water level of pipe

i need to measure the water level in a 1/2 " pipe that is buried in the ground. the water is 100 - 150 feet down. i do not want to use an electronic tape. any ideas?

Reply to
Matt
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I assume this pipe is vertical and you have access at the surface. I don't know how accurate this will be, but you could insert a small tube down the pipe, and once you think you have some water, you could clamp the tube and pull it out and measure where the water is.

It'd be like putting a straw in a glass of water, putting your finger over the end, and pulling the water up.

I also wonder if you could use the tube to suck air through it as you lower it down the pipe. I'd think that when the end hits water, you might notice a sudden increase in flow resistance, at which point you could tape or mark the tube and pull out.

The second approach might be more accurate than the first.

Reply to
yellowbirddog

And if you don't mind getting some chalk in your water, you can have a weight pull the end of some string or wire downward. Blue chalk is rubbed on the line to help easily distinguish wet from dry. The depth from the surface to the top is calculated by subtracting the length of the wet part of the tape from the amount of line lowered into the hole.

Reply to
yellowbirddog

Drop a pebble and stopwatch the seconds until you hear a splash. You can then use the formula for falling bodies.

Reply to
HeyBub

I think you need to add a little more detail. Is it a well?

Reply to
Sacramento Dave

Take a piece of romex, strip about 1/2" of insulation off the ends of the black and white wires (and cut back the ground wire if it has one.)

Connect an ohmmeter across the other ends of the black and white wires and set it to measure maybe 100K ohms full scale.

Lower the romex into the pipe and when the bare ends touch the water you'll see the resistance indicated by the ohmmeter drop sharply.

You'll be able to move the wire up and down and see the change with a depth accuracy of maybe an inch.

You could do the same thing with a single conductor wire by measuring its resistance to ground.

Thanks for the mammaries! Because, about 35 years ago when I was CE for a company then called "Scully Signal" I designed a "water detector" based on that principle. I left that job about 25 years ago but I just Googled "Scully Water Detector", and by gum they're still selling the damn things.

Jeff

Reply to
Jeff Wisnia

Get a spool of fishing line, a small fishing weight, and a small fishing bobber, the long narrow type. I measured one of mine and it would fit in a 1/2" pipe. If you can't find a small enough bobber, a

6" long piece of 1/4 or 3/8 wood dowel would probably work as well.

Attach the weight to the end of the line, with the bobber a bit higher. Drop it down until it stops when the bobber hits the water; mark the line, pull it up and measure from the bobber to the mark.

HTH,

Paul

Reply to
Paul Franklin

a HALF INCH well ?????? Thats rediculous......

I dont understand the whole purpose of any of this...

Reply to
.

Way to go, Jeff. One of the cooler things to have in the "life-time of memories" basket! 8-)

-zero

Reply to
zero

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