Trigger Mike Posted January 28, 2013 Share Posted January 28, 2013 Please excuse my ignorance. I was raised in the city with city water or at least county water. I am wanting to move my kids to the country for a better life. The places I found all have wells, 300-400 feet deep. They have a several foot tall filter either in the well house or in the main house itself. What should I look for to insure the water is good and the well deep enough and anything else I may need to know? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Apache Hawk 60642 Posted January 28, 2013 Share Posted January 28, 2013 Please excuse my ignorance. I was raised in the city with city water or at least county water. I am wanting to move my kids to the country for a better life. The places I found all have wells, 300-400 feet deep. They have a several foot tall filter either in the well house or in the main house itself. What should I look for to insure the water is good and the well deep enough and anything else I may need to know? Just by listening to a friend of mine talk, he's got a 400 foot deep well and he has to have a water softer hooked up to it. Said, it take the minerals out so you're soap works better. And he said something about having his well "fracked". Said, got ahead and drill another well than frack it. Said it's more cheaper. All my growing up years, we didn't have water in our homes. Had to carry it up from the small creek. No inside plumbing at all. Didn't see running water in a building till I went to school ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evil dogooder Posted January 28, 2013 Share Posted January 28, 2013 Water softer is good. Wells will range in depth depending on the area your looking at my dads well is 290' his neighbors is overover 700 my brothers is 32' when looking for a place make sure you know the date of its last service. When the well was drilled. Age of your pressure tank. Age of your pump. Normally there are a few different aquifers? Sp its better to go to the deeper one less chance it will go dry . Or have contamination. Drilling a well isnt cheap if you have any doubts put the cost of drilling a new well into your purchase agreement Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Apache Hawk 60642 Posted January 28, 2013 Share Posted January 28, 2013 Water softer is good. Wells will range in depth depending on the area your looking at my dads well is 290' his neighbors is overover 700 my brothers is 32' when looking for a place make sure you know the date of its last service. When the well was drilled. Age of your pressure tank. Age of your pump. Normally there are a few different aquifers? Sp its better to go to the deeper one less chance it will go dry . Or have contamination. Drilling a well isnt cheap if you have any doubts put the cost of drilling a new well into your purchase agreement Evil....aint it 5 grand per one hundred feet or so ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prescott Palmer Posted January 28, 2013 Share Posted January 28, 2013 Find out how old the pump in the well is. They are built to last a long time but after 25 to 30 years It may not have much time left. You want it to be pumping at least 3 to 5 gallons a minute. Most well water systems have a holding tank with a rubber bladder in it to create the water pressure to pump the water thru the house. When it fills and the bladder has been compressed it should shut off the well pump. If you have a water softener expect to change the filter and or add salt every couple of months. Be sure you have shut off values so you can cut the water off at the source. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flashpowder Hal Posted January 28, 2013 Share Posted January 28, 2013 Some localities require water quality testing, at least annually. Ask if the owner has a recent test (for E-Coli, chemicals, etc) to show. If not request they provide one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prescott Palmer Posted January 28, 2013 Share Posted January 28, 2013 Here in NE Penna it would cost about $5000+ to drill a 300 to 500 foot well Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evil dogooder Posted January 28, 2013 Share Posted January 28, 2013 Evil....aint it 5 grand per one hundred feet or so ? The last one we put in was $75 a foot. My fathers neighbor had to drill four different spots before they hit an adequate source. It ended up costing more than he paid for his farm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hardpan Curmudgeon SASS #8967 Posted January 28, 2013 Share Posted January 28, 2013 'Pache, you're pretty close on your cost estimate. Actually a bit more in my neck o' the woods. E. D., while your thoughts on the deeper aquifers may have merit, it's not always so. Again, depending on location, a deeper well may have all sorts of contaminant issues. I have a friend who decided to go over 500' on his new well, and the water was so foul he had to spend about $60,000+ on filtration and purifying equipment to make it usable, and the monthly cost of doing so is a couple of hundred