Well Water Concerns

[b1ink]

Hey All,

We are building a new home with a well. Does anyone have any experience with wells and also providing RO water for their aquarium?

We are concerned with not only the water pressure but also worrying about the life expectancy of the well with changing the water every 2 weeks for a 75 gallon aquarium.

Does the well replenish itself? and obviously the life of the well would be the replenish speed versus the rate at which we are using the water.

Thanks for any feedback.

 

[CStrickland]

I wouldn't think the volume removed would be that much of a problem. A 10% change is gonna use like 30g of water, that's just a couple showers-worth. Youre probs going to need a booster pump, and a lot of people on wells have CO2 issues that need to be addressed to get full use of the DI resin.

 

[gone fishin]

I have had wells with all my tanks. If your well is decent then your WC's should not even be blip on the radar. I had to get a booster pump for my RO/DI unit. see bulk reef supply

 

[JamesHolt]

Whoever drills the well should be able to give you a flow rate for the well, normally they test it with an oversized pump to give a max flow rate..
They should also be able to tell you the depth of both the well pump and the water table...
I think there should be a tag on the casing somewhere when they finished also..
I dont use mine for RO/DI yet due to plumbing problems (old pipes not enough pressure), so I cant help you there..
As far as the life of the well or the replenish speed,, that depends on the depth the pump is to the water table..
Mine is hanging 50ft down and I have had a 1" pipe break off in the well house that ran for two days with no problems (not going dry)..

 

[chimmike]

flow is dependent on the pump, IIRC.

you may well need a booster pump but that's actually good and helps the ro/di system operate more efficiently.

 

[Member No. 1]

My well is hand dug, about 12' deep. I don't have an issue with volume and I make 100 gallons of RODI at a time. I also don't have an issue in the summer as I also irrigate my lawn.
You will need a booster pump on your RODI unit if your house water pressure is less then 60-70 psi. Also more than likely you will need to "De-Gas" the CO2 from the water otherwise you will burn through DI resin in less than 50 of water made. Here is how I explained how I did it.

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2548783

 

[Reef Frog]

Well characteristics will differ drastically depending on many factors. What part of the country? Local conditions, geology, rain fall, well depth, home plumbing system, user habits, possible local runoff & contaminants and more.

If this is your first well you should really talk to a driller with years of experience in your area. Ask him how wells in similar geology behave, especially in drought years. If you've been on municipal water all your life you should also study best practices in living with a septic system. For example no wholesale dumping of grease, no paper products except TP. That old tuna casserole should go in the trash, not down the disposal.

You can (and should IMO) make the equipment choices where you can get robust water pressure in the house. This will give you the shower pressure you've had on muni water plus all you need for your RODI system. If the water is hard or of very acidic pH you may want a softening & deacidifcation.

Do your research and get everything right in the begining and a well/septic system can operate with minimal problems for a lifetime.