Reposted from BoshartU. Click here for original article.

Ever wondered what the main responsibility of a Well Point is? Since they belong deep down in the ground, you don’t come across them that often once they have been installed. You may not be able to see them work but you have probably run into the water they help produce.

In this blog, we will look closely at the function of a well point and help you verify what size well point is most preferred for your specific application. Well points have a couple different names including Sand Points, Drive Points or Drive Well Points. To not make it too complicated, we will be referring to them as well points throughout the blog.

What are Well Points?

A Well Point is a piece of pipe that has openings large enough to allow water to enter but also small enough to keep the water-bearing formation in place. There are a variety of well point designs but we are going to look at PVC well points and PVC well Screens.

PVC Well Points are commonly found in Residential, Irrigation or Water System applications as they are best used with sand or light gravel. Well points are frequently used by people who own rural or country homes and require their own primary or secondary water supply system.

Depending on the depth and the soil the well points need to travel through, they are paired with either a jet pump or hand pump and drive couplings. The well point is then drove into the ground, passing the soil and clay until it has reached water bearing gravel and sand.

When selecting which well point size opening to go with you will need to determine the granular size of the sand in which it will work with. Typically a screen type well point uses a 60 gauge for coarse sand, 80 gauge for medium sand and 100 gauge for fine sand. Something to keep in mind!

Well Points VS Jet Points

Jet points are extremely similar to well points but the main difference is jet points offer simplicity as they are directly attached to a well screen. This eliminates the added expense of a wash down valve and any other additional materials and labour.

Jet points are uniquely designed to allow for maximum fluid circulation and powerful jetting action. They are most popularly used for quick installation and development of single or multi well monitoring and residential applications.

 

 PVC Well Screens

As you can see in the picture on the left, all screens are slotted horizontally in order to provide extreme strength against collapsing due to sand pressure. The horizontal slots also allow more open area per foot compared to vertical slotting. If a screen becomes plugged by aggressive water, they can be cleaned out with ease and without damaging the actual screen. The horizontal screens are most ideal for use in natural or artificial gravel packed wells like irrigation wells, canals and ponds.

Wash Down Valves

A wash down valve efficiently allows the washing down of well screens for shallow irrigation wells. They can attach to any 1-1/4″ or 2″ well screen or casing. When attached to any source of water pressure, like a garden hose, the female thread allows for an easy one step wash down. Once the water pressure is removed, the internal valve seals off the bottom to prevent any sand from entering.

 

Being aware of the main function of a well point is a good start to using them to their full potential. Doing research of what exactly a product is before you install it is the key to a successful and smooth installation. Well, any stress free process is the point, right?

 

Reposted from BoshartU. Click here for original article.

Reposted from BoshartU. Click here for original article.

Industrial pitless units are not a cheap thing to install. With so many important components hidden underground it’s important to cap it off with something that is tamper proof and built to last.

In this blog, we are going to explore eight features to look for in industrial well caps and why they are important features. Here are the eight features we will cover:

• Locking Feature
• Large Conduit Connection
• Stainless Steel Hardware
• Air Vent
• Grounding Terminal
• Accessory Ports
• Positioning Tabs
• Material & Finish

Locking Features

To ensure that the industrial well cap is secure and tamper proof the ability to lock it is important. With the use of cotter pins or locking pins with pad locks the well cap can’t be removed by someone who doesn’t have the key or code.

Large Conduit Connection

Industrial wells require industrial sized pumps, and to run one of these pumps more cables are required to be fed down to the pump. To accommodate these cables well caps that have a large conduit connection is important. A well seal and conduit adapter can be used to keep the cables organized and ensure the well cap remains vermin proof.

Stainless Steel Hardware

Having stainless steel hardware will ensure the bolts and nuts that secure the well cap together are corrosion resistant. Well caps are installed outdoors and exposed to the elements and moisture. Using corrosion resistant hardware will ensure that when it comes time to access the pump and pitless in the well, removing the well cap will not be difficult because of corroded or seized nuts & bolts.

Air Vent

Air vents allow the well to breath while also keeping them vermin proof. Well caps with a domed vent protects the screen while still allowing the well to breath. This vent can be replaced with a plug or floating ball vent for a water proof design.

Grounding Terminal

When electricity is involved it has to be grounded. Some industrial well caps come complete with a grounding terminal built right into the cap. This allows for the cables that operate the pump to be easily grounded without any extra work.

Accessory Ports

Built in accessory ports make adding accessories to the well much easier and smoother. An example of an accessory that could be added is a depth tester kit to determine how much water is in the well. Not all accessory ports will be used all the time, so well caps that come with plugs or caps for these ports is key. If they can be locked so no one can remove them is even better ensuring a tamper proof cap.

