June 28, 2018

Water terms and facts

A gallon of water weighs about 8.33 pounds.
It takes 833 foot-pounds (or 0.0003 kilowatt-hours) of energy to lift one gallon of water 100 feet.
Water is most dense at about 39°F, and becomes less dense as it gets colder. It is one of very few substances where the solid form floats on the liquid form. If it were not for this unusual property, lakes would freeze from the bottom up, killing all aquatic life. The ice also insulates the liquid water underneath from cold air, so the lake feezes more slowly.
A column of water one foot high exerts a force of 0.433 pounds per square inch underneath it.
One pound per square inch of pressure will lift a column of water 2.31 feet.
Head = The vertical distance (and thererare pressure) needed to lift water from your well to your cistern.
Total Dynamic Head = Head, with the extra pressure needed to overcome friction from all vertical and horizontal pipes, valves, and filters added in.

November 8, 2017

Well Components: Pitless Adapters

Well Flow Products Blog Pitless Adapters

Pitless adapters are used with drilled wells and submersible pumps. The adapter allows the water service pipe to connect to the drop pipe in the well. A hole is drilled in the well casing at a depth equal to the depth of the water service. Pitless adapters are designed to create a watertight connection on the side of the well casing. Once the adapter is installed and connected to the water service, the pump, piping, and wires can be will be lowered into the water.

Customers looking for quality pitless adapters at at discount prices can check out our large selection here.

November 3, 2017

Well System Components: Torque Arrestors

Well Flow Products Blog Torque Arrestors

Torque arrestor are used with submersible pumps. They are installed on the drop piping. This very simple device provides protection for the well pipe. Made of rubber, it slides over the well pipe, then the torque arrestor is compressed by pushing the two ends of the device toward each other, which makes the rubber expand out. When the rubber protector is at the proper diameter, a installer then tightens clamps on each end of the torque arrestor.

When a well pipe is installed in a drilled well, the torque arrestor keeps the pump from bouncing into the well casing as the pump starts and stops. This prevents potential damage on the the pump and piping. Torque arrestors are not required but, they are strongly encouraged to increase the life of a well.

Customers looking for quality torque arrestors at discount prices should check out our selection.

November 2, 2017

Well System Components: Check Valves

Well Flow Products Blog Water Well Check Valves

Check valves are needed to keep the pump from running constantly. If a check valve is not installed, the water in the water service drops back into the well when the pump stops running. This will trigger the pump to run again. This will be an continuous cycle because the system keeps losing pressure. In this case a pump can be worn out very fast.

In the case of a jet pump, the foot valve acts as a check valve. When installing a submersible pump, the check valve is a brass fitting that is installed in-line in the piping to the pressure tank. Make sure you don’t install these valve backwards. If you do, no water comes to the tank. There is an arrow cast into the side of the valve that shows the proper direction for installing the valve. Install the check valve so that the arrow is pointing toward the pressure tank. Water will pass through the check valve easily in the direction of the arrow. When the pump stops running, pressure is off of the check valve and the check valve closes quickly. When the valve closes it will hold the water in place. This is a simple and inexpensive component, but critical to a well system.

Customers looking for quality check valves at at discount prices can check out our large selection here.

May 16, 2017

What precisely is a drilled well?

Well Flow Products Blog

A drilled well comprises of an opening drilled into the ground, with the upper part being fixed with casing.

The casing keeps the borehole walls from collapsing and (with a drive shoe or grout seal) keeps surface or subsurface contaminants from entering the water supply. The casing likewise is a housing for a pump and for the pipe that moves water from the pump to the surface.

The nature of materials utilized as a part of well development is a critical component. Casing must meet certain particulars, since substandard pipe does not have adequate quality to withstand driving without potential harm to the joints. Such damage may enable shallow or surface water to enter the well.

The casing must have a drive shoe joined to the base to forestall harm amid driving and to make a decent seal. In a few applications, a grout seal of cement or bentonite may be recommended by a licensed well contractor to prevent pollutants.

Beneath the casing, the lower bit of the borehole is the intake through which water enters the well. Depending on the geologic conditions the intake might be an open gap in strong bedrock or it might be screened and rock pressed.

Once the well is finished, it is bailed or pumped to build up the well and decide the yield. Many areas require additional work after the drilling to expel fine material from the drilling procedure with the goal that water can easily enter the well. Possible techniques to develop the well are using compacted air (blowing), bailing, jetting, surging, or pumping. The amount of water (yield test) is normally measured during advancement. The base test time is 60 minutes.

After proper purification, the well is topped with a cap to give sanitary protection until it is connected to the homeowner’s system. Well caps require an air vent. The reason for the vent is to level the pneumatic stress between within the casing and the air, and to discharge unpleasant or dangerous lighter-than-air gasses. On the off chance that such gasses are present and the well is enclosed in a building or confined space, the air vent ought to extended to the outside air. The vent pipe must be protected and screened to keep foreign material, for example, insects and vermin, from entering the well.

In the event that drilling produces low quality water, the water can be closed. One technique is to introduce extra casing or liner inside the first casing and grout it into place. In the event that the water quality stays unsatisfactory, or if development defects can’t be remedied, the well should be abandoned and sealed to avoid cross-contaminations between wells.

February 17, 2017

New Product Universal Hydrant Drain Box

Well Flow Products New Products how to install yard hydrant, universal hydrant drain box, yard hydrant

A new product that makes installing yard hydrants easier and safer is the Universal Hydrant Drain Box.

There is now no need for an installer to climb into a trench and risk injury. There is also no need for a gravel pack to have to be installed. It is equivalent to 9 square feet of washed gravel, six inches thick.

The box allows drainage away from valve body as well as allow water to percolate into ground. The external louvers retain soil from entering upper valve body.

It is made in the USA from 100% recycled material.

To see an installation demonstration view the video below.

February 10, 2017

Well Caps

Well Flow Products Well Maintenance well caps

The Importance of a Well Cap

The well cap on a well is a small piece of a water well system overall but is one of the most important.

A properly installed well cap keeps potential pollutants out of the well and most importantly out of the drinking water. The cap should be tightly secured and sealed at all times. It sheds off rain and snow. Keeps out bugs and vermin that can crawl inside a well and cause bigger issues in a well.

Here is more information about well caps a small component that can make a big difference in water quality.

The well cap is the cover on top of the well casing that sticks out of the ground. Caps are usually aluminum, cast iron, or thermoplastic. There is also a vent screen to keep the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the well equalized when water is pumped. The cap’s main function is to keep contaminants out of the water supply.

Well caps that are properly sealed protect against many types of contamination. It is the first line of protection from non-point source pollution Non-point source pollution includes runoff of pesticides and herbicides, soil erosion, and elements from the street.

Well caps also keep out insects, such as earwigs. Insects can cause major problems in a well. bacteria levels can rise from their droppings and sometime the bugs themselves can get trapped in the wells, die, and decompose in the well water.

It is important to inspect a well cap from time to time. When inspecting make sure it is sealed tightly, look for evidence of tampering, and very important, look for cracks. If your well cap has a lock, check to see if the lock has been tampered with.

Safe water habits should be practiced. Do not landscape around the well cap. If landscaping make sure there is not a low area near the well where rain water could collect. Rain water can carry pollutants that can seep into a well. When working with solvents, oil and gasoline or mixing herbicides and pesticides, do so over concrete so spills cannot seep into the ground.

If your cap is in need of replacing check out our full line of quality well caps here. Be sure to check local codes before ordering.