# What is this?



## hellrazor762 (May 20, 2012)

My newly rented house has a well with this "reservoir" thing attached. We had a well at the house when I was a kid but never had one of these. What purpose does this serve and how should I maintain this filthy thing?















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## Caribou (Aug 18, 2012)

Is the shallow well pump pumping into or out of the cistern?


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## hellrazor762 (May 20, 2012)

It appears to be pumping in at the top above the float and out at the bottom. I'm in Florida so not much risk of wells running dry. 


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## Caribou (Aug 18, 2012)

hellrazor762 said:


> It appears to be pumping in at the top above the float and out at the bottom. I'm in Florida so not much risk of wells running dry.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Survival Forum


Sorry, I'm unclear as to what you mean. A closeup of the plumbing would help.

What I think this is, is some sort of a low pressure water source filling a small cistern and the pump providing adequate pressure to the home.

If I am right then I would put a cap full of bleach in there once or twice a year. I would time this so as to add the bleach when I was absent for at least a couple of days.


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## Woody (Nov 11, 2008)

Interesting contraption, never seen one. We do know it is way south of any 32 degree weather though!!

It would seem the pump is going into the cistern, there is a float valve on the line coming straight out of the pump. It would also make sense that the 'pressure tank' is after the cistern, before going to the home. But, how is the tank pressurizing that way? The 'loop' on the ground also has be befuddled. 

But, don't most (at least that I have seen) pumps INTAKE from the center and discharge from the side, in this case the top? In this case it appears to be the case as that line is running down to the pressure tank... hard to tell if it actually connects though.

Maybe the cistern fills through gravity, there are overflow holes. And the pump puts it to the tank, then into the house? The float would stop the pump if the water level got too low then, instead of telling it when to fill the cistern. But... The water line in the cistern never seems to go to the holes, it looks to be associated with the float.

Either way I would think at least a gross particulate filter would be a good addition between the cistern and pump, or the pump and tank.

Sorry I am not any help!!! Where are our well drilling members when you need them? :-})


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## TheLazyL (Jun 5, 2012)

Looks like some type of chemical feed...water have high iron content?


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## hellrazor762 (May 20, 2012)

Iron and sulfur. From what I can see and smell. I've seen a lot of these in Florida. 


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## Davarm (Oct 22, 2011)

I think it's for "evaporating" sulfer compounds from the well water. I've seen setups for that purpose but none exactly like the one in the pics.


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## hiwall (Jun 15, 2012)

I agree that it is a spot to allow the water to mix with air (oxygen).


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## cowboyhermit (Nov 10, 2012)

It sure looks like a setup for off-gassing to me, just not sure how good of a setup it is :dunno: Maybe you have some methane(natural gas) in the area like we do

Are those holes even screened?


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## hellrazor762 (May 20, 2012)

Yes the holes are screened. If it's supposed to get rid of the sulfur smell it's not working. 


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## airdrop (Jan 6, 2012)

You drink that stuff ?????? or is it just for brown water . I'd be putting bleach in it and maybe your suppose to ????? that thing is scary. The sulfur smell may be from bacteria and it will need to be bleached , 1 gallon of bleach to 5 gallons of water down the well then pumped thru out the house until you smell the bleach the stop for 20 min. then finish running the bleach out of the system .


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## hellrazor762 (May 20, 2012)

No we don't drink it. I worry about even showering with it. 


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## cowboyhermit (Nov 10, 2012)

I wouldn't _worry_ about showering in it, or drinking it even, I would just figure out the level at which I wanted to treat it and get it tested.

If people think *that* is dirty they should get a good look at the intake end (or most parts) of a typical municipal water supply 

By exposing the water to air and warm temperatures, you are dealing with some of the issues with surface water, as well as those of well water. I would certainly consider some means of dealing with bacteria such as a chlorination system or UV, but preferably filtration. Then again, this isn't really the question you asked so maybe it tests fine and is not an issue.

Just a simple carbon filter would probably take care of most of your problems, they are not too expensive (depending on quantities required) and do a good job. But, if you are just asking about cleaning this then the previous answers were spot on (chlorine in whatever form).


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## hellrazor762 (May 20, 2012)

Well drained it. Scrubbed it and bleached it. Water still smells like sulfur. But got rid of all the slime and grit at the bottom. 


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