Positioning Tabs

The positioning tabs allow the lower assembly to be installed without the well cap cover. The lower assembly can be quickly slid onto the casing and the bolts tightened at the exact location. This eliminates the need to lift the whole well cap at once.

Material & Finish

When selecting a well cap, you want to make sure it is going to last. A material to look for is cast iron as it is heavy duty. Baking on powder coat paint ensures superior quality.

 

These eight features are key things to look for in industrial well caps. These types of well caps require more research before making a purchase. Understanding what features are available will help determine what is most important when making a selection.

Reposted from BoshartU. Click here for original article.

Reposted from BoshartU. Click here for original article.

Any installation process if done incorrectly causes major frustration sometimes leading to an accident. Why not skip the frustration and go right to the proper installation part? Sounds good to me!

In this blog, we are going to explore one type of slide pitless adapter, the single pipe. Although there are other types of slide adapters in a variety of shapes and sizes, we will take a close look at the single pipe adapter and how to properly install it. Let’s dive in.

Standard Slide Pitless Adapter

Single Pipe

Single pipe slide type pitless adapters are the most common type and they are mainly used for submersible pump installations but can also be used for shallow well jet pump systems where a single suction line is lowered into the well with a foot valve attached. A shallow well jet system is limited to a 25 foot depth well or 30 feet if there is ideal conditions at sea level.

Installation Steps

The picture on the left shows all of the components of a single pipe pitless adapter.

First, start off by determining the desired location to cut the hole in the well casing. Make sure it is aligned with the trench for the service line and that it is at the proper bury depth to ensure the service line won’t freeze.

Using a hole saw, cut the required hole size, as specified by the pitless adapter manufacturer, through the well casing and remove the burrs. For 1″ pitless adapters, the typical hole saw size is 1-3/4″.

Next, you will need to remove the brass nut “A”, the brass washer “B” and the outside rubber washer “C”.

Safety Tip: To prevent separation of the slide pitless from the elbow during installation, simply insert a short piece of wooden dowel or plastic pipe in the pitless discharge of the slide into the elbow. The wood or plastic pipe will act as a safety pin. The safety pin secures the slide to the elbow and pull pipe assembly eliminating the risk of accidentally dropping the slide pitless down the well.

Caution: In order to ensure that it is impossible to make the service line connection without removing the safety pin, the safety pin should stick out  a minimum of 1/4″ out of the pitless discharge connection. Also, be sure it is a sufficient diameter.

Once “A”, “B” and “C” have been removed, you will need to thread a portion of steel pipe into the top of the pitless elbow “F”. Then lower it inside the well casing, carefully inserting the slide through the pre-cut hole. Make sure that the rubber washer, “D” is making direct contact with the inside of the well casing.

Next, you will need to install the outer rubber washer “C”, brass washer “B” and the brass nut “A” from outside of the well casing. You will need to hand tighten the nut ensuring the washer contour is aligned with the casing profile.

Then, tighten the brass nut using a wrench until it is tight and the gaskets are visibly compressed. It’s important to ensure the pitless adapter remains upright by holding onto the pull pipe straight in the well casing.

Remove the safety pin to allow removal of the elbow “F” portion of the pitless adapter out of the slide “E”. At this point, you can attach the pipe column, which is the drop pipe and submersible pipe, and install the pump seating to the pitless elbow into the slide of the pitless adapter. Make sure you firmly positioned it into the slide before disconnecting from the pull pipe.

Once you have checked that it is firmly positioned, you can install the discharge pipe (service line). Once it has been installed, ensure you check for leaks prior to back filling the trench.

 

Making assumptions about how slide pitless adapters should be installed is unsafe and could lead to problems. Be sure to keep these installation steps in your back pocket and refer to them to ensure a trouble free and accurate installation.

Reposted from BoshartU. Click here for original article.

Reposted from BoshartU. Click here for original article.

The term pitless adapter covers a wide range of brands and designs developed for the same purpose in the Water Well Industry. There are many different types of pitless adapters which look and install very differently but they serve the same basic purpose.

In this blog, we will be covering the two most commonly used types of pitless adapters; a slide type pitless and a spool type pitless. Our goal is to provide an understanding of exactly what they are, what the differences are and what they do. Let’s get started.

Why the Term “Pitless”?

The term “pitless” comes from the fact that pitless adapters eliminate the need for a “Well Pit”. Without the need for a pit, the adapter is appropriately named a Pit-less adapter.

Prior to the development of pitless adapters, well pits were required to allow the installer to manually assemble or dissemble the union fittings which connect the drop pipe to the supply pipe down inside the well pit, below the frost line. The old well pit system has been replaced by pitless adapters which eliminates unsanitary and dangerous well pits. Pitless adapters are sanitary and provide a fast and easy quick connection below the frost line.

