New Water Well

[Reposed]

I've lived in my 1-bath bungalow for twelve years. I plan on being carried out feet first. The landlord would have been a highly qualified participant in the Dunning-Krueger study.  He's a nice guy, but as dumb as a coconut and just as hard headed, so his fixing the ongoing problem with the water well is never going to happen. This is the only source of stress in my life, and it's been present for three years. I've had enough.

 

Said well, which is probably twenty years old, is an on-again-off-again source of water; i.e., it goes out almost everyday, or even multiple times in one day. I suspect a cracked pipe, as he primes it daily. Last week, he used a plunger ???? About a minute of soil came out with the water.

 

I noted that his drilled, 30-meter well uses an 1-1/2" pipe, as opposed to a 4" casing enclosing a PVC pipe. Don't particularly care for that. If there is a crack in it, which is likely, there is no way to repair it. 

 

Having said that, I am preparing to build a small, mostly enclosed carport next to my bungalow, and would like to drill a well first and build the carport around/over it. I like doing things right to the point of overkill. The well would be enclosed in a locked room at the back of the carport, along with a tank and whole house filter. 

 

I am well aware of the level of local craftsmanship. If you have gone through the process, please advise what you did and how you did it. What to insist on, and what to avoid. How do I get the quality I want without having to hire out of Bangkok?

 

Also, typical cost, and any diagrams or explanation of an entire system, well, pump, electric, 1000 liter tank/pump, filters, please.

 

Thanks.

 

 

 

 

 

[Will B Good]

I would get the water tested to see what you need filter wise....probably get away with a 'Big Blue' filter. If the water is hard (which I guess you would know by now) then stick in a softener as well. Go for a 2000L tank if supply is iffy?

 

Someone advised me to get a pressure tank fitted yesterday to smooth the flow and protect the pump, so that might be worth looking at as well.

[Will B Good]

20 minutes ago, Reposed said:

The well would be enclosed in a locked room at the back of the carport, along with a tank and whole house filter. 

Are you worried about theft?

 

We are just setting up and it crossed my mind there is some expensive kit just sat there.

[Reposed]

40 minutes ago, Will B Good said:

I would get the water tested to see what you need filter wise....probably get away with a 'Big Blue' filter. If the water is hard (which I guess you would know by now) then stick in a softener as well. Go for a 2000L tank if supply is iffy?

 

Someone advised me to get a pressure tank fitted yesterday to smooth the flow and protect the pump, so that might be worth looking at as well.

Water quality seems good. I brush my teeth with it, never been sick. But as for toxins, where to get tested? I use a pretty high-end filter for drinking and cooking so never been a concern.

Can't fit  that big of a tank in my carport....

[Reposed]

31 minutes ago, Will B Good said:

Are you worried about theft?

 

We are just setting up and it crossed my mind there is some expensive kit just sat there.

Theft is not much of a concern here, but an ounce of prevention....

 

I like the idea of keeping it in a locked room. Stays clean, easy to service in any condition, and Thai roof panels are removable if the pipe needs pulling, as opposed to western roofs.

 

There is a moderate concern with the state of the world. I figure since I'm building a carport, might as well keep it out of sight....

 

The landlord's setup at the wellhead looks like the Three Stooges built it, and Taz ran the wiring. I won't touch a freaking thing there for fear of being fried. 

[Will B Good]

15 minutes ago, Reposed said:

 where to get tested? 

Ours was tested here.

[Kwasaki]

1 hour ago, Reposed said:

Also, typical cost, and any diagrams or explanation of an entire system, well, pump, electric, 1000 liter tank/pump, filters, please.

Our Well on our small piece of farmland was dug to 11 metres before finding water thankfully because they charge every metre.  We supplied large 50 CM high concrete rings.

The rings are about 350 each. 

Digging the well was 30,000.

The Hitachi surface pump was 12,000.

Tank 2000 ltr was about 5000.

Every now and again the Well needs cleaning say every 5 years at 10,000.

It's been useful but with gov water available now it will probably be left alone in time and we will have gov water laid on. 

[Reposed]

1 hour ago, Kwasaki said:

Our Well on our small piece of farmland was dug to 11 metres before finding water thankfully because they charge every metre.  We supplied large 50 CM high concrete rings.

The rings are about 350 each. 

Digging the well was 30,000.

The Hitachi surface pump was 12,000.

Tank 2000 ltr was about 5000.

