*_ Good Grief! Here in Cape Town South Africa (Which is an arid part of the country we are limited to 100litres / day per PERSON) so you guys need to trim by having 7-minute showers etc. We are 4 at home and our yearly consumption is 40kilo litres per year and we cope VERY well but the amount of water per year you said you would need is Rediculous. Cheers! _*
Everyone is an expert on the Internet. I have worked as electrician for 23 years, own my own business and carry journeyman's licenses in three states and I still get people whose only expertise is watching old This old House episodes trying to tell me how to do it!
I never comment on anybody's videos but I had to chime in on this one. I believe you absolutely made the right choice on putting in the well. You probably increased the value of your property by more than the cost of the well. You made the right decision without a doubt!
As a mountain design build guy for last 30 out of 40 year career, I recommend a good well, that has been drilled deeper than that place where they hit good water production. The driller will tell you this but many people don't listen. We usually drilled another 100 ft. The bore hole is also storage which is a nice extra. The other key is to use a cistern of some type, the bigger the better but large concrete in the groumd or 1000 gallon plastic or whatever variation makes sense in your area and or ability to place one or more, usually in a utility are in the house. The well pump lasts longer with this setup and the use of a jet pump and pressure tank. Jet pumps are cheap and easy to replace, a pump in a 500 ft hole is expensive to pull and replace. There are down sides to having a cistern, jet pump, pressure tank..... noise, placement etc. You can also place a smaller cheaper deep well pump in a cistern with a pressure tank in the house, there is literally no noise this way. Your deep well pump can last 30 years or more if you are running it less because of the cistern, and the deep well pump is not used to charge the pressure tank. Also easier to make sure the deep well pump cannot run dry. One other thing that makes this better is to build a way to deliver water to your cistern(s) in the case that your well pump fails or can't run for some reason. It's also a way to start out if you can't afford a well right away. Sometimes people haul their own water as well as have it delivered. Did I cover all of that, lol... Just my two cents having built and lived in the hills for over 40 years.
I totally agree. This video was super tactful, clear, and a courtesy because you definitely didn't owe anyone an explanation. It speaks to the respect you have for your viewers! Cheers my dude!
I think you are spot on with this video - I am building an off grid cabin in Montana. My wife said I will go anywhere with you but when I turn on the faucet I want water and I want to be able to flush the toilet. (as you know not the easiest requests when off grid) so we drilled a well early on, for us it was worth whatever it cost and if it took a lot of the budget we were willing to live with that and make changes to the cabin design to save money. Our neighbor has a very nice rain catching system, after we drilled our well they drilled one - as you said many options out there none are right or wrong.
Yup, as a contractor, I can say that many people don't realize that a well and septic together sometimes can cost as much as building the house itself! You did the right thing. I watched all of the ads on this video to help you pay for it! When we build a house for someone, we NEVER include the well in the contract, or we could loose our shirts. The contract usually includes a well up to 150 feet deep, and they pay any additional cost.
@@juliejohnson9531 as a builder I always have to think resale. I always advise to not build with out having water first for the very reason lending/ resale. I walked with my driller today at our place by Priest Lake and he doubled his estimate from a year ago. Luckily our target is only 120’. Be Blessed
@Elias Boudinot yes if you can haul your own water. Or a combination of catchment shallow well and hauling. There are also water delivery companies. Well, with a cistern is still best over all, but you can start out with less cash outlay.
The first two things to place on a mountain lot are the septic and well, then the house. The driveway comes naturally as you have to move equipment and building materials in.
I think most of us that watch your channel like to see how things are going in YOUR dream building world. Its encouraging to see people (families) fulfilling their dreams and being creative doing it. People are different (thank God) and so will their preferences.
Your response to the rain/shallow wells was extremely mature, considerate and well thought out! I sincerely wish your family much success. Jim in Virginia
I am a 2nd generation well driller now 44 plus yrs. in the business. I have seen many trials such as yours. Universal treated you very fair and you definitely made the right informed choice. Congratulations you will reap the benefits of taking a risk.
A lot of people just don’t understand that off grid basically means off the power grid. When ever you can do something in life fist class go for it. Love watching your videos and watching you improve your property with every project.
You did the correct improvement with the well!!! A Deep well was a solid investment and will improve your property value!! Proven systems such as deep wells can’t be beat by these other systems IMO
Deep wells are great where there is good quality water in a water-bearing geologic formation. Drilled wells are not the best choice for every situation.
