OT: Residential Well Water Treatment

[TConnolly]

Paul,

Have you tried asking on any other forums?

I see quite a few well water posts on this forum.

Also, a Google search turned up another forum.

 

[JeffKiper]

Paul I hope you didn't buy the crimpers that is just for 1 size pipe. I hate mine. I love the stainless steel crimp band they hold tight. I still carry my on size crimpers just because there are those certain places the new ones will not fit.

You know how it is it's like that old analog Simpson meter that has the cracked case looks like he LL but you won't get rid of it.

 

[OkiePC]

My crimper does three sizes, (I think it's 1/2" 3/4" and 1") but it looks like I didn't even need it since I bought the fancy valves and elblow for the basic valve manifold I hope to get installed today. I am sure I will go with the cheap connectors for any future add-ons once I get things relocated and running again.

I layed out the parts last night and stared at them for awhile, but it was dark and chilly outside and digging that hole + hauling lumber had me worn out, so I didn't cut any pipe yet. Tonight, I will probably try to start layiing out the frame for the wall and build that about the same time as I splice in the pipe so I have a place to hang it.

I am sure I will come up with ways to use a lot of that pipe and that crimp tool since I seem to get hit with a new plumbing project at least twice a year. I want to put misters out front to cool the porch, the dogs, and knock down dust. I think (once my water is free of sediment) I can custom build some nice misters with that PEX tubing...just need to buy a bunch of nozzles...

Also, I would like to have running water on both sides of the front porch and plant something in the flower beds besides rocks and field sand burs.

I am going to see if I can bring a water sample to work to check the hardness, since we now soften all the water in this plant, I think we have a test rig somewhere here.

Good reading at the Minnesota site, thanks.

 

[leitmotif]

Paul I hope you didn't buy the crimpers that is just for 1 size pipe. I hate mine. I love the stainless steel crimp band they hold tight. I still carry my on size crimpers just because there are those certain places the new ones will not fit.

You know how it is it's like that old analog Simpson meter that has the cracked case looks like he LL but you won't get rid of it.

Bought a Simpson to cover stuff that Fluke digital does not do well ie check turn lites on cars or ouptut on solid state temp controller.

Dan Bentler

 

[The Plc Kid]

Dan

Why can't a fluke test turn signals on a car?

For Triac's and stuff i use the fluke stray volage kit

http://www.fluke.com/fluke/usen/accessories/test-leads-probes-and-clips/tl225.htm?PID=56740

http://support.fluke.com/find-sales/Download/Asset/2514193_6001_ENG_B_W.PDF

So no need for the ole simpson but i still got one too. My grandpa got me one when i was 13 and taught me how to use it.

I still have a analog amp clamp too.

Still comes in handy sometimes.

 

[leitmotif]

Have only a 77 III (I think is the number). Dont have stray volt adapter so having fluke catch the turn on is a challenge at times. Maybe just an operator thing too. Until Simpson I used lite bulbs.

Dan

 

[gas]

Paul,
Those sand filters shown in above posts are generally used for drill point wells in sand. Yours is a cased well. If you have water at 20 feet and a 85 ft well you have 60 feet of reserve capacity. I would first try to pull up the pump another 5 or 10 feet or more if the well responds to usage. That alone will elimate a great deal of bottom sediment.
I have done the chlorinator bit, you have to stay on top of it almost every day and it's a real pain.

 

[shawn_75]

Since nobody gave you any info on a softener, here's my experience. I'd recommend you get one with a flow meter / totalizer that bases the recharge interval on the amount of water it has treated instead of a timer. Look for one that can use potassium or sodium salt. One of these types works better on water high in iron but I cannot remember which. I have a Kenmore softener on city water (also lived with a softener on well water) and really could not go back to unsoftened water. Just be careful you don't over suds your washing machine after you install it.

 

[todster]

Think about how sand is created. Would you really expect to find it at 80, 100 or even 400 feet? Not likely if they drilled into the bedrock. What you're seeing is residual from drilling or coming in from above.
I've never seen a deep drilled well use PVC pipe. How would you drive that in to seal it? You wouldn't want to leave it loose and risk surface contamination and debris infiltration. Seeing as how you have PVC, I'd guess it isn't sealed and you definately would want to consider purification. I wouldn't let the dog take a dump within 100 feet of the well either.
One of my wells has a trickle vein at about 30 feet that brings in silt. The moron that drilled it sealed it in a boulder that had a vein of blue clay below. I installed a pvc liner with perfs for the 1st length. It has a couple feet of pea gravel between the casings at the bottom and course filter sand on top. If you are only getting sand then you might get away with using a fine mesh to wrap over the holes.
I hope you dont have the torque arrester spread out. 1 driller told me to push it together so it's fatter and doesn't bang around in the well. It definately aint banging around. Debris settling down has lodge it permanently in the well. I can honestly say that the 160 psi black poly pipe, double clamped, is good stuff. It withstood my backhoe at full throttle pulling it by the pitless adapter with me yelling "I need more power Scotty!!!!".

 

[OkiePC]

Okay, so five days since the project began, I am on budget for money, but behind schedule due to a somewhat of a surprise 3rd shift stint to upgrade a compressor control package and scada...

