WSHP: Supply well and return well spacing?

[simenad]

havent measured changes but water temp iw always around 55f. I have a 10 ton and a 5 ton unit running off it. I dont know what flow rates are for the units but I know the well was tested at 12.5gpm when it was installed 30 years ago. Well dept is about 75 ft and i use a 1/2 hp submerged pump and it supplies the whole house and 2 geo units no problem.

[QUOTE=slippy;54055]@simenad:
Have you measured temperature changes over time?
What is your tonnage and flow rate?
What kind of pump(s) are you using?
Does the injection well have any problem taking the water?[/QUOTE]

[slippy]

Well, I'm jealous!

I'm also surprised that you are getting the heat exchange that you need with whatever flow rate you get from the 1/2hp pump. For 15 tons of HVAC, I thought you would need about 45GPM. Most of the units I have seen specify 3GPM/ton.

But, that makes me slightly more optimistic about my plight.

[jeff5may]

Jumping on the internet, looking around, and taking random recommendations and rules of thumb as law is not a good plan for success, as you have hopefully learned by now. In the really real practical world, especially when taking on DIY projects, Murphy's law dominates everything if it can. In all experimental/amateur projects, be prepared to fail multiple times. Even in many professional endeavors, trial and error is an essential part of the process after you leave the drawing board.

Even hiring a tradesman to do the tricky parts of the job doesn't guarantee success. All it does is relieve you of time and money before that portion of the project is completed. Instead of taking days, weeks, or months and a few relative dollars to reach a certain point, it takes many more dollars and much less time. In this case, you would most likely need to acquire (or have acquired) at least one or two permits before a pro could commence drilling your well for you. This introduces a whole new set of challenges and expenses to the project.

It's your project, so where to go from here is completely your decision to make. No one is going to bash you if you decide to throw in the towel. It seems to me that you have most everything you need to continue on site, and favorable ground conditions to eventually produce an acceptable source well. Your first attempt at drilling did not yield an acceptable end, and now you question everything. Sounds like Phase one of three or four to me. Whether Phase two will commence and how is yet to be determined. My boss would tell me to deal with it and hurry the #$%& up, I ain't got all day. That's the thing about being your own boss: you have to make all the hard decisions and keep yourself convinced and motivated (for free). Plus you get to pay for everything, for better or worse.

[nokiasixteth]

Go to lowes n buy a blow up balloon sewage uncloger . Not sure of the name . It's black n fills with water to jet clogs . Put it so it back feeds the well inside run it 20 mins . Then feed air into bottom of the well . Let it run . Your gpm will in crease . Sounds like u havent developed it . More u pump a well . Better it gets....... Or... u just set the screen in the wrong spot . In that case . It won't produse quater as much

[nokiasixteth]

Originally Posted by slippy

@jeff5may:

I haven't had the time to give your suggestions a try yet, but may tomorrow. I have a check valve just below the ejector, which is offset from the pump about a foot. I can't recall if I posted a picture, but the setup is:
1/2HP Goulds pump, 1 foot of horizontal pipes to the ejector, 90° elbow, check valve, tee to a valve for priming, 18 feet 1-1/2" PVC, 22 feet of 1-1/2" well screen, cap.
Standing water is about 22 feet below the ejector, with the pump not running. Pump will run at 2.5 GPM avg. for 5 minutes before getting airlocked (I'm assuming I am drawing the water out of the pipe to the point where the pump just can't lift, which I believe is about a 25' maximum for ANY kind of pump).

I can lower the pump about 2 feet. That'll give me some more water, but I really doubt if it will give me enough to sustain 2.5GPM; maybe I could run for 7 to 10 minutes, but I'm doubting if I could go much longer.

Man, I wish that I seen somewhere on all the "drill your own well" sites that it is utterly pointless to drill more than 30 feet, unless you are going with a 4" casing, which would allow an ejector (or narrow submersible) to go down in it. I really hate to say it, but I think I am just screwed. MAYBE I could do something like install a massive storage tank, drawing out as much water as I can overnight, to then be used during the day (the only time I need to worry about HVAC; this is at a business.)

I really don't want to have to hire a contractor to drill a "real" well, but I may just have to, and abandon this project altogether. I guess it could be used as an injection well, but I don't know if it will accept water fast enough. I know it won't take more than about 3 GPM by gravity alone, as I am able to prime it at near that flow rate with a garden hose.

The only other thing I think might be able to work would be to use an air lift pump, which essentially bubbles air at the bottom of the well, up into a pipe, carrying some water with it. But, that comes with its own set of problems, such as separating the water from the air. I assume I'd need to air lift up into a tank, then use a transfer pump to move that water through my heat exchanger.

Gonna have to develop that we'll b4 it will produce . 2 inch well would have been better than 11/2 . 4 inch well as a diy can be hard if you've never done it b4 . Put your fresh water away from the suction unless u get into milkshake clay . That white beach sand stuff . Is probably water bearin. Especially if it's coarse .

I see u fabricated your screen ? This is a possible problem for u if u made it with a hacksaw n the slots are letting in a lot of sand it will mess up your pump. Screens 2 inch are really cheap 20 bucks at lowes for 5 ft with th shipping