Day 2 with no water

[Sniper-T]

Turns out while making dinner Monday evening, I turned on the tap, and got some water, the next time I turned it on... nothing.

Checked out all the usual thoughts, but everything seems ok. Gotta get ahold of a plumber today! :(

In the meantime, good thing there is lots of snow to melt.

[ak474u]

my wife's first question would be whether i paid the bill. That sucks, time to fall back on that stored water... you did store water right?

[Sniper-T]

I have a well, so since the electricty is on, it should be there.

I only have about 10 gallons on hand, plus a couple cases of emergency 500ml bottles. but I have a surplus of snow and ice outside my door. I fill a few of my big canning pots in the morning, and when I get home, they're 3/4 full of potable water. If push came to shove, I could just drill a hole in the ice on my pond, and scoop out what I need too.

[Echo2]

How old is your pump?

How deep is it?

Would it be worth while to make preparations for the installation of a hand pump....since you will have the tool resources there?

[Sniper-T]

At this point, I am hoping it is a simple switch, if it is the pump itself, then I'll have to look at some options.

My well is 290' deep, so a standard handpump will not suffice. There have been a couple threads about pumps, so I am trying to find them, and do a little research.

I wouldn't want strictly a hand pump, as it would be too much of a PITA to use all the time, but having a hand backup is high on the list.

As far as I know, the pump is original from the house, so it would be 24 years old

It is also winter here, so making mods, digging and or drilling, gets real expensive, and may or may not even be possible, depending on current temperatures.

[helomech]

When my pump goes out (It is only 7 years old) I am replacing it with a air lift pump. I don't like having a pump down below, especially when the airlift uses so much less power.

They do make some deep water hand pumps, but they are fairly expensive.

[ElevenBravo]

I only have about 10 gallons on hand
Guess it doesnt need to be said, but Ill say it anyway... YOU KNOW BETTER!

EB

PS
:-)

[Sniper-T]

lol. nope... not really worried about it. I have an unlimited supply just outside my door, in any season. And if need be, the means to purify it. I don't have the room nor the inclination to keep more than that on hand. it takes me 5 minutes in the morning to fill my canners up with snow, and when I get home from work I have 15 gallons of potable water waiting for me. If I need more than that, I'll get out more containers.

[Twitchy]

lol. nope... not really worried about it. I have an unlimited supply just outside my door, in any season. And if need be, the means to purify it. I don't have the room nor the inclination to keep more than that on hand. it takes me 5 minutes in the morning to fill my canners up with snow, and when I get home from work I have 15 gallons of potable water waiting for me. If I need more than that, I'll get out more containers.

So snow does have benefits... LOL

[bacpacker]

Hope the trouble shooting goes quickly. Sorry to hear about the troubles.

[Sniper-T]

spent an hour on the phone with a local plumber, helping me trouble shoot. got a box to replace tomorrow, and see what happens...

- - - Updated - - -


When my pump goes out (It is only 7 years old) I am replacing it with a air lift pump. I don't like having a pump down below, especially when the airlift uses so much less power.

They do make some deep water hand pumps, but they are fairly expensive.

they have their issues too... if you are drawing too much, you can and will pack your entire system full of sand/soil/shit. I've used airlift systems while diviing to remove the bottom of lakes, rivers, etc. know the capacity of your well before you install one, or you might end up grouting the inside of your pipes!!!

[Evolver]

Hey... Fly me up there and we'll get drunk and fix it... Two heads or four depending how drunk we get are better than one. :p And too while your melting snow... if you get some of that yellowish looking snow it all good... It's just Margareta mix made with lemon that will melt just fine. :)

[Sniper-T]

c'mon up Evo! I figure it'll take anothe 10 days before I have to get off my deck for snow... should give you enough time to get here to look for the yellow stuff.

Right now, I have 4-5 feet of virgin snow just outside any door, I'm not too worried about water

eta: bring justa with you, the crisp air will be good for her!!!

[Evolver]

Is your pump a submersible one or is it accessible?

[Evolver]

c'mon up Evo! I figure it'll take anothe 10 days before I have to get off my deck for snow... should give you enough time to get here to look for the yellow stuff.

Right now, I have 4-5 feet of virgin snow just outside any door, I'm not too worried about water

eta: bring justa with you, the crisp air will be good for her!!!

We are already there in spirit. :)

[helomech]

they have their issues too... if you are drawing too much, you can and will pack your entire system full of sand/soil/shit. I've used airlift systems while diviing to remove the bottom of lakes, rivers, etc. know the capacity of your well before you install one, or you might end up grouting the inside of your pipes!!!

My pump is at 250 feet and my well is 350 feet deep.

What do you mean grouting the inside of the pipes?

You well should just have a pressure switch, if you are getting power to the switch then your switch is just dirty, or stuck. Ants love to get on my switch and mess up the contacts.

[Evolver]

If it's 208 or 220 you might have lost one leg of power.

- - - Updated - - -


My pump is at 250 feet and my well is 350 feet deep.

What do you mean grouting the inside of the pipes?

You well should just have a pressure switch, if you are getting power to the switch then your switch is just dirty, or stuck. Ants love to get on my switch and mess up the contacts.
Some ant's are troublesome and other ants like us like to help other ants. :)

[helomech]

If it's 208 or 220 you might have lost one leg of power.

- - - Updated - - -


Some ant's are troublesome and other ants like us like to help other ants. :)

I am sure at the depth he is it is probably 220.

