OK, I looked online all over and could not find anything.

I am on a well and put in some sprinker heads so I dont have to drag a hose around anymore.

I tapped before the filtration equipment. I used the sprinklers once so far, and took one apart cause it seemed clogged. Removed the filter at the sprinler and it was caked up good with what looked like brown leaves/tobacco. Washed the filter in a bucket and ya, plant material.

I guess thats in my well. Any one have info I could find on this?

The PH upflow must be catching it all. No backwash. Then a 20 micron filter, nothing in there, then the softner and thats why I never seen this before at the faucets. But now that I tapped right after the pump that is what I am getting in the sprinkler heads.

Radioactivity ? I thought I read that somewhere that plant matter causes it..

How the heck does it live and grow with no light? How do I get rid of it? Chloronate the well? Ugg more digging. The well head is burried 3 ft.

Thanks for help if any one can.


I will take pics next time I clean the filter.

Mike NJ

 

OK. Anyone know what it is I am all ears.

Looks like some kindof plant life. The only thing I could find was iron algea. But how would it grow. Its not bacteria iron. I have no smell from the water. The iron test shows .7 ml/g or .7 ppm

well algae pictures by lawrosa - Photobucket

Mike NJ

 

Looks like bacon!

(OK - guess I'm no help Mike.)

 

Whatever it is it in my well. Shallow well 25ft possibly. I just want to know what it is so I have a place to start. Its poly going down into the casing with a ft valve.

Mike NJ

 

The first thing to do is, have the water tested to make sure its not something that could be harmful.
I have seen stuff like it and it was a type of algae. Bleach killed it and cleaned the well up.
Turned out the well had a hole in the casing and was letting in rain water runoff.

 

My well head is 3 - 4 ft under the ground. Never dug it up. 1950 I am figuring no pitless adapter, but a split cap with a elbow. Not sure. Geez I hope somone replaces thier well soon so I can look.

My neighbor had theirs done, but paid no attention really. Just saw 20 ft of poly with a ft valve.

I am waiting for some responses from the WQA and local water authorities.



Mike NJ

 

OK Got other issues and here is my new project.

Still have plant material. I figure it has to be roots. I been getting air in the line and installed a check valve. Helped alittle. When I cut the suction line I ran water down the line to see if the line would fill. It did not. Ft valve must be shot. It must be stuck open, but not opening all the way.

I dont know what I am going to find. Started digging looking for my well head. Well its not here as the pics show. Waiting for my friend with a ferrous metal pipe finder. I used one several yrs ago and this is where I thought to dig.

Depending on whats there I would like to add a pitless adpt. and extend this above grade.

OK will let you know.

Well head pictures by lawrosa - Photobucket

Mike NJ

 

hey Mike –

I know you are a pro so I guess it would be funny me instructing you. But I saw your pictures and ha-ha – where is the well head? (Ok I’m sorry – I guess not so funny ).

I have a well pit and for a while had no idea where it was. Well guy told me to push something into the service pipe (I guess something rigid ?) to determine where the well head was with respect to the basement. I didn’t get that far since my neighbor clued me in as to where the well head ( well pit actually) was.

Maybe I didn’t really understand the well guy, but couldn’t you put something stiff into the pipe from the basement, and keep pushing until it hits the vertical pipe that goes down into the well, thus determining where the well head is?

If this makes absolutely no sense, then ….. never mind!

 

How would I know what way the pipe goes????

My well casing cap is buried below the frost line. Its just a split rubber seal I believe with a elbow. Then poly to the house.

Yes I know where its coming out. I am digging within 6 ft of the foundation. It cant be far off.

I just got my old pipe locator. I seem to be 3 ft off. I will continue the dig tomorrow.

Mike NJ

 

OK Mike I understand. Good luck! Bummer having to dig around. Looks like you have a real nice looking yard there also with some nice grass. But I guess that will all grow back fast.

I know I need a pitless. My well pit actually fills up with 4 ft. of water when it rains.

I assume you would do it all yourself if you decide to go the pitless adapter route. I hardly know anything about it. But do you know if the casing can be extended with some kind of mechanical means or does the extension have to be welded on?

I probably couldn’t do it myself in either case but I was just wondering. If you do it yourself would you bring in an inspector to approve it before you bury the stuff?

 

OK found it. Should of waited for the locator. Would of saved me a lot of digging.

Yes I always dig with a cig and flip flops...LOL

OK what to do??? I think I will pull a new line.

I may or may not put a pitless adapter. I probably should I got this far. The thing is this hole I dug smaller then the other two. I am tired of digging. I am going in the pool today. I guess I need to decide what to do. I dont see any roots. I thought the cap may have been compromised.

Foot valve is a given. New well cap, ell, and pull new pipe? Pitless, welding, ft valve, new pipe?

Uggg. Its always something right????


Well head pictures by lawrosa - Photobucket

Mike NJ

 

You know I just a newbie, but seemed like your idea about roots was a good idea. Saw waterwelldude’s post and in his experience he has seen algae like that. Wow, what a mystery.

But right there at the top anyway it does look like things are all intact. Guess that has to be good. I’m making a mental note of that locater. Looks like they are worth their weight in gold!

Good luck!

 

Not a happy camper......

OK the pipe would not come out. Got a come along to put some tension on it. It finally came out. From what I could see is the pipe may have been stuck to the side of the casing.

