Water Well Tank Location Question

Radar67 · June 07, 2012, 03:39:08 PM

Hello all. I had a well installed almost a year ago. This is a deep well pump type water well. As most know, the tank is located very close to the well head and the pressure switch. I am thinking of moving the tank to another location to accommodate a better pump house and storage shed. Is there any issue with moving the tank away from the pressure switch?

pigman · June 07, 2012, 03:51:46 PM

There should not be a problem if the pipe going to the tank is large enough so that there is not a significant pressure drop between the switch and the tank while the pump is running. If there is much pressure drop the switch would shut the pump off and when the pressure drop in the pipe equalized it could cause the switch to restart the pump. If the switch was moved with the tank, this would not be a problem.

Gary_C · June 07, 2012, 03:59:14 PM

Not really.

Here in the north, most pressure tanks are at some distance from the well. My well is probably some 50 feet from the point at which the waterline enters the basement and the tank, pressure switch and well controls are in the basement. The water line is all underground and connects to the well with a pitless adapter in the side of the well casing.

Slabs · June 07, 2012, 07:48:23 PM

One of the local well-diggers says to put the pressure switch at the tank so that it senses system pressure instead of pump pressure.

Sems to make sense to me.

Onthesauk · June 07, 2012, 09:57:47 PM

My tank and switch is in the garage, about 600 feet from the well.

jdtuttle · June 08, 2012, 06:05:24 AM

QuoteIs there any issue with moving the tank away from the pressure switch?

The pressure swith has a small water line to the tank & would also need to be connected. If you want to move the tank why not move the switch too & splice your water line at the current location. Here is a site with more info.
jim
http://www.cyclestopvalves.com/csvtechinfo_33.html

Radar67 · June 08, 2012, 09:26:19 AM

Thanks for all the info. Moving the switch with the tank makes sense, and it may make relocating the tank easier.

Cypressstump · June 08, 2012, 09:37:58 AM

If me, I would ensure that a back flow preventer is utilized near to the new location. It will save some grief if you ever need to reprime the system, will pull quicker.
Stump

Radar67 · June 08, 2012, 11:04:30 AM

Submersible pumps do not require priming. ;)

Al_Smith · June 08, 2012, 11:17:23 AM

You've got a foot valve on a deep water jet .They don't normally loose prime unless that check valve is stuck open .

As far as pressure tanks you can put in a many as you want .

Say you're in the shower and somebody flushs the toilet and scalds you .Just hang a little ten gallon pressure tank near the shower with a check valve and you'll never get the hide burned of you again .

Cypressstump · June 08, 2012, 11:48:48 AM

Opps, my speed reading wuz too fast I reckon, missed the deep well part.. :

OK - carry on !

Gary_C · June 08, 2012, 12:55:53 PM

It's a good idea to put a check valve at the pressure tank and switch. Yes, there is a check valve in the submersible pump, but they do tend to leak after some time. If you have one near the tank, even if the one in the pump starts to leak, your pump will not cycle all the time. And the check valve by the tank can easily be serviced.

Quote from: Al_Smith on June 08, 2012, 11:17:23 AM
Just hang a little ten gallon pressure tank near the shower with a check valve and you'll never get the hide burned of you again .

Far better idea is to put in one of those relatively new temperature compensated shower valves. No more ups and downs in shower temperature.

tractormanNwv · June 08, 2012, 06:09:32 PM

Growing up in a family of water well drillers, I can honestly say I have seen many versions / contraptions....My question to you would be,.....are you moving the tank up hill, down hill, straight out, and/or how far away? Far out and / or up hill definitely try to keep the switch with the tank, if your only moving it 50-60ft away....well in my opinion you would be wasting money on wire for the switch. Unless of course your moving it 50ft straight up. Just out of curiosity, how deep is your well?

Jim

Clam77 · June 08, 2012, 08:13:46 PM

The average "deep" well here in the midwest is anywhere from 400-1200 foot deep. I'd assume the water down in MS would be alot higher so as not to need such a deep one...??

sandhills · June 09, 2012, 01:40:47 AM

Quote from: tractormanNwv on June 08, 2012, 06:09:32 PM
Growing up in a family of water well drillers, I can honestly say I have seen many versions / contraptions....My question to you would be,.....are you moving the tank up hill, down hill, straight out, and/or how far away? Far out and / or up hill definitely try to keep the switch with the tank, if your only moving it 50-60ft away....well in my opinion you would be wasting money on wire for the switch. Unless of course your moving it 50ft straight up. Just out of curiosity, how deep is your well?