Every now and again the Well needs cleaning say every 5 years at 10,000.

It's been useful but with gov water available now it will probably be left alone in time and we will have gov water laid on. 

Good info. Thanks.

 

I have govt water, too, but the stream is never sufficient to kick in the water heater, and it goes out 2-3 times a week for a few hours.

 

Labor around here is pathetic. Love where I live, but as far as the locals are concerned, it is the Arkansas of Thailand. 

 

Over the years I've hired electricians, tile setters, and welders. None got past the second day. Bought a few electrical tools, a tile cutter, and a welder, and did the work myself.

 

Digging a well myself, however, isn't in the cards. Soil here is hard as he11. 

 

Any idea what a drilled well goes for?

[Reposed]

1 hour ago, Will B Good said:

Ours was tested here.

Thanks.

 

Did you dig or drill? Cost?

[Kwasaki]

1 minute ago, Reposed said:

Good info. Thanks.

 

I have govt water, too, but the stream is never sufficient to kick in the water heater, and it goes out 2-3 times a week for a few hours.

 

Labor around here is pathetic. Love where I live, but as far as the locals are concerned, it is the Arkansas of Thailand. 

 

Over the years I've hired electricians, tile setters, and welders. None got past the second day. Bought a few electrical tools, a tile cutter, and a welder, and did the work myself.

 

Digging a well myself, however, isn't in the cards. Soil here is hard as he11. 

 

Any idea what a drilled well goes for?

If you have gov water install a storage tank and a house pump.

[Will B Good]

2 hours ago, Reposed said:

Thanks.

 

Did you dig or drill? Cost?

We get trickle from a pipe that it is claimed draws water from an underground aquifer 

[Artisi]

2 hours ago, Kwasaki said:

If you have gov water install a storage tank and a house pump.

Would agree, town supply on and off for a few hours a day is nothing, calculate or measure how much water you use in a day, double that quantity and buy a tank to give you 1 or 2 days backup, add a pump sized to suit your maximum demand, have it all installed and sleep easy each night. 

[Will B Good]

Been going round in circles...pump, constant flow pump, variable speed pumps, pressure tanks, bladder tanks........

 

Eventually plumped for an 350W Hitachi XX constant flow pump with a small bladder tank......am I doing the right thing?

[Reposed]

3 hours ago, Kwasaki said:

If you have gov water install a storage tank and a house pump.

Possible, but difficult because the pipe comes onto the property where there is tiled concrete and no place for a tank. And it does shut off a few times a week. Don't trust them....

 

But thanks for the suggestion. always an option.

[Kwasaki]

18 minutes ago, Reposed said:

Possible, but difficult because the pipe comes onto the property where there is tiled concrete and no place for a tank. And it does shut off a few times a week. Don't trust them....

 

But thanks for the suggestion. always an option.

I understand if you are not a person that is unable to carry out the work yourself.

That said getting another incoming pipe from where the meter is situated could make a tank installation possible.

[sometimewoodworker]

39 minutes ago, Reposed said:

Possible, but difficult because the pipe comes onto the property where there is tiled concrete and no place for a tank. And it does shut off a few times a week. Don't trust them....

 

But thanks for the suggestion. always an option.

There is no need for a ground level tank if you have the city water pressure to fill a tank on a higher level.

 

My setup is security reserve tanks at ground floor level (not essential if your supply is relatively reliable) with a ready use 1,000L tank on a semi mezzanine floor at about 5 metres. The new village supply usually has the power to fill it directly and has a ball float shutoff, however we have a backup pump from our ground level reserve so when there is a village shutdown (incidentally there is one at the moment) we just fill from the reserve tanks. We are far enough from the speakers that we never usually hear the announcements and it will be several weeks before we start to run low, even with SWMBO running the washing machine daily. Incidentally it’s probably about time to use the reserve once the village has finished its maintenance.

[tweedledee2]

   The cost to drill a well will vary depending on the area you live in and the water table level. I live near Mueang Surin and 18 months ago, I had a well drilled to a depth of 39 meter. The total cost was 18,000 baht which included the 5 inch casing, submersible pump, control box, all pipe and fittings needed to complete the installation. 

[userabcd]

15 hours ago, Will B Good said:

Been going round in circles...pump, constant flow pump, variable speed pumps, pressure tanks, bladder tanks........

 

Eventually plumped for an 350W Hitachi XX constant flow pump with a small bladder tank......am I doing the right thing?

