Home Elegance » Wells

General Information

Gary Korpi — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 17:22:51 +0000

1. Does the contractor have liability insurance? If something goes wrong who will cover your loss. I heard of a roofing problem in the summer of 08 they tore off the roof and installed a new roofing system. It looked good it didn’t leak, but when the roofers were tearing off the old roof they inadvertently unlocked the furnace flue pipe 8’ below the roofline. When the flue pipe was re-shingled into place the pipe was 1/2 on and 1/2 off the lower pipe venting carbon monoxide into chimney chase and ultimately into the house attic. They didn’t find the problem for 5 months, thank God no one died. When Natural gas or LP gas is burned it gives off carbon monoxide and a lot of water. The water leaves the furnace at about 350 degrees; at this temperature it’s steam being forced into a cold attic with a lot of cold surfaces. When the steam touches a cold surface it changes to water or ice. In this case about 2 inches of ice crystals on under side of the roof decking, on the trusses and on the surface of the attic insulation. A quick calculation looks like about 200 gallons of water frozen in the attic. Looking at this job after the facts all the insulation in the attic has to be removed the roof sheathing has to be checked for soundness and may have to be replaced as well as the sheetrock ceiling. You might need new flooring also if the ice melted before you removed it, because it will follow the wall stud cavities to the main floor and under your carpets, or cupping you hardwood flooring.
This is only 1 thing that can go wrong; there are many other situation I have heard about.
2. Does the contractor have worker compensation insurance?
If person falls or get hurt in any way while on your property (grass, sidewalk, inside your house, etc.) you’re at fault, unless the contractor has workers compensation insurance.

Rules for hiring a contractor:

General Information
1. Does the contractor have a state license to do the type of work needing to be done?
2. Does the contractor have liability insurance? If something goes wrong who will cover your loss.
3. Does the contractor have worker compensation insurance?
If a person falls or get hurt in any way while on your property (grass, sidewalk, inside your house, etc.) you’re at fault. Unless the contractor has workers comp. insurance.

4. Make Sure All Subcontractors and/or Any Person Coming Onto Your Property Has Legal Workers Compensation and Liability Insurance.
5. Does this person have the brains to pull off this type of job? Watch out there a lot of cons out there calling them contractors only wanting to separate you from your money.
6. Can he/she prove what is being said in writing; a contract that protects you the Homeowner?
7. A lot of people have go good intentions but no knowledge or life experience to draw from.
8. There are 3 classifications of quality of work
A. Poor and well below sub standard workmanship
B. Just Average on workmanship
C. Excellent work- any worker just above average ends up excelling to excellent static because of the person himself, I’ve seen this time and time again.

9. 2nd Classifications of motives.
A. Money is a good motivator
B. The lack of money is a poor motivation
C. Lack of time for said job or out of on contracts personal bills
D. The only job available this one, actually scores just above average
E. Actually caring for his work and the client.

Now is the contractor your hiring going to hire subcontractor with substandard work or money problems? Remember this your project is to be a work of art not a novel of science fiction.

Why don’t I have water pressure, my friends do

Gary Korpi — Fri, 23 Dec 2005 21:31:32 +0000

If your friends have city water, the water pressure of city water is between 80PSI to 125 PSI. And you have a well. Lets look a facts when the house was built they put in the cheapest well possible at 80′ deep well.

Control switch 20/40 PSI 30/50 PSI 40/60 PSI
1/2 Hp pump 1.2- 4.2 2.7 – 5.7 4.2 – 7 Gallons per minute

Now lets look at what happens with a deep well 400′ deep
1/2 Hp pump .7- 2.1 1.4 – 2.8 2.1 — 3.5 Gallons per minute

If the well man installed a pump with plastic impeller let’s see what happens.

As water comes up the well shaft it passes through a sand screen then water goes through the impeller and is pushed up a 1″ steel pipe to the well tank.

Oh by the way the well water has fine sand (grit) in the water, which went right through the sand screen and it has been scratching the impeller for years decreasing the volume of water and increasing your electric bill.

Using a brass impeller is better, but the best impeller on the market is stainless steel. A little more expensive but lasts longer with better results.

Wells – why so pricy

Gary Korpi — Fri, 23 Dec 2005 02:16:31 +0000

People always get taken when getting a well lets see why.
Example- Well drillers give the contractor a bid on the well and it is stated like this the Bid $3,500.00 for 100 foot deep well, If no water it is $14.00 per ft there after. The well shall be within 10 of the house, If further than 10′ add $12.50 per Ft and within 10′ of the well tank, If the location of the tank further than 9′ from the inside wall add $5.50 per LF, With 1 1/2 horse pump and a 1″ line to the well tank with a 20 Gallon tank.

Now lets look at the facts the utility room is the basement in the front left corner next to the 3 car garage, and the closed place to put the well is within 75′ of the sewer system now we have to find a new spot out of the way of the sewer system and easy for them to get a truck back in where the well is increase the well pump has to be pulled for repair. The new spot is 45′ from the house.

The location where it enters the house is on back right corner of the house, it’s 48′ from the utility room.

They start drilling the well, and then at 280′ they find water. Then the homeowner tells the well driller that you want to have a large sprinkling system.

Now the total bill is 3500.00 + 180 x 14.00 + 65′ x 12.5+39′x 5.50= 7,047+ need a larger tank, line, and larger pump add 1400.00 Total bill $ 8,447.00

Example 2 same as above but they hit granite. There drilling rig can not drill through rock a larger machine charges 19.50 per foot, the water was found a 850′ Total bill 3500.00-1400.00+ 16,575.00 need a larger tank, line and, and much larger pump add 1950.00 Total bill $ 21,654.00