Odd question about a missing well

[cmonSTART]

Ok, here's yet another odd question that's sure to worry some.. Where's our well? We bought the house a few years ago, but I've never found the well. The story goes it was buried at some point when some filling was done, and the previous owner knew about where it was, but never found it. So, anyone know any cool tricks for finding a hidden underground cavity? I would love to dig this up and extend it up above the ground.

 

[Cazimere]

I found mine with a couple pieces of 4"x12"coat hanger shaped like these,
used as dowsing rods. I knew the rough location.

 

[nshif]

Try the building dept, I know here when a well permit is issued it requires a plot plan with the location of the well. If its the same there it should be on file and get you close and then I 2nd the metal dectector if the casing is steel not PVC

 

[granpajohn]

It would actually be the Health Dept in most jurisdictions.
You can trace the line from the basement to the wellhead with a locator tool like shown here: http://www.mytoolstore.com/schon/mac.html
(You'll want to rent or borrow of course...they're expensive). Clamp it on pipe or electric line and trace away.

 

[nshif]

Not here, The Health Dept only cares about the water quality of the finshed well. Location is regulated by the Bldg Dept as far as clearance to porp lines. septic and structures. Is located on my plot plan

 

[reaperman]

It would actually be the Health Dept in most jurisdictions.
You can trace the line from the basement to the wellhead with a locator tool like shown here: http://www.mytoolstore.com/schon/mac.html
(You'll want to rent or borrow of course...they're expensive). Clamp it on pipe or electric line and trace away.

These detectors only pick up metel, water lines from a well are poly.

Normally the county has whats called a "county well index", where it keeps track of all wells, and drilling records. It should have a copy of the driller, who should have on record where the well is located on the property. You must find it, otherwise when your pump poops out, and it will. You will be up a creek without water.

 

[cmonSTART]

See, that's the other mystery reaperman. We supposedly have a bored well, but have a shallow well pump in the basement. The water table is kind of high here, so water I guess that would work. This house has a lot of mysteries and oddball, homeowner done things like this. Is it common for folks to just bury the well like this?

 

[JustWood]

Ask an old timer in the neighborhood. He might remember them drilling the well and the location.

 

[reaperman]

If you have a shallow pump in the basement, are you sure the well isnt located in the basement as well? I'm not trying to insult you by saying this. In older homes, it was quite common to have a drilled well in the basement. Usually it was under the front steps that went into the front door, or some other kind of stoop, where access would have been possible to drill. Another thing, a shallow-well pump can only pump water to a depth of 28 (or so) feet. Anything deeper and water will tear or pull apart from itself. So in wells deeper than 28', water needs to be "pushed" up by a deep well or jet pump. So if you have a shallow well pump, the well should be close to the house. Id bet the well is right under the pump. Does the water line from the pump actually go outside of the basement? If it does the well cant be far from the house. Another thing, if the well is drilled like you say, and is a older well, 20+ yrs. I'd bet the well casing is steel, which could be picked up by a metel detector. Good luck

 

[ansehnlich1]

If you have a shallow pump in the basement, are you sure the well isnt located in the basement as well? I'm not trying to insult you by saying this. In older homes, it was quite common to have a drilled well in the basement. Good luck

ya, my wife and I rented a home and the well was in the basement. I looked around outside for quite some time and couldn't figure it out, then I traced the water line and sure enough there it was, casing, cap, and all, right there in the basement.....

 

[HeatsTwice]

This thread has been dead for years but I just had to add that, you can go down to the rental shop and rent whats called a transponder. You hook it on to the wires which you know go to the well pump and the thing turns those wires into radio wave transmitters. Then you walk around your property with a type of wand which emitts a chirping sound which gets louder/softer the closer/farther away you get from the wires. Just start searching near where you attach the transmiter and walk the line of loudest chirp. When it suddenly stops as you walk, this means the wires went down the well. Thats your well head.

 

[HeatsTwice]

Oh yea, the thing cost $30 a day to rent. I've located a lot of 220V line this way without electrocuting myself durring the location process.

 

[maverick06]

go to the township building and ask to see the file on your house, they have all sorts of info on your place, including every permit ever gotten for the house... I pulled mine and have all the info since it was built in the mid 50's. Funny, never a single permit pulled for roof work haha

but that was very helpful, showed the diagram of where the pipes went in the yard. it was free and they copied the whole thing for free too.

Suggest you do it, espically if it is a new house, just so you know some more history on it.

