Well water - cheap and easy!

gcharles · 02-25-2021, 09:22 PM

I saw this video on Youtube that was posted by on off-gridder and got a great idea for myself.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vm422bfrjws&t=118s

I live year-round in a 37 foot camper with a 40 gallon holding tank, pump and hot water heater.

The property that the camper is on is mine, and is 75 feet away from my water-filled slate quarry.

When we augered the hole for the electrical pole in 1992, we went down 6 foot and hit water...except for the slate being underneath us, there's an abundance of water here.

So, I called my friend who puts in fences, to auger a 10 foot hole for me to drop a sand point, couplings and pipe in so I can have water.

I already have two filters, a hose and a pump, so all I have to do is buy a submersible pump for inside the pump...the electrical panel is 10 feet away.

SeaDog · 02-26-2021, 08:44 AM

There is no need for the cost of a submersible pump with only ten foot of rise. Myself first thing I would do as with any new well is test the water at a good lab. With a good test I would then install a good foot valve and strainer to a quality filter system with an above ground pump and pressure tank. I think you are headed in the right direction and lucky with the water table. JMHO

gcharles · 02-26-2021, 10:13 AM

Thank you!
I don't need a new lab test because I just had one recently, as well as over the past 5 decades, and it's good spring water.
The homes all around me have wells and don't have a problem with water.

The pump I have doesn't go down a casement for a well, so that's why I'm considering buying that type.

Good suggestions...

TitanMike · 02-26-2021, 10:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gcharles

Thank you!
I don't need a new lab test because I just had one recently, as well as over the past 5 decades, and it's good spring water.
The homes all around me have wells and don't have a problem with water.

The pump I have doesn't go down a casement for a well, so that's why I'm considering buying that type.

Good suggestions...

I grew up on a farm that had a high water table. Water was 15 feet below the top of the well casing. We had a jet pump that did a fantastic job of providing water for house and garden.

Nice thing was no electricity down the hole and if there was a problem with the "jet" it was merely a matter of uncoupling the unions on the two pipes and pulling them out of the casing.

One thing VERY important with shallow wells. Make sure that the casing is sealed properly so surface contaminants don't just follow the casing down to your drinking water. Livestock, even on surrounding properties, can be a big problem.

SeaDog · 02-26-2021, 10:39 AM

You don't need the pump to go into the casement only the suction line. the foot valve will keep the pump from loosing prime. With the strainer before your pressure tank you will keep sand out of your RV system. I run a similar system at my ranch that I hook the RV to the well using a pressure regulator set at 40psi on the RV supply line. My well is 526" deep so I have to have a pump set at 449' but I run a 40/60 cut in cut out pressure switch to a large pressure tank. My water is within 49' of the surface but blows down to 400'.

TitanMike · 02-26-2021, 10:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SeaDog

You don't need the pump to go into the casement only the suction line. the foot valve will keep the pump from loosing prime.

A "suction only" pump will only work at depths of 25 feet or less. A jet pump will work down to 90'. Then you are in "submersible" territory.

For the inquiring minds, if you try to pump a column of water over 25 feet up and out of a well using suction, the water column weighs so much all you get at the pump is a vacuum. Jet pumps merely push water. First down into the well and then the "jet" pushes water back to the surface under pessure.

gcharles · 02-26-2021, 11:04 AM

TitanMike,
thanks for your suggestions...I want to pump water from the well, through a 0.5 micron filter into my camper's 40 gallon holding tank.

The rest of the time there's no water use, no livestock and no surface contaminants.

In the future, I may put in a pressure switch and go direct from the water well into the holding tank, but that's still a bit in the future.

**Mr. Dan** · 02-26-2021, 11:07 AM

Too bad. I don’t have a slate quarry.

gcharles · 02-26-2021, 11:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr. Dan

Too bad. I don’t have a slate quarry.

It's been my unexpected pleasure since my parents bought this 26 acre property with 2 water-filled quarries on it in 1966...I was 12 yrs old.

Everyone who grew up with me swam here. It's been a blessing!

SeaDog · 02-26-2021, 11:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TitanMike

A "suction only" pump will only work at depths of 25 feet or less. A jet pump will work down to 90'. Then you are in "submersible" territory.

For the inquiring minds, if you try to pump a column of water over 25 feet up and out of a well using suction, the water column weighs so much all you get at the pump is a vacuum. Jet pumps merely push water. First down into the well and then the "jet" pushes water back to the surface under pessure.

The OP was taking about a well that is only 10' deep. A jet pump as some call it is an educator style pump that requires you to move twice the amount of water If I remember correctly its a 1 to 1 ratio and are excellent in certain situations where other pumps are better in other situations. Given how shallow his well is almost any pump may.

gcharles · 02-26-2021, 02:46 PM

that's something I'll look into...

You've given me some good food for thought!

Thanks...

mnoland30 · 02-27-2021, 07:35 AM

This website has a good explanation of Net Positive Suction Head Required (NPSHR). It may help you buy the right pump. Or, go to a store that specializes in well pumps, and they can line you up.

https://www.mechequip.com/a-simple-w...-suction-lift/

I used a small pump running off a battery and inverter to pump stream water up to water plants during the drought. Add a solar panel and charge controller, and you'd be all set.

gcharles · 02-27-2021, 10:29 AM

Thanks...I'll check out this site...

burnpile · 03-01-2021, 12:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gcharles

It's been my unexpected pleasure since my parents bought this 26 acre property with 2 water-filled quarries on it in 1966...I was 12 yrs old.

Everyone who grew up with me swam here. It's been a blessing!

Sounds really cool. can you post a pic of the lakes?

gcharles · 03-01-2021, 02:28 PM

burnpile · 03-01-2021, 02:58 PM

That looks like paradise, the slate is like a pool deck, how deep and are there fish in there?

gcharles · 03-01-2021, 04:33 PM

In the warm weather, the water goes up to 83, and is all spring-fed...

there's big largemouth bass, trout, sunnies and catfish.

We had my high school's first Senior Skip Day there in 1971...May 17.

427 students skipped school that day, and weren't caught...lol.

It's 200' wide, 100' across, and 100' deep...cut like a pool.

burnpile · 03-01-2021, 09:10 PM

Thanks for the description, I'd love to jump in then lounge around. Maybe have a line in the water.

doanshop · 03-20-2021, 11:48 AM

I might of missed it but did you install well casing if not your hole will cave in over time also casing keeps ground contaminants out of well . Anyway looks good .

gcharles · 03-20-2021, 12:58 PM

right now, I'm looking at boring a 20-foot deep hole and encasing it right away.

The 0.5 micron filter will making drinking water out of the groundwater (spring) that we've been using.

The only difference is that instead of using a capful of bleach in each fill, I'll be using 1 oz. of Purogene i8nstad.

https://www.rvwaterfilterstore.com/w...f1pb-cartridge

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