# getting the old well going again...



## RussNorthAlabama (Dec 28, 2014)

I want to get my old well running again, as we're deep in a drought in my area, and my ponds for the cattle are down to one with three springs, and its going down. I've got city water and the well hasn't been used in 25yrs. It was a good well (was used with a topside pump and local-to-the-well-tank the first 25yrs of my life)... its 6" drilled, btw, and water stayed up near the top, but it was a deep drilled well... some over 100ft (that's deep in my area). An issue was that the well is down hill from the house and the barns where I'd want to run it for troughs, and that distance would be 600-800ft. With my new use of it, I wouldn't mind trying to fill some water tanks for spraying also (so, maybe 500gal at a time, several times a day). When we used it for house use, the tank was water logging regularly, and being out of hearing distance, the constant running would kill the regulators and pumps. I assume this water logging of the bladder in the tank was from pumping up hill. So, everybody I knew years ago that had a submersible pump seemed to have less trouble than a top side pump. Bet that doesn't fix my uphill issue, though. Just thought I'd fish here for ideas, and, besides any comments on my pump and well situation, does anyone have a favorite brand/type of pump? Thanks, Russ...


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

We've had a submersible for around 30 years, just had to change the first one out a couple years ago as the housing cracked and was getting air in the lines.

Not sure why pumping uphill would be hard on bladders. Pressure should remain the same whether uphill or level.


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

I bet the bladder is ruptured,pretty common problem.Replace the pressure tank.

You can wire a light into the pressure switch so a light comes on when the pump kicks in so if it is flashing onand off you know you have issues.You can also see if pump is running when it should not be.


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## BWfarms (Aug 3, 2015)

I have a 150' well with a submersible 3/4 hp pump that feeds a 950' line with 3 hydrants. The incline is uphill for approximately 500' and then downhill the rest of the way. My pressure tank is 36 gallons and sits right at the well head. I use this for automatic tanks, filling sprayers, and pressure washing equipment. I believe I buried 1" pipe and it is well below frost line at 3' deep.

Works for me.


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## RussNorthAlabama (Dec 28, 2014)

Thanks for the replies folks... Think I'll try the submersible this time then. I like the light-on-when-pumping idea... i can put that a light on the outside of the well house for an indicator.

Not sure that the uphill thing mattered, but we were always fighting that same fight with the topside pump and tank set up that Dad put in, back in '64. We had multiple tanks over the decades and it never seemed to vary the pattern. Pop got to where he'd just routinely drain the tank as a maintenance item.

The well was strong as we'd have a once in a lot of years occasion of a hose being left on and it'd run all night and still have water coming out.


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## NightFisher (Oct 10, 2016)

If you are remembering back 25 years and the tank was older when you stopped using it then you may not have had a bladder tank. Up until 25-30 years ago all my pressure tanks used an air do-hicky without a bladder and those things water logged a lot as they aged and we were forever adjusting them.

The bladder tanks are almost no-maintenance.


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## r82230 (Mar 1, 2016)

All water pumps are effected by what is call 'head' in my area (TDH, Total Dynamic Head). This is how far up a pump pulls/pushes water. The higher the head, the lower the capacity (volume not necessary pressure). In high rise buildings, they put pressure tanks every 5-10 stories for this reason. Same as your local city may have a water tower. The tower gives the town it's water pressure. In a 100 story high rise, you would knock your whiskers off in the shower on the lower floors if they didn't do separate water tanks. (It is called hydraulics I believe, used for years to run water wheels, gold mining, etc.).

As an example (not exactly, just for demonstration purposes), if your well pump can put out 10 gallons per minute at the well, it might only put out 7 gallons per minute with a 50 foot head above the well.

Your well might be 100 foot deep, but there is a static water level inside your well (maybe 10 foot, maybe 65 foot below ground level), this is the natural level the water maintains, at a given pumping volume. Your head, would be this number, PLUS the elevation change to your water need area.

*Table of Submersible Pump Stages vs HP vs Total Dynamic Head vs. GPM Flow Rate Capacity

Water Pump HP TDH Capacity GPM Flow Rate Capacity

1 HP 0 - 200 Ft. 4-40 GPM (varies by TDH)

1 1/2 HP 0 - 399 Ft. 4-40 GPM (varies by TDH)

3 HP 0 - 500 Ft. 4-43 GPM (varies by TDH)

5 HP 0 - 700 Ft. 4-43 GPM (varies by TDH)

Notes:

The data in this table is for example purposes. Actual pump capacities vary by model, manufacturer, design, and installation details.

Source: adapted from A.Y. McDonald Co. Mfg. (2014)*

Your well driller, should be able to help you 'size' the pump for the increased head you are looking at, maybe even installing a larger/extra tank, up near your barn/house/need location. Because you will also have a volume/pressure loss from your water line (distance). The best example I can give for that is open a faucet close to water supply, time how long it takes to fill a 5 gallon bucket, then add 75-100 of hose to same source and time filling the bucket. The time will be longer, because of fiction and/or other issues.

I could ask my BIL for more info (he is a well driller by trade), but this should get you started.

My couple of cents today.

Larry


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## RussNorthAlabama (Dec 28, 2014)

NightFisher said:


> If you are remembering back 25 years and the tank was older when you stopped using it then you may not have had a bladder tank. Up until 25-30 years ago all my pressure tanks used an air do-hicky without a bladder and those things water logged a lot as they aged and we were forever adjusting them.
> 
> The bladder tanks are almost no-maintenance.


well, you may be right... pop said bladder, but then it might have been the air deal and he was just referring to it as a bladder. we got city water in about '85 or so, so about 30yrs ago. we kept the well to freeze-less faucet until it quit the last time, probably a year or so after that. he passed 2yrs ago, and i don't think he nor i have opened the door to the wheel house in well over 5yrs. supposed to get a rain tomorrow. man, we've not had a 1/2" of rain at my place in 3 months now. tough year on grazing.


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## RussNorthAlabama (Dec 28, 2014)

r82230 said:


> All water pumps are effected by what is call 'head' in my area (TDH, Total Dynamic Head). This is how far up a pump pulls/pushes water. The higher the head, the lower the capacity (volume not necessary pressure). In high rise buildings, they put pressure tanks every 5-10 stories for this reason. Same as your local city may have a water tower. The tower gives the town it's water pressure. In a 100 story high rise, you would knock your whiskers off in the shower on the lower floors if they didn't do separate water tanks. (It is called hydraulics I believe, used for years to run water wheels, gold mining, etc.).
> 
> As an example (not exactly, just for demonstration purposes), if your well pump can put out 10 gallons per minute at the well, it might only put out 7 gallons per minute with a 50 foot head above the well.
> 
> ...


lot of good info... i've heard that term, but didn't know the details of how much effect there was.

thanks.

i'd bet i've got 30ft of elevation and, time i go to the end of my shop, versus just up the hill to where the shop water line is now, it'd be 1000ft... and then if i run it on to the barn while i was at it, which would sure beat the water hoses, that'd be another 300ft (level ground path from shop to barn).

believe i'm going to try the submersible pump this time.


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