Considerations when buying a house with a well

adocholiday

Hi all,

Just looking for some info that I think people on this forum might be best placed to answer. I'm considering buying a house that is not connected to the mains but is serviced by a well in the back garden. There's a covered pump over the well, and there's a fairly serious looking filter system in the house itself, with 2 large cylinders and a box for putting salt into.

Is there anything we should consider when it comes to checking this stuff out? Who'd be best placed to check that all's working well? Anything we should be concerned with with a well-only setup? I'm thinking like what if the well were to ever dry up (is that even possible?), or if it were to get contaminated?

Just wondering if this is something we should be concerned about, and what kind of maintenance etc. would be required in years to come.

Wearb

I would have the water tested with a sample taken before the filter. I would also have the sewage checked.
If all that works out. Then find out why the filters are needed and who usually maintains it.

adocholiday

Thanks Wearb. Worth noting that this house was built in 2008 or thereabouts, and we've been assured that the owners just put in the best systems they could for their budget at the time. The sewage system is a bio-waste disposal unit, seems to be a kind of advanced septic tank.

I'll get some water samples taken to make sure that's ok anyway. What about in future though? Are there any concerns with having a well only provided supply? Like in 10 years time say is there a risk that the well could dry up? What if it was contaminated? Just thinking about potential future costs and what would be required to fix those kinds of things.

Wearb

If your assurances were from someone with a vested interest in the sale, then be sceptical. Contamination should be your biggest worry with the well. Running dry is rare enough.

Pat Mustard

adocholiday wrote: »

Is there anything we should consider when it comes to checking this stuff out?

Consider that Storm Ophelia knocked out power for an extended period of time in many parts of the country. If you are dependent on an electric pump and there is no electricity, you will have no water.

People manage with no electricity but having no water is awkward.

You might want to consider a contingency for water in case of loss of power. I'm not in that business so I wouldn't be best placed to advise.

pedroeibar1

I have a well at my holiday home. Initially I had a surface pump near the well head. We drilled 125 feet although I got water at a shallower depth and had the foot valve at 100 ft to ensure it was clear of any sediment. My idea was that the extra depth would work as a kind of reservoir. A recurring problem was due to the gaps between use – the foot-valve would leak and if I did not visit for a 6 week period the pump would have to be re-primed. That problem would be avoided by regular use. About 10 years ago I did a big extension job and also replaced the surface pump with a ‘down the well pump’ which is submerged near the bottom of the well. To fit the new pump we had to draw up the pipe (wavin/hydrodare) and that required the use of a JCB arm as a hoist. That pump never had a problem but on the surface pressure tank we had an electrical fault – a pressure switch that burned out. Cannot remember the cost but it was not expensive.

Often when the well is installed the contractor will do a flow test and give you the result of the well’s efficiency in litres or gallons per hour. Your previous owner might have that. Our well has only once run dry, a very hot summer years ago when we had a house full of visitors with small children/babies; baths, washing machine and dishwasher seemed to be going permanently. By scaling back their use the groundwater replenished the well within a day and we had enough for everyday use.

It would be advisable to have the water quality tested both for health and chemical reasons. The pH balance of the water could be too high or low e.g. if it is too acidic it would shorten the life of metals, or it might have a very high iron content which can be a health issue for some people.

Biomass units are often insisted upon by the planners – we installed one although it was not mandatory at that time. It is important to use the correct chemicals in toilets, bathrooms, etc as stuff like Domestos and other bleaches will do damage to the process. They are not cheap to run as there is an agitator in the primary tank that has a powerful motor.

My only regret when we upgraded the house 10 years ago was that I did not install an underground storage tank for rainwater. That could be a 'grey water' reserve and also if there was a power cut would provide access to a basic bucket supply.

Ten Pin

The salt box and cylinders are (presumably) a water softener system.

The well water probably has lime, this causes limescale in kettles, inside pipes etc. The softener removes this but (open to correction) it's best not to consume soft water. The kitchen cold tap is probably fed direct from the well before the softener. If it is then the kettle will have limescale in it. Limescale is not a health issue.

Test the water for contamination. Is there farmland nearby?

It's doubtful that a well would go dry in Ireland. You could look into rain water harvesting if the site has the space.

There are probably maintenance costs on the softener (annual check by a company) and the cost of buying salt on a regular basis.

shane b

We bought such a house in 2011. The water softener is normally serviced annually and we use about a bag of salt a month. A water sample there should tell a lot.
I would be more concerned with the waste water treatment unit. They also should be serviced annually. Ask about a maintence agreement, any service records and whether its been registered.
We didnt push the vendors enough on these details and its cost us nearly 10k since we bought the house. We have had issues with tank incorrectly installed, treatment unit had to be replaced and it turns out the previous owners had never installed a percolation area. Its a lot of money buried underground

adocholiday

shane b wrote: »

I would be more concerned with the waste water treatment unit. They also should be serviced annually. Ask about a maintence agreement, any service records and whether its been registered.
We didnt push the vendors enough on these details and its cost us nearly 10k since we bought the house. We have had issues with tank incorrectly installed, treatment unit had to be replaced and it turns out the previous owners had never installed a percolation area. Its a lot of money buried underground

What a nightmare. Thanks for the heads up I'll be sure to push for whatever info I can there so. Based on the high quality other things that were done at the house like the electrics and stonework during rennovations I'm hoping that they invested as much expense and expertise into the well and waste water systems. Thanks for the heads up on that.