Vernon in Virginia~Formerly Alaska
New member
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[size=large]The water pressure has been acting funny for the last week or so. I figured it was the pressure gauge again, seems I have to replace it every year and a half. So I took the lid off the well house and everything that's supposed to be on top of the well was gone... that included all the piping, pressure tank, electrical wires, and pressure switch. It now all hung down 8 foot into the 200+ year old hand dug well... more about that later. What I believe happened is that the pressure tank failed and filled up with water, putting more weight on the old boards that held it up than the boards could stand, and they broke (I could see them floating at the bottom of the well 80 feet below). The only thing holding this 5 gallon pressure tank filled with water plus the 80 foot run down to the submersible also full of water was the 1 1/2" plastic pipe attached to it. If that plastic pipe would have broke, all this would have been down to the bottom of the well.
Sharon and I went out and I made a hook using some big loppers, tied a clothes line around it, hooked it on the tank and tried to pull it up but I could barely budge it. I got a good grip on it, tried again, and the rope broke... the loppers clanked off the stone several times and went kaploonk in the bottom of the well. [/size]
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[size=large]Realizing a little more of what I was dealing with, I called a friend of mine who has a commercial boom truck. While he was on his way, I got a 1/2" rope around the tank and when he arrived I was ready for him to pull the tank back up, which he did.
Now let's take a look at the well; this is too cool. The water is at least 80, maybe 90 feet down. This well is completely lined with stones and is near perfectly round. This is either the proverbial well digger you make jokes about, or a hand dug well made by slaves. Remember my house was built in 1779. I couldn't imagine digging a hole that deep and then lining it with stones from the bottom up. But I haven't figured how they could have possibly done it from the top down.
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[size=large]Here's a shot of the well house. The rope is holding the pressure tank and everything from falling back down into the well while I go get new parts to repair it.[/size]
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[size=large]It took me nearly all day to fix all that was broken. As you can see, there is a new pressure tank, new piping, and went out and bought pressure treated boards hoping they will last a little longer than the ones that broke. [/size]
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[size=large]And when I turned the power on... hey! It worked. DC in Idaho would be so proud of me. Thanks for looking.
Vernon[/size]
[size=large]The water pressure has been acting funny for the last week or so. I figured it was the pressure gauge again, seems I have to replace it every year and a half. So I took the lid off the well house and everything that's supposed to be on top of the well was gone... that included all the piping, pressure tank, electrical wires, and pressure switch. It now all hung down 8 foot into the 200+ year old hand dug well... more about that later. What I believe happened is that the pressure tank failed and filled up with water, putting more weight on the old boards that held it up than the boards could stand, and they broke (I could see them floating at the bottom of the well 80 feet below). The only thing holding this 5 gallon pressure tank filled with water plus the 80 foot run down to the submersible also full of water was the 1 1/2" plastic pipe attached to it. If that plastic pipe would have broke, all this would have been down to the bottom of the well.
Sharon and I went out and I made a hook using some big loppers, tied a clothes line around it, hooked it on the tank and tried to pull it up but I could barely budge it. I got a good grip on it, tried again, and the rope broke... the loppers clanked off the stone several times and went kaploonk in the bottom of the well. [/size]
[attachment 134775 2.jpg]
[size=large]Realizing a little more of what I was dealing with, I called a friend of mine who has a commercial boom truck. While he was on his way, I got a 1/2" rope around the tank and when he arrived I was ready for him to pull the tank back up, which he did.
Now let's take a look at the well; this is too cool. The water is at least 80, maybe 90 feet down. This well is completely lined with stones and is near perfectly round. This is either the proverbial well digger you make jokes about, or a hand dug well made by slaves. Remember my house was built in 1779. I couldn't imagine digging a hole that deep and then lining it with stones from the bottom up. But I haven't figured how they could have possibly done it from the top down.
[/size][attachment 134776 3.jpg]
[size=large]Here's a shot of the well house. The rope is holding the pressure tank and everything from falling back down into the well while I go get new parts to repair it.[/size]
[attachment 134777 4.jpg]
[size=large]It took me nearly all day to fix all that was broken. As you can see, there is a new pressure tank, new piping, and went out and bought pressure treated boards hoping they will last a little longer than the ones that broke. [/size]
[attachment 134778 5.jpg]
[size=large]And when I turned the power on... hey! It worked. DC in Idaho would be so proud of me. Thanks for looking.
Vernon[/size]
