Well and Pump Question

[Dragonwriter]

I have recently returned from a working vacation to my folks place in Northern Ontario. Their water smells funky, but not like something died in it, and they have no water pressure to really speak of. How can I improve their water pressure and be rid of that weird smell? I remember decades ago, I climbed down a ladder into their well, it struck me as a hand-dug well, lined with a couple of cistern tubes. Apparently someone has been down in the past few years and pulled a rock out of somewhere and they got lots of water; but the problem here is smell and pressure.
Is there an easy way to fix this?

 

[Marianne]

Smell means that it needs shocked with some chlorine. If you do an internet search for 'how to disinfect well water', you'll get all the details on how much to add, how to disinfect your water pipes, etc.

For the water pressure, I think that's either a pump or pressure tank issue. Don't know what they would have done down in the well. Hmmm. We have three wells on our property, one a shallow hand dug one, but we don't use it, so I got nuthing... :/

 

[MorelCabin]

Yup, shock the well, and add some air to the bladder tank. That should do it

 

[dragonlaurel]

Does the water smell like eggs? If so, that's probably sulfur and would be fine. Taking a sample and having it tested would let you know what you're dealing with.
If the other neighbors have wells- ask if theirs are running low or they still have plenty.

 

[Dragonwriter]

Yup, shock the well, and add some air to the bladder tank. That should do it

Forgive me, total newbie at all of this...how do I add air to the bladder tank...where is the bladder tank?
So much to learn...
Carolyn

 

[Marianne]

Is there a pressure tank (some call it a bladder tank, too) in the house someplace, or in a little building by the well? Should be a round container with a dial gauge on it that says how many pounds of pressure you have. There will be a couple of electrical wires going to it also, one from the pump, then another from the pressure tank to the breaker box. There should be a fitting to allow you to put air in it, using a compressor.

You can't just put any amount of air in it. I'd aim low, like 40 lbs to see what kind of pressure you get. I think ours is set at 50, but it all depends on the size of the tank that you have. DH just said to look at the top of the tank for the valve.

If the pressure doesn't hold, there might be water in the bladder, so eventually you'd have to replace the tank.

DH just told me to suggest this site for some information: http://www.waterace.com

I wish he would have just come and answered this himself...he's now repeating everything that I already typed.

 

[Dragonwriter]

Is there a pressure tank (some call it a bladder tank, too) in the house someplace, or in a little building by the well? Should be a round container with a dial gauge on it that says how many pounds of pressure you have. There will be a couple of electrical wires going to it also, one from the pump, then another from the pressure tank to the breaker box. There should be a fitting to allow you to put air in it, using a compressor.

You can't just put any amount of air in it. I'd aim low, like 40 lbs to see what kind of pressure you get. I think ours is set at 50, but it all depends on the size of the tank that you have. DH just said to look at the top of the tank for the valve.

If the pressure doesn't hold, there might be water in the bladder, so eventually you'd have to replace the tank.

DH just told me to suggest this site for some information: http://www.waterace.com

I wish he would have just come and answered this himself...he's now repeating everything that I already typed.

Thank you! I have no idea if there is a tank like you mentioned. I'll have to ask now that I've left the house. Thank you also for the link. Every bit of knowledge, every resource is a gem if I learn from it. I have a mere 12 months to learn all I can about being self sufficient. Homesteader cramming!

 

[MorelCabin]

The pressure tank should be right by the pump. Some are small bladder tanks here in northern ontario( they look almost like a propane bbq tank), and some are tall green glass tanks that are old and outdated. You still pump air into them, but the water is your bladder so to speak. With these you can store alot of water and thus have water longer if the hydro goes out and you have a tap in the basement level of the house. if you have the tall green glass tank they are actually very handy in that regard.
I really don't know how many pounds of pressure you would put in though, you will have to research that

 

[Ema]

Carolyn, where abouts in northern ontario? that is where I live too, anyhow if there is a porcupine health centre in your area take a sample there they will tell you if your water needs something.

We do not chlorinate well water up here, or shock it, we use water softeners. There is a large amount of iron in our water up here and sulphur, thus I have a whole home water softener and I keep it full of salt pellets. No smell int he water and its clear and tastes great. the tank we have in our basement next to the well pump is what we were told had the air bladder in it, lol....we knew nothing about well prior to moving here. we got northern well to come out and teach us what we needed and what to do and show us how to prime everything for 60 bucks, it was very helpful trust me.

water softeners at sears are not expensive at all, avoid culligan, they charge an arm and a leg. The ones at sears are easily installed too, gt plumbing could hook it up quickly if no one you know can do plumbing and they are cheap

well hope this helps

Ema

 

[Dragonwriter]

Carolyn, where abouts in northern ontario? that is where I live too, anyhow if there is a porcupine health centre in your area take a sample there they will tell you if your water needs something.

We do not chlorinate well water up here, or shock it, we use water softeners. There is a large amount of iron in our water up here and sulphur, thus I have a whole home water softener and I keep it full of salt pellets. No smell int he water and its clear and tastes great. the tank we have in our basement next to the well pump is what we were told had the air bladder in it, lol....we knew nothing about well prior to moving here. we got northern well to come out and teach us what we needed and what to do and show us how to prime everything for 60 bucks, it was very helpful trust me.

water softeners at sears are not expensive at all, avoid culligan, they charge an arm and a leg. The ones at sears are easily installed too, gt plumbing could hook it up quickly if no one you know can do plumbing and they are cheap

well hope this helps

Ema

Emma,
Up north of Sault Ste. Marie, Searchmont. I have no idea what kind of pump it is, or if my father has kept up on the maintenance of the built in filter system they used to have. They have iron in their water as well, I don't think they had sulfur, but again, I never paid attention to that. My partner thinks the water might have been slightly sulfur-ish. Thanks for the tips about Northern well and the others. I have written all that down.