 

[Later]

If it's a point well a metal detector should be able to find it - unless the cap is really deep.

 

[gpcollen1]

See, that's the other mystery reaperman. We supposedly have a bored well, but have a shallow well pump in the basement. The water table is kind of high here, so water I guess that would work. This house has a lot of mysteries and oddball, homeowner done things like this. Is it common for folks to just bury the well like this?

So you are saying that you have a drilled well as well as an artesian type well buried in your yard? I have seen that before. The artesian used to be the primary well until something forced the homeowner or they decided to drill a better well. The probably filled it in because they just were not using it anymore or maybe the water was no longer potable.

 

[firefighterjake]

See, that's the other mystery reaperman. We supposedly have a bored well, but have a shallow well pump in the basement. The water table is kind of high here, so water I guess that would work. This house has a lot of mysteries and oddball, homeowner done things like this. Is it common for folks to just bury the well like this?

So you are saying that you have a drilled well as well as an artesian type well buried in your yard? I have seen that before. The artesian used to be the primary well until something forced the homeowner or they decided to drill a better well. The probably filled it in because they just were not using it anymore or maybe the water was no longer potable.

This is the situation at my house . . . drilled well and a dug well . . . although my wife and I filled in the dug well to reduce any potential future liabilities since the well is right on the line with my neighbor . . . I don't expect him to wander over and fall in the well . . . but didn't want any future issues . . . or anyone getting hurt.

Incidentally . . . folks . . . you do realize this thread was back in 2008 . . . I'm thinking CmonStart may have had his issues resolved by now.

 

[granpajohn]

Incidentally . . . folks . . . you do realize this thread was back in 2008 . . . I'm thinking CmonStart may have had his issues resolved by now.

There you go....ruining everyone's fun with those inconvenient facts....
(Now that you bring it up; I do wonder what ever happened. )

 

[muncybob]

Well(pun intended)....I'll hijack this thread a bit since it's so old but I have a somewhat related delima. We have a water line run from our house to the barn about 400' away and somewhere in that run there is a very slow leak. For now we manually turn off the water supply to the barn when not needed but it would be nice to not have to do this. Any ideas on how to find the leak for possible dig up(line is 42" below surface) & repair?

 

[burntime]

Is there a large scale moisture meter, you could leave it on during a dry spell for a few days and that should get you close?

 

[HeatsTwice]

Well(pun intended)....I'll hijack this thread a bit since it's so old but I have a somewhat related delima. We have a water line run from our house to the barn about 400' away and somewhere in that run there is a very slow leak. For now we manually turn off the water supply to the barn when not needed but it would be nice to not have to do this. Any ideas on how to find the leak for possible dig up(line is 42" below surface) & repair?

Since our city water has chlorine in it, they can detect leaks with a meter which detects chlorine in the air above dirt where a leak exsits. Find out if you can get a hold of one of these meters and then flush the line with bleach, wait a week with it under pressure, and then borrow/rent the meter. Walk the line of the run and perhaps you will find it.

 

[granpajohn]

Municipalities also use Ultrasonic Leak Detection. Basically, you put on headphones and listen for the leak. That's an oversimplification. It does seem to work.
Here's one link: http://www.professionalequipment.co...-detector-kit-tmuld-300/water-leak-detectors/

 

[fishingpol]

Some in-ground pool repair companies could locate it, or refer you to a leak detection company. I've seen it done and it is pretty accurate. They use a type of hydrophone with headphones. They also inject air into the line with a compressor as air will make a louder hiss than water pressure. 42" is deep, but they can listen through concrete decking. A pool company may even recommend a company that they have used. A lot of times underground pvc lines crack from frost or water that froze in the pipe over the winter.

 

[Black Jaque Janaviac]

If you have more time than money, you could dig to expose the line in the middle while the water is turned off. Then watch both sides of your excavation for water coming in. Often the leaking water will flow along the old trench before soaking into the ground. So if you see water coming into your excavation on one side but not the other you know which direction to go just not how far. Make another excavation 1/2-way between your first excavation and whichever building and repeat the test. Just keep 1/2-ing the distance until you are close enough to find it.

 

[gpcollen1]

We found many leaks in pool lines by doing what was mentioned. Using a basic manifold, we would put a hose line and air into the water line. The air really allows you to hear it. Using geophones, you can find the leak pretty quickly especially if you know which way the line is run. Then you only have to dig one hole. Unless you find that the ants or termites have eaten holes in the pipe along the entire length.