I have no idea about off grid, and i never built something myself. But i cant understand people telling other people they "wasted" something. In the end we all gonna die and take nothing with us. So everything we do is "wasting". The only point is "are we happy or not". And if you are happy, then its perfect! I really loved to watch those series, one can learn a lot of your explanations. Even a guy like me, who has no knowledge about those things. Thankyou!
Making the homestead eligible for mortgage.... best investment EVER! Change it from overgrown cabin in the woods to sturdy homestead and farm. Well done!
We had to go down 420 feet to find water. Have never run out like our neighbors. A good well is a life saver in so many ways. Worth the money in the long run. Good luck with your off grid project.
Our well is 330' and real hard water. 4 neighbours have shallow wells, all plagued with bacteria from runoff and in arid times they truck in water, pour it in their well and use it until it seeps away. Good choice Marty!
We had a well that had a weak supply and it is frustrating living with out a decent amount of water. I rented and excavator and dug us a new one during COVID as we could not get any contractors to come and we have zero issues with water now. The well was the way to go!
My grandparents didn’t have a well when I was a kid. They caught rainwater. They had to use water sparingly and still ran out in the dry months. After things went dry water had to be trucked in. When the county ran a public water line through they gladly tapped into it and never looked back.
Let's put this into perspective, folks. In the small town I live in, the average monthly city water bill is about $120/month, averaged over 12 months. $33k well cost will pay for itself in 25-28 years. With no usage restrictions! So, added property value, unrestricted water usage, and peace of mind: priceless.
Another variable is how much water the well can produce and how much Homestead use do you have in addition to your family use. Animals, gardens and young trees can use quite a bit of water the payback time for that well might be reduced quite a bit.
I agree with y'all, it was the right decision for you, just as it will be the right decision for my property in Alaska that I'll start developing later this summer! My buddy Jim is going to try to do rainwater collection on his part of the property. I wish him the best...
You folks are always smilling, upbeat and extremely positive. I just found you and glad i did. I've been looking at land in North Idaho for a little while now, i grew up near Moyie Springs and have been missing that area since i left 25 years ago. Excellent job on your homestead, much love and best wishes!
I’ve seen wells like this over the years . A few things to consider doing. Before giving up on it. My back ground was water conditioning mainly well water. I’ve retired since but had 33 years experience. I’ve probably tested over 50k water samples and made recommendations. First of all the well needs to be pumped off for several days non stop once you get power to it. It needs to develop it self and pull in all the silt. I’ve seen wells run like this then clear up, but when the shut off the well pump and restart it goes dirty again. Need to slow down the draw rate or gpm it’s drawing. Either by putting a ball valve on the well pump line or right on your welll hydrant. Flow it to around a gallon per minute . Let it run like that for a while see the water clears up. If it does you could then pump it into a settling tank like you have already. I’ve seen wells that pump sub micron particles , colloidal clay (milk is colloidal particles if you would run it threw a 20 micro filter it will come out looking like milk cannot filter it) the water look like milk. They do make filters it’s a Ultra Filtration . But I use this as your last resort. Pump that well off let it develop and clean out the vanes feeding it . Hopefully you get some clarity . If you would like to talk just let me know . Just hoping to give you free advice to get you better water. People don’t realize that a well driller cannot guarantee what comes out of the ground. However you local well driller knows the aquifers better then most. Also like you did contacting your neighbors helps to know what they have.
It also is dependent on where the pump is set in the well. I have seen a well that had pink water from the soft granite. Sometimes pulling the pump up 5 or 10 feet can work, or like you said pumping into a cistern through a sediment collecting filter. And then filtering again.....
I deeply appreciate your thoughtful reply to your commenters. Very informative. We went through similar thought processes regarding our property developement. We have an ample supply of water without a well but finding a lender who will accept the use of surface water, and persuading the county to issue an occupancy permit for a new home utilizing surface water is virtually impossible, even if we added a cost prohibitive filtration system. And, developing a shared well for our adjacent parcel is such a regulatory headache, I'll be drilling 2 wells. If you live somewhere where you can get away with not drilling a well, I'm all for it. But we're not in such a place. Keep the great vids comin!