Pitless Adapters in General

The general purpose of a pitless adapter is to provide a water tight, 90° connection below the frost line. They provide a quick connect assembly, creating a connection between the drop pipe (riser pipe) from the submersible pump to the well head, making a 90° change in flow direction and discharged through the service line to the water storage tank.

As you can see from the picture, these two types of pitless adapters look nothing a like. The slide pitless is on the left and the spool type pitless is on the right.

Slide Pitless Adapter

Slide type pitless adapters are very popular and are mainly used in residential and commercial applications up to 2″ drop pipe sizes. The slide pitless is installed through a hole drilled in the well casing. A water tight sanitary seal is made using compression gaskets on both the inside and the outside of the well casing.

The slide pitless adapter allows for easy installation or removal of the submersible pump by lifting the pitless elbow using the pull pipe. A single o-ring makes a compression seal between the two mating parts ensuring a leak free connection.

The most common application for slide pitless adapters is for submersible pumps. They are also sometimes used to install the drop pipe and foot valve in shallow well jet pump systems.

Spool Pitless Adapter

The picture on the right shows an example of a spool pitless adapter consisting of two components, the spool and the discharge housing. On the left is an example of a complete pitless unit. As you can see in the picture, the spool pitless adapter is installed between the well casing and the upper barrel. The upper barrel is typically 2″ larger than the well casing. A well cap provides a sanitary seal for the well. When all the components are assembled together, it becomes a pitless unit.

Spool pitless adapters and pitless units allow for easy installation or removal of the submersible pump by lowering or lifting the pitless spool and pipe column using a lift out/hold down assembly. The sealing method differs from slide type pitless as two o-rings make a compression seal between the spools circumference and precision machine seats in the discharge housing.

Spool type pitless’ are a “Clear Way” design, meaning there is no obstruction through the pitless providing access to the full well case diameter for well rehabilitation or cleaning. Therefore, they meet the requirements of all well construction codes. Be sure to check with your local jurisdiction to ensure the adapter you are using complies with your local codes.

 

To sum it up, slide pitless and spool pitless adapters are similar when it comes to their purpose but different in the design and application. Both are an important components to move water from the source to the service location.

Checking with your local codes will guarantee you are using the correct adapter, and will save you from selecting the wrong one.

Reposted from BoshartU. Click here for original article.

Reposted from BoshartU. Click here for original article.

When selecting a well seal that best fits your application, there are multiple factors that need to be considered. Do you require single hole or a double hole design? Should you get cast iron or ABS? Every application differs in what requirements the well seal needs to have, making it a difficult task to guarantee you are selecting the right one.

In this blog, we will provide you with all the tools to ensure you select the proper well seal for your operation, leaving you and your team happy and stress free. Let’s get started!

For a detailed run down about what exactly a well seal is, check out our blog What is a Well Seal?

 

Selection Steps

1. Figure Out Well Casing Size

Before purchasing your well seal, you need to determine the size you require. The most important thing to remember is that the well seal fits inside the well casing, meaning your measurement should be the inside diameter (I.D) of the casing. The measurement needs to be made very carefully because in this case, close does not cut it.

2. Determine the Number of Drop Pipes you Require

There are typically 3 options for drop pipe holes; blank, single hole and double hole. Let’s take a closer look at each.

Blank: Having a blank well seal means there is no pipe needing to go down the well. This well seal is used for capping a well or could also be used as a well cap if the submersible pump is on a pitless. This application is very uncommon.

Single Hole: A single hole well seal means there is only one pipe needing to go down the well. This well seal is generally used for installing either a shallow well jet pump or a submersible pump. There are two tappings included on this style of well seal, one is a vent tapping and one is a cable hole tapping for submersible pump installations.

Double Hole: A double hole well seal is designed to allow two pipes to go down the well for a deep well jet pump installation. The large hole is for the larger drop pipe that takes the water to the surface and the other hole is for the smaller drop pipe that sends a smaller volume of water down the well. This allows the jet pump to suck the water back up from a deeper well.

The difference between the double hole and single hole is the double hole is equipped with one vent tapping only. There is no cable tapping as no wires go down the well on a jet pump installation.

3. Establish the Drop Pipe Size

Single Hole Seal

You need to determine the nominal IPS pipe size for the drop pipe, sometimes known as the riser pipe. This pipe will transfer the water from the well up to the surface. Generally, this will be about 1″ or 2″ for typical submersible pump applications that range from 4″ to 6″ well casings. For wells 7″ up to 12″, the drop pipe sizes may be as large as 6″.

Double Hole Seal

For this measurement, you will need the nominal IPS pipe size for the “Drive” or pressure pipe. This pipe circulates the water from the pump and takes it down the well through the ejector nozzle and venturi tube into the riser pipe. Eventually, this will take the water to the surface.

