Before goofing about a water well...

[Externet]

As never dealt with water wells...
In my backyard there is a now unused water well, never seen or dug it, and a single (plugged to avoid dirt in) 2" black polyethylene pipe comes out of the ground.
It was connected to the inlet of a now defunct plain pump + pressure tank that looks like this set:

http://inspectapedia.com/water/JetPump020DJF.jpg

House is on a swampy lowland

From the type of pump;
---> Is it safe to assume it is a shallow well < 10m/30ft ?
---> It is safe to assume there is a non-return valve at the deep end of the pipe ?
---> Can anyone suggest a 12V DC pump to take its place ?

Not much pressure needed, it is a single story dwelling. Not much volume needed, rarely two faucets open at the same time.

Would this work ?
http://www.amazon.com/FloJet-04325143A-Pressure-4-5-GPM-12-Volt/dp/B000O8F1SY/ref=pd_sim_sbs_sg_7

[EdEarl]

Given the picture of the "pump + pressure tank" the well must be less than 30' deep, unless there was at some time a large unpressurazed storage tank (mine is 2000 gal) fed by a submerged pump. Older unpressurized tanks were made of concrete, mine is fiberblass and sits on an 8'x8' concrete slab. Although, it is possible someone removed all traces of such a tank, it is unlikely.

 

A shallow well may not have water safe to drink, without very good filtration (possibly reverse osmosis). Be sure to get the water tested before you drink any.

 

Pressure tanks usually carry about 50 lbs of pressure, and require about 1-1/2 HP pump to get the pressure and volume of water you need for a house. However, your well may not be able to fill quickly enough for that size pump, if not you should be able to put in an unpressurized tank that fills over a long period of time using a small pump, and fill your pressure tank from the unpressurized tank using a stronger pump. The only way to know about the volume and water quality is to test them afaik.

 

You should call a water testing lab to find out how to get an appropriate sample. You may need to attach a pump and run water for a while to clean out stagnant water that may be in the well pipe now. The volume test will require a strong pump i.e., 1-1//2 HP, which are not inexpensive, especially in DC versions. You are more likely to find that power pump in higher voltages.

 

Ask a driller for a quote on getting your well running, the quote should be free, and you can get good info from an expert in your area.