of a hand dug well depends on its standby volume or static head, the rate at which water flows into it, and the lift and pumping capacity in gallons per minute or liters per minute of the pump being used.

Depending on the well depth, flow rate, storage capacity, and usage requirements, any of a variety of devices or pumps might be used to draw water from a dug well, including

hand pumps using a lever and piston mechanism to lift water from the well, for the properties of hand pumps and the use of hand pumps to deliver water from any well, drilled or hand-dug,

we could find is the 1285 ft. deep Woodingdean Well begun in 1858 and completed in 1862 in Woodingdean, a suburb of Brighton and Howe, East Sussex, England.

More commonly hand dug water wells range from about fifteen feet (4.5 meters) in depth, to a practical depth of around 100 feet (30 meters) though 200 foot deep hand dug wells certainly exist.

Watch out: digging a well by hand is quite dangerous, risking collapse on and death to the excavators. Also, in very deep wells, there may be air quality safety hazards. [2]

Dug wells are usually constructed during dry weather when the water level is at its lowest, both for safety (less likely wet soils cause well collapse) and to determine the necessary depth of the Dug well to obtain adequate water supply.

As we show in this sketch at below left, courtesy of Carson Dunlop Associates (found at page bottom, Click to Show or Hide), Usually a hand dug well is less than 20 feet deep.

wells continue into modern use, often with the installation of either an in-building jet pump draw water from the well into the building. We weren"t sure what the little cover in our

Sources for repair parts and installation instructions for hand pumps on dug wells and shallow wells are provided at our reviewers list at the end of this page.

The hazards of hand dug wells include poor sanitation (ground water and surface runoff easily enter the drinking water supply), and cave-ins during construction or injuries to tools dropped into the well during construction.

At HAND DUG WELL PROCEDURE we describe all of the detailed steps in the procedure for constructing a hand-dug well with concrete well rings in Mexico.

But do not begin a well digging project without advice from an expert and do not try digging a well without following these and any other recommended safety measures for well excavation:

The following advice is adapted from The Hand Dug Well [instruction manual,by Henk Holtslag & John deWolf, Foundation Connect International. Links to a copy of that free manual are at our references section [2].

The excavator in the bottom of the well should have a buddy at ground level above, on guard to assist if needed. While someone is working down the well there must always be someone in attendance at the top.

Watch out: Aside from the risk of a worker being buried alive, killed, or trapped during the process of digging the well, in deep well excavations a lack of oxygen can cause a worker to faint and may require an emergency rescue.

[When the well digging has been completed and it is being lined, a few well builders provide stepping stones (in a stone lined well) and handles, or steel rungs and handles to permit the well to be accessed by climbing if necessary. Usually people rely on a windlass and rope.]

Put a fence or some sort of barrier around the digging site to stop people and animals falling in; when the well is completed it should have a child-proof surrounding fence and cover.

Photo above: this looks like a hand dug well that has an above-ground protecting wall and a cover over the actual well opening (you can just see the red edges of the cover.

If there is a concern for people tossing trash or contaminants into a dug well, a screen or grate may not be enough. The solid iron cover over the dug well shown below is installed at Campo St. Maurizio, Venice, Italy. The domed top sheds rainwater and keeps out tossed or other debris and contaminants.

Dug wells and hand pumps on old water wells are an attractive nuisance, especially to small children. The cover should be secure against entry by children. Photos above: the thin cover over this dug well was easily kicked aside (after we removed the toddler who was found standing atop the well - Ed.)

Watch out:Provide a child-safe heavy, secure cover at ground levelfor dug wells with no above-ground wall or for any below-ground well pit - such as the well shown in our photos just above.

At a Connecticut home in the U.S. our clients, whose family included small children, was worried about lead paint hazards as their foremost concern. We arrived early and had already made a note of a rotting and unsafe cover over a hand-dug well.

As he began jumping up and down, pumping the lever, we ran to him and scooped him off of the well top just before the entire rotting cover fell into the Dug well.

requires that the well be protected from someone falling into the well; a smart abandonment will also protect the dug well from being used as a refuse or chemical dump - doing so risks contaminating the aquifer and is illegal in most jurisdictions.