Guess what? No foot valve. I see no indication that the pipe snapped. Its rusted at the end. Its shows no marks internal, but does show two pipe clamp imprints at the end. But they are rust colored. I am thinking the pipe was just in there with no foot valve. Possibly an old piece of pipe?

Anyway that pipe is 25ft. I dropped a weight on a string and the well is 25ft. I dropped a float and the water is 8 ft down. Plus the 4 ft hole so 12 ft.

29 ft depth, 12 ft static water level.

So I am just getting a new well seal, length of pipe and a foot valve. New ellbow, etc....

They want like $300 plus for a pitless unit. Too much money. The seal is $17 bucks....

Well thats where I am at. When I put the new pipe in I am wondering how far from the bottom I should be. Probably going to lift it 2-3 feet from the bottom.

I have the well bleached.

Well head pictures by lawrosa - Photobucket

Mike NJ

 

$17 is a lot different than $300. Don’t blame you. Shouldn’t you have found some of that funny mystery stuff, whatever it is, in that pipe you pulled up?

 

No mystery algae.... The casing is clear as far as I can see. Who knows. But if there was no foot valve I am beggining to think I maybe should not put one back. With how the pipe was rust colored I am thinking the ft valves with shallow wells like mine clogg with rust. And possibly the last home owner had just stuck the pipe down there.

Well if I have to dig it up again at least I know where it is. Hopefully the bleach will take care of whatever is down there.

Having no ft valve would be convenient to sanitize it. Cut the suction line in the house and pour bleach down there.

Hopefully I will finish tomorrow. I am hooked up to the neighbors house temporarily so we have water while I am down.

Mike NJ

 

I bet you are right and the bleach will do it. It’s like an old sci-fi movie, “The Blob” or something like that. I’d be looking at the tap every time I turned on the water to see if something really strange was coming out of the faucet! (OK – only kidding, getting silly, I have to stop drinking so much at dinner).

I think I see what you are saying about sanitizing without the foot valve. Seems like it would be easy for you to sanitize in the future. Looks like you really have things under control. Hope I can get mine under control in the future.

Good job and good luck!

(p.s.
You have a nice neighbor. If I hooked up to my neighbor I am sure he would seriously try to poison me somehow!

 

OK follow up.

Wanting to replace the pipe going down the well. They told me 80 bucks. I used the old pipe. Cleaned it up to check for leaks and cracks. was all good.

All parts came to 96 bucks. Seal, ft valve, ell, clamps, teflon dope and tape. Also cut out check valve in crawl and repiped all connections. Only have a check valve at the pump inlet.

The ft valve screen holes looked to small to me. I dont want any issues. I was going to remove the screen but drilled some bigger holes in it.

Well was bleached and ran water for 8 hours. Its down to 1 ppm chlorine level. Alot of rust. Cleaned whole house filter twice. All fine particles. No more plant stuff. Going to iron out the softner tomorrow to give the resin a good cleaning.



So what did I acomplish? Nothing really except sanitized the well and added a ft valve that was not there. Hmm 8 yrs with no ft valve. I guess I never really had a issue because of the check valve at the pump. I would assume its like holding your finger on top of a straw filled with water. It was holding the water in the line. And thats why when I opened the suction line air always sucked in.

Did I do it right? Dont know. Did I save money DIY? Dont know. Not sure what they get for something like this.

OK hope this helps anyone out there.

Well head pictures by lawrosa - Photobucket

Mike NJ

 

I don’t think the well people around here could do anything at all for $96 (and I know in your area things aren’t cheap). I can’t blame them, they have to make a living. I think you did great doing the job for that cost. I’m sure you saved a ton of money.

Not that I’m an expert but it looks really good. I noticed that you used 2 clamps as recommended whereas the original job only had one. Doesn’t seem like you would have to worry about digging that up again for a long long time.

When you say you ran the water for 8 hours after you bleached, was that running water from an outside hose bib? And how did you measure the chlorine level at around 1 ppm. Was that with some type of kit?

 

I ran the water from my sprinkler system. I have a extra hose bib from it incase I need untreated water. It ties in before the water treatment but after the 20 micron whole house filter. I turned off my RO and put the softner in by-pass just incase wife or kids decided to for go my warning about not using water.

Yes I used two clamps, one pulling opposite of the other. Thats just how I was taught. And of course you heat the poly pipe up with a torch. Makes a good seal.

I tested the water with a my pool kit. When it got down to 2 ppm I put the well back on line. I keep tabs on the PH and hardness with to pool kit to make sure all is working.

LOL.. I tested my neighbors water when I was hooked up to him. He is at 130 ft and has some crappy water. Sand, high hardness, but PH is OK. My shallow well is better I think. We arer all sand here. I am 10 minutes from the ocean. The rain water cleans itself pretty good here I would think.

I am part of the giant pink aquafer in this pic. Kirkwood and Cohansey Formations.

NJDEP - New Jersey Geological Survey - DGS98-5 Aquifers of New Jersey


Here is the survey they did of the aquafer. Its pretty indepth.

http://www.nj.gov/dep/njgs/pricelst/gsreport/gsr40.pdf

Mike NJ

 

Gotcha Mike thanks!

p.s. (Interesting links. I did not realize that there was in fact population growth in and around Atlantic City since the 1970’s. I thought everyone was heading south! But in fact I have a couple of friends that retired and moved there, it's got the casinos and fishing. Vegas is nice but doesn't have that big blue ocean!)