Well repairs

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  • treasurehunter

    Active Member
    Jul 22, 2018
    214
    Are there any well drillers or repairmen on this forum?. I have some questions that google can't help with.
     

    Slackdaddy

    My pronouns: Iva/Bigun
    Jan 1, 2019
    5,851
    I'm not a well driller,,, but have stood over many wells being drilled and repaired,, and repaired many myself.

    What issues are you having??
     

    RRomig

    Ultimate Member
    Industry Partner
    MDS Supporter
    Aug 30, 2021
    1,924
    Burtonsville MD
    I’m no pro but lve worked on family and friends wells for 45 years. Pulling and repairing pumps,wiring and setting up new wells.
     

    treasurehunter

    Active Member
    Jul 22, 2018
    214
    Well, I ran into my well with my big tractor, actually the front tire went up on side and down the other leaving tire tracks on the well cap. It pushed the pvc casing which is above ground about 18 inches over about 6 inches but did no visible damage other than black tire marks on the pvc. I pushed it back and wiggled it but can't tell if I damaged something below ground. Like a crack etc. How would someone go about checking it?.
     

    303_enfield

    Ultimate Member
    May 30, 2007
    4,651
    DelMarVa
    Well, I ran into my well with my big tractor, actually the front tire went up on side and down the other leaving tire tracks on the well cap. It pushed the pvc casing which is above ground about 18 inches over about 6 inches but did no visible damage other than black tire marks on the pvc. I pushed it back and wiggled it but can't tell if I damaged something below ground. Like a crack etc. How would someone go about checking it?.
    Get the shovel out and dig! You might have to cut and replace a few feet of PVC. Might have to put some bleach in also "if" the casing broke and dirt fell in the well.
     

    RRomig

    Ultimate Member
    Industry Partner
    MDS Supporter
    Aug 30, 2021
    1,924
    Burtonsville MD
    With a good light you should be able to get an idea what got hurt by pulling the cap. The pitless adapter should be about 3’ below ground level. I can say I’ve never seen a PVC casing. GL
     

    treasurehunter

    Active Member
    Jul 22, 2018
    214
    I will take another better look tomorrow if the weather permits. I see the pitless adapter down there. One person said if it broke it would be right below the pitless adapter where it is weakest. Can a few feet of pvc pipe be replaced without pulling the pump out?.
     

    treasurehunter

    Active Member
    Jul 22, 2018
    214
    I will take another better look tomorrow if the weather permits. I see the pitless adapter down there. One person said if it broke it would be right below the pitless adapter where it is weakest. Can a few feet of pvc pipe be replaced without pulling the pump out?.
     

    Slackdaddy

    My pronouns: Iva/Bigun
    Jan 1, 2019
    5,851
    DO NOT mess with it,, UNTIL you dig down and clear the dirt away from around the exterior of the PVC casing down a few inches below the crack.
    We have lost a few wells from landscapers hitting/breaking the casing and rocks getting down and wedging the pump. Some have been saved backblowing with a diesel air compressor.

    If the crack is above the "Pitless Adapter" (where the well hangs from and the water heads to the house),, Then you are in good shape. Undo the electrical connections, cut the pipe just below the crack,, glue new pipe/coupler on and rewire.
     

    Johnconlee

    Ultimate Member
    Mar 8, 2019
    1,149
    Mechanicsville
    DO NOT mess with it,, UNTIL you dig down and clear the dirt away from around the exterior of the PVC casing down a few inches below the crack.
    We have lost a few wells from landscapers hitting/breaking the casing and rocks getting down and wedging the pump. Some have been saved backblowing with a diesel air compressor.

