Any well drillers in here? Have a question about lowering a well cap

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Johnny Mac

www.blueprintengines.com
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We have been in our new construction home for about 3 years now. The well drilling left our well head and cap sticking literally 24 inches out of the ground.

I called him back about lowering it, and he gave me a long story claiming it can't be done without pulling the motor, resetting the pump depth, etc, and won't take it any lower than 12in. If he does that.

In a perfect world, I would put a septic type concrete surround around it, and put a Cement manhole type cover over it. And then grade around it, putting limestone around the concrete surround if needed.

Reason being, it's lined right up with my garage door. I'm gonna back over this thing and be in real trouble when I snap it off.

Anyone ever have one lowered? Think I'm nuts with my manhole cover idea? And grading it semi level?
 
The pump line should be hanging off a Pitless adapter below the frost line, so no reason to be moving a pump if it was done properly. As for cutting it off, a foot above ground is minimum legal health board height up here to protect from casing flooding. Sounds like they drilled in a dumb spot...
 
You have to have the cap higher than the ground.
You do not want groundwater running into the well.
 
The pump line should be hanging off a Pitless adapter below the frost line, so no reason to be moving a pump if it was done properly. As for cutting it off, a foot above ground is minimum legal health board height up here to protect from casing flooding. Sounds like they drilled in a dumb spot...
We don't have any code here....so I would really like to lower it to like 6 inches, then put a surround around it, grade to it, an throw a cap on it. Yes its in a really dumb spot. If I didn't want to keep my truck in that bay, it wouldn't be as bad.
 
You have to have the cap higher than the ground.
You do not want groundwater running into the well.
I get that. Ground grades away from it. Wanting to limestone around it also.
 
We don't have any code here....so I would really like to lower it to like 6 inches, then put a surround around it, grade to it, an throw a cap on it. Yes its in a really dumb spot. If I didn't want to keep my truck in that bay, it wouldn't be as bad.
Well, pop the cap off and have a look. Did they hang the pipe off a pitless valve about 4 feet down? If so, make up a plug from cardboard and duct tape or similar on a rope and shove it down past where you want to cut it off. Wiring should come up and over the top of the casing. Hold it out of the way and with a cut wheel cut the bugger off and feed it up the wire and onto the ground. Slice a slot in it to free the wire and put the lid back on.
 
. I'm gonna back over this thing and be in real trouble when I snap it off.

?
I drove into a well casing with my old Ford. Hit it with the forged twin I beam axle. The only thing that "snapped" was my neck. Lol
 
Well, pop the cap off and have a look. Did they hang the pipe off a pitless valve about 4 feet down? If so, make up a plug from cardboard and duct tape or similar on a rope and shove it down past where you want to cut it off. Wiring should come up and over the top of the casing. Hold it out of the way and with a cut wheel cut the bugger off and feed it up the wire and onto the ground. Slice a slot in it to free the wire and put the lid back on.
I honestly can't see much. It has a rodent proof lid on it, and they glued the inner portion of the cap on. I can pop the lid off, but not much visible under it. Here it is, and what I want to place over it....with limestone around it....so If I caught the edge of it with a truck tire....it wouldn't hurt anything. Just slightly above ground level.

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Wow, plastic well casing. I've seen it all now. Not sure what the deal is with one of those, you'd never get that stuff down 185' around here...
 
Wow, plastic well casing. I've seen it all now. Not sure what the deal is with one of those, you'd never get that stuff down 185' around here...
Yeah, that's what most new ones are around Here. Ours was 110' if I recall.
 
My bored well is only 63 feet deep. It has that 24" concrete casing and one of those heavy *** concrete caps that you wouldn't want to lift/remove. I would think something plastic, 2 or 3 times the diameter and a hair taller than what you have, with easily removed cap/cover. Bring in a truck load or 2 of dirt to create oversize pitchers mound around it.
Open Head Plastic Drums
 
Dont know if you ever have a high water situation there, but overland water can pollute a well. Myself i would prefer to leave it and do something like redfish described. At least backing out i wouldnt hit it, and the mound would act as a guide.
I think my tarp shed is 40’ from the shop door,and i have managed to back my car trailer into the shop.
 
@Johnny Mac Keep in mind this: if your well is contaminated with ground water and there are dissolved chemicals in it, then you just introduced those chemicals into the entire aquifer. They can never be removed and will travel far and wide. You neighbors will not like this.

What does the 100 year flood map for your area look like?

I do like the idea of placing a concrete ring and cap over it for protection. Then regrading the adjacent ground to the new top. Good luck!
 
I have a plastic one also and they hit water at 115, but paid for 400 max, told them to go that deep and they did. Going to be a ***** whenever I have to change the pump out.
 
@Johnny Mac Keep in mind this: if your well is contaminated with ground water and there are dissolved chemicals in it, then you just introduced those chemicals into the entire aquifer. They can never be removed and will travel far and wide. You neighbors will not like this.

What does the 100 year flood map for your area look like?

I do like the idea of placing a concrete ring and cap over it for protection. Then regrading the adjacent ground to the new top. Good luck!
We are in the middle of nowhere. Closest house is probably 1/2 mile away. But i understound the ground water deal. If water was a foot off the ground where it's located. The house would be under water.
 
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