How to locate a well at an old property we bought? Is a pipe locator useful?

[zytoon]

Hello! Appreciate your help/advice. We bought a home that has not been in use for 5-6 years. We are unable to locate the water well. Are there any instruments to locate underground pipes so we can possibly locate well?

I found this: gen eye locator.
https://drainbrain.com/en/products/locatortrans/
Is this good?



Thank you

 

[Valveman]

Submersible down the well or above ground jet pump?

 

[zytoon]

Thx. Submersible

 

[Valveman]

A submersible will have a power wire running along the pipe, usually in the same ditch. You can use a metal detector if it is not too deep. Otherwise you can use a signal generator and locator, like they use to find underground wires.

A well head for a submersible SHOULD NOT be buried. When you find it, extend the casing 18" above grade to keep out contaminates.

If the pump will run or at least buzz or hum, I have been able to find them by feeling vibrations with my feet.

 

[zytoon]

Thank you very much! I will give it a shot

 

[BlueSkyHigh]

If all else fails try this:

As a kid on our family farm in Nebraska, I remember my dad hiring a "water witch" to find water. After the water witch cut himself a flexible and lively Y-shaped branch from a willow tree, we all loaded up in my dad's Jeep Wagoneer and we started driving crisscross one of our fields until the willow branch literally almost twisted out of the witch's hand and he exclaimed "Drill here!". We did and got a 1,600 GPM well for the water witch's efforts. To this day I've never been able to fully comprehend what had happened.

Good luck!

 

[zytoon]

If all else fails try this:

As a kid on our family farm in Nebraska, I remember my dad hiring a "water witch" to find water. After the water witch cut himself a flexible and lively Y-shaped branch from a willow tree, we all loaded up in my dad's Jeep Wagoneer and we started driving crisscross one of our fields until the willow branch literally almost twisted out of the witch's hand and he exclaimed "Drill here!". We did and got a 1,600 GPM well for the water witch's efforts. To this day I've never been able to fully comprehend what had happened.

Good luck!

Very fascinating! Thx for sharing. I heard a similar thing first hand in another country. A person walks holding a coconut on his palm, horizontal. It just stands up when there is water underground. They dig there & hit water. Looks like there is a big, invisible world around us indeed.

 

[RS]

My wife can witch for water, she can find underground pipes if they have water in them. Should I ask her to fly her broom over to your place and locate the pipe?

 

[zytoon]

My wife can witch for water, she can find underground pipes if they have water in them. Should I ask her to fly her broom over to your place and locate the pipe?

Ha! No please. They will scramble F-16s. Lets not waste tax dollars.

 

[Jim Jensen]

"water witching" --- similar to wishing on a star or other such NONSENSE!!!!

 

[BlueSkyHigh]

Nine times out of ten when I get the bigger piece of the wishbone my wishes come true.

 

[Ludington]

"water witching" --- similar to wishing on a star or other such NONSENSE!!!!

Nope, done it myself using bent stick welding rods. Hold them loosely and they will cross when you walk over water. I tried it to drill my well. Picked a spot 35 gpm / 65 foot well, where everyone else gets 3-5 at 200-300 feet.

 

[Twowaxhack]

Nope, done it myself using bent stick welding rods. Hold them loosely and they will cross when you walk over water. I tried it to drill my well. Picked a spot 35 gpm / 65 foot well, where everyone else gets 3-5 at 200-300 feet.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Correlation_does_not_imply_causation

 

[Twowaxhack]

Nine times out of ten when I get the bigger piece of the wishbone my wishes come true.

That’s what she said

 

[Ludington]

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Correlation_does_not_imply_causation

Tried the same method and found water supply pipes in several different locations. In my mind, this works. And as good as any for locating a new well position. Now finding existing, there is a device you clip on the wires inside the house , and it let's you trace the wires underground. I'm sure there are better methods though.
Like this:
TEMPO Communications 521A Underground Wire and Sprinkler Valve Locator Tool - Trace Wire Path, Sprinkler Irrigation Valves, Wire Breaks, Large Nicks, Solenoid Valves (2023 Model) https://a.co/d/2YLKqhU

 

[Bird Doo Head]

I've bent coat hangers or other stiff wire & used them as Ludington said in #13, above to find underground pipe & conduits many times with great success- even deeply buried ones. Plastic, too. Rebar and large roots can trick them, however.

Bodies, too...
Once I had to find the bad cast iron underground DVW at my parents' house in order to break the floor for replacement. My mother asked what I was doing. I demonstrated by laying on the floor and having her walk over me, wires in hand. When the wires jumped across each other she screamed, dropped the wires and took off. I can imagine, being a good Italian mother, she ran upstairs and got her Rosary out! Maybe lit a candle or two.

If you prefer a locator, you can sometimes find them very inexpensively on eBay or Bonanza. After my truck got looted & my good locator got stolen for about the 10th time, I got a sacrifice Dynatel for less than $100.00 on eBay. You can clamp around the wire to the pump with some models (instead of de-energizing and tying to a wire.)

Paul