A & H Well Services – Your local, comprehensive well specialists. With over 8,500 jobs completed ,it is our aim to put your needs at the forefront and complete jobs in a professional, timely & cost effective manner.
- Well Drilling (Agricultural, Commercial & Residential)
- Pump Installation
- Well Rehabilitation
- Flow Testing
- Water Quality Samples
- Video Logging
- Well System Diagnostic
Well Rehabilitation
Scrubbing, Bailing, and Brushing are essential when it comes to extending the life of a screened well or perforated Well. With our strong background in rehabilitation and our network of licensed professionals, we are capable of delivering consistent results on every project no matter the size.
Video Logs
Our Mobile Camera System is capable of both Down Hole and Side View capabilities. It has audio and text overlays, we are currently set up for depths up to 2000 feet at this time. The average cost to video log a well with a high quality camera averages $1,000 – $2000 depending on location, time used and down hole characteristics of the well.
VFD Installation
One of the many services we offer our clients is installation and programming of VFDs, Soft starts, PLCs, and SCADA systems. If you’re ready for a new install or an upgrade to your existing system calls us today and we can move your project to the next level. The most robust VFDs are usually major brand names. They are not used to create the third phase of a system ( three phase in – three phase out ).
Residential Pump Install
Installing residential pumps has changed over the years with most clients opting for “Constant Pressure” systems these commonly utilize In-Well Pressure Tanks to buffer the flow of water and help the VFD to function properly. The average cost of a new Well Pump often ranges from $8,000 – $35,000. The replacement cost of a pumping system is typically much lower and ranges from $3,500 – $12,000 dependent on the condition of the existing system.
Fishing Objects
Fishing for objects down a well is a service needed when items are lost down the bore. This can be the result of aging equipment, faulty equipment and at times operator error. Fishing items out of the bore is most cost effective when Down The Hole tools are used in conjunction with a Down Hole Camera. This allows for precise moment of the retrieval tools and cuts down on costly labor rates. Retrieving lost objects out of a Well can range widely in cost from a few hours of labor to tens of thousands of dollars. Its always best to have a consultation prior to starting in on these types of projects.
Cistern Installation
Cisterns are commonly used to store water from your well for use at a later time. The average size of a concrete underground holding tank is 2K – 3K gallons. They are built for a lifetime of service as long as basic maintenance is performed. Installation of Cisterns is a service we offer and the average cost in our area is $16k – $21K for a turn key install. It is typically cheaper to install a cistern when the system is new vs adding it later as complexities can arise with underground utilities and unforeseen underground hazards that add time and cost.
A Standard 4 Hour Flow test
Residential Well Testing
While all wells can be tested, not all well tests are equal. Wells are tested for a variety of reasons; to include productivity, quality of water and the condition of the pumping equipment and controls.
Washington and Idaho typically have testing parameters that require a 4 Hour flow test, as do most lenders and engineering firms. A 4 hour flow test is not always a mandate, but should be considered the standard amount of time for a flow test. It is then possible to can compare your data to other wells in the area of the same test duration.
The purpose of testing a well for longer time periods than simply just opening a faucet or spigot for a moment in time and noting that the system has good pressure is that the longer a well is pumped the lower its static water level will drop. A drop in static water levels will cause the pump to move less water to surface, because of the decreasing head pressure back feeding the intake of the pump, with this information in mind it is safe to say that most, but not all flow tests will start with a higher Gallons Per Minute ( GPM ) than they end with. We have thousands of cataloged data sets for wells in the PNW and this is almost always the case.
When reviewing the results of a flow test there are a few key points to look for regardless of which company tests your well. Items that will set a potentially good well test apart from one of lesser quality is the time between recording flow or depth of water. The standard in residential flow tests are recorded at 10 – 30 minute intervals. Our equipment is recording at intervals of 1 – 10 seconds this ensures that no data goes unaccounted for. There is often minute data in the charts that indicate how the well is responding to the test than can be overlooked if longer duration are used.
The tools used to measure flow of water matter greatly. It is better to use a five gallon bucket with a known mark to stop at than to use a cheap flow-meter. All of our meters are top of the line and of major brand names, they are calibrated as necessary by third parties and are NIST traceable. The item that matters most though is the competency of the person you hire to test your well, there is no replacement for sound judgement, experience and taking the task at hand seriously. We recommend avoiding companies that test wells as side jobs, hobbies or inconsistently, we do not recommend that you have a home inspector test your well.
While this article does not cover all aspects of residential well testing it does give you a brief overview, for further questions please do not hesitate to give us a call.