Bladder pumps are low-flow pneumatic devices used mainly for fluid sampling applications. These pumps typically have low flow rates and unobtrusive design. They include models for deep wells, narrow or obstructed casings, and small-volume pumps for low-yield wells and when low-flow pumping rates are used.

 

So if your well is low yield then it could be the right pump they proposed for your application.

 

Do you have an above ground storage tank?

[Will B Good]

Just now, userabcd said:

Bladder pumps are low-flow pneumatic devices used mainly for fluid sampling applications. These pumps typically have low flow rates and unobtrusive design. They include models for deep wells, narrow or obstructed casings, and small-volume pumps for low-yield wells and when low-flow pumping rates are used.

 

So if your well is low yield then it could be the right pump they proposed for your application.

 

Do you have an above ground storage tank?

Yes......went for a 2000L tank. Although our supply comes from the village via an aquifer it is said to be a little on the iffy side regarding constancy of supply.

 

Water then goes into a "Big Blue" pleated filter and then through a resin filled (?) water softener tank. 

 

This is all new stuff to me.

[Cake Monster]

OP

My advice to you, would be to ascertain exactly where you are likely to find your source for your Well.

Is there a good chance of a water find at say 35 M deep or are you looking at 100 M +

Is the substrate a softish soil or are you going to have to drill solid rock to get to the Water.

If needed, do you have the access for large Drill Rigs to your site Etc Etc Etc

This information will give you some idea as to your costs, and the type of contractor you need to find that is capable of the work needed.

[Reposed]

4 hours ago, tweedledee2 said:

   The cost to drill a well will vary depending on the area you live in and the water table level. I live near Mueang Surin and 18 months ago, I had a well drilled to a depth of 39 meter. The total cost was 18,000 baht which included the 5 inch casing, submersible pump, control box, all pipe and fittings needed to complete the installation. 

 

3 hours ago, Cake Monster said:

OP

My advice to you, would be to ascertain exactly where you are likely to find your source for your Well.

Is there a good chance of a water find at say 35 M deep or are you looking at 100 M +

Is the substrate a softish soil or are you going to have to drill solid rock to get to the Water.

If needed, do you have the access for large Drill Rigs to your site Etc Etc Etc

This information will give you some idea as to your costs, and the type of contractor you need to find that is capable of the work needed.

Dang, that's cheap! I'd do that tomorrow. They want 30k for a hand dug, which it turns out is what the landlord has (there is so much <deleted> and wires it looked like a drilled setup).

 

The soil here is red claylike, and there are rocks, but I'm told no strata of rock before you reach the water table. So drilling is probably an option. Plenty of room on the side of my house for a rig.

 

Landlord says his and-dug is 25 meters. He has a drilled well at the back of his rai that is 33 meters.

[sometimewoodworker]

Hand dug of more than a meter or so without adding concrete rings as you go is incredibly dangerous. There are reasons for safety regulations and the sides of holes will collapse and that collapse will kill.

[Will B Good]

1 minute ago, sometimewoodworker said:

Hand dug of more than a meter or so without adding concrete rings as you go is incredibly dangerous. There are reasons for safety regulations and the sides of holes will collapse and that collapse will kill.

....and the chance...admittedly very slim.....of a lack of oxygen.

[Reposed]

2 hours ago, sometimewoodworker said:

Hand dug of more than a meter or so without adding concrete rings as you go is incredibly dangerous. There are reasons for safety regulations and the sides of holes will collapse and that collapse will kill.

Uh, yeah, I know. I was supervising the building of hundreds of such wells in Swaziland and the Sudan many years ago, during a stint in the Peace Corp.

[Reposed]

On another related note, anyone used solar to power the pump?

 

 

[Encid]

26 minutes ago, Reposed said:

On another related note, anyone used solar to power the pump?

 

 

@MJCM has... see here.

[unheard]

On 3/27/2022 at 1:55 PM, Reposed said:

But as for toxins, where to get tested?

https://www.testtech.co.th/public/th

[unheard]

On 3/28/2022 at 2:28 PM, Reposed said:

The soil here is red claylike, and there are rocks, but I'm told no strata of rock before you reach the water table. So drilling is probably an option.

Drilling is always an option, rock or not.

They will drill through solid rock, no problem (with a right equipment).

The only problem is the added cost of the capable contractor and his equipment.