Hey, water well guys

Royse

Well-known Member
Is this how you would install a pressure switch and gauge?
This is in the middle of an open yard in Michigan, no shelter.
Pressure tank is buried underground.
I'm thinking it won't work too well in the winter months.
Well man told them to put a 5 gallon bucket over it.

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Yes you need a UL approved 5 gal bucket [should be painted grey]. Or someone could tell the guy about weather proof fittings. [Actually looks like a piece of seal-tite jammed into a Greenfield connector so it is half weather proof]
 
First buried pressure tank I have ever heard of.

It will rust away fast buried.

If this well is for a house , get that tank in the house with that pressure switch.

If no house dig a hole and build some type of well pit.

Another option is a little heated building by the well for the tank and water connections.

That switch would never survive here in Iowa through the winter.

gary
 
They make Special Pitless adp. to put the press switch down the hole 3" or how ever deep you need it. Might be time for a NEW well guy.
 
If there is no leak in the line the water should not
reach that gauge Because the line would be full of
air . But it would get frosty because of Temp change
with warm water below and cold outdoor temps a
bucket might work in that case. But I'm not sure
that I would like to find out on the coldest day of
the year .
 
They have been building buried press tanks for years. Biggest problem with them is people bury them laying down instead of standing upright.
 
I think it should be in your basement. Even a crawl space would be better place. I would ask another plumber. I wouldn't think that be the code in MI. The state of MD has the Maryland Home Improvement Commission and when a licensed contractor doesn't follow the code he may lose his license if he doesn't fix the problem. Hal
 
Mo,

That will freeze up in Michigan.

The water should come out of the casing through a pitless adapter below frost line, then locate the pressure switch where it will not freeze.
 
They use antifreeze in the pressure switch. It's a Michigan bury system. Mine's been in since 90 that way. No problem.
It's under that wishing well on the left side of the screen.

(sure is cold here today)
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What keeps surface water from entering the well around those electrical fittings.

Well contamination?

Gary
 
Rusted nuts can explain it better than I can,but the drop pipe from the pump only comes up as far as the depth that the pressure tank is buried under ground. There's a copper line with a pressure sensor of some kind that pushes the anti freeze up in to the switch.
At least that the way I remember seeing it. They had to put a new submersible pump in mine a few years ago after it was hit by lightning. There was some long tool they used to loosen the drop pipe from the fitting down inside the casing before they pulled everything out.
I don't think Royse has anything to worry about. These well guys here know what they're doing.

Who put it in anyway Royse? Walkington?
 
He for sure wants to put something around it to
protect it from being run into or drove over. But I
have a well that looks just about like that. It's
been in since 1993. Mine is what they call a "white
water" system. Tank is buried I guess. I've never
seen it.
 
I'm not sure who put the original well in Randy, here's the Paul
Harvey "rest of the story".
The well was put in new about 12 years ago. Its a family member's.
It originally had an extra 6 inch casing beside the well casing
and the pressure switch and gauge were inside that spare casing,
about 3 feet down under insulation to protect it from freezing.
I still had to go thaw it out for them a few times, that's how I
know where it was.
Last week it was struck by lightning and burned the switch and wiring badly.

They called Bogart's to fix it. They have been family acquaintances
for many years, his parents were school friends with my Mother
so no dig against them here, just wondering about the well.

He dug up the tank, the extra casing and the wiring and replaced
all but the tank and extra casing.
The tank was apparently still Ok. (insurance payment deal)
When he put it back, he left the switch and gauge sticking out
as shown. It froze before when it was 3 feet under and insulated.
I assume it will freeze this way too unless I build them a little
shelter around it.

My pressure tank is outside, above ground, inside a 4 ft by 4 ft
6 foot high insulated wooden "shed". A standard light bulb keeps
it warm enough not to freeze until the bulb burns out.

There's wouldn't need to be as big as a dog house, but they won't
have 110V to run a light bulb.
 
If Bogart did it,it's done right. They're the ones that put mine in. I'd bet the farm they put antifreeze in it. They know what they're doing.
When they put my new pump in after the lightning strike they ate the deductible,just took the insurance check and called it good. Great guys.
When they put this one in new,they did recommend putting something like that wishing well over it though,just to protect the switch and gauge from exposure to the elements a little bit. I've seen plenty that didn't have anything over them though.
 
We have something similar, one amongst 3 driven wells at the horse farm, the main one, does have an enclosure on it with an access door, well insulated, 2 bulb fixtures, should have 3 or 4, I have seen it where 2 have burned out, don't like the set up, but it works as long as those bulbs are lit in the cold months. Tank is in there too, next to the well casing.
 
Thanks for the reassurance.
I know who will get stuck thawing it if/when it freezes!
I still think I'll build it a little dog house to block wind and rain.
This well is newer than yours, wonder why it didn't have antifreeze
in it the first time. I'll have to see if I can find out who put it in originally.
 
Royse, in Michigan, eh? I would be concerned about the thaw depth, which I think is 36", but I'm not certain. Here is the well that I put in a couple of years ago in one of the barns. Its a shallow, and the limit on shallows is something like 20' including the well head. I went 25', 2" and haven't had a problem with it. The tank inlet is either 1.25" or 1.5", but the jet outlet from the pump is onlt 1". In the fall before things freeze, I hit the ckt brkr, open the spiqots and let drain, blowing completely out, and then I open the cap below the check valve to allow it to lose its prime so that the water in the pipes are well, well below the thaw line. In the spring, I open the same cap, fill the suction pipe as best I can with a garden hose, cap it, then prime the pump, fill the 60 gallon tank, pressurize it to about 60 lbs to keep the water level down about 1/3rd of the way, below the pressure meter inlet. The well to the house is deepwell style in that its about 50', and the motor is at ground level, and we keep a 5 gallon pail over it to protect it from the elements, but the water suction pipes and horizontal to the house are well below thaw level, and we've never had an issue with it in ten years here in northern Indiana on the Michigan border.

Much good luck.

Mark
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Not that it matters or that there is anything to see, but here is the well to the house. Its deep well, motor covered with a five gallon pail that used to be a wishing well. Everything water related well below thaw level. Still going strong after ten years. Hope I didn't just hex myself.

Mark
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Hey Billy. Just a suggeston put on a HEAT TAPE. plug it in during the winter. Forget the light bulbs. unless you like to be without water when it all freezes. Just my suggestion.
Regards LOU.
 
Heat tape works well, when you have room to put it on.
A 1/4 inch, half inch long nipple to the gauge and valve really
doesn't allow the application of a heat tape.
I'm not sure what Billy has in his setup, but in mine it won't fit.
 
Thanks for the suggestions Mark.
This is a bit different setup I think.
The well is roughly 80 feet deep, with the pump inline down the well casing.
Only thing above ground is the pressure switch and gauge other
than the casing with the access point of course.
Since it is for a house, I can't shut it off and drain it in the winter
like the one you have for your barn. Maybe if they hit the lottery
I can, just send them South for the winter?
I'll send them to Tennessee with RRLund! LOL
 
I don't think the Health Department will approve that. Take that switch off there, and shove it down that 5 inch pipe, then put an insulated bucket over it in the winter time.
 
Never seen anything like that.

Doesn't look very professional.

Antifreeze? Huh. Neve saw an extra complex antifreeze deal.
Local inspectors would get pretty excited about an extra hole
in the cap to let stuff in.

Minnesota has a tough climate, lot of ideas don't work here,
that must be one of them. Looks odd.

Paul
 

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