We had a well drilled on the site of my son's new home. It recovers at a rate of one to two gallons a minute. This is not something we have dealt with before and are going to install a storage tank in the basement with a timer to fill it around the clock.
We have talked about just drilling again in another location but that will put a dent in the budget.
Any help out there?
A well survey (usually kept by the town or department of health) would give you an idea as to the typical yield of wells in the area. It could be that you just got unlucky.
Your choices are to set up a cistern (basically an unpressured water tank) which is filled slowly by your well, or (which is probably easier) to install more than one LARGE pressure tanks. Although I have a good well, I have twin pressure tanks in case of a power outage. This means the pump cycles less often, too.
All you do is onnect the two side by side (for example, the 'T' fittings are connected together. You only need one pressure switch, etc..
You should get a gage with a low pressure cut off so you don't run dry. They only cost a couple bucks more.
I did talk to our neighbors before we built our home across the creek on the next ridge. Looks like the information i got was a little optimistic. What I have found is as soon as you cross the creek and start up the other ridge the wells are very low producing. The wells in the area are all not great, ours at 5 to 6 gallons a minute is very good for the area.
The last property we owned with a well could not be pumped down. It just recovered faster than the pump could move the water out. This is just a new experience.
Thanks for the info and suggestions.
Had our well drilled in 1979. Recovery rate was just over a gallon a minute. However, the hole in the ground was 360 feet deep with 340 ft being 6" in diameter and 20 ft 8" in diameter. The static level is almost to the top of the well. That translates to over 500 gallons in the hole as a reserve. In 25 years we have never run out of water even with 3 teenagers, lots of showers, lots of clothes washing, etc.
Depending on your well depth, I would not worry unless you want to run lawn sprinklers all night or have an inground pool you want to fill.
My friends just call me Mad.
The depth of the well is 140 feet and the casing is an eight inch. I pumped it out today and drew out just about four hundred gallons. We will probably install a 300 hundred gallon storage tank in the basement just to make everyone feel better.
Thanks for the encourageing info.
If you pumped 400 gallons out of a 140' deep well then you got a good recovery rate. A 6" diameter hole will store 1.5 gallons per foot. Your 8" diameter well should be about 2 gallons per foot.
I would contact a local well professional to determine if you really need an expensive 300 gallon storage tank. According to some of the various state's ag departments, the average household uses between 400 and 600 gallons per day which I think is on the very high side. Your well should be able to handle that with ease assuming your numbers are right. I would still get a professional opinion before spending any $$$.
My friends just call me Mad.
On our last acrage the well was 190 feet deep with a recovery rate of 2 gallons [Br.] per minute. With a 80 gallon pressure tank there were no problems for a household of four. Well was only used for household purposes.
40 - 45 gal/day/person is sort of a ctiteria for water consumption.
Egon
Ok, Had the well pro in today and the water recovery is 1.5 gallons per minute. On the plus side the water tested good and except it is on the hard side. It does taste good and in our area with the sulfur and the salt that is a big plus.
Looking at systems now but just wanted to thank everyone for the information posted.
Over 2100 gallons a day should be more than enough.
mikell
All the tests are back and the water is of excellent quality. Only a hardness of three which is very unusual for this area. No sulfer, salt or iron to deal with so no treatment needed. The 300 hundred gallon tank and the rest of the system are working fine. Even have been watering the new grass with no problems. Move in date is in two weeks and we will see how the family does with the system.
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