U.S. EPA, DUG WELLS [PDF], U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, retrieved 2021/05/31 original source: https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-11/documents/dugwell.pdf -

USDA, WELL DESIGN & SPRING DEVELOPMENT, Chapter 31, Part 631, [PDF] (2010) National Engineering Handbook, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation service, retrieved 2022/05/29, original source: https://directives.sc.egov.usda.gov/OpenNonWebContent.aspx?content=26985.wba

AB, TROUBLESHOOTING WATER WELL PROBLEMS [PDF] Alberta Department of Agriculture, retrieved 2022/07/16 original source: https://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$department/ deptdocs.nsf/ba3468a2a8681f69872569d60073fde1/ b235a3f65b62081b87256a5a005f5446/ $FILE/WaterWells_module7.pdf

BC, DUG WELL BEST PRACTICES [PDF] BC, Department of Agriculture, retrieved 2022/07/16 original source: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/ assets/gov/environment/air-land-water/ water/water-wells/best_practices_for_dug_wells.pdf

Canada, Email: ECCInfo@gov.nl.ca Labrador, Canada, - retrieved 2022/07/16, original source: https://www.gov.nl.ca/ecc/waterres/cycle/groundwater/well/disinfecting/

OXFAM, REPAIRING, CLEANING & DISINFECTING HAND DUG WELLS [PDF] OXFAM-TB6, - retrieved 2022/07/16, original source: https://sswm.info & https://give.oxfamamerica.org/

Hurstader, Chris, SIX WAYS to FIX UP A WELL & GET CLEAN WATER [PDF] (2018) OXFAM, - retrieved 2022/07/16 original source: https://firstperson.oxfamamerica.org/six-ways-to-fix-up-a-well-and-get-clean-water/

Oxfam helps communities around the world fix up their wells and learn how to treat their drinking water to avoid water-borne diseases. It’s particularly important during times when people are short on food, due to bad harvests following drought, floods, or any sort of humanitarian emergency.

SCW, DUG WELL RESTORATION [PDF] South Coast Water, Hapshire, U.K., Email contact form at https://www.southcoastwater.co.uk/contact.html - retrieved 2022/07/16, original source: southcoastwater.co.uk/well-restoration.html

We can clean a well even if it is completely filled in with rubble so do not think it will never be a usable well again. All it takes is for us to remove all the rubble and debris, clean and restore the walls and the well will be good to naturally refill with water ready for use again. Please visit our well cleaning page for more information.

Swistock, Bryan & Dana Rizzo, M.S., WATER WELL MAINTENANCE & RESTORATION [PDF] PennState Extension,The Pennsylvania State University 323 Agricultural Administration Building University Park, PA 16802 USA, retrieved 2022/07/16 original source: https://extension.psu.edu/water-well-maintenance-and-rehabilitation

www.who.int/water_sanitation_health - retrieved 2022/07/16, original source: https://wedc-knowledge.lboro.ac.uk/resources/e/mn/ 031-Cleaning-and-rehabilitating-hand-dug-wells.pdf

Thank you for an interesting geothermal system design question. I don"t know a solid answer but I suspect you may need to install a small circulating pump to mix the water if you"re diagnosis is correct.

I have a dug well consisting of a 150 gal cistern with (3) 48" well tiles stacked on top of the cistern. It has a deep well pump at the bottom of the cistern. This well is for my pump and dump geothermal system. This being my ejection well and my injection well ~ 100 ft away is 12ft deep.

The system has been on line since 1996 and up until the past few years no problems, but with the decreasing snowfall rates in the NE I"ve been noticing the entering water temp dropping below 40 degrees and when this happens the system shuts down. It seems like the snow had insulated the well previously and prevented the cooling effect of the cold air and frost.

My theory is the water at the top which can be within a foot of the well cover is cooled by the frost and since it wants to sink because of it"s density there is a constant circulation of cold water dropping down to the pump where it gets picked up and fed into the geothermal system. I"m looking at putting a cover on the top of the cistern to break the circuit. Does this sound feasible.

If your dug well is normally filled with water it would be a surprise but certainly possible for the soil conditions or surrounding geology to change such that the well stops giving water and instead drains it away.