4. Verify the Material

The three materials that well seals are commonly found in is Cast Iron, ABS and Steel. You may run across from time to time a well seal that is made from stainless steel, depending on what the application requires. If you want to learn about split vs solid plate designs for well seals check out this blog, What is a Well Seal?

Cast Iron

Initially, all well seals were made from Cast Iron. They were relatively inexpensive and they could be made in different shapes and sizes. Cast Iron well seals are suitable for a majority of installations with pump sets up to 300′ and they are available in split plate design. The downfall is they are susceptible to rust and cracking during installation. They also have a limited strength, they are not best suited for deep pipe sets greater than 300′.

ABS (Plastic)

ABS well seals have become much more economical compared to cast iron. They are also suitable for most installations and they do not rust or corrode improving their popularity. ABS well seals are extremely cost effective and there is an option to add stainless steel hardware if your application calls for that. Another benefit is that they are available in both solid and split plate design making it likely that there is an ABS well seal that will work with your required application. Unfortunately, they are not suitable for deep pipe sets greater than 300′.

Steel

In areas where aquifers are deeper than 300′ and pump sets could potentially be up to 1200′, a steel well is the best option. They are formed from solid steel plates for exceptional structural strength. They are typically available in sizes all the way up to 12″ and are significantly stronger than cast iron or ABS. They are however, usually higher in cost and smaller sizes have thinner top plates compared to the cast iron and ABS well seals.

Stainless Steel

Stainless steel well seals obtain the same physical characteristics as the steel well seals but the stainless seals have the ultimate corrosion resistance. Just like the steel well seals, they are suitable for very deep pump sets up to 1200′ and they are also available in solid and split plate design. Stainless well seals are the most expensive option and similar to the steel seals, the smaller sizes have a thinner top plate.

 

In a nut shell, different well seals are designed for a variety of applications. Knowledge is power and being informed about the different options will ensure you correctly select not only the perfect material but the exact size you require. Keep these steps handy to remind you to do your homework before making the final decision, it will save you some trouble later on.

Reposted from BoshartU. Click here for original article.

Reposted from Viega

In many cases, water has sat largely stagnant in pipes for months, which, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), poses a risk of Legionella. When water is stagnant, hot water temperatures can decrease to the Legionella growth range of 77-108°F, 25-42°C. Stagnation also can lead to dangerously low levels of disinfectant, such as chlorine, and an increase in the presence of metals.

Purdue University conducted a study of available information and recommended best practices for reopening large buildings safely. Click here for the complete study.

Among the recommendations included in the study are these from the CDC:

• Ensure the water heater is properly maintained and the temperature is correctly set to at least 120°F. Higher temperatures can further reduce the risk, but beware of scalding.
• Flush hot and cold water through all points of use (showers, sink faucets etc.) until the hot water reaches its maximum temperature. Flushing may need to occur in segments (floors, individual rooms) depending on facility size and water pressure. The goal is to replace all water inside the piping system with fresh water. Other water-using devices, such as ice machines, may require additional steps, such as discarding old ice.
• Clean all decorative water features, such as fountains, ensuring that they’re free of visible slime and biofilm. After the water feature has been refilled, measure disinfectant levels.
• Ensure cooling towers are maintained, including startup and shutdown procedures, per manufacturer’s guidelines and industry best practices.
• Ensure safety equipment, including fire sprinkler systems, eye wash stations and safety showers are clean and well-maintained.
• Work with the local water utility to learn about any recent disruptions in the water supply. Once the water system has returned to normal, check frequently for Legionella and other contaminants.

The American Water Works Association offers additional flushing instructions, but notices that each plumbing system varies, according to the structure. Its recommendations:

1.  Remove or bypass devices like point-of-entry treatment units prior to flushing.
2. Take steps to prevent backflow or the siphoning of contaminants into plumbing (e.g., close valves separating irrigation systems from home plumbing, disconnect hoses attached to faucets, etc.)
3. Organize flushing to maximize the flow of water (e.g. opening all outlets simultaneously to flush the service line and then flushing outlets individually starting near where the water enters the structure).
4. Run enough water through all outlets (e.g., hose bibs, faucets, showerheads, toilets, etc.), removing aerators when possible. Typical durations in existing protocols range from 10 to 30 minutes for each outlet (duration varies based on outlet velocity).
5. Flush cold water lines first, then hot water lines. Note: the hot water tank can be drained directly; it can require roughly 45 minutes to fully flush a typical 40-gallon hot water tank.
6. Replace all point-of-use filters, including the filter in refrigerators.
7. Additional precautions may be warranted if there is excessive disruption of pipe scale or if there are concerns about biofilm development. Actions that might be warranted include continued use of bottled water, installation of a point-of-use device, or engaging a contractor to thoroughly clean the plumbing system.

Following these best practices can avoid risk of illness and protect building occupants.

Reposted from Viega