A New Water Well .....

Like but not our Well Head

I didn't post about it last year probably because the price stung so much but I had a well put in for the cottage last august (2013).  Yes I did all 188 feet and $12,000....

This is the story...
While at my annual birthday gift, a week with my grandchildren at the Cottage, the water pump in the lake stopped working early in the week.  We had no water!  Well actually I have a bunch of jerry cans of fresh water for just an occurrence, but it wasn't going to last an entire week.

I yanked the pump out of the lake, it looked fine.  When turned on it tried for a second to pump then stopped.  I called up my supplier - out of Toronto - and he suggested I try replacing the controller which is up in the Cottage.  I order one through a small pump repair shop in Shawville and got it the next day (late).  Sure enough I installed it an the pump works fine.

But me in my drive for perfecction decided that it was time for a well.  Rationalizing that it was in the lake and could go at anytime, the water in the lake needed the UV filter treatment, and what would I do if the pump failed when I had a renter...  or if we had a really cold winter and the lake froze the top of the pipe leading to the pump in the lake...

So I embarked on getting a new pump.  The go to supplier gve me a quote and said the first 100 feet would be roughly $600.  So I said lets do it...  He told me but it didn't register that if the well was deeper there was an additional per foot charge...So as it turned out the well ended up being 88 feet deeper to the tune of over $12,000.

In hindsight, if I new what the bill would be, I would have waited as $12,000 was hard on the bank account.  But it is done and I rationalize further thinking I now have a backup system (in the lake) in case the well system fails, plus the clarity of the water is much better.

I did replace and still use the UV filter, but I understand I don't need it.  Just habit and comfort I guess.

Related Posts:
 Installing the Water Pressure Tank - Cottage on the Edge
Frozen Water System... A Possible Diagnosis - Cottage on ...
 Bringing Water to the Cottage - Cottage on the Edge
 Creating Clean Water: Adding a Sediment Filter - Cottage ...
 Cottage on the Edge - the DIY Cottage Blog: No Water! Our ...

 ;-)

Frozen Water System... A Possible Diagnosis

As I mentioned in a previous post, it appears that the water system may be frozen...  the issue is where the dip is located?

I sent an eMail to Cottage Water Supply Inc, the makers of the water system we have installed, on Monday and immediately received a response. And a very positive, hopeful one at that.

It appears that the section in the pipe that is frozen is likely a dip in the water line down to the lake.  It is at this dip that the water would pool rather than drain fulling back to the lake, hence freeze.

How did Adam Soszka at Cottage Water Supply determine that that is the likely culprit?  It turns out the gurgling sound that we hear when the water is being pumped up from the lake is most likely caused by the air flowing through the water in the 'dip' as the water first starts pumping up to the pressure tank. A find this so amazing, but also indicative of someone who knows his products.  It reminds me of my son (he is a mechanic) diagnosing an auto engine problem by listening to it through a stethoscope - yes really.

I still will have to wait until the Spring thaw, but I am reassured that it is not a BIG fix.

;-)

No Water! Our First Major Cottage Repair

We have been very fortunate...  Until now!

Last weekend the water stopped.  What I am really saying is... the water, which we get from the Lake stopped flowing.  I am not sure what the problem is -- all I know is that the pump when it is turned on and the pressure gets below the lower cut-in -- it does not pump water.  So we have no water in the pressure tank now, hence no water to flush toilets, drink, etc...  Unless we bring it with us to the cottage.

It is winter so I likely will not be able to confirm what the problem is until Spring.  It could one of the following problems:

1. The pipe into the lake has frozen.  I have a Heat-line system which is supposed to keep the pipe unfrozen for the length of pipe that goes through the  ice in the lake.  However, the freezing could be happening before or after this heated length of pipe.
2. The Pump is stuck in the mud, hence, just is unable to pump water.
3. The Pump is burnt-out because of (1) or (2)
4. The pressure value on the tank is not functioning properly, and hence is not telling the pump to come on.

The investigation for all of these issues will have to wait until the Spring, or at least a sufficient thaw to get at the pipe and pump in the lake.  Brrrrrrrr.....

I am hoping that  the issue is (1) or (2) because those are easy fixes.  A burnt-out pump (3) will be a real pain to replace.  Replacing the pressure switch (4) will be an easier task.

Stay tuned, I will update during the investigation and repair.

Coming Next:
In an upcoming post I will describe the 'drain-back' water system we have at the cottage.   

Related Posts & Links:  
 Installing the Water Pressure Tank
 A great description of the drain-back water system we use was in the Cottage Life magazine

;-)

Silicon versus Latex Caulking

...or this could be titled:

Shower Installation: Lesson Number 2...

Yes! there is a difference between silicon and latex caulking. Read your shower installation guide carefully. Silicon DOES NOT stick to some materials well. It fact it is rather poor at adhering to Polystyrene - this material from which many shower walls are made.

I discovered this in shower number one... Used the silicon stuff, in spite of reading the instructions to the contrary - and it did NOT stick forever! Six months later it came unstuck.

