I purchased a home a couple years ago that was a foreclosure home. It is way out in the country and runs on a well system. The well is about 365 ft deep and has a 3HP 230V 60hz submersible pump set at about 350 ft down the well. Up a hill about 300 ft from the well head is a concrete and gravel pad where a water storage tank used to sit. I am told that the previous owners removed the storage tank and booster pump system when they left the home during the foreclosure process. The first year I was in the home I was too busy moving in etc to worry much about the outside landscaping needs. This year I repaired all the landscaping water lines etc and started to water everything the way it should have been and discovered an issue. The well pump is capable of pumping about 20 gallons a minute from the well but the well appears to only be capable of supplying about 7 to 8 gallons per minute. Therefore it pumps like crazy for about 15 minutes and then begins to starve. I had a well company come out and look at the set up. They tell me that I really need to re-install the storage tank up on the hill in the original location. They tell me that the price for that install will be about $6000.00. I would love to just pay them the money and have them do the work but I simply don't have that kind of cash. The main reason they suggested the storage tank is that we are in a high fire danger area and without the stored water our home would most likely be lost as the fire department would not have enough water to fight the fire from our current well set up. Currently, the well pump line feeds a pressure switch and then two pressure tanks that then feed the house and landscaping supply lines. I am very handy with most home projects like many people who live out in the country. I have a friend who is a contractor and we can perform most plumbing and electrical projects. I am trying to determine if this project is simple enough that I can do most of the work myself and trim the cost down substantially from the $6000.00. I know the tank, pump, fittings, and controls will cost some but hope I can perform the labor and cut the costs. The biggest problem I have is that I have never seen one of these systems set up and don't know exactly how to plump or wire the controls etc. I can do the work but have been unable to locate any type of design drawings to show me how to set up the system so that it will function properly. The old pad foundation where the original storage tank was located is up a hill about 300 feet from the well head and is elevated about 30 to 35 feet higher than the well head and pressure tanks. There is an abandoned 1" black poly tubing that runs from the well head area to the base of where the old storage tank was. There is a 2" PVC line that runs from the well head area to the base of where the old storage tank was. There is also electrical conduit running between the well head area and old storage tank but no wire. I am figuring the
1" black poly tubing was most likely the fill line directly from the well head to the storage tank. The 2" PVC line most likely came out of the bottom of the storage tank and down the hill to feed the booster pump. Then I think the booster pump would be plumbed into the pressure switch and then the pressure tanks which in turn will supply the house and landscaping with pressurized water. I will need to purchase and wire in a pumptec from Franklin controls to protect my well pump from trying to continue pumping when the well water level runs low. I originally thought about switching out the well pump with a smaller pump rated at less than the 7 to 8 gallon rate the well can supply but the well company representative said since the well pump is in good shape and working fine it would be an added expense that isn't necessary at this time. I also will need to purchase and wire in a good control system to sense the water levels in the storage tank and turn on and off the well pump etc and provide alarms if water levels get too low or too high. In addition to some misc fittings the other major components I will need are the storage tank and a booster pump. I know this is a long post but wanted to provide as much info as I thought you would need to provide assistance with this project. Thank you!- posted
10 years ago