Well Drilling

Bender

Anyone have much experience with wells? I have a few questions and just want some general knowledge.
Thanks, Dan

Gus Dering

I paid for a 320' deep post hole once.

What do you want to know?

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Bender

Ouch. Around here its about $28.00 a foot. Thats an expensive hole.
We are slowly gearing up to move out to a piece of property we bought last year. It has no power, well, or septic, just bare land.

We are looking at about 10K for the well and up towards 15K for power! Its not the I have a problem with the quotes, but its a hell of a lot more then I anticipated and its going to slow down the move. So I'm trying to see if I can shave some of the costs.

I'm wondering how complicated it is to put the pump in myself. Thats probably my big question.

Tinstaafl

With the well already drilled? No big deal, really--as long as you're working with someone who's done it before. Unless it's really deep and needs specialized equipment to handle the brute-force part.

If you've never done it and have no one to guide you, you face the amateur's choice: Hire a pro to do it once, or do it yourself--twice.

Bender

Yeah. I would definitely have the well drilled. It looks like 180' to water.

flashheatingand

I did a drive point for my house here in town for our irrigation system. However, we only need to go about 25 feet. 180' is a distance, weather or not to take on a project like that is your call. But there is some useful information on the net about how-to. A lot can go wrong, but theoretically it's not too complicated.

Kgmz

180' is going to be tough unless you are willing to invest in the right equipment, like a pipe holder and elevator or a couple of elevators.

I will pull and drop up to 80' by hand if poly pipe, any deeper or with drop pipe then the tools come out.

What kind of pipe do you plan on running down the hole?

mics_54

I assume you are talking about a down hole pump. You can hand the pump off a string of poly...it's lighter. I put my 72' well pump in. I used scaffold and a chain hoist. I doubt you'll save alot doing it. maybe 200 dollars. Make a slip plate to slide under the couplings.

Aggie67

I'm sure you got the advice already, but make sure you test for arsenic and nitrates. You might need treatment on the well water.

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wellbuilthome

Its no big deal dropping a well pump the first time , Its much harder pulling one out full of slime . . I payed 1200 for a new pump on a new well 2 years ago. The well is 550' the pump was over 600 bucks and the other gear was around 350 . The pump guy charge me 250 to install it . The hard part was digging up the walks and tunneling under the stone walls running the pump was a 4 hour job .

Gus Dering

There are so many variables to predict.
Lean on the well driller for advise and info.
How much the well produces and at what depth are two of the big ones.

What is the static level of the water after the hole is drilled plays a part. Some times the water enters the hole below where it comes to rest, creating more head pressure to help the pump.

If the well can keep up with the pump , lets sat 25 gals a minute, things are simplified. A pump in the hole and a bladder tank is about it.

When the well is a slow producer you'll need more gear. Sometimes you can just over drill the hole to create storage space ample for your heaviest use. Then the hole fills back to the static level when you shut the water off.

The choices if that is not enough storage will probably include a storage tank (cistern). And the controls needed to protect the pump in the hole and to communicate with the needs of the cistern are not something for a first timer.

If that was the case you need a second pump to handle the bladder tank's needs.

You may live in an area where the well driller could tell you exactly what to expect because you are over a large aquifer and he knows by your address what you will be in for.

Again, chat it up with the well driller.

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woodchuck2

Well, a well driller friend of mine is charging $15 per ft if you pay cash. Beyond that it varies by who you are and where it is. Even $10k seems expensive. I had a 580' well drilled at my other home for $14k but that was with a contamination proof liner and it had to be hydrofractured twice. And $15k for power??? How far away are you from the grid and does this include for the home? The last home i wired was 1800 sq ft and i charged $16k with a new underground service and a 16k stand-by generator. I guess this depends on where you live.

10fingers

Clarify costs and check if the driller is charging for dry holes. Some of the companies will charge if they come up dry. Around my parts it's $15/ft dry and 25 wet.

Also I understand the old timers used a cable rig with a weight that hammered the pipe. Old and slow the weight was lifted with a cable then dropped on the pipe. Many wells drilled this way. The newer rigs use a pneumatic system?. I found an old timer with a cable rig. His costs were around $5 less.

Bender

Awesome. Thanks for the input you all

I get the perc test today

Bender

Woodchuck, we're 1200' from the grid. 5 poles and quite possibly all lava

Gus Dering

The way the cable rig works is really old school. It has a heavy weight With a mid evil looking weapon on the end. The truck provides about 2-3 ft of stroke to the weight and bit. The operator pays out just enough cable so the bit slaps the bottom of the hole, pulverizing the rock into dust.
He has to add water in the bottom of the hole until the well is making it's own. That turns to slurry and has to be dipped out. He pulls the bit out of the hole and sends in a pipe lookin thing that has a valve on the end. When it makes contact with the bottom of the hole the valve opens and the slurry rushes in. He picks it up and the valve closes. Up and out of the hole he drops it to the side and out comes the slurry.

If he gets 10 ft a day in rock I think he is doing well. No pun intended. 20 ft if the material is cooperating.

The cable rig's perceived advantage is that there is no pressure applied to the hole during drilling. The theory is that if you have a slow producing fissure in the rock the modern rig might just force debris into the crack and plug it. Since they have to pressurize the hole to remove the spoils as they drill. Where the cable rig may just force it open.

Anyway you look at it, well drilling is a shot in the dark. Pun intended.

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woodchuck2

Oh, i see. The price isnt too bad then. Last i knew the grid here was charging $1k per pole but this was years ago so it is probably more now. Even at that price it would be at least $12k since here they put the poles in around 100'-150' apart.