dollars or more. His neighbors, who are not at 400', have delicious water. By the way, another consideration is the stability of the aquifers. In this area they're dropping several feet per year (which is why may friend went so deep!). In some regions it may be more stable... or not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pit Bull Tex Posted January 28, 2013 Share Posted January 28, 2013 Here in the gulf coast of Texas it cost over $7000.00 for a well.My well is 400 ft and pump sat at 380 ft.It is over 35 year old has great water but still have to have filters on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlie Plasters, SASS#60943 Posted January 28, 2013 Share Posted January 28, 2013 get the water quality tested. especially for arsenic and iron. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-BAR #18287 Posted January 28, 2013 Share Posted January 28, 2013 Check with the county health department or State Department of Natural Resources on the history of water problems in that location. Find out if there sewage lagoons nearby. If you are on well water you are probably also going to be using a septic tank for sewage disposal. Better check out the history on that, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat Brules Posted January 28, 2013 Share Posted January 28, 2013 Here are some things that I learned regarding my well. Each one of these points is important and I would not budge off of any of them as far as the seller, the real estate agents or anyone else telling me different. It's your money at stake. Where is the well located? Is it on the property you are buying or on someone else's property? Do you have adequate maintenance easements or the right to drill another hole on that property. Get this fully understood if the well is not on the property you will own. Get a well profile...the original well profile...it's out there....demand it.....You want to SEE who drilled the well, when it was drilled and the well completion report, which tells you the pipe in the hole, gravel packing, strainters, etc. and a pump description. You also need to know what, when the well was drilled, what the total depth (td) was, where in the hole the pump was and currently is, set, what the water level in the hole is, etc. Use your head to interpret this stuff. Have a well test performed before you buy the place. They will call out a well maintenace guy who will create and deliver a report. DEMAND THAT YOU PERSONALLY WITNESS the well test. Many times, these guys will not do the test or conspire with the sales agent to not do the test and deliver a phony report. If they make an excuse and say, "oh the test was done Tuesday and we couldn't get hold of you." just tell them that they just bought TWO well tests. Let's try it again. Do you want to buy three tests? Don't let them BS you about this. You are looking for good, clear water flowing out of the hole, and an acceptable flow rate. An acceptable flow rate is one that will take care of all your water needs including irrigation, etc. Talk to a professional to help you determine what's "acceptable" to you. If they blow you off regarding witnessing the first test, you can tell if they even did it by going out to the location and looking for mud or standing water near the well. If it's dry, land on them like a big dog and refuse to use the first contractor. Have someone from a lab come out and draw samples off the wellhead and the storage tank. Test those for being fit for consumption. Get data on how old the pump in the hole is, how old the storage tank is, how old the pressure tank is, how old the pressure pump is, how big the piping going from the well to the house and other important locations is, etc. It's worth it to you now to determine what is wrong with the system, if anything. There's way more to consider. If you are interested, let me know. Cat Brules Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BLACKFOOT SASS #11947 Posted January 28, 2013 Share Posted January 28, 2013 The information that you get here is really broadly based. May I suggest that you talk to a well man/pump man in the area. That is where his expertise and knowledge is centered. Lafitte Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984 Posted January 28, 2013 Share Posted January 28, 2013 Have it tested for minerals and bacteria. Make sure the septic systems, yours and your neighbors', are a good distance away. If the road is salted in winter, make sure you have a good setback there also. Animals might poop and pee near it, wild ones won't be much of a problem but if dogs pee on it, they will pee on it every day so don't let them. The well might be 500 feet deep but the water will come to the level of the water table and might only be a few feet below the surface of the ground. