Tell me about a well and well water.

[I.B. Washincars]

I'm considering buying a house in a rural setting and the water source is a well. I know less than nothing about this and what it entails. Is this something to be afraid of or just different? The house was built in 2008.

 

[mjwalsh]

Each area has its own unique well water considerations & nuances it seems. In our closeby rural ... there is some debate among rural residents about coughing up large sums both initially & ongoing of $$$ for hookup from the city's water plant. The following article is from 2012 ... but still seems to ring true:

Afraid of Contamination? How to Test the Water in Your House

Water. It comprises more than two-thirds of the weight of the human body and nearly 95 percent of your brain. You need it to live, and hopefully, you'

lifehacker.com

I mostly go by what some of my laundromat customers tell me. I will say that we lost a huge part of our laundromat customer base when rural water came in to replace well water. Maybe there is geologist info for your area that can help in terms of potential future "well water setup" maintenance???

 

[OurTown]

I don't think there is any major concerns with wells but you should get the water quality tested. After living in 6 houses over the years with wells we have had only a few issues. Our biggest issues were water quality fixed by a water softener or a large filter. You will probably want a boosted RO system for drinking the water. You didn't ask about septic systems but I assume it has one. We have had more costly issues (leach field) with those but the systems were much older than 2008.

 

[soapy]

I have been on well at my house for 33 years. I have replaced the motor/pump 3 times but that is mostly because it pumps 500 feet up because I live on a hill. There are basically 2 different systems that are used now for domestic water. The old fashioned system uses a pump and expansion tanks. The pump turns on when water is below a certain psi and fills the expansion tank(s) until a desired psi is hit and then shuts off. The the pressure in the bladder tank keeps pressure until you have used enough water to turn ump back on. Pressure tanks for this type of system are usually pretty large about the size of a tank water heater with 1 or more required. The newer type of systems use a variable speed pump and a very small pressure tank. With a VF drive the pump can ramp up for high demand times such as sprinkler on the yard but run slower at other times. This type of system keeps the water pressure more consistent. These are a bit more efficient but have a higher up front cost. Just for reference I replaced my 5 hp pump and 400 feet of the pipe that holds the pump and transfers the water up last summer for a total cost of $6100 using the older technology. Usually you should only have to replace the pump and not the pipe but because of my water it tends to eat the metal pipes. I went with schedule 80 PVC this time so I should never have to replace it again. Most pumps in general will last 25+ years. Test the water quality and have a couple of large in line filters. It will end up saving you money in the long run compared to paying city for water. If you are on a septic system you can save even more just have it pumped about every 5 years or so.

 

[tdlconceptsllc]

My country boy opinion and I may be dumb but well water tastes the best when it’s good quality by far. Your local county should be able to test it like $70-$100 to see if you need a softener or carbon filter or any contamination. I personal like the well vs Fluoride City water that we wash cars with for personal use

 

[PaulLovesJamie]

I've had a well for most of my life... I would be more concerned about drinking city water provided to me by the government

Yes its a reasonable concern, but I view it as a mechanical system not unlike the roof or the furnace - check it out before buying. A few things that come to mind regarding the well, I'd check:
- thorough water test. (I'd do that for city water too.) There is a LOT you could test for, almost all of which is fairly easily treatable.
regionally known issues: the local water treatment company usually knows, call and ask.
biologicals (obviously. Montezuma is not a friendly neighbor)
pH: for example, well water in the coal regions tends to be acidic, not good for the plumbing
hardness - softener needed?
sulfides - smells, needs to be treated
nitrogens - can be caused by farming chemical runoff into the water table, or can be naturally occurring.
- depth of the well
- recovery gpm (the well itself, not the pump.)
- condition of the pump and pressure tank

 

[DiamondWash]

Well, this is a pretty deep subject LOL

 

[Waxman]

I have a well at home and I also drilled a well at my car wash to save money and supplement city water. I use the well for my weep and my cold water rinse, and a few other things.

FYI; in my town, city water is provided by a series of wells, so to me it's all the same. The water comes from below ground.

I have replaced my 12 year old pump at home twice. Once it was hit by lightning, the other time a wire rubbed through on the well casing and burned the pump up. Cost about $3000 to fix.

Well water is nice with a septic system, because your operating costs are lower ( no water / sewer bills). I use a whole-house filter on my well line coming into the house. I change it every 3 mos. because I get alot of sediment from my well. The septic tank I pump annually.

I have a pressure tank ( bladder inside a wound fiber tank ) inside the house. I have also replaced this tank once! It was expensive.

 

[OurTown]

The septic tank I pump annually.

Dang. Is there a lot of people living in your house? What size tank do you have?

 

[Waxman]

Dang. Is there a lot of people living in your house? What size tank do you have?

I just do it for maintenance. Yes I have alot of people; laundry, showers, etc.

 

[soapy]

A couple of other things to look into about a well. Not sure what the laws are in Kentucky but in the west you need to have the water rights to pump water from the aquifer even if it is under your property. I have the water rights for 13,000 gallons per day. It would also be good to see if can get the LEGEND of the well from the company that originally drilled the well. It will tell you depth of well and at what point they hit water and how far you are into the water table. It would be bad to have the water table drop and your well not be deep enough.