Bought a property with 4 wells, have a couple questions

[jcwren]

OK, so not the best topic title ever, but I couldn't come up with a better one.

I bought a farm that has 2 bored wells and 2 drilled wells. One of the drilled wells is 525' deep with water at 45' and does not have a pump in it (measured with a string and weight) It was decommissioned at some point because of a high iron content, although I don't know how high. I'd like to pull a sample for testing, but I'm not sure how deep I need to go to get a valid sample. If the iron content is low enough to use for non-potable water, I have a spare pump that's a couple years old I could use, but what I don't know how deep does the pump need to go? Are pumps in drilled wells set on the bottom, or do you hit bottom and then come up so many feet, or what?

The other drilled well is around 600' I'm told. It was working up until about 1.5 years ago when some copper thief stole the pressure switch and cut the wire flush with the concrete pad. The wire runs from the pad about 160', then into the control box, and down to the pump. I was going to test the pump with a generator, but I think the generator was optimistically rated and the voltage sagged too much to start the pump (it popped the breaker on the generator, then one of the breakers on the control box). I test the control box and found one of the capacitors was about 50% of it's specified value and a little leaky. The contacts on the starting relay had been arcing for some time and were in terrible shape, so I need to replace the control box. I also resistance tested the cable, and had 2 megohms between ground and all three leads, and had the correct resistance between the windings per the Franklin Electric AIM guide, so unless the pump is now sand-locked, I'm hopeful that it will run with a working control box and a generator that puts out at least 20A at 220V without sagging much.

Any advice, do's or don'ts for getting this pump running? The breaker box that originally powered the pump has been decommissioned, but I have a barn about 150' away that I could probably find enough #10 wire around to run the pump from it's breaker box. I'd prefer to use a generator, but Franklin Electric says being even 1 or 2 Hz off can affect the pump. I don't HAVE to have this pump running, but I'd like to use it run water to a shop building and for some irrigation. Supposedly the water from this well is really good (of course, it'll be tested to confirm that).

Thanks!
--jc

 

[Valveman]

As long as the generator is large enough to handle the "locked rotor amps" seen in the AIM manual and the control box is good and rated for the same or more horsepower it will work fine.

No reason to not be using perfectly good wells. Some people would give their right arm for water like that and if needed it can be treated to make potable water the same way a city does it.

 

[jcwren]

No reason to not be using perfectly good wells. Some people would give their right arm for water like that and if needed it can be treated to make potable water the same way a city does it.

The house is on one of the bored wells. It's pretty decent water, although the pH is 5.0, and it's eaten some fixtures and such over time that I've had to repair. The 525' drilled well with the high iron content hasn't been in use for a number of years. There were two 400' commercial chicken coops on the property that I've taken down. The other bored well was originally for that, but Fieldale evidently insisted there be a back-up well. So the 600' drilled well was installed and made the primary well for the chicken coops, and the bored well became the backup. I'm filling in the bored well, and assuming I don't have to spend a fortune, I'll put the drilled well back into service. I just don't have much requirement for it as it will only serve a spigot on the manure barn and shop, and maybe a wash sink in the shop.

It would take a little bit of work, but the drilled well could also serve as a backup for the house with a couple hundred feet of pipe. On the list of possible projects, but not a priority. The well for the house will run about 11 gallons a minute for at least 3 hours.

 

[Valveman]

Good wells are very valuable, both monetarily and in case of emergencies. It would cost a lot of money to replace what you have. I would do a little to maintain them if needed. States have laws on how to properly fill and discontinue a well. Some also require wells that are not being used to be properly discontinued and sealed. Usually best to keep a pump in the well instead of just capping it, even if you are not using it at the time. As long as there is a pump installed the well is usually considered active.

 

[Pipe Dreams]

OK, so not the best topic title ever, but I couldn't come up with a better one.

I bought a farm that has 2 bored wells and 2 drilled wells. One of the drilled wells is 525' deep with water at 45' and does not have a pump in it (measured with a string and weight) It was decommissioned at some point because of a high iron content, although I don't know how high. I'd like to pull a sample for testing, but I'm not sure how deep I need to go to get a valid sample. If the iron content is low enough to use for non-potable water, I have a spare pump that's a couple years old I could use, but what I don't know how deep does the pump need to go? Are pumps in drilled wells set on the bottom, or do you hit bottom and then come up so many feet, or what?

The other drilled well is around 600' I'm told. It was working up until about 1.5 years ago when some copper thief stole the pressure switch and cut the wire flush with the concrete pad. The wire runs from the pad about 160', then into the control box, and down to the pump. I was going to test the pump with a generator, but I think the generator was optimistically rated and the voltage sagged too much to start the pump (it popped the breaker on the generator, then one of the breakers on the control box). I test the control box and found one of the capacitors was about 50% of it's specified value and a little leaky. The contacts on the starting relay had been arcing for some time and were in terrible shape, so I need to replace the control box. I also resistance tested the cable, and had 2 megohms between ground and all three leads, and had the correct resistance between the windings per the Franklin Electric AIM guide, so unless the pump is now sand-locked, I'm hopeful that it will run with a working control box and a generator that puts out at least 20A at 220V without sagging much.

Any advice, do's or don'ts for getting this pump running? The breaker box that originally powered the pump has been decommissioned, but I have a barn about 150' away that I could probably find enough #10 wire around to run the pump from it's breaker box. I'd prefer to use a generator, but Franklin Electric says being even 1 or 2 Hz off can affect the pump. I don't HAVE to have this pump running, but I'd like to use it run water to a shop building and for some irrigation. Supposedly the water from this well is really good (of course, it'll be tested to confirm that).

Thanks!
--jc

hire a well company to make sure everything is right. Electrician dont know much about much.