I know I am late to the party here but I just wanted to say how much I enjoyed these well videos and how you showed the process and your decision making. In the end, water is THE most important aspect of your family's ability to thrive on that homestead. You thoroughly explored all the options and came up with the best solution for your circumstances and I believe you definitely added more value with the deep than you spent on it. Thank you for sharing this!
I really love how you addressed this !!! I think if you did the sums on how you would source that difference in required water per year .. you'd pay your well off pretty darn quickly. That could have been some interesting figures to include in a future video. Doing great as always guys !!
There will always be "naysayers" (especially on the internet). You guys did your homework and did the right thing. Not that those options were "bad", but, like everything, they have there place, benefits and limitations. Guiding principal - "Always think about resale..." Your place looks great. Enjoy.
Great videos. Sorry to hear there are so many haters regarding the well. Here's a POTENTIAL SOLUTION to your well issue... create a slow sand filter using 4 large tote bins and use the well to refill your main water reserves. It's not ideal as the filtration process does take time. But I'm sure you can scale it up. I've done experiments in my classroom using just a bottle, but larger scale sand filters are very very effective. The 4 bin system allows you to maintain the bin that collects the glacial flour while having less maintenance on the other bins. Slow sand filters have been used in Africa to create potable water in some of the most polluted water sources. Anyways, look into it.
I went through a similar situation. We call them "dug wells" here in the PNW and all three were dry during the deep summer months. We ended up drilling 260 ft well but the water was bad. We had to treat the water collected in a new tank. Cost was high but it worked out. Good luck to you guys. Great videos. Keep them coming.
I had a well drilled years ago and it took them three attempts. Two shallow wells that didn’t work then the deep well 420 feet . You did the best thing!
you do a good job of explaining things. you guys a true teachers best part is you did not take offence at the comments or at least you did not act like it like the other youtubers do.
Classic example of typical you tube superstars who are fairly quick to slap the keyboard keys and mash out the advice without even thinking past their nose . My farm property had a shallow well and some summers with low rainfall I was running into issues to ration or haul water to pour into it. I said no more and drilled a deep well and never looked back. Classy way of addressing this . Kudos.
This was great! Good breakdown of the comparisons between those three types of water supply for your homestead. I love having alternative water sources on my property, but it sure is nice having a standard well both for convenience, as well as resale value like you mentioned. Keep up the great work! Looking forward to seeing you guys in about an hour or so 😁
Hei you guys did the right thing! We've done the same, here in Norway, was expensive, but it totally worth it. But I would like to see a video on the filter, as your water seems to be full of minerals too! For us that was another 4 thousand dollars + the lab analysis + installation ,
Thanks for the show. I enjoy learning a lot. I like that you are learning, also. You made a valid point about the marketability of your property in the future. More people will want a place with a well. Thanks again.
Excellent breakdown... I can say, that in order for me to use my VA Home Loan, it required the Well with an EPA water test, utility Power and Septic inspection.
I'm an electrical contractor, I live on the grid, but super simple for me to go off if I ever need to. All that to say Your well was the best investment you've ever made. If you had to you could live in a lean-to and heat and cook with fire. But water is beyond the most important thing. Just saying. Love and respect you guys. Love the videos.
See? you guys are way more thoughtful and eloquent than I am. Personally I would have posted a comment on their comment that read something like " That's because you're an idiot who has NO clue what you're talking about." But you just softly explained to them they are idiots in a way that makes them happy to be one. Outstanding.
Of course there are some trolls, and then there are some people who write without thinking, but there are other people who write without watching much of the series. If you don't know the details of the Johnson family's setup and needs, you could easily mention a water source that works fine but not in this situation.
If you can afford the expense digging the well is worth the cost. Living off the grid is not free you may not have monthly utility bills but you have many other expenses. Digging a well, solar panels for electricity, saw mill for milling logs into lumber, lots of tools and many more items. Good luck you have a really nice home.
yep, we bought a few acres in the rockies, and we made the decision after camping their our first year that before we do anything structurally for a shelter/house, we need a driveway, a well, and a septic. One, down, 2 to go. We have a nice tent though for short stays. Thank God for the driveway, cuz the walk up and down to that site over the course of a weekend will wear this flatlander out. Love yer vids Man!