Our place has two hand dug wells on it. At this time one is dry. The other is not, but it has quite a bit of fallen-in lumber from an old cover that collapsed. What is the safest way to retrieve the lumber from the well? Would a grapple hook work or is there something better?

A hand dug well is just that: a large-diameter hole in the ground, dug by hand. There is no "well point" - a well point is used in a driven point well like those shown and discussed at

I have a hand dug well and every year it runs dry between August and October, comes back between November and January. My property is at 800ft elevation. A friend of mine keeps telling me to dig out the well point... how do I do that and what will it do?

Read through some of the dug well cleaning and restoration articles there to see the range of tricks and tips people use for a faster, more-efficient, and safer way to remove crud from the well bottom.

more-sophisticated well cleaning methods are described in procedures for drilled wells where there is less working room. There you"ll see some interesting well cleaning methods using special siphon pump arrangements that pump water down through a suction device that picks up the silt and returns the glop to the ground level through a second pipe.

Watch out: When you"ve got tree root invasion of the dug well sides, as we see in your photo, there are increased risks of both water contamination - surface runoff following tree roots into the well, and of well collapse.

Need to carefully remove 3 feet of silt from 35 feet down, water level is at 21 feet, I got a rough estimate of 65 feet from linking conduit together, air lift wouldn"t seem to work in these ranges. !00 year old well estimate of 65 feet 4 foot diameter, house and old pump house right beside.

Can"t tell if there has been collapse of wall below the root levels of two huge sycamore trees. Ground has subsided and both structures leaning into each other for mutual support. West coast drought has dropped it about 20 feet.

6 people on the property, I have replaced the configuration as seen to shallow well pump but need to return to deep well configuration, any ideas for removing silt and sediment?

Do you have any idea for hand bailers for such a need or a better procedure. I was thinking of a two stage arrangement of two sump pumps. One in the well the end of it"s hose in a bucket with another sump pump to pump it out the rest of the way.

If the concrete well rings or sections are solid, only a small volume of water enters at the sides at the seams - most water will enter at the well bottom.

Finally, as the local water table drops - as may well occur in some locations due to global warming, it may be necessary to deepen the well from time to time.

Our nonprofit African Educate has had a hand dug well constructed in rural Uganda for 2 years. The contractor now says the bore hole needs maintenance. Does this seem reasonable?

When a dug well is lined by hand-built masonry, the opening is dug large enough that the finish-opening diameter, when the masonry liner is installed, is the desired dug-well size.

Depending on where the water table is found the mason will use a combination of mortar, stone on a footing, and some dry-laid stone joints to permit water entry through the well sides.

Other than safety precautions appropriate for working in the bottom of a hole (collapse, air, safe entry/exit, not working alone, helpers to lower materials, etc) it"s standard stonemasonry.

My back yard stays saturated year round. I need a system of acquiring the water for use in my home for water only for bathroom, dishes and othe non drinking uses. I need to dig a well and set up system for use. Thank you

Keep in mind that it is just about impossible to assure that water from a dug well is sanitary - free from surface runoff and bacteria - so at the very least you"d want your well water tested, annually or more-often, at the very least for bacteria.

I have a dug well that was dug in 1980 when we purchased the property. Has been great water and very plentiful. Have not ever had a dry well. Started getting some sand in the water lines and 14 months ago cleaned out the well and added pea gravel. The well is 25ft deep.

While cleaning out the well noted some of the tiles are chipping and some sand getting in. Now water line is dirt and sand. Is there someone who can dig out the silt and replace tiles? What/who would I look for? Husband passed 13 yrs ago and unfortunately for me took his wealth of knowledge. Appreciate any info

It is not safe nor durable to use greenboard nor any plasterboard or drywall as the protective surround for a dug well. That material will not endure outdoor exposure to the weather and it also lacks adequate strength to assure a safe barrier.

It is not safe nor durable to use greenboard nor any plasterboard or drywall as the protective surround for a dug well. That material will not endure outdoor exposure to the weather and it also lacks adequate strength to assure a safe barrier.

A lot depends on whether the damage is entirely above ground or whether the sides of the dug well below ground are damaged and to caving in. Obviously above ground is easier to repair on site. Perhaps you can post photos, one per comment, so that we can see the situation there.

