sand point wells

[bhs91]

We recently bought a house with a sand point well and I was wondering what are the drawbacks to such a well? I grew up with "normal drilled wells" and they were great. Does a sand point dry up faster? Is it harder on the well pump and/or tank?

Thanks,

BHS

[deepportage01]

we had a sand point at the cabin for years without a problem we just resently had a drilled well put in but ours never ran dry or went out. I think if you are on a lake you should be good to go the water table is higher around lakes

[eurolarva]

They do not draw a lot of water. We had ours on a sprinkler system and needed two drops to get enough water to water each zone. We used it mainly to fill the pool and water the yard. Had it for over 10 years and it never ran out of water and we werent near a lake. You will probably have to blow it out for winter and reprime in the spring time.

[bhs91]

We are right across the street from a lake, but not on a lake. We use it for everything though, laundry, showers, etc.; we are a family of 6.

[deepportage01]

This is just my take on it, go out and run the hose for 2 hours if you can do that you should be able to live in the house normaly if not well, think about a new well. I could be wrong but I thought that you must update your well before the sale of the property or did you buy the place as is?

[backlash 1]

A sandpoint is a perfectly fine and legal system. If installed properly, you will not run out of water. GPM is determined by pump size and pipe size. If it is a standard 1/2 hp, you should be able to tweak the pressure up to 50-55PSI without any problem, which is the same as any deep well.

[Cliff Wagenbach]

I had a sand point well at my old home that I drove myself.

The first day I hooked up the well pump and just let it run out onto the ground. It ran for 8 hours straight without a let-up in volume! I lived there for 17 years and never ran out of good water.

I also was within 500 yards of a lake.

The water table level and type of gravel that your point is in will determine how well your water will hold up.

Cliff

[Blue Kayak]

All wells should be tested for nitrates and bacterial contamination by a laboratory. There are certified labs throughout the state, and the labs typically provide containers for well water samples.

Any well can become contaminated, but sand points are more easily contaminated than drilled wells with casings. They are shallower than drilled wells and usually are on sand which is not a good filter. This makes them more likely to become contaminated.

I have tested thousands of well water samples for nitrate contamination for the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. Wells typically become nitrate contaminated by too much nitrogen fertilizer, too much manure, or being too close to a septic system. We often find high nitrate levels in resort areas where there are a large number of wells and septic systems close to each other.

[Kevin Turner]

I help a bud set his up (sand point well). I was amazed how easy it was.

FYI: My well back home in MO is 580 feet deep.....

[backlash 1]

I believe if you sell a property on a private well system, you are required to furnish the buyer a lab tested water sample report and proof of a conforming septic system. At least I did when I sold my house on Mille Lacs.

[bhs91]

We did receive a certificate that it had been tested, along with the septic. I am sure that things will be fine but I do tend to be a skeptic.