water well house - why?

[5030tinkerer]

If I have a backhoe to dig things out later, can I just drill a water well, case it, drop a pump down, and then run the line the required 4' depth to the house for a pressure tank there instead of building a well house or does that well house serve some other purpose? I am trying to avoid having to keep the we'll house above freezing temps.

 

[scott_vt]

Afternoon 5030,
I have my well casing inside my tool shed, which gets locked up BTW. Around here many people have a well shed, and that way no one can take the cap off and dump something down there.

My Uncle Dave had someone dump some manure down his many years ago and he ended up digging a new well

BTW, no need to heat the shed if your line to the house is 4ft deep.

 

[MikeD74T]

There's nothing to dig out later provided your tank & pump controls are in the supplied building. The pump, pipe, & wire are accessable from the top of the casing. A well house would be to protect a pump, controls, and/or tank at the wellhead. A wellhouse or strategically placed bush are often just camoflage for the casing. MikeD74T

 

[goaliedad]

in the old days, prior to submersible pumps, often times the pump was right at the topt of the well- therefore the house. As stated in the earlier thread- with everything either in the well, or home, no pump house needed.

 

[Jimbrown]

No one answered your question so I will. There is no need to have the tank at the well head it can be anywhere in the system. It is common practice to put the tanks in the garage or in the basement if you have one. You may get some condensation around the tank so you might want to put a small catch pan under it. It looks like you are puttiing in a pitless adaptor at 4ft down which is good and then you just need a well cap on top of the casing. you can do all of that prior to starting construction on the house. if you need water for construction which you will you can just put a small pressure tank anywhere in the line and have water for the contractors. Put a good casing cap on and plant a flower bed around it. No one will know it is there.

 

[5030tinkerer]

Thanks for the replies, guys. I imagine using a 4" or 6" schedule 80 PVC casing and have read about pitless adapters. The question is - what makes these special? I mean, is there some reason why folks don't just use a PVC T 4 feet down with reducers down to, say, 2", so that their 1.25" black poly line can be slipped through that sleeve and run to the house? I want to do this right, but the point of these pitless adapters is eluding me.

 

[turnkey4099]

The pitless adapter allows sericing the pump without undoing pipe. It is a two part 'wedge' the 'up' face on the wedge goes on the pipe leading out of the weel to the house, the 'down' face goes on the pump piping. Smear with pipe dope, drop pump and pipe down the well and the adapter makes a seal. Need to work on the well pipe or pump? Just lift on the top of the well pipe and everything comes out.

The wedge on the pump pipe takes the place of a T.

Harry K

 

[5030tinkerer]

Makes great sense - thanks! Quick other question: I have been quoted $7500 for someone to come out and drill this well for me, but I see these 5 to 13 DIY well drilling setups all over eBay for next to nothing. I know it's a bit of a crap shoot, but my neighbor has a well drilled only 30' deep perhaps 200 yards away that works great. Is drilling a well so very difficult that it doesn't make sense to try this myself?

 

[rlk]

5030, you need to check with whoever issues permits in your area. In my area, you are not allowed to cap a well off underground any more. The well casing must extend above the ground.

When I installed my well back in the 1970's, it was o.k. to cap them off underground, but the last time I had the pump replaced, the company who replaced it gave me a hard time about not raising the casing above ground. They stated it was against code now, but I told them I was not paying to extend the casing. They left the well uncovered when they left: I promptly covered it back up, and it has been that way for 6 or 7 years now.

Bob

 

[MarkV]

I have been quoted $7500 for someone to come out and drill this well for me,

Now I can’t ever remember hearing of a well driller that quoted a set price for a new well. Things are different in different parts of the country though. Here the best you will get is a price per foot for drilling and a price for casing when and if water is hit. No guarantees that you will end up with a working well. By the way, seven years ago I paid about $7500 for a cased well at 475’, a pump, trenching 1” line and wire 75’ to the building site and a pressure tank. I’d talk to some more well drillers before trying to do it myself.

MarkV