I don"t know for sure what"s happening but I suspect that something is temporarily draining the aquifer that is supplying your shallow well. The effect could be weather related, not just dry or wet spells that affect the groundwater level but even more-subtle changes such as in barometric pressure.

At an old well that served for years but now lacks water, we might ask what has changed. Global warming, changes in weather, may lower an aquifer such that the supply to your well is now "on edge" and is more-obviously impacted by barometric pressure or other variables.

We have a 15 ft dug well. We went to bed and the water in the well was almost overflowing. We woke up the next morning and the cut off valve had kicked in because the water level was so low. It rained all night. There was no water being used. The pump never turned on. We had a plumber come in and he said there are no leaks in your lines.

Your pump is working fine. The well still didn"t seem to want to recover. We turned off the breaker and the well recovered to full in two hours. We turned the breaker back on and turned the pump on and for the next two months no water issues.

Well always full to overflowing. Last night went to bed lots of water in well, no water used, this morning we have no water. Pump turned off because water level drained to cut off valve. What is going on? Why is our water disappearing? It is not coming in to the house.

It may be possible to make minor repairs to the surround for your well, but take great care not to enter, nor fall into the well, as obviously that would be fatal.

You should also make some diagnosis of why the existing masonry wall is failing, so that that underlying problem is corrected. Otherwise you"re wasting your effort.

If you post some photos, one per comment, I may be able to offer more specific suggestions. Without knowing the present construction and materials it does not seem useful for me to propose specific repair items or methods. For example, I don"t know if your well surround is made of stone or concrete or concrete block or something else.

MY dug well that has an above-ground protecting wall and a cover over the actual well opening is in my bard yard across a stream no equipment can get to it, the wall is splitting and cracking and falling on the ground can I repair this and how

Water in a hand dug well or even a bored well can freeze, depending on the climate, air temperature, and distance from the surface of the water to the ground surface. It"s not common but can happen, especially in very cold weather and where the well water level is close to the ground surface/.

A water well whose water rises to above the winter frost-depth is more-likely to freeze if the well is not protected from frost. That"s why people may build an insulated structure around and over the well.

To be accurate you will want to know the frost depth in the location where your fictional (or historical-fictional) well is located. That"s the typical depth at which soil can freeze in winter weather. (Snow cover, leaf cover, etc. can reduce the chances of soil freezing but that"s probably not relevant to your plot).

Then in cold weather that dug well water may freeze. The ice on the dug well water will be of course at the surface; it might be just a skim coat that your character can break through by dropping a heavy bucket down into the well (on a rope of course) to fetch water.

But in prolonged very cold weather the surface water in the dug well could freeze to inches or even more. and in unusual cases might be so thick that people would have to look elsewhere for their water.

So if the top of your well water is just 2 feet below the ground surface in New England, or just four feet below ground surface in Two Harbors Minnesota, in very cold winter weather the well top may freeze solid.

... protect all wells from freezing, mowing, livestock, etc., by enclosing the well within an insulated well house. ... https://efotg.sc.egov.usda.gov/references/public/AL/642_Water_Well.pdf

Forgive me Sharon but it"s not both a spring and a well; If the water source is a spring, perhaps feeding water into a springhouse from which water is pumped to cisterns serving each home, it is, in almost all locations in the world, impossible to guarantee that that water remains potable - free from bacteria or other contaminants, as it"s exposed to surface waters and runoff;

We just purchased a home built in 1800 in New Hampshire. The water comes from a spring-fed well across the street. There are pipes from that well to both our house and to another house up the road. In other words, the one well across the street feeds all three houses.

Right next to the road by our house is a "well" or cistern that is filled by the well across the street. Apparently this system has worked in the past.

The neighbor suggests we reline the well and then try to blow out the pipes to unplug them. I"m wondering if this will provide us with safe drinking water. And if so, what is the best way to reline the cistern. Thanks.

have a 30 year old shallow well (15") with a 5" galvanized steel cribbing. Water depth in well is from 8" of water down to 3" of water. We came thru a very dry fall and the water table dropped about 3". recharge of the well is about 2 gal per hour.

The well I believe could be another 5-6" deeper. this would put us well into the water table and would provide better capacity during dry periods where the water table has dropped. I believe it was only made 15" deep as that was as far as the back hoe could reach when they dug the well.

