Tracking the static water level

[thomas4211]

The static water level in one of my wells dropped 25 feet (25' to 50') in the past few years. California is still in a drought so I'm not too surprised. I looked online for an electronic device that monitors the current water level. $600-$1000 was too much to spend so I'm wondering if anyone has a DIY technique to monitor the current water level.
This well has a Grundfos SQF solar pump so there is no sucker rod to pull in order to check.

[Ron Stauffer]

Small pebble and a timer. Time the drop to kerplunk at 32 ft / sec

Ron Stauffer
Montrose CO

[windybob]

Wow. I didn't know that. Cool!

[Kansas Rust Buzzard]

I just drop two wires hooked on to a lead weight down, when it hits water the two wires make connection and you can read it with a gauge on top, I got a reel with 700ft of double wire, cheap and easy and pretty fool proof. My table drops two foot a year on average, has since the 1950s .

[perryjohn57]

Interesting topic......I put a new deep well system in last year as a part of my off grid utility system, and for an extra $55 (yes,,,,$55.....) the pump installer put a 1/4 inch diameter vinyl tube along side the electric wires that went down the well bore. This was run into the "well house" and hooked to a gauge and schrader valve. To check the static water level you put compressed air into the schrader valve and down into the tubing.....the needle on the valve rises to a point where is starts to "flutter", and by reading this point on the gauge you determine how far the static water level is above the pump elevation.....then by subtracting the known pump depth you know the water level below ground level........I am on the road for work, but when I get back to the "Homestead" I will post a picture of the gauge set up.......john

[perryjohn57]

Yikes.....more than several weeks have gotten away from me since I said I would post a photo of the gauge that my well pump installer added to my deep well setup.....take a look at the image....below the scale for PSI is a scale for feet of water......by charging the schrader valve with compressed air, gauge needle moves up steadily. When the needle begins "fluttering" you know that air is being discharged from the open end of a 1/4" tube that runs from the gauge down the well bore to the level of the pump motor. In my case, the well motor is set 390 feet below ground level....By subtracting the gauge reading (feet of water above the pump motor) from the depth of the well motor you quickly and easily determine how many feet below ground level that the water level is........The pump installer charged $55 for the tubing and the gauge.......pretty danged reasonable to be able to quickly and easily determine the static water level.....maybe not necessary....but cool none the less!!! Stay safe. john p.

[Ron Stauffer]

John
Interesting setup. I am guessing that a liquid filled gauge wasn't used because they are not made with the ft h2o scale?

Anyone that lives at elevation needs to be aware that you will have to compensate. The numbers on the gauge are for sea level. At my 7500' elevation, 60 psi is equivalent to your 80

Ron Stauffer
Montrose CO

[perryjohn57]

I never thought about altitude adjustments.....but that makes perfect sense!! Not sure about the liquid filled gauge either.....dang..... more to study and learn about!!!!!........but I will say that I was shocked at how "cheap" it was to add this instrument and tubing during the well pump change out......
Since I am completely off grid I installed a Grunfos constant pressure well pump system that places much less strain on my battery bank than a conventional deep well pump........
Since the days of the early Delco electric plants, running a deep well pump has been one of the bigger challenges of a home electric system.......
Stay safe. john p.

[Ron Stauffer]

My guess is that a liquid filled gauge wasnt available with that scale. Liquid filled would be very appropriate for that setup as it can be open to the atmosphere.

Grundfos SQE do have a softer start but their drawback is that they run every time you use water on a constant pressure setup. We use capacitor start pumps with larger pressure tanks for off grid. Benefits are softer start and less cycling.

Inverters vary on their motor starting capability. Outback and Schneider/Xantriex/Trace are better. Magnum struggles on anything 3/4 hp and up. We have used external soft starts with good success. https://www.electricgeneratorsdirect.co ... IHEALw_wcB

I have lived off grid for 26 years and done off grid solar for 22 years. My latest system upgrade 4 years ago allows me to use a welder in the shop off the inverter. I have a 5 hp IR aiir compressor that it wont run though. I am looking at getting a soft start for it but they are limited for that hp in single phase

Ron Stauffer
Montrose CO