Well collapse

[47fivewindow]

We have a dugwell that ran dry before I was born. A deeper well was drilled in the bottom and the whole thing was capped with a concrete slab. With constant rain lately the slab fell in taking an oil tank and a doghouse down with it. We fished all the stuff out and reset the tank and got the heat on yesterday. Today we got the slab out and reconnected the water. The 574 was a life saver Now i have to figure out how to fix the huge hole in the yard. It may be time for a new well.

 

[EX Deere Farmer]

If the well has good water in it all you really need to do is extend the casing up to ground level. Then back fill the hole with gravel/dirt while compacting it as you fill it. If the pressure tank and other stuff where in the old well pit then you will need to move them inside if you have abasement. If not just build a well house on top of the well at ground level. Insulate it and install an electric heater for winter. I have several wells with above ground well houses. They are about six foot square and four foot tall. That is all the bigger they need to be.

 

[37chief]

that's quite a mess all right. Lucky the chimney didn't fall in also. There was an old well on my place. I hope Dad sealed it good when he stopped using it back in the 60's. As I remember it was about 4 ft in dia. 'stan

 

[used red MN]

Sorry, not in an area where fuel oil is used for heat or I assume that is what the “oil tank” was for. Was there fuel oil in it? Did that leak and contaminate the well? To do what Ex Deere is saying if that is a working well you want to use you will need a submersible pump.

 

[47fivewindow]

Sorry, not in an area where fuel oil is used for heat or I assume that is what the “oil tank” was for. Was there fuel oil in it? Did that leak and contaminate the well? To do what Ex Deere is saying if that is a working well you want to use you will need a submersible pump.

The tank is for the oil furnace. It fell with the vent up and was only about a quarter full so very little spilled. That was lucky;

 

[super99]

We have a dugwell that ran dry before I was born. A deeper well was drilled in the bottom and the whole thing was capped with a concrete slab. With constant rain lately the slab fell in taking an oil tank and a doghouse down with it. We fished all the stuff out and reset the tank and got the heat on yesterday. Today we got the slab out and reconnected the water. The 574 was a life saver Now i have to figure out how to fix the huge hole in the yard. It may be time for a new well.

A deeper well was drilled in the bottom and capped with concrete. How deep was the old well that they drilled a new one in the bottom of? It was just a hole in the ground with a slab on top of it? Anything similar around here they at least laid cement blocks for side walls. I guess they followed my plan, it's good enough to last my lifetime, then it's somebody else's problem.

 

[47fivewindow]

Sorry, not in an area where fuel oil is used for heat or I assume that is what the “oil tank” was for. Was there fuel oil in it? Did that leak and contaminate the well? To do what Ex Deere is saying if that is a working well you want to use you will need a submersible pump.

The tank is for the oil furnace. It fell with the vent up and was only about a quarter full so very little spilled. That was lucky;

that's quite a mess all right. Lucky the chimney didn't fall in also. There was an old well on my place. I hope Dad sealed it good when he stopped using it back in the 60's. As I remember it was about 4 ft in dia. 'stan

We have a dugwell that ran dry before I was born. A deeper well was drilled in the bottom and the whole thing was capped with a concrete slab. With constant rain lately the slab fell in taking an oil tank and a doghouse down with it. We fished all the stuff out and reset the tank and got the heat on yesterday. Today we got the slab out and reconnected the water. The 574 was a life saver Now i have to figure out how to fix the huge hole in the yard. It may be time for a new well.

The main problem is they only bricked the well up to about ten feet below grade. The cap for the drilled well is also that deep. i will still have to provide access to the well cap for service. The drilled well is one hundred feet below the bottom of the dug well and has a submersible pump

 

[wp6529]

Extend the casing to the surface, install pitless adapter and cap and backfill the hole compacting every couple inches of fill. Look as "h2o mechanic" on youtube for a lot of goo well info. No reason to drill a new well if the existing one is otherwise fine.

 

[sms]

If the well has good water in it all you really need to do is extend the casing up to ground level. Then back fill the hole with gravel/dirt while compacting it as you fill it. If the pressure tank and other stuff where in the old well pit then you will need to move them inside if you have abasement. If not just build a well house on top of the well at ground level. Insulate it and install an electric heater for winter. I have several wells with above ground well houses. They are about six foot square and four foot tall. That is all the bigger they need to be.

