# Shallow Well Update - Advice



## MossyHorns (Apr 14, 2011)

Scout 2 said:


> You can try a pump on it but with only that much water your well may not flow enough in the pipe so it will run dry. On mine I had water all the way up the pipe to with in 6 inches from the te top but I am in an area that have a lot of springs. The others I put down down state had 10 or 12 foot of sand then a hardpan then water sand for about 4 or 5 foot but this was enough to give me 10 foot or more of water in the pipe. A shallow well pump will draw water down that far but make sure you have a check valve in the line as most pumps now don't have one in them. How far away is the nearest well to yours?


The max lift for a shallow well jet pump is 25'. It may work a few feet past that, but it won't pump much.


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## jfishbones (Aug 12, 2009)

big show said:


> You went through a lot of clay. How do you know the screen is partially clogged.


I can poor as much water down the pipe and she keeps taking it, very hard to fill the pipe and as soon as I do she drains fast so I am assuming the screen is ok.


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## Scout 2 (Dec 31, 2004)

Did you water level change when you let it sit overnight


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## jfishbones (Aug 12, 2009)

Scout 2 said:


> Did you water level change when you let it sit overnight



Not much, its still around 8-9 feet of water in pipe, putting it at about 34-35 feet down to water. I was able to find a used 1HP pump, going to try that next, first plumbed directly to well, if that dont work I am going to try plumbing 3/4 pvc down the pipe with a foot valve.


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## Scout 2 (Dec 31, 2004)

If it is holding 8 foot of water you will probably be all set. When you hook your pump up put a tee with a plug on top of the well so you can let the water back down so it does not freeze.


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## MossyHorns (Apr 14, 2011)

jfishbones said:


> Not much, its still around 8-9 feet of water in pipe, putting it at about 34-35 feet down to water. I was able to find a used 1HP pump, going to try that next, first plumbed directly to well, if that dont work I am going to try plumbing 3/4 pvc down the pipe with a foot valve.


Do you have a deep well jet pump, because a shallow well pump will not pull up water from that depth?


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## Scout 2 (Dec 31, 2004)

MossyHorns said:


> Do you have a deep well jet pump, because a shallow well pump will not pull up water from that depth?


It sure will. Mine is 42 foot and I have a shallow well pump


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## MossyHorns (Apr 14, 2011)

Scout 2 said:


> It sure will. Mine is 42 foot and I have a shallow well pump


You obviously have a deep well pump. Max lift on a shallow well pump is 25'. It's based on physics. All pump manufactures state that their shallow well pumps won't work past 25'.


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## Scout 2 (Dec 31, 2004)

MossyHorns said:


> You obviously have a deep well pump. Max lift on a shallow well pump is 25'. It's based on physics. All pump manufactures state that their shallow well pumps won't work past 25'.


No I don''t it is a shallow well pump


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## MossyHorns (Apr 14, 2011)

Scout 2 said:


> No I don''t it is a shallow well


Let me get this straight! You're static water elevation is 42' (depth from top if casing to water)? The total well depth has no bearing on what type of pump is used. The one thing that matters is how far down the static water elevation is. You can have a 42' well with a static water elevation of 24' and a shallow well pump would work. A shallow well pump won't work on a 42' well with a static water elevation of 30'. I sample groundwater monitoring wells for a living and know the limitations of shallow well pumps.


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## Scout 2 (Dec 31, 2004)

MossyHorns said:


> Let me get this straight! You're static water elevation is 42' (depth from top if casing to water)? The total well depth has no bearing on what type of pump is used. The one thing that matters is how far down the static water elevation is. You can have a 42' well with a static water elevation of 24' and a shallow well pump would work. A shallow well pump won't work on a 42' well with a static water elevation of 30'. I sample groundwater monitoring wells for a living and know the limitations of shallow well pumps.


No the well depth is 42 foot. Water is about 20 foot from the top of the well. The other poster has a 30 to 32 foot well and his water depth is 8 foot so he has roughly 25 foot to the water from the well top


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## MossyHorns (Apr 14, 2011)

Scout 2 said:


> No the well depth is 42 foot. Water is about 20 foot from the top of the well. The other poster has a 30 to 32 foot well and his water depth is 8 foot so he has roughly 25 foot to the water from the well top


Based on the OP's last post, his static water elevation is 34'-35'. That depth would require a deep well pump.


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## Scout 2 (Dec 31, 2004)

MossyHorns said:


> Based on the OP's last post, his static water elevation is 34'-35'. That depth would require a deep well pump.


I thought he said his well depth was 34 to 35 deep


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## feedinggrounds (Jul 21, 2009)

My camp well is 38 foot from tip to ground surface, water came up and is 17 foot from ground surface. add 4 foot to hand pump, 42 foot of pipe total. I do pump it with a hand pump, also have a tee that I have hooked a shallow well jet pump run by generator to have water to feed a power washer, so I could wash the cabin for painting. The hand pump is not as easy as my 20 foot garden well at home, but it pumps all the water my off grid camp needs, for almost 20 years now.


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## feedinggrounds (Jul 21, 2009)

MossyHorns said:


> You obviously have a deep well pump. Max lift on a shallow well pump is 25'. It's based on physics. All pump manufactures state that their shallow well pumps won't work past 25'.


I pull farther than that with a hand pump, Is this something you have read or done? I do wear out pump leathers every couple years of camp use.


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## MossyHorns (Apr 14, 2011)

feedinggrounds said:


> My camp well is 38 foot from tip to ground surface, water came up and is 17 foot from ground surface. add 4 foot to hand pump, 42 foot of pipe total. I do pump it with a hand pump, also have a tee that I have hooked a shallow well jet pump run by generator to have water to feed a power washer, so I could wash the cabin for painting. The hand pump is not as easy as my 20 foot garden well at home, but it pumps all the water my off grid camp needs, for almost 20 years now.


As I stated earlier, the total well depth does not matter. You could have a 100' well with a static water elevation of 25' (vertical distance from the pump to the water) and a shallow well pump would still work. You have a shallow well, because you are only lifting water 22'. A shallow well pump can't lift water more than 25' +/-.


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## MossyHorns (Apr 14, 2011)

feedinggrounds said:


> I pull farther than that with a hand pump, Is this something you have read or done? I do wear out pump leathers every couple years of camp use.


You are only pulling water up from 22', which works for those types of pumps.


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## jfishbones (Aug 12, 2009)

The pump I picked up will do both shallow or deep with the kit, If I have to I will re-drive 2" pipe and purchase the deep well kit for my pump, hoping to avoid that


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## Scout 2 (Dec 31, 2004)

jfishbones said:


> The pump I picked up will do both shallow or deep with the kit, If I have to I will re-drive 2" pipe and purchase the deep well kit for my pump, hoping to avoid that


Hook it up and try it. I am sure it will pump. If you water level stayed the same after sitting that is usually you water level in the ground


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