So, after pulling a double shift with 6 hours off in between, I still don't have a wall. I slept 8 hours and got up and felt okay, but too brain dead to try to fab a wall, and decided I could still use a shovel in this state, so I dug a footing. Then, only two hours after being awake, I took a bath, fell asleep in the tub, so I drained it and took another hot bath...not that I was sore from turning a shovel all day or anything

I just mainly wanted to see how bad the water was. It smelled fine, but just had a fine silt up to a few grains of sand. About a tablespoon of dirt after ~30 gallons.

Then I stretched out on the floor in the living room and relaxed my legs and feet while I assembled all the connectors, applied teflon where applicable, and then I slept another 8 hours and woke up mostly turned around back to day shift.

Work was pretty busy, but I am all mopped up except for two loose ends on this weeks projects.

So today, I am glad I didn't start a wall on top of dirt, and try to sneak in a footing later.

I never can guess how much quikrete to buy, and as expected, I will be picking up three more bags tomorrow.

Two more days 'til a wall can begin, at which time I can attach my strainer/filter.

It will be built on two pretty good sized footings in the pic.

The depth is deceiving it is about 27" down to the top of the pipe , and the footings are about 18" square and 3' tall.

Thanks for all the added info...flow based recharge potassium compatible softener sounds like great advice.

My torque arrestor is spread out so that it was difficult to push the well back into the casing, but it slid down smooth and no snags, so I suspect my casing integrity is good. I pressure tested the from the well with 80PSI air and found no leaks when I had it out.

My soil is red sand in this whole section of Oklahoma. I am not sure how far down I should expect bedrock. I live at the bottom of a ridge next to a gulley. There is a spring fed lake about "two city blocks" away, and it's surface level rarely changes, and I would guess it's about 30' below the surface of my yard...hard to tell with a tall hill between me and it.

Keep em coming but I may not be able to reply with any progress for a few more days.

Paul

 

[OkiePC]

Aha!

http://budgetwater.com/chem_feed_systems.htm

Procrastination has paid off yet again.

I have found (above) a site with awesome information, and sources of products that appears to be more objective than what Google turned up in my first hour of research.

NOT ONLY THAT, but the best thing that happened today, was my son's 16 year old buddy taught me the proper way to frame a wall. All these years, I have added a few interior walls, and built a doghouse or two, but now I understand how to construct the three walls of my front porch/water treatment system.

My footings are poured, and I used Intellicad to sketch some dims so I know how many boards to cut all except for my window height which means I gotta know the tallest height of my plumbing installations. The tallest of these appears to be the softener. The only low profile unit I found so far has terrible reviews. Still haven't tested my water. I know I have silt and iron, which affects my softener choices. I have had, and may still have iron bacteria.

I have all my pieces ready to chop and plug into the plastic 1" supply line, as soon as I get the north wall installed, and pipe hung I will post more pics.

Oh the other great thing that happened this week, my buddy at work is giving me free used vinyl siding. I Love that stuff, so easy to work with...His is getting replaced following hail damage and he has a huge house covered in it! I have sided two whole houses already (so I am pretty good at it now!). It's blue he said, but he brought in a piece yesterday for me to see. It's light baby gray blue...nothing wrong with that even if I put a few bucks in and use all white corners and channels.

So, I am trying to get chlorinated, strained, filtered, and softened for another $850...

But I gotta be at work 05:00 to 13:30 tomorrow which in turn, gives me more daylight with which to construct that wall, and the 2nd round of quikrete will be dry enough to work above it.

C'mon D'Light savings! I am so glad they extended the season...

 

[OkiePC]

Progress:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=32700&id=100001540461479&l=88acd89c10

Now, my well is restored to having a sand strainer like it was before Feb.1 when the one at the well head cracked and blew out the backup.

Still no skin on the walls, but it got dark and sprinkly so I had to move my tools and quikrete indoors instead of wrapping up the first wall.

That PEX is cool stuff. It basically is field installed, hand tightened quick connector assemblies much like those used for push-lock pneumatics.

No leaks, but my new strainer blew out right away. I threw away the cheesy silicone straps holding it on the outside of the baffle, and rolled up the stainless steel mesh and tucked in on the inside. So far so good, now tomorrow I will plug in the big clear paper filter and try to put up some Durock and OSB.

 

[leitmotif]

Okie

Those little strainers in your hands are way too small if installed in your pump discharge line. They may be OK for one appliance on its own "branch". While you have the right idea you really neeed to buy a couple and retrofit the plastic Home Depot filters with strainers. I got the SS screen from a filter outfit here in Seattle.

Dan Bentler

Dan Bentler

 

[OkiePC]

Yeah, and driving in to work today, it dawned on me that I probably plumbed the flow direction backwards on that strainer (working after dark by then)
That little screen should have been sucked in against the baffle, not pushed out. I think I can get that strainer to do some good as is (after I turn it around, doh!), until I can get the well head plumbing fixed up and put a good one out there.

 

[Jeff23spl]

on the same topic, i have no sand on my water but coliforms....By the time i drink them, i'm probably protected on my own but .....do some of you have experience with uv lamp ? is their something else that we can do better than having a 100$ lamp to change every year ?

I tried to clean and put some bleach on the well and i'm waiting to get the water test result but i expect to still have some...