You can get a fernco rubber connector to fit the well casing to extend it. Clean the casing as best you can and maybe use a sealer to prevent ground water intrusion.

 

[showcrop]

We have a dugwell that ran dry before I was born. A deeper well was drilled in the bottom and the whole thing was capped with a concrete slab. With constant rain lately the slab fell in taking an oil tank and a doghouse down with it. We fished all the stuff out and reset the tank and got the heat on yesterday. Today we got the slab out and reconnected the water. The 574 was a life saver Now i have to figure out how to fix the huge hole in the yard. It may be time for a new well.

Around my place I am trying to eliminate/reduce any possible headaches in the future while I am still in good health. You need to do as ExDeere Farmer suggested as add pipe to bring it to the surface, and as wp6529 suggested install a pitless adapter so that there is no longer any need for a hole, because you will perform any maintenance needed from the top.

 

[stevieb49829]

We have a dugwell that ran dry before I was born. A deeper well was drilled in the bottom and the whole thing was capped with a concrete slab. With constant rain lately the slab fell in taking an oil tank and a doghouse down with it. We fished all the stuff out and reset the tank and got the heat on yesterday. Today we got the slab out and reconnected the water. The 574 was a life saver Now i have to figure out how to fix the huge hole in the yard. It may be time for a new well.

You said very little oil spilled. My first priority would be to get every last bit of spill-contaminated soil out of the hole, then have a well company come out and extend the casing and lines to the surface like wp6529 suggests. Then backfill with compaction, and bentonite to seal out any other surface water. Where the heck is the chimney footing? Must be down near the bottom of the well hole or it would have added itself to the pile. Basement under the house? steve

 

[47fivewindow]

There is a crude basement containing the furnace and water equipment. The chimney is a huge concern. The well guy said that he could extent the casement, but at over 70 years of service it was a gamble .Getting the pump up was very tight last time due to the rust. I would like to move it farther from the house too. So... I built a deck and tarped it over and ordered a new well.

 

[WI Dan]

There is a crude basement containing the furnace and water equipment. The chimney is a huge concern. The well guy said that he could extent the casement, but at over 70 years of service it was a gamble .Getting the pump up was very tight last time due to the rust. I would like to move it farther from the house too. So... I built a deck and tarped it over and ordered a new well.

What an event! I bet that slab was heavy.
Glad to hear you're getting a good outcome.

 

[wp6529]

Extend casing, do not remove pump from well, only lift it enough to redo the top end of pipe for the pitless adapter. Keep existing well working and save up to eventually drill a new one in a better location

 

[showcrop]

Extend casing, do not remove pump from well, only lift it enough to redo the top end of pipe for the pitless adapter. Keep existing well working and save up to eventually drill a new one in a better location

47five window told us yesterday that in addition to what he had already told us, that the existing well casing has a lot of rust inside, and that he doesn't like the well so close to his house, so he has decided to get a new one drilled.

 

[wp6529]

47five window told us yesterday that in addition to what he had already told us, that the existing well casing has a lot of rust inside, and that he doesn't like the well so close to his house, so he has decided to get a new one drilled.

It sounds like the money would be better spent on other more pressing issues like foundation improvements rather than a new well when he has one that is working properly. I guess it's just me, I don't like spending money unnecessarily because I "don't like" something, and I like to prioritize projects. I have plenty of stuff around here I "don't like" but is working just fine and I will leave as-is until it is no longer serviceable.

 

[Mark-Ia]

The question is. Where did the dirt go in order for it to collapse? There is a underlying problem that needs to be addressed.

 

[Steven Allen]

The question is. Where did the dirt go in order for it to collapse? There is a underlying problem that needs to be addressed.

I see what you did there ;-) [Italics mine]

 

[showcrop]

It sounds like the money would be better spent on other more pressing issues like foundation improvements rather than a new well when he has one that is working properly. I guess it's just me, I don't like spending money unnecessarily because I "don't like" something, and I like to prioritize projects. I have plenty of stuff around here I "don't like" but is working just fine and I will leave as-is until it is no longer serviceable.

47 five window told us yesterday that "Getting the pump up was very tight last time due to the rust." I think that most people want to be able to pull their pump when it quits, and that it would be worse than a "pressing issue" if rust had made it impossible to pull it.

 

[1948CaseVAI]

When I read the thread yesterday I came away thinnking you were going to get a new well drilled professionally. I hope that is still the plan. Whatever you do, do not farmerize your domestic water supply!