When we bought our acreage the real estate agent was really clear about the fact that it had no water. There was an existing well, but all it produced was black stinking water that you couldn't even use for the toilet. There was no point trying to drill another well as there was no history of good water in the area. You could spend a lot of money, but with no guarantee that you were ever going to get potable water. We had a good rainwater collecting setup that was able to supply the animals and the garden, but for everything else we had to haul it in. After three years of doing that we saved up enough cash to get hooked up to the county water system, at a cost of $20,000. It only gives us 2gpm but it was a life changer. We would easily get that money back if we went to sell the place.
Your videos alerted me to this issue. Many thanks! I want my children to be able to get top dollar for my homestead, so making sure I have a solid well is now a priority.
Getting 90 inches a year and being it’s just my wife and I, rain catchment was our best option. Also the fact that we live on a remote island with no public services getting a standard load is very difficult. It really boils down to what’s best for you area and what meets your needs.
Awesome way to explain why you went the route you did. Just like the way you explained putting in a solar system instead of just using a generator. Keep them coming!
I beleve you made the right call. when you use shalow well,rain, or surface water you have to filter out bird droping from the roof. geradea from surface water incuding shalow wells. I helped a friend with his sitern and there were 4 mice in it. yum
Again, When we had our well drilled, the plumber told us to run our water for a week. The well driller also pumped quit a bit of clean water down the well, to create a pocket down there. Running the water pump for a week cleared up our dingy water. It worked for us. We now have beautiful clean great tasting water. Its worth a try.
You Sir DID NOT WASTE ANYTHING ON YOUR WELL ! DO WHATS BEST FOR YOU! AND WHAT WHATEVER MAKES YOUR FAMILY HAPPY..... I SAY YOU DID A GOOD JOB! BUTCH ,ASHLAND, OHIO
Everyone has to do the best with what they have for their situation, you did what you had to do, and I hope you have great success with your homestead!
I was an inspector for a health department for 20 years and I still have my license active. I found quite a few wrong things in your video. First, I did inspections for real estate loans everyday for rainwater catchment systems ( Cisterns ) in Ohio and as long as they are installed per code, maintained properly and the water test is safe, they can be approved for loans, at least in Ohio. Dug wells, no not a chance since all they are is surface water. That diagram that you had for the dug well would never pass our inspections for several reasons. The main reasons it wouldn't pass is because it is not deep enough and you have the gravel going all the way almost to the surface of the ground. That is basically surface water catchment which is full of bacteria and contaminants. In our state you have to have at least 25 feet of solid casing, grouted with a solid cap extended at least a foot above the ground. Your numbers on the average water use are high but I know that came from the EPA and they tend to exaggerate everything. I had to check peoples water use all the time and never came up with those type numbers. One thing to remember though, is that people on private water systems tend to be more conservative with their water and they don't fill swimming pools with them. You could also consider installing a hauled water storage tank although it is a pain having to pay for trucked in water at 2 thousand to 3 thousand gallons at a time depending on the size of tank on the truck. I just found your site today and I was curious as to what type of household sewage system you installed. I inspected those also.
all that snow... unless they have little rain in summer, seems they could do a large catchment system but they only seem to think it could be " on top of the roof" lol.
I work at at water district 1100 ft wells said and done with a vertical turbine is about a million dollars with 1500 gals a minute . your well is a good deal metal casing and all good job
Anyone saying you wasted that money is a nut. Y'all did an awesome job. Watching you install that well pump reminded me of our ordeal. Wish I could have been there to help hold the pipe.
I like you common sense thinking and practical approach to making decisions. The drilling of the well seems very pricey but your right its a must . I had a well drilled here in maine and it cost me 3,700. We drilled 400 ft and I installed the pump myself. I only used 50ft of casing till I hit ledge .
@@noyopacific some. Currently I have a couple 100 gal tubs under the downspout of my shop building. At one point I used a 1500 gallon tank but that has been repurposed. However I designed the roof from the beginning to funnel all the water to two points of the roof for collecting. There are gutters at those two locations. There’s a one inch high roof edge called gravel guard that prevents water from flowing off the roof anywhere else. If I collect water from every roof available it will produce 1100 gallons per one inch of rain. However I’ve yet to install the prerequisite plumbing to carry the water to a storage tank. Here in the desert we get perhaps six inches of rain a year. To collect it all would require a sizable cistern. Maybe some day.