It may be possible to return a dug well to service but I can"t estimate the cost because I have no idea of the conditions. You need a secure well-structure, a safe well cover, and of course you need water in your well.

I have an abandoned dug water well that was dug many years ago. I wish to get it operative with possibly a hand pump. Can it be done and at what cost?

And though it can be a costly survey, ground penetrating radar has been used for determining the depth to water, as you can read in Johnson 1992. That survey combined use of ground penetrating radar and also measurement of water levels at local ponds in the area of study. That data permitted a map of the water table. But be sure to take a look at the abstract that we quote below.

Hengari, Gideon M., Carlton R. Hall, Tim J. Kozusko, and Charles R. Bostater. "Use of ground penetrating radar for determination of water table depth and subsurface soil characteristics at Kennedy Space Center." In Earth Resources and Environmental Remote Sensing/GIS Applications IV, vol. 8893, p. 889318. International Society for Optics and Photonics, 2013.

Johnson, David G., USE OF GROUND-PENETRATING RADAR FOR WATER-TABLE MAPPING, BREWSTER AND HARWICH, MASSACHUSETTS [PDF] (1992), USGS, U.S. Geological Survey, Water-Resources Investigation Report 90-4086, Prepared In Cooperation With The

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"Comparison of large and small diameter wells", Natural Resources Management & Environment Department, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, FAO Corporate Document Repository - Self-Help Wells - see http://www.fao.org/docrep/X5567E/x5567e04.htm

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Typical Shallow Well One Line Jet Pump Installation, Grove Electric, G&G Electric & Plumbing, 1900 NE 78th St., Suite 101, Vancouver WA 98665 www.grovelectric.com - web search -7/15/2010 original source: http://www.groverelectric.com/howto/38_Typical%20Jet%20Pump%20Installation.pdf, [Copy on file as /water/Jet_Pump_Grove_Elect_Jet_Pumps.pdf ] -

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When Technology Fails, Matthew Stein, Chelsea Green Publisher, 2008,493 pages. ISBN-10: 1933392452 ISBN-13: 978-1933392455, "... how to find and sterilize water in the face of utility failure, as well as practical information for dealing with water-quality issues even when the public tap water is still flowing". Mr. Stein"s website is www.whentechfails.com/

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Your well pump is an essential component to ensuring your home has a steady source of fresh, clean water. With proper well maintenance, your well pump can last, on average of 8 to 15 years, though many homeowners report their pumps lasting far longer, often between 20 and 30 years!

However, owning a home with a well means that you"ll likely have to replace your well pump at some point, but how will you know when it"s time? To help you, we"re sharing the 5 signs you need a new well pump, and what those signs could mean instead!

If there is no water at all when you turn on a faucet or flush a toilet, that is a definite sign there is something wrong. Troubleshoot the issues below, and if those aren"t the problem, you may need to have your well pump repaired or replaced.

When you turn on your water, if there is a noticeable decrease in your typical water pressure, that is a sign that your pump is not able to draw as much water up because it"s beginning to fail. It could also mean your well pump is too small, perhaps caused by adding a new bathroom, installing a dishwasher, or adding a larger water heater.

If you turn on the faucet and it seems like there are air bubbles coming through the pipes and the water is not consistently flowing, the pump may be unable to pull water up and is pulling in air. Like a decrease in water pressure, this is a sign that the pump is not functioning efficiently and may be about to fail altogether.

A metallic smell or taste, or an egg smell coming from your water is generally a sign of harmless minerals in your well. However, if the water is actually coming out with dirt, sand, or sediment, it"s absolutely essential to get it fixed immediately. Most likely, this is an issue directly related to the pump itself.

The pump may be too large for your well, and it"s pulling silt and dirt up from the bottom, and it needs to be replaced. A repair may be necessary instead, if it"s placed too far down in the well and needs to be relocated, or the pump"s filter screen has gotten torn or damaged somehow. This is a fixable problem by a well pump repair specialist.

No matter what the issue might be, from harmless minerals to a broken well pump, don"t drink cloudy, muddy, or dirty water until the problem is solved and you have well water testing performed.

If you have high mineral content in your well, mineral deposits can break down and lead to sediment in your water. Having a well water filtration system will help keep your water fresh and clean.

