Tony
Staff member
I moved into this house on this property in December of 2013. That same month, I had my well dug because I didn't want to be locked down to the whole "Community Well" thing. You see, we have two large wells in this community, both are at 340 feed deep, same as mine, but they have two 400 gallon storage tanks in EACH well house. So 800 gallons of water is on reserve at any given time. If one well goes down, the other well can be plumbed into it to keep water going to the entire community. But to get this, you HAD to pay I think it was $20/mo for the water.
They have since raised the price of the community well to something around $40/mo now which is just flat a rip off. And until this morning, I was quite happy not being on it. I can use my well when I want, and I can keep it maintained how I want. But at about 0420 this morning I woke up to my wife telling me we had no water, again....
The last time we had no water it was just carbon build up on the contacts of the pressure switch. So I put on my boots, grabbed my multi-meter and went outside into the pitch black. No way was I going to turn on a light, bugs are HORRIBLE this time of year. I grab my little flashlight that is always in my pocket, take the cover off the pressure switch and snap the contacts. I look at the pressure gauge, nothing. I run the tips of my meter through the contacts to knock off anything that may be stuck on there that snapping doesn't get off.... Nothing.... the pressure is not going up. So I take a walk out to my well and I check for voltage there.
The last time this happened a few weeks ago, I did this same test at the well and found there was no voltage going to the pump. Meaning something broke contact somewhere before the pump. I check it this time and I have 244 volts. I'm very glad I have a very thick wall casing on my well because if I had the thin crap, it would have broke when I slammed that cover down on it... I knew exactly what happened.
The pump in my 340 foot well has went out again.
Last year in January my brother in law and I hand pulled the old pump out of the well and I swapped it over to the new pump, made all of the connections and we lowered it back down. Took about 3 hours in the freezing cold. Yes, it was freezing, below freezing in fact because as I was trying to wire the new pump to the old wiring, I was having to wipe away ice. But I was out there in a t-shirt and didn't notice the cold because, well, I need water in my house. My wife and brother in law were shaking it was so cold.
Things have taken a drastic turn since January of last year though. I have had a pretty severe back injury and my brother in law who helped me has had multiple strokes. There is absolutely no way we can pull this pump again. No way. I can contact a company to come pull the pump and put a new pump in for me, but that is close to $1000. The first pump only lasted just over 3 years and cost me $200 to replace myself. This second pump only lasted about a year and a half and because of health reasons, is going to cost over a grand to replace.
So now I'm asking myself, is it really worth while to NOT be on the community well?... It is $240 a year for the dues on the well and that money goes not only to the upkeep of the community well which had a new pump put in this year on my side, but also the electricity to keep the well running and it pays for the contractor that comes out and keeps out road smooth.
If I look at the price it is going to cost me to have it done, yes, the community well is the cheaper options. Maybe... They just raised the rates. But if I'm replacing the well myself, even if I have to do it once a year, then no, it is not worth it. Stupid health issues is forcing my hand here. I remember when I replaced that last one that I was going to build a machine to pull the pump. Guess what... Never got around to it.... Now I have a garden house running from my grandmothers house to my house just so we can take a shower and wash clothes. And it always happens on a weekend... ugh....
They have since raised the price of the community well to something around $40/mo now which is just flat a rip off. And until this morning, I was quite happy not being on it. I can use my well when I want, and I can keep it maintained how I want. But at about 0420 this morning I woke up to my wife telling me we had no water, again....
The last time we had no water it was just carbon build up on the contacts of the pressure switch. So I put on my boots, grabbed my multi-meter and went outside into the pitch black. No way was I going to turn on a light, bugs are HORRIBLE this time of year. I grab my little flashlight that is always in my pocket, take the cover off the pressure switch and snap the contacts. I look at the pressure gauge, nothing. I run the tips of my meter through the contacts to knock off anything that may be stuck on there that snapping doesn't get off.... Nothing.... the pressure is not going up. So I take a walk out to my well and I check for voltage there.
The last time this happened a few weeks ago, I did this same test at the well and found there was no voltage going to the pump. Meaning something broke contact somewhere before the pump. I check it this time and I have 244 volts. I'm very glad I have a very thick wall casing on my well because if I had the thin crap, it would have broke when I slammed that cover down on it... I knew exactly what happened.
The pump in my 340 foot well has went out again.
Last year in January my brother in law and I hand pulled the old pump out of the well and I swapped it over to the new pump, made all of the connections and we lowered it back down. Took about 3 hours in the freezing cold. Yes, it was freezing, below freezing in fact because as I was trying to wire the new pump to the old wiring, I was having to wipe away ice. But I was out there in a t-shirt and didn't notice the cold because, well, I need water in my house. My wife and brother in law were shaking it was so cold.
Things have taken a drastic turn since January of last year though. I have had a pretty severe back injury and my brother in law who helped me has had multiple strokes. There is absolutely no way we can pull this pump again. No way. I can contact a company to come pull the pump and put a new pump in for me, but that is close to $1000. The first pump only lasted just over 3 years and cost me $200 to replace myself. This second pump only lasted about a year and a half and because of health reasons, is going to cost over a grand to replace.
So now I'm asking myself, is it really worth while to NOT be on the community well?... It is $240 a year for the dues on the well and that money goes not only to the upkeep of the community well which had a new pump put in this year on my side, but also the electricity to keep the well running and it pays for the contractor that comes out and keeps out road smooth.
If I look at the price it is going to cost me to have it done, yes, the community well is the cheaper options. Maybe... They just raised the rates. But if I'm replacing the well myself, even if I have to do it once a year, then no, it is not worth it. Stupid health issues is forcing my hand here. I remember when I replaced that last one that I was going to build a machine to pull the pump. Guess what... Never got around to it.... Now I have a garden house running from my grandmothers house to my house just so we can take a shower and wash clothes. And it always happens on a weekend... ugh....