So in shower stall number two, latex caulking was used.

In fact I rather enjoy using the latex caulk much better for the following reasons:

• It is paint-able
  
• It cleans up with water
• Does not smell as bad
• Is not a pain to remove - and you will eventually have to remove it.
  

What has been your experiences with silicon or latex caulking? Which do you prefer?

;-)

Planning for Great Basement Drainage

Creating great basement drainage starts way back in the planning stages.

This is the almost finished drain cover in the future laundry closet - in the basement. I was quite pleased with myself as the location was almost exactly where it needed to be.

Unless you are prepared to crack the concrete floor and install a drain, it is best to map out where your rooms are and where the plumbing needs to be BEFORE the basement floor is poured.

With plan in hand you can rough in all the needed drainage pipe - and do it with a reasonably amount of confidence.

TIP: Be sure to have enough pipe material sticking above the concrete - it is easy to cut it shorter - but a real pain in the butt to cut it longer...

Related Posts:
Plumbing tip: don't mix pipe types
Houston, We have a Concrete basement Floor...

;-)

3 Tips for creating a Pex Water Control Panel

Setting up a control panel for the cold water system is quite easy. Imagine doing this in copper! The soldering would be a nightmare... Pex pipe is definitely a DIY'rs dream

What we did is create a shut-off for each separate line to each location. In this case we have a separate line for each of:

• Each toilet (2)
  
• Upstairs shower
• Bath Tub and Sink (for upstairs)
• Kitchen
• Downstairs shower and bathroom sink

A few tips:

1) Use ball valve with 1/4 turn shut-off. With these you can see at a glance which are on and which are off. All in the picture are in the off position. The lever is in line with the pipe in the 'on' position.

2) Use a manifold that has the right number of nipples. This one has six, which is exactly what we needed.

3) Be sure to factor in a system drain. This is the cottage after all. If you are closing down the cottage for the winter it will be hugely helpful to have an easy way to drain the system for winter. In our setup the bottom pipe provides a means (off the picture) to drain the system.

Related Posts:
4 reasons why pex is a diy plumber's dream!
Pex versus copper piping: pros & cons

;-)

Snow Shovel time! and Chrismas bells are ringing...

The weather was actually beautiful for this time of year (this past weekend) up at the Cottage. It was an unseasonably warm 15 to 17 degrees Celsius -- short sleeve weather!

Still I needed to do a bit of shoveling to clear the ramp and the stair up to the front door.

...and of course it was natural act to just to leave the shovel by the front door -- after all I will likely be needing it the next time we are up to the Cottage.

Another sign of the season is the preparation and decoration leading up to Christmas. As you can see in the picture to the right I put up a traditional spruce bow Christmas wreath to keep the shovel company.

Coming Up:
In the next few trip up the Cottage I intend to complete the downstairs bathroom. That will involve pretty much the same installation as the main bathroom - just in a small space and without a tub.

I will be installing:

• A shower stall,
• Toilet,
  
• A sink/vanity, and
• vinyl flooring.
  

Related Posts:
The Snow has Arrived: November 7th
;-)

Safe Water at the Cottage: Revers Osmosis - Part 3 of 3

The reverse osmosis system I used came as a complete system. All I needed to do was:

1. connect all the hoses
2. insert the filters in the appropriate cartridge holders
3. Install the system under the kitchen sink which consisted of a) drilling a hole in the counter for the faucet, b) installing the faucet, c) securing the cartridge set to the inside of the cupboard, and d) inserting a battery in the filter timer.
   

The Reverse osmosis system that I installed has a Five Stage Purification Process:

STAGE I: Sediment 5 Micron : Removes dirt, sediments, sand, and other physical particles.

STAGE II: Granulated Activated Carbon Filter: Reduces chemicals, such as chlorine, that may be in your water supply.

STAGE III: Carbon Block: Further reduces organics, odors, and other chemicals that might be present in you water supply.

STAGE IV: Reverse Osmosis Membrane: 50 gallon per day membrane removes 93-97% of dissolved mineral salts and other contaminants in the water supply.

STAGE V: Post Carbon Filter: A final polishing process that enhances and clarifies your drinking water.

My Supplier/Manufacturer:
Watts Canada

Related Posts:
Use the search on the Blog - search on Reverse Osmosis
;-)

Safe Water at the Cottage: Reverse Osmosis - Part 2 of 3

What is Reverse Osmosis?
Reverse osmosis (R/O) is a water treatment process in which water is forced through a semi-permeable membrane that has very small holes or "pores". Clean water passes through and impurities that are too big to pass through the membrane are left behind and flushed away.

How does Reverse Osmosis Work?
Reverse osmosis systems purify water by forcing pressurized water through a very fine, plastic membrane. If the raw water being treated comes from a well or another private source, disinfection and pre-filters (to remove chlorine and/or particulates/sediment) may be needed in advance of the R/O unit to remove contaminants that can foul or damage the membrane.

