Cost of water hookup vs. well repair

[None]

Cost of water hookup vs. well repair

Hello all. My wife and I find ourselves in a position of having to have our well repaired, and it sounds like it's more or less an entire well system replacement because the system currently uses galvanized pipes, and the webb head is buried underground at the moment. So, after digging it up, replacing everything from the well casing itself, pump, pipes to the house and the pipes and expansion tank, we're talking in the $7k-$8k range by all estimates.

My question is this... would it be cheaper to just get hooked up to municipal water instead? Forgetting the monthly water costs, I'm wondering if that might not be a better idea in the end. I'm of course going to contact the town and get a real estimate, but before that I was hoping people with similar experience could ballpark it for me.

I know it will differ by area, and we're in Pennsylvania in the Pottstown area if anyone is in the area, but even if it's an estimate from somewhere else in the state or even a surrounding state, my suspicion is that it won't be too far off.

My other option, and it's frankly looking more and more likely, is for me to do much of the work and just leave the pipes and well casing in place, but that may or may not solve the underlying problem, which is a clunking sound when the pump turns on, after a couple of seconds delay. We've been told it's either a whole in the line somewhere letting air in, or a sticking check valve, and in either case the pump has been down there for 20 years as near as I can tell (the house' previous owner past away, so there's no real records or person to consult, the company that did the well we haven't been able to locate, but from anecdotal evidence from neighbors, 20 years seems about right, possilby longer, so the pump's lifetime is probably nearing it's end anyway).

Thanks in advance all!

[George]

Interesting that you were able to avoid connecting. My friends live about 25 miles from there and when the municipal water was run down their street they were required to connect to it.

I am also in PA and I checked into getting a well when the water rates went really high. I have a main property and nearby rentals. I found that I was required to remain connected to the municipal water and no well drillers would consider drilling for me.

Do you have municipal water on your street? If so it might be cheaper to abandon the well. Why not ask your neighbors about their water bills to get a comparsion?

[Wayne]

I would hook up with city the way many places are going your well may be going dry also the cost of water vs. the cost of electricity and the hardness of well water also need to be considered.

However where I live tap fees run around 20K!

Wayne

[None]

This house has been here about 25-30 years (I forget the exact age), and I don't know what the situation was at the time. There was a house just put up next store a few months back and they got hooked up then (I would talk to them about it, but they aren't the brightest bulbs on the tree, might be more painful than worth it). Interesting that anyone would be required to hook up, that seems, not right, to me. Seems like forcing someone to spend a large amount of money, unless there were safety concerns, would be against some law.

There is municipal water on the street (obviously, since the new house got hooked up). I'm not so much concerned with the water bill, I do have a rough estimate from some people on that and it doesn't concern me, but the initial hookup cost is the problem since we have very little money right now (not exactly unusual these days) and financing isn't coming easily.

[None]

[RB]

If the pump is failing why not have it pulled up and replaced. Pumps aren't that expensive. $7-8K seems exorbitant.

RB

N> Cost of water hookup vs. well repair

[Harry K]

I, too, would connect to the city -if- it is an economic choice, i.e, not an outrageos fee. Of course that assumes that you even have a choice. Most places that I have heard of require gettin connected as soon as the city line is availabe. I am on a well and many times wished I had the choice vice having to maintain my own system.

Harry K

[Edwin Pawlowski]

It does not seem right, but if there is water in the street, owners are required to use it. I guess it is to guarantee a revenue stream for the town. Our water sucks and I'd rather have a well, but I'm not allowed.

You estimate to replace everything seems high, but why does it all have to be replaced? Can't the pump just be replaced and everything else left in place? Have you talked to a few well repair people? Ed [e-mail]

[Curmudgeon]

Maybe I'm stupid but this seems like a really big waste of time.

How the hell would we know what the hook up fees are in your community and therefore how could we possibly have an opinion that was worth a damn?!?!?!

[JerryMouse]

When you talk to the city, for God's sake don't give them your right name or address!

It may be you've fallen through the cracks and, when you come to their attention, they may REQUIRE you to connect (and pay the possibly large fee).

[Harry K]

Yep, my thoughts too. Unless there is some indication that the pipes are crudded up, there is no need to replace them and I have never heard of having to replace the well lining.

Harry K

[John Hines]

When the village replaced the water mains, they required people to do their own hookup, so that the home owner and not the village owned the resulting pipe and trench.

$4k to have a 1" copper line direct bored from the street 90' to under the house, to where they broke through and connected up the meter, and reconnected the copper plumbing inside.

This was when direct boring first became available, they used a truck mounted rig. Now they have units even a decent sized plumber can afford.

That didn't include any permits, fees, etc since it was a village project, and they paid for it.

[None]

[None]

I think the problem is that we're not sure it's the pump or a problem with the pipes from the well to the house, or even possibly someting inside the house. We've had a couple of people out, and only gotten a real solid estimate from one (we obviously need to get some other people out and get real estimates), but those that have come out all say it's almost certainly the check valve in the well.

It IS an old system, that much I know for sure, and I can absolutely believe it should all be overhauled, but whether we can afford that or not is the questi>If the pump is failing why not have it pulled up and replaced. Pumps

[None]

[None]

We've only gotten one real estimate at this point, so we obviously have to get some other people out here and write it up for us. So far there isn't any indication that we HAVE to be hooked up, but for all I knos that might be coming. I know of at least one ofher neighbor who also has a well, so I wouldn't be alone in my outrage I guess :)

I'm actually c>

[None]

Geez, I certainly hope your wrong because I DID give them the real address when I spoke to them today. Argh.

Then aga>N>> Wow, $20k would make it impossible for us, I certainly hope that's not

[None]

[Spud]

Hi Around here you can keep your well when municipal water goes > Geez, I certainly hope your wrong because I DID give them the real

Geez going to have to give to them sometime anyway Condemn Spud

[Gary Slusser]

I live about 60 miles from you and I would charge much less than what you've been told. And that would include extending the casing above ground with sch

40 PVC, the pitless, new PE tubing, pump, cable and casing cap etc.. Galvanized increases the cost if a pump pulling machine can't lift the pump and therefore you need a derrick truck but.my portable machince can pull to roughly 500' but you don't say how deep the well is. The excavation should be able to be done with a mini excavator or small backhoe in a few hours at most. I did one all but the excavation two weeks ago and the price was less than $1800 and that included a new tank, tee and switch etc.. The well was less than 100' so the pump was smaller than you may need. The casing was about 6' under ground and found by digging down along the cellar wall to find the liine from the well and following it out to the well. I've done a number of these and although it isn't much fun, it's not all that hard but, it is not a DIYer thing when you have galvanized down the well. The pieces are 20' long with threaded couplers so you have to be able to stop lifting and unscrew them which requires holding the weight while you do that.

The expense to run a well pump is nothing compared to just the annual cost of 'city' water. And that usually requires a softener anyway and it usually isn't the greatest quality.

Gary Quality Water Associates

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