True

[Sniper-T]

my well is at 290... the pump should be at 280ish. all contacts everywhere, look clean and ok...
:(

- - - Updated - - -

helo.... an airlift, from that kind of depth will rip the stucco off walls, or worse. when I was diving, we wouo blow cinder block sized chunks of granite 60+ feet in the air from 100 feeet. from 300, they would be GONE!!!

[rentprop1]

how are you bathing or showering ?? did you tap on the switch ?? I know sometimes here in the south the insects will nest in there a simple tap with the handle of a screwdriver will sometime temp fix it

[Sniper-T]

Sponge baths for now, luckily I shave my head, so a face cloth is enough to wash my hair. My wife has a part time job coaching at a pool, so she is showering there.

I tapped on everything there is to tap on. cleaned all the contacts, and still no dice. Going to replace the capacitor tonight!

[Evolver]

Good luck man! Have you check the power with a volt meter starting at the breaker and work all the way to the pump or the last junction before it goes down to the pump if it's a submersible pump?

[Sniper-T]

I'm picking up a new multi meter tonight!

[helomech]

my well is at 290... the pump should be at 280ish. all contacts everywhere, look clean and ok...
:(

- - - Updated - - -

helo.... an airlift, from that kind of depth will rip the stucco off walls, or worse. when I was diving, we wouo blow cinder block sized chunks of granite 60+ feet in the air from 100 feeet. from 300, they would be GONE!!!

What kind of well do you have. Mine is a galvanized pipe, I don't have stucco. Maybe I am not understanding?

[Sniper-T]

lol. yep, apples and oranges.

an airlift uses the expansion of compressed air to create a suction to lift water (and objects) google "venturi effect". the more air pressure, and the deeper the water, the more lift there is.

When I was still commercial diving we often used these for digging a trench in the bottom of a lake or river, for laying pipe. On one job we were trenching in about 100 feet of water, with a 12" diameter pipe. with a 1" airline, we created enough suction to throw 10" diameter rocks at least 60 feet in the air, smaller ones even higher. when we were just in sand, it was like using a sand blaster, and it would eat away at big brute plastic pipe in mighty short order. At one point the pipe failed right beside the barge, and in the few seconds that it took to shut the compressor off, that blast of sand/water made a hole right through the aluminium hull (above waterline)

Being that we have a lot of sandstone around here, with a good venturi system, it could pull the sand right out of the rock and shoot it up the pipes, weakening them until they disintegrate.

[Alas Babylon]

My well went out last November. The galvanized pipe broke and the well filled with sand. had to get a new well installed.
Loss of the well ended up not being a big deal for the short term. We had potable water in bottles and jugs, wash water in jugs, and 500 gallons of rainwater eleveted 8ft above ground, that was used with a garden hose to keep the toilet tanks full and functional.
For washing we heated water in the microwave (or gas stove), and put it in solar shower bags which we hung from the shower head in the bathrooms. A lot less water flow, but still very usable. People kept asking if we were going to a hotel until the new well was drilled. The well incident, and being prepared for it, really helped my wife see the value in prepping.
When the driller installed the new 375 feet well, I also had him install a 25 shallow well near the garden that I now have a hand pump on.

Good luck with your repairs, I hope it turns out to be something easy to fix.

[Sniper-T]

thanks. me too. I spoke with the drillers yesterday, They have me pencilled in for mid May.

Haven't told the wife that part yet. lol

[Echo2]

I'm picking up a new multi meter tonight!

Yay....new tools....:)

- - - Updated - - -


I also had him install a 25 shallow well near the garden that I now have a hand pump on.



That was a great idea.....have you had the water from there tested?

[helomech]

lol. yep, apples and oranges.

an airlift uses the expansion of compressed air to create a suction to lift water (and objects) google "venturi effect". the more air pressure, and the deeper the water, the more lift there is.

When I was still commercial diving we often used these for digging a trench in the bottom of a lake or river, for laying pipe. On one job we were trenching in about 100 feet of water, with a 12" diameter pipe. with a 1" airline, we created enough suction to throw 10" diameter rocks at least 60 feet in the air, smaller ones even higher. when we were just in sand, it was like using a sand blaster, and it would eat away at big brute plastic pipe in mighty short order. At one point the pipe failed right beside the barge, and in the few seconds that it took to shut the compressor off, that blast of sand/water made a hole right through the aluminium hull (above waterline)

Being that we have a lot of sandstone around here, with a good venturi system, it could pull the sand right out of the rock and shoot it up the pipes, weakening them until they disintegrate.

Yeah, we don't have any issues like that in this area, and the water flow is not that high on a well air lift system. It doesn't need to pump a lot of water at a time, just enough to keep the tank full.

[Sniper-T]

WOOHOO!

picked up that new electrical box, plugged it in and I got water!!!! might have to pick up a spare one of them!

If anyone is interested, here is a very helpful page that saved my sanity: http://ecmweb.com/ops-amp-maintenance/troubleshooting-residential-submersible-pump-systems

The top half of the box in photo two (with the capacitor), is what was fucked on mine. $86.00 and I am back in business (and in the shower - lol).

:) <-- Happy Sniper!

[bacpacker]

Glad to hear it T. Bet Mrs T is even happier than you.

[Stormfeather]

Glad to hear it all worked out!

[Evolver]

WOOO WHOOOO!!! Nice job man, hot showers for all and they ain't "Golden".:p

[rentprop1]

thanks for the link