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trigger Mike Posted January 29, 2013 Author Share Posted January 29, 2013 this is a lot to consider. I asked my agent to get the well profile and to help me get the well tested and he said the county will do it for 75 and a company for 450. It makes me wonder if the company is doing a lot more than the county. I assume the county is just drawing a sample and testing it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthew Duncan Posted January 29, 2013 Share Posted January 29, 2013 How quick does the tub fill with water? Does the well run every time you turn on a faucet? Or (using the tub as an example) does it take a reasonable amount of time from when you leave a faucet open before the well starts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthew Duncan Posted January 29, 2013 Share Posted January 29, 2013 How quick does the tub fill with water? Does the well run every time you turn on a faucet? Or (using the tub as an example) does it take a reasonable amount of time from when you leave a faucet open before the well starts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dusty Balz, SASS#46599 Posted January 29, 2013 Share Posted January 29, 2013 Make sure there are no turds floating in there. Reality, if you're going to invest a substantial amount of money in a piece of property, get a complete and through test, make sure there are no contaminants, bacteria etc. you also want a decent flow, I like at least 10 gals per min. In some areas wells can dry up in the summer months forcing you to truck in water. Find a reputable well inspector and make sure the county and real estates agents have a copy in case you need it later. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smoken D Posted January 30, 2013 Share Posted January 30, 2013 All very good info. Don't think I read to pay attention to HORSE POWER of the pump. Also is the piping galvanized or PVC. Are you able to drop bleach down the pipe in the spring to clean it out? Anyone else on the system or just you. Make sure pump house is large enough to work in if needed. If in cold weather pump house could use a small heater to keep things from freezing or is the system, tanks etc. in the house. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yellowhouse Sam # 25171 Posted January 30, 2013 Share Posted January 30, 2013 I see you're in Georgia which has an agency that has regulatory powers on wells,etc. Likely the place to start is with the State Health Department. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984 Posted January 30, 2013 Share Posted January 30, 2013 While you are at it, think about the well a bit so you understand all of this. My well is 300 ft deep, my well pipe is 10" in diameter, my water tableis 5 ft below ground level. That means I have 295" of water in the well most of the time. That is 161 cu ft of water or 1200 gallons.That meansthat if I wantto see what the flowrateis, I have to first pump out more than 1200 gallons. Remember, it is filling while you are pumping it out. If you want to disinfect it, that is the volume of water at hand that must be purified. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat Brules Posted January 30, 2013 Share Posted January 30, 2013 BEFORE YOU GET THE WELL DRILLER OUT THERE Find a good water witch in your area....one who comes highly recommended from a minimum of three different sources. When he witches the location, mark it with a spike or t-post driven in EXACTLY where he says to drill. YOU BE THERE when the well driller rigs up on the location. Make sure he does not move that marker. The well driller likes to move in and rig up where it's most convenient for him and he may decide to rig up 5', 10' or 50' from your marker. Don't let them. Make the well driller spud in (beginn drilling) EXACTLY ON the water witch's location marker. Exactly. The witch will tell you the best depth for the best water. Don't let the driller tell you different. He may want to go below that location to make more hole, and therefore, more money. He does need to go slightly below that depth, but not more than a few feet. Pay attention to your witch and don't let the driller buffalo you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthew Duncan Posted January 30, 2013 Share Posted January 30, 2013 ...Are you able to drop bleach down the pipe in the spring to clean it out?... I have never heard of this one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trigger Mike Posted January 31, 2013 Author Share Posted January 31, 2013 Thanks a bunch all this is good stuff to know. no wonder i stayed in the city so long. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-BAR #18287 Posted January 31, 2013 Share Posted January 31, 2013 Thanks a bunch all this is good stuff to know. no wonder i stayed in the city so long. I bet Baby Jessica is on city water, too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shootin' Shu Posted January 31, 2013 Share Posted January 31, 2013 hire a bonded pro.. well pumps, pressure tanks, softeners can get real expensive real quick. the original well paperwork/testing/etc should be filed at your county courthouse. assuming you have a solid water system.. an even as big, if not, bigger concern should be your leach field. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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