Cheap Well - Pretty Pump

[Dadsy98]

Hi Dutch ! Your wife and mine are probably related.... Nice photos of your work. I have a shallow well for our garden also. Seems fine to me but then ...

[dmcluckie]

Is this like "Junkyard Wars" on TLC? :-) I have the same question for you that I have when I see that show... Where do you find salvage yards that have all that crap? :-) -Don

[MPH]

Dutch, all looks real sharp, I just gotta ask one question, did you hand dig it all? If so your next project should be coping PowerMax PAUL's hyd. shovel.. MPH

[powermax_paul]

Yeah, Dutch, the plans are just about ready. You could go into business making wells for your friends and neighbors! Just think of the independence and self satisfaction of having your own business! I'd try it but I have to go down 100' to hit water at my main residence. Anyway, nice job Dutch, looks sharp! Powermax_Paul

[Guest]

Steve, I doubt our wives are related. Me thinks their thinking is probably all pretty much the same. Don, Just find out where your municipality and local dealers dispose of old appliances, and where local contractors dispose of demo debris. If you really want an eye-opener, take a look inside the trash dumpster behind your local large furniture store. I have a brand new entertainment center that retailed for $8000 that I pulled from the trash. I’ll send you a photo if you’re interested. Marty, I dug every bit by hand. See the link below for a photo of the shovel I used. Paul, Great idea. I’ve already enjoyed the “independence and self satisfaction” of having my own business. But, alas, I’m retired. I really miss dealing with the IRS, INS, OSHA, EPA and other agencies on the federal level; the DOL, DOT, DEP, CAFRA, PINELANDS, and other departments on the state level; and all my enforcement acquaintances on the local level. And, brother, do I ever miss writing those $100k checks to the insurance company. Also, see Al Eden's comments in message #4005 “Parts Diagrams” right after this thread. This “cheap well” is only ground water. I drove a 150’ well for my house 30 years ago for about $100. Can’t even do that any more. After you secure all the necessary permits from the DEP and county board of health, they may let a licensed installer bore a cased well ($2000-3000). [A href='http://home.att.net/~herb.niewender/20-I-beam.jpg']http://home.att.net/~herb.niewender/20-I-beam.jpg[/a]

[Guest]

Now that the wife’s garden is ready to plant, irrigation is needed. I didn’t want low water pressure when I take a shower, or risk over-pumping the house well. So, I decided to install a separate water supply. I found a couple of 4’x6’ diameter concrete storm drain rings in the salvage yard, dug a hole until I hit first water, and set them. Then I built the rings up to ground with cesspool block. Next, I jetted a 6’ length of 6” ABS into the bottom, and installed a 20’ length of 1.5” ABS with a foot valve. Found several discarded pumps and tanks in the salvage yard, made one that works, and installed those on a wooden platform. Pump puts out 20 GPM @ 50 PSI. The wife wanted to know if she had to look at that ugly pump. I told her I was going to build a cover to protect it. She said great, she could plant bushes and flowers to hide it. I suggested a wall so I could get to the pump without fighting bushes and flowers. The wall was “built” with old railroad ties (always suggest a “rustic” look so you can build real crap). Rather than spend $100 on plastic flower pots, I made some spacers out of old PVC pipe and lag bolted a roof gutter to the inside of the wall. A little brown paint for esthetics, and it’s all ready for wifey to plant her flowers and vines. All this so we don’t have to spent 29 cents for a can of peas (maybe, if anything grows). http://home.att.net/~herb.niewender/well-seq.jpg

[MPH]

Dutch, I thought you showed a spark. MPH

[powermax_paul]

Yeah, I thought I saw your hand operated shovel standing up between the trees in one of those pics. I know all about those checks to IRS, INS, Etc. My well is cased to 150' and total of 280' deep all at a bargain price of $4500 plus $1700 to drop in a pump. Not bad for about 7 hours of work. That was an impressive machine! But I'd hate to have to pay for a machine like that. Let's get together and dig a lake sometime. Paul