Jim

Not trying to highjack this thread but yesterday I just pulled my stockwell for the fifth time in the five years I've owned the property, it's ran from an old pumpjack and the cylinder sits at about 280', if memory serves me correctly the well is right around 300'. This will be the third new cylinder in six years, as the previous owner put one in the year before I bought it, I wanted to go with a small submersible pump this time but was told not to with an old iron cased well, so I put another cylinder in. Just curious on your thoughts about it.

Magicman · June 09, 2012, 08:39:09 AM

You did not mention how far you were moving it. Since you do need to move the pressure switch with the tank, I might think about sizing the wire up one gauge to prevent excessive voltage drop.

Clam77 · June 09, 2012, 03:55:23 PM

Sandhills - you're going through too many well pumps in too short a time - something's causing them to fail... whether it be you have a bad check valve and the pump is running dry for too long and/or cavitating itself to death, a bad mineral problem, sucking in too much dirt since it's only 20' from the bottom... something. You guys have a pretty deep water table out there if I'm not mistaken.... You may be looking at needing to drill the well deeper to get down below the water table out there.

They generally tell people to stay away from the submersibles due to the possibility of "growing" into the side of the well casing- usually from rust. But if something's going on like you're sucking in dirt or running the well dry and cavitating the pump... a submersible one is gonna burn out too.

sandhills · June 09, 2012, 04:28:20 PM

Thanks Clam77, It really doesn't pump any dirt that I've ever noticed and I know it doesn't run dry ( the weep hole is only about 8' down so it only takes a few seconds to get water) but the cylinders keep cracking. It really is a good well and depth for a stockwell is about average for that area, it pumps a nice stream for a pumpjack when the cylinder isn't cracked :D.

sharp edge · June 09, 2012, 11:32:26 PM

Taking a shot in the dark, I would say to take the tail pipe off.

SE

Radar67 · June 11, 2012, 10:13:59 AM

To answer a few of your questions, my well is 260 feet deep. The pump sits at roughly 180 feet. It is 80 feet to the water from the surface. If I move the tank, it will be moved closer to the power source, so there will be no change in the length of wire needed, and the elevation of the tank will not change more than a couple of feet (downhill actually). I've not built a pump house yet and wanted to get it to a better location, instead of right out in the middle of the area it is currently at. I am also looking at a reduction in the amount of plumbing pipe needed for my other water projects. (water to tractor barn, garden site, orchard site, house, etc.) My pump is giving me 25 gallons a minute roughly. (about 10 - 12 seconds to fill a 5 gallon bucket)

SamB · June 11, 2012, 12:27:43 PM

The biggest issue IMO is separation of serviceable items within your water system. IMO it's easier to diagnosis problems when key components that can be grouped together are in the same proximity. Personally I'd keep the pressure switch with the tank.

Magicman · June 11, 2012, 01:53:38 PM

Ya got plenty of lumber to build the pumphouse?

Radar67 · June 11, 2012, 04:35:24 PM

MM, for now I do. I have to use of some of what I have to have room for more.

Magicman · June 11, 2012, 06:04:40 PM

Then I will use it myself. I hauled two very nice 17' logs today and have two more to get later this week. It came from the same guy as that last came from.

Kurius · May 17, 2016, 02:36:42 PM

Hi folks,
I have a somewhat related question... I don't want to relocate my water well tank, but I'm wondering if it's possible to relocate my wellhead?
I have a residential water well. I'd eventually like to park an RV nearby (at the side of my house), and I fear one day accidentally driving into the wellhead. Is it possible to do something like dig down and modify the vertical pipe by adding a 45 degree joint so that the well head comes up out of the ground perhaps 6ft away from where it currently is? Of course I'd hire a professional to do this, but just wondering if this idea is even possible. And if it is possible, might you have a rough idea on how much this project might cost me?
Thank you

Mooseherder · May 17, 2016, 04:18:12 PM

Is your pump in the well or above ground?

gspren · May 17, 2016, 05:54:26 PM

If you have a submersible pump I would think no, you won't get a pump through the bend. If you have a jet pump probably could but use a 45 degree sweep instead of a normal 45, that will make pipes with a foot valve easier to put in/out.