If your well pump is running continuously, it is probably a sign that it needs to be replaced or, at the very least, repaired. If you have an above-ground jet pump system, the intake pipe needs to be primed, usually caused by a leak in the suction line. This means it needs to have water in the jet system in order to generate the suction needed to pull water up and into the water line.  Otherwise, the pressure control switch is faulty, the pipe has a leak, or the pump may be wearing out and is unable to generate enough water pressure to trigger the cut-off.

Having a reliable source of clean water is an absolute necessity for your Raleigh home. If you are experiencing issues, from a sudden decrease in water quality to no water at all, reach out A & T Well and Pump immediately. We offer comprehensive well pump repair services, including replacement, testing, and maintenance and will work with you to get your water well up and running fast! Call us today at (919)-291-4063 or fill out our contact form to get started!

If you live in an area with plentiful rainfall and moisture, it’s likely you’re already acquainted with the damage that water can do to a home. Luckily, there’s a way to prevent water damage, even during some flooding: installing a sump pump. Sump pumps are a straightforward and convenient way to keep water from damaging your basement, and despite the high initial price point, these products are guaranteed to save you money in the long run.

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A sump pump protects your basement, or other ground or below-ground level floor, against flood and water damage. Consisting of a motor unit with water-level or pressure sensing valves, it can pump water out of one area and discharge it into another area well away from your home. Sump pumps are subterranean and are typically placed in a constructed pit (also called a “basin”) below your floor.

Water drains into and collects in this pit, and then is pumped back out. This makes sump pumps an inconspicuous and convenient way to remove unwanted water from your home. There are several models of sump pumps available, allowing you to choose which will best meet your needs, but all operate under the same essential principles and mechanics.

If your basement, crawl space or any other ground-level building is prone to flooding or water buildup, you need a sump pump. Left unattended, water can cause serious damage to your possessions and to the infrastructure of your home.

Warping, toxic mold growth and the weakening of your home’s structural integrity—whether by means of rot or cracks in your foundation—can all result from water damage. Whether you’re dealing with floods, heavy rainfall or the standard basement moisture, installing a sump pump can ensure that your home stays dry, undamaged and free of mold.

Sump pump installations can be unexpectedly costly, especially if you are installing a pump for the first time in a space previously unprepared for installation. While prices for an average sump pump unit are fairly affordable, the number quickly grows when you start factoring in the cost of professional installation or, if going the DIY-route, any materials that need to be purchased.

Pedestal Sump Pumps: Pedestal pumps are separated into two parts—the motor and the pump—and are the least expensive, usually ranging from $75 to $200 per unit. Installation is also significantly less expensive, with a high-end of around $800. The motors of pedestal pumps are not waterproof, since they sit above the basin and are not submerged, but this also causes them to be louder and to take up more space. On the other hand, pedestal pumps have a longer lifespan than submersible pumps. They are a good choice for areas with only minor flooding or water issues, since they are best-equipped to handle small volumes of water.

Submersible Sump Pumps: Submersible pumps combine the motor and pump into a single unit and are what most people think of when they think of a classic sump pump. Like its name describes, a submersible sump pump is submerged within the basin, saving space and reducing noise. They are well-equipped to handle large volumes of water and should be fully water- and rust-proof. Due to the submersion element, these units have a shorter lifespan than pedestal pumps and are more difficult to reach in the event of maintenance or malfunctioning issues. Unit and installation prices quoted in this article are for submersible sump pumps.

Replacing an old sump pump will always cost less than a new installation, since all the additional preparation required has already been done. If you are only replacing, expect to pay closer to the unit cost of your new sump pump along with labor costs (between $200 and $600), particularly if nothing else needs to be replaced or repaired. The average cost of repairing a sump pump is $475, with high costs averaging $550 and low costs averaging $400.

As a fail-safe, some homeowners also choose to purchase battery backups, pump filters, water level alarms and even pump backups with an initial sump pump purchase. While these will help save your home from water damage if your sump pump fails or the electricity goes out during a storm, each of these will cost you extra to buy and install.

Thicker concrete takes longer to break apart, leading to a higher demolition and installation cost. On the other hand, a dirt crawl space needs no such preparation, but may be more difficult and time-consuming to reach and reinforce.