    If the crack is above the "Pitless Adapter" (where the well hangs from and the water heads to the house),, Then you are in good shape. Undo the electrical connections, cut the pipe just below the crack,, glue new pipe/coupler on and rewire.
    read this twice, good advice
     

    Waingro

    Active Member
    Apr 4, 2018
    585
    DO NOT mess with it,, UNTIL you dig down and clear the dirt away from around the exterior of the PVC casing down a few inches below the crack.
    We have lost a few wells from landscapers hitting/breaking the casing and rocks getting down and wedging the pump. Some have been saved backblowing with a diesel air compressor.

    If the crack is above the "Pitless Adapter" (where the well hangs from and the water heads to the house),, Then you are in good shape. Undo the electrical connections, cut the pipe just below the crack,, glue new pipe/coupler on and rewire.
    Agreed
     

    kshaw

    Active Member
    Nov 21, 2012
    310
    Gaithersburg, MD
    Well, I ran into my well with my big tractor, actually the front tire went up on side and down the other leaving tire tracks on the well cap. It pushed the pvc casing which is above ground about 18 inches over about 6 inches but did no visible damage other than black tire marks on the pvc. I pushed it back and wiggled it but can't tell if I damaged something below ground. Like a crack etc. How would someone go about checking it?.
    You can use a borescope to go down a few feet. Both of mine will do about 4 feet or so.
     

    treasurehunter

    Active Member
    Jul 22, 2018
    214
    Thanks for the good advice. I haven't had a chance to look down it because of the rain but I will this weekend. So far the water is fine.
     

    treasurehunter

    Active Member
    Jul 22, 2018
    214
    You're right, I've missed it for the last 13 years, looked away when someone pulled into my driveway and went up and over it.
     

    lazarus

    Ultimate Member
    Jun 23, 2015
    13,680
    With a good light you should be able to get an idea what got hurt by pulling the cap. The pitless adapter should be about 3’ below ground level. I can say I’ve never seen a PVC casing. GL
    I have, and IMHO going PVC is stupid. Steel well casing are significantly stronger and frankly are going to last more than a century as is, unless the ground is extremely acidic or extremely basic. I love me some plastic in the ground for its resistance to most stuff, but for a well, I am at a big nope. I've seen too many issues of things like a tree falling and smashing the top of the casing to want one. All of that stuff CAN be fixed, but talk about a PITA having to excavate down till you find clean pipe and then gluing a connector and fresh pipe for the new cap and then reburying it all. Sure, a steel casing can also be damaged, but it is going to take a hell of a lot more force to do.

    To Bertfish comment, yeah I'd put something around it in this case. Mine is out of the way at the corner of where I mow in the woods but darned hard to miss so I've never bothered and it's out of the way enough I wouldn't care about using a string trimmer around it and potentially damaging the wiring. I just rip out the grass/weeds 2-3 times a season by hand for about a foot around it.

    Take the cap off and look down. If it is broken, you'll need to excavate down to where the break is around it, glue in a new connector and fresh piece of pipe for a new cap. Even if the well pump is still working and all, you don't want dirt of other crap that get can down the well. If it did, you'll probably want to pull a water sample for bacteria and/or chlorinate your well once you are done with the work. Make sure you carefully follow directions on chlorinating a well. ALSO of note, chlorinating a well can cause problems with your house's plumbing. So be careful and also be on the lookout for leaks later. My water heater went **** up after 20 odd years (indrect water heater) about 3 weeks after I had to chlorinate my well (twice, once wasn't sufficient to kill off the bacteria. The 2nd time was the charm) because the well pump went up and I had to replace it.

    Chlorine and stainless steel do not mix. Also high levels of chlorine can cause problems for PVC/CPVC (it embrittles it. The C in PVC and CPVC is "Chloride"). So you absolutely want to follow directions to ensure that the bleach added is not too much (so you'll need to know your well size and depth as well as water level) and do not let it sit in your pipes too long before flushing.
     

    treasurehunter

    Active Member
    Jul 22, 2018
    214
    Good advice sir. All the wells I have seen in Charles county are PVC cased. I don't think I hurt it but will get a borescope and find out.
     

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