Stages of reverse osmosis:

1. During the initial filtration stage, tap water or well water (pressurized by a booster pump or pressure tank) is passed through a particle filter (a pre-filter) that removes silt, sediment, sand, and clay particles that might clog the R/O membrane.
2. The water is then forced through an activated carbon filter that traps minerals and contaminants such as chromium, mercury, copper, chloramine and pesticides. It also removes chlorine, which is important, as chlorine will shorten the life of the membrane.
3. Water is transferred under pressure into the R/O module, allowing only clean water to pass through the small pores in the membrane. Impurities unable to pass through the membrane are left behind and flushed down the drain.
4. Treated water is then sent to a storage tank.
5. Treated water is passed through an activated carbon filter before use to further improve the water's taste and smell.

Water that contains manganese, hydrogen sulphide or iron should be pre-treated to extend the life of the membrane. In fact the reverse osmosis package (system) that I purchased has 4 other filters to take out nasty stuff before it gets to the RO membrane.

Other URLs explaining Revers Osmosis:
How does Reverse Osmosis Work? (this explanation is really great!)
Reverse Osmosis Water Treatment (From the CMHC website)
What chemicals do Reverse osmosis remove?

Coming Up:
In Part 3, I show and describe my RO system

Related Posts:
Use search on the Blog and look for Reverse Osmosis
;-)

Safe Water at the Cottage: Reverse Osmosis - Part 1 of 3

In previous posts I have outlined the various filters I have installed. At the risk of sounding like I went overboard - and I probably did -- I installed one final water filtering system under the kitchen sink.

The system is a complete system called a reverse osmosis water filter. In part 2 of this series I will describe how reverse osmosis - as well as the other components of the system -- work.

In the picture to the right you can see two facets running. The one on the left is delivering water filtered by the main filter system I have describe in previous posts. The facet on the right delivers water that is filtered through the reverse osmosis system.

The water from the reverse osmosis system has actually flowed thought 9 filters - 4 belonging to the house water filtering system and 5 more associated with the reverse osmosis system installed under the kitchen sink.

So which was cleaner water?

Well it turns out - I tested both - that the water through the main water filter system is prefect - not bad stuff at all.

So yes it appears the reverse osmosis system may have been over kill.

Still I get great reviews from visitors about how good the water tastes...

Coming Up:
In part 2 I discuss how reverse osmosis works

Related Posts:
Creating Clean Water: Adding a Sediment Filter
Creating clean water: ge household filter
We Have Water!
Creating Clean Water: UV Filters
;-)

Creating Clean Water: 3 plus 1 Filters

The basic purpose of filtering water is to take all the nasty stuff out of the water that will make you sick, and to make it platable.

Our set up employs four filters in total:  3 filters that 'filter' stuff out of the water and one which zaps the water with UV radiation killing anything that made it through the first two filters.

Filter 1:
This is a a VU-FLOW filter, which contains a reusable 100 micron filter.  This filter takes out all the big stuff (a technical term used in the water filtering industry), so that the next two filters do not get plugged up too fast.

Filter 2:
This is a 30 micron filter.  It employs a GE Household water filtration unit, with a 30 micron filter in it.  This filter takes out anything larger than about 30 microns so as not to plug up the next filter in the chain.  By the way I do not necessarily use GE brand filters as the pricing is fairly competitive amount manufacturers and they all fill each others units.

Filter 3:
Her we use a 5 micron carbon activated filter.  As you can guess it takes out stuff bigger than 5 microns.  But it also has the function of taking out nasty flavours in the water.  It uses the same GE filter body as the previous filter.

At this point the water is pretty clean!  But I have taken the added safety measure with the fourth filter.

Filter 4:
This filter doesn't filter it kills stuff in the water.  It employs a high dose of UV radiation to kill stuff in the water.  The UV source, a special light, needs to be replaced every year to ensure the high dose of radiation is maintained.  This is the most expensive part -- each new light source is about $90.

After 4 filters the water is very kill and essentially disinfected.  Tests have shown zero counts of evil bacteria.

If you wish to know more about each of the above filters check out the previous posts list below or the supplier links embedded above.

Related Posts:
creating clean water: uv filters
creating clean water: ge household filter



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Creating Clean Water: Adding a Sediment Filter

We were going through 30 micron and 5 micron filters very fast -- almost a set every month!

This was going to get expensive!

I did a little bit of research and discovered a self-cleaning filter made by a company called VU-FLOW FILTERS based out of Florida, USA.

This filter uses a unique spinning action in the filter to spin out the sediment in  the water which collects mostly on the bottom of the filter.  Cleaning the filter is easy - periodically, just turn the tap on the bottom and the sediment that collects is flushed out.

I also found it useful to remove and clean the stainless steel filter screen and wash it about every second flush.

The beauty of this system is that there are not consumables.  The sediment is filtered out but a stainless steel screen, which can be just cleaned and replaced.

I choose to use a 100 Micro filter, as the pre-filter to my 30 and 5 micron filters downstream.

Coming Up:
In the next post I will show you the complete filter set up.

Related Posts:
Creating clean water: uv filters
Creating clean water: ge household filter

;-)