Note that submersible sump pumps can also be installed outside, if you have an outdoor space that is prone to flooding; however, consult with a contractor before installing since the process may differ from a standard install within a home.

If your house already has water buildup or damage, your contractor may first request that you dry your house before installing a sump pump. While this is not always necessary, depending on the extent of the damage, if it is required the process of drying your basement or crawlspace—especially during a rainy season—may be time-intensive and expensive.

In areas with known flooding, rainfall or humidity issues, expect fluctuations in sump pump installation cost—especially if you are trying to install during a rainier season since contractors may be juggling multiple jobs. Some areas may also require city or local-level government permits before you install a sump pump.

Often this has to do with the drainage point for your pump, because if the water is not drained into an area that can take a high volume of water, it may lead to unwanted damage. One such example might be accidentally draining into a location where it would affect the structural integrity of a sidewalk or road. Some localities may also require you to have a drainage point set at a minimum distance from your home or other buildings.

While you can install sump pumps yourself, we don’t advise doing so unless you have experience and know what you are doing. If your sump pump is not installed correctly, or is put in the wrong location, the cost of fixing any resulting water damage will far outstrip the cost of hiring a professional in the first place. With enough preparation, a DIY sump pump install can be relatively straightforward.

You may need to prepare the “pit” or “basin” (the place where the sump pump sits and water collects), in addition to installing the sump pump, connecting the appropriate hoses and pipes and testing the machine itself. A well-prepared and experienced DIYer can finish the project in as little as a day, barring floor prep and finish complications

A professional installation will range in cost from $600 to $1,800 for the sump pump unit plus labor, with an average cost of around $1,200. Final cost will depend on a variety of factors, including location and the complexity of the installation. Ask for a price quote from your contractor. A good contractor will also be able to recommend the best choice of sump pump for your needs.

Despite the high initial price point of installing a sump pump, keep in mind that whatever the initial cost of installation, any costs incurred by water damage would be far greater. A sump pump is an excellent long-term investment for your home.

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Ok! This is not an easy task, and I recommend that anyone thinking about doing it AT LEAST consider having the well pump identified as the failed component by a professional prior to undertaking it. In my case, the water in my house stopped working (on a Friday night, of course). I know my system pretty well and was able to determine that the fault in my system COULD NOT BE ANYTHING BUT my well pump motor before I took any action. Guess what? I called the plumber anyway. If nothing else, you"ll pay $60 to have your diagnosis confirmed and maybe even get an estimate that will provide you with the motivation to do the job on your own. (My estimate to pull and replace the well was $2400... By following these steps I was able to do the job myself for less than $400!)

So this is what we start with. The drawing is not to scale, but essentially most wells look a bit like this. There are several different variations on what ends up being pretty much the same thing. In my case, the casing (which is the steel pipe that everything fits into and goes into the ground) has a 6" diameter. Some casings can be as narrow as 4". If you"re doing something like this on your own, wider is better! A 6" well casing gives you plenty of room to work on your own. Narrower casings can make things... complicated.

The well used in this example is relatively shallow. It only runs about 100"-120" deep. Some wells can run to depths of hundreds (or thousands!) of feet. In the case of anything deeper than about 250" I would recommend that you have it pulled by a pro. Why? Because it"s HEAVY! And there are special tools that contractors have to lift the pump from that kind of depth. Look at it this way: Even if you have someone else pull the well, you can do the repair/replace action on your own once it"s out of the ground, and still save money. ;)

My well was dug about 25 years ago. One of the things that happens with older wells is that, over a period of several years, silt from the aquifer can seep into the bottom of the casing. That"s a bad thing. Why? Because the silt builds up to a depth that"s too close to the pump, and the pump ends up sucking up the silt and muck from the bottom of the well, and then pushes it into your house! (You"ll see the result of this kind of thing in the following pictures.)

The weight of the whole pump assembly hangs on the water hose that the pump uses to push water into the house. Up near the top the water tube hits what"s called a "pitless connector," where it makes a hard right turn toward the house.

See how the pump looks a bit like a bottle made of two pieces? The bottom part is the motor. The top part is the impeller that sucks the water out of the well and se