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Faulty well maybe?

jbird5986

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Dec 10, 2023
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38
Hey guys I think my well guy may have gotten one over on me.In fl usually a well is less than 100 ft 4 inches in casing with grout around outside so I think.I know mine is 187 ft due to large pond I fill .But ever since it was dug I sometimes will get muddy water and it always smells a little kinda like south fl water sulfurish.I have noticed now that I get muddy water when it rains I think the smell is depth I can fix that hopefully by taking out a couple of sticks of pipe.My question is is the grout supposed to go all the way down.We only have 1 well guy around and i was warned not to use him because of this happening and he was small enough I figure I could persuade him to do it.But here we are.Does anyone know if it goes to bottom or is there a way to check.I know we just got about 4 inches of rain and if I fill tub it will have 1/2 inch mud in bottom.My water heater has burnt 3 bottom elements in a year due to mud so its bad.I would just like to get all the proof I can first sometimes it helps at the bond hearing THANKS
 
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30-30remchester

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Aug 20, 2011
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Being a retired water well contractor for 50 years and with thousands of wells under my belt, I do have some knowledge. Well drilling is a profession in which you cannot see what you are doing. Once that bit goes underground, you are blind. Imagine running a backhoe with your eyes closed. Diagnosing and finding a solution for an existing well you had not personally drilled is tough. It sounds like one of several problems. The grout is or lack of is definitely an issue that unless there is still an annular void between the casing and hole, can't be fixed. Another problem that could be causing the dirty water is over perforation of the casing and creating what we call wall wash. In layman's terms, the pump is at the bottom and the water is higher and thus every time the pump runs, the water cascades down the well on its way to the intake. Often a pump to large is the reason for this.
 

PCustoms

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Jul 23, 2011
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VT
If you're sucking mud I'd start with putting a water filter on your main line....
 
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oldmxracer

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Ohio
My original 4 inch well stated pumping some mud tried a few things. My new well has been great for years.
 

30-30remchester

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250
Having a pump too large for the well capacity is one big reason for dirty water. Another possibility is the formation the water is extracted from. There are several rock formations that are so soft that moving water actually dissolves the rock leading to TDS (total dissolved solids) in the water.
 
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jbird5986

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Dec 10, 2023
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He reccomended a larger output pump for pond the reason i think its a grout problem is a ton of people or more than 3 have said he doesnt grout it all or something like that in other words he has many other customers same problem.I just wish I could be sure if he screwed me or its one of those things that happen as my reaction will be totaly different I guess maybe ill try settlement tank and pad around well see if that helps but the amount of mud i have you couldnt shower without someone standing there washing filter out and we just got another 2 inches of rain
 

rancherbill

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Oct 18, 2007
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Location
Foothills County, Alberta, Canada
I know mine is 187 ft due to large pond I fill .But ever since it was dug I sometimes will get muddy water and it always smells a little kinda like south fl water sulfurish.
Wow, here you can't fill ponds with groundwater.

I would say you are pumping too hard, and for too long. I would try reducing the flow and putting it on a timer to let the aquafer regenerate properly. What does the well report / well tests saying about permissible flows? I know on the wells I have had drilled they were from 4.25 gpm to 25 gpm flow rates.
 
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PCustoms

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He reccomended a larger output pump for pond the reason i think its a grout problem is a ton of people or more than 3 have said he doesnt grout it all or something like that in other words he has many other customers same problem.I just wish I could be sure if he screwed me or its one of those things that happen as my reaction will be totaly different I guess maybe ill try settlement tank and pad around well see if that helps but the amount of mud i have you couldnt shower without someone standing there washing filter out and we just got another 2 inches of rain

Honestly your rambling posts are hard to follow....

I guess I'm not a clear on what your issue is and how a higher output pump is going to fix the problem.
 

pcmeiners

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Aug 13, 2009
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In the only town in Pennsylvania, Bloomsburg.
Do you have any rivers, lakes or streams around you which become muddy during rain periods?

Drilled more than 100 wells in New York, never had one pull mud after the initial clean out, nor one be affected by rain as to mud. Suspect you may be in a under ground stream feed from a river, lake or stream which carries sediment when it rains, not an aquifer. With a well in an aquifer the surrounding sand, gravel, rock sediment will filter mud once the well is cleared of the initial mud/silt near the casing, if any. Either you re-drill or create a sediment system; with the amount of sediment you get, re-drilling may be cheaper. Perhaps drawing water from your pond and replenishing the used water would be a more economical solution if that is legal, using the pond for sediment settling .
 

BombShelter

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Nov 16, 2015
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State of Hockey
Bentonite grout is used to help the drilling process and it has great waterproofing qualities. The powered bentonite will swell up to 15x it's volume when in contact with water with the consistancy of Silly Putty when mixed properly. All-natural from Benton Wyoming, it won't hurt the water table and can be eaten (in the right form).
 
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