Wishing well - well pump replacement and well redrilling

drkelly

drkelly

Dipstick who put two vehicles on jack stands
Joined
Mar 21, 2005
Location
Oak Ridge/Stokesdale, NC
We are thinking about having a wishing well built to cover our well head instead of using the fake plastic rock that the builder provided. I have two concerns. First is that it might make replacing the well pump difficult. Second is that it might make drilling the well deeper difficult to impossible if this ever needed to be done. Obviously at a minimum the roof would have to be removed to re-drill the well, but I am wondering if the stone base would be in the way. Anyone have any experience or knowledge on this subject? I might call the well guy that our builder used, but I am guessing any well guy is going to tell you not to build something like this.

We are thinking something similar to this:
awww.exploringlincoln.com_wp_content_uploads_2011_07_well.jpg
 
Here's mine and it's super simple. I can remove it myself. Was my own design and the envy of the neighborhood. I'll let you borrow the design for a six pack.:flipoff2:
 

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I would call up some guys that drill wells, and ask their opinions on what kinds of things they have seen, had to deal with, and if they have suggestions. You're not the first person to do this I'm sure, and I'm sure once you find "the old guy that's seen it all", he'll know what works.
 
Another. I have a piece of thick insulation dedicated to put in there during the winter that I store in the pump house during summer. Also the brick foundation provided a perfect place for the "well guy" to mount his equipment to pull my well when I need it done once.
 

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Pulling and changing a pump it shouldn't matter. Drilling deeper I'd say you have to move it cause the tower is directly behind the truck (rear of truck bed right over the hole)
 
There's a thread on here somewhere about this. I built mine similar to what's in the first picture. I made it so that the roof/top is removable if (make that "when") I need to service it. If I have to drill deeper, I'm going to relocate it anyway because we have a lot of iron in our water, so for me that's a non-issue.
 
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I like the wishing well the OP posted up. That has a pretty cool look to it. However, removing all that top looks like it might be kind of heavy and a pain. How well would it insulate the well?
 
Do y'all have shallow wells? If not, why do you care about insulating them?
 
shawn said:
Do y'all have shallow wells? If not, why do you care about insulating them?
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You've never had a line bust?:popcorn: Not a very fun fix in the winter time...

Anything containing water above ground needs insulating. Mine busted just before the spigot (pictured above). It's insulated better now but I tend to go overkill since then.

Mine's 360'. 150' below sea level.
 
I've had water freeze in the lines, so no pressure when I got up to go to work.

But the worst was when I had condensation freeze the pump switch, so I had water flow and pressure, enough to get me good and lathered up in the shower, then it ran out of pressure (which happens surprisingly quickly). Nothing more fun than troubleshooting your well at dark thirty, covered in soap.
 
I dunno, maybe I need to take a closer look at ours... but I've pulled my parents pump several times, and it's all below grade. The line from the pump comes up and hooks into a saddle on the side of the casing, 3-4' below grade. Then it's all below grade back to the house.

Also, only at 200 ft MSL in Durham? Weird... I never would have guessed. Raleigh is mostly around 300ft. The new house is near the river and still at 265ft.
 
shawn said:
I dunno, maybe I need to take a closer look at ours... but I've pulled my parents pump several times, and it's all below grade. The line from the pump comes up and hooks into a saddle on the side of the casing, 3-4' below grade. Then it's all below grade back to the house.

Also, only at 200 ft MSL in Durham? Weird... I never would have guessed. Raleigh is mostly around 300ft. The new house is near the river and still at 265ft.
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I stand corrected. You are absolutely correct Shawn. I am 300, not 200. Even right on Falls Lake. So only 60 feet below sea level. My salt intake isn't what I thought it was. :smokin:

Weird Apex Cary and Fuquay-Varina are around 400+. And sandy. Just don't know what you're going to get around here...
 
And mine is looped above ground as well. I can imagine if totally underground that it would definitely not need insulation.

I have an abandoned shallow well (68') in my well house on side of the house that acts like a large probe in the ground that keeps it above freezing in there naturally.
 
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