Al_Smith · May 17, 2016, 07:07:26 PM

Just pour a concrete cap around the well casing.

Mooseherder · May 17, 2016, 09:49:16 PM

That's probably the better option because there may be 30 to 60 foot of steel casing at and below the surface.

Straightgrain · May 18, 2016, 12:48:16 AM

We put in a new well and tank last year; the well is 400 feet from the house and 220 feet down.

The pressure tank and control panels are next to the house in an insulated shed.

I forget the name of the tank/line hook up, but the distance between the well and tank does not matter, but a check valve at the well is required.

If your control panel is a certain distance away from the well (+ 50 feet I think), there must be a lock-out capability so the power cannot be turned-on accidentally while the well is being serviced.

The company who designed my system "upped" the wire size to ensure enough juice goes to the well (8/4 as I recall).

Having the tank and control panels next to the house is wonderful.

Straightgrain · May 18, 2016, 01:03:19 AM

Quote from: Kurius on May 17, 2016, 02:36:42 PM
Hi folks,
I have a somewhat related question... I don't want to relocate my water well tank, but I'm wondering if it's possible to relocate my wellhead?
I have a residential water well. I'd eventually like to park an RV nearby (at the side of my house), and I fear one day accidentally driving into the wellhead. Is it possible to do something like dig down and modify the vertical pipe by adding a 45 degree joint so that the well head comes up out of the ground perhaps 6ft away from where it currently is? Of course I'd hire a professional to do this, but just wondering if this idea is even possible. And if it is possible, might you have a rough idea on how much this project might cost me?
Thank you

Put in a couple bollards or concrete planters.; much cheaper.

The top of the wellhead must be a certain number of inches above the finished grade (12 or 16?). Like others stated, modern wells have 40 to 60 feet of steel casing; best not to mess with them.

Some wells have pitiless adapters; pipes exit below the frost line.

Our well cost $26k (and I did the plumbing and electrical); be careful.

Good luck.

Gary_C · May 18, 2016, 02:58:34 AM

Quote from: Kurius on May 17, 2016, 02:36:42 PM

but I'm wondering if it's possible to relocate my wellhead?

No and you would not want to move the top of the well casing and especially not to park a RV nearby. Those well casings must be above the ground to keep any ground water from contaminating the underground water. Parking a vehicle nearby is just an invitation for disaster that could affect every well in the area. I can't imagine your county approving such a plan.

Putting elbows in the casing also would end servicing of the pump.

Nothing about moving that casing is a good idea.

Corley5 · May 18, 2016, 07:50:57 AM

5" PVC wells are more common around here than 4" steel. They're PVC from top to bottom. No steel casing at all. Ours is 290' deep with big puddinstones around it for protection

The water line and electric wire enter/exit through an adapter about 4' feet underground and the pressure tank is in the basement.
This talk of contamination from underground connections makes me think of the old rod wells in well pits. Every farm around here had one and most still have the pit with the worn out well still in it. Most are at least capped but others still have everything hooked up and in place. Some of them required careful attention in the spring that they didn't flood and drown the pump motor ;) ;D

rjwoelk · May 18, 2016, 11:06:11 AM

We have a water source 1800 ft from the house it has its own pressure system submersible pump switch. Then in the house we have a second pressure tank that helps keep our pressure from getting too low and has worked well for us. Regarding a pump house build, we had a 6x6x6 pump house 2x6 walls R20 walls floor and 20 + in the ceiling. It lasted till 2 years ago and was built in around 90. The raccoons got into it and pretty much destroyed it. So found a 9ft dia 7ft high 3000 gal round poly water tank, got it for $600 (the oven shut down and it did not fully bake). Spray foamed the total interior, Made a door and we heat it cheaper than that 6x6 wood structure. Should last me the rest of my life and who ever buys it.