Interesting video. Here in Australia, the majority of people in rural areas collect rain water. A bore is way too expensive for many. Our annual rainfall is similar to yours and this keeps 3 tanks equaling 41,000 imperial gallons full for most of the year. In fact, I could fill them twice over. Although there are only two of us living here, that is enough water to keep us going for 3 years or more if there were a drought, but that is unlikely to happen here. We have a lot of water in stock, but it is there in case of bush fire. i have fitted the house and outbuildings with sprinklers and there are multiple fire hoses. It is a pity your regulations prevent the use of rainwater tanks.
I am a well guy and I know it seems crazy when you initially put it in, BUT when you do your math across all the years of usage ( and you sanity of bailing water or working on a sub par system!). No pun intended it is "well worth it" we hate going down so far like that and I am sure your driller was praying it would end up shallow but this is mother nature, and we are stuck with what we get. I think you made a great decision and I know you won't regret it as the years go by.
What many of these "Facebook" and "RUclips experts" on rainwater collecting do not understand about a well is that it will add value to your property. A rainwater collection system, not so much.
I love getting comments from those that have never built in a cold climate. Rainwater collection has extra issues when the gutters rip off the house from the weight of the ice. Yes you can have heat tape, but is that what a solar system is for?
@@ModernMountainLiving Not to mention how many chemicals, toxins and pollutants are mixed in your rainwater that need expensive filtration equipment and if you are in cold climates, it's hard to pump solid ice through your pipes.
@@juliejohnson9531 catchment is doable if it's set up right. It can be supplemental and or great for gardening etc. It does come down to surface you collect it from and proper collection and filtration depending on use. And yes i am ome of those scruffy old (mountain) builders who learned to be less hardheaded about different ideas.
Coming from a dry country like South Africa, I can tell you, all I see is water all around him, rain water tanks, will be enough, if he nee more roof surface for more water, just create more, we use sheets of roofing around the property with separate tanks, each roofing on poles, with a tank under the the roof, to protect from evaporation
Sure it can be enough. Humans only need about a gallon a day. But that is not how we want to live. If other do that is great for them. I hope they love it.
Just a small dam on a down the hill string of water, with a good filter and a 24v solar pump. Cheap and Simple, and it collects waaay more water all year than a roof....-
My situation is completely different, but I have a story for viewers who came here to learn about the heartache of well-drilling. My cabin is on the east slope of the Blue Ridge Mtns. of Virginia. In 1993 I had a 455' deep well bored in solid green granite. There were no fissures and no water was found. My can-do builder said to be patient. 6 months later the well filled, a test was done and the rate was 2/3 pt/minute or 125 gallons/day. I have no idea what the flow rate is now, but I have never run out of water and I've had a house full of guests taking long showers, at Thanksgiving. I'm going to try the cell phone trick to do a capacity test some day, but I'm a happy camper. Keep the videos coming, warts and all.
Well said and well explained :) If people actually watch RPR they would know that heath wants MORE rainwater collection as his system needs more capacity. Keep up the great work and Keep on keeping on.
🔥 *WATCH OUR OFF GRID CABIN BUILD FROM THE BEGINNING* ruclips.net/video/MGfugfuzFJk/видео.html
*_ Good Grief! Here in Cape Town South Africa (Which is an arid part of the country we are limited to 100litres / day per PERSON) so you guys need to trim by having 7-minute showers etc. We are 4 at home and our yearly consumption is 40kilo litres per year and we cope VERY well but the amount of water per year you said you would need is Rediculous. Cheers! _*
big mistake
U can use tarps to catch rain 🌧 10 ×20 ...the rivers are running dry because people not catch rain
..
Everyone is an expert on the Internet. I have worked as electrician for 23 years, own my own business and carry journeyman's licenses in three states and I still get people whose only expertise is watching old This old House episodes trying to tell me how to do it!
Not knocking you in any means but the irony of your first sentence and the following paragraph has me dying
I never comment on anybody's videos but I had to chime in on this one. I believe you absolutely made the right choice on putting in the well. You probably increased the value of your property by more than the cost of the well. You made the right decision without a doubt!
Thanks for taking the time to comment and for your reassurance!
As a mountain design build guy for last 30 out of 40 year career, I recommend a good well, that has been drilled deeper than that place where they hit good water production. The driller will tell you this but many people don't listen. We usually drilled another 100 ft. The bore hole is also storage which is a nice extra. The other key is to use a cistern of some type, the bigger the better but large concrete in the groumd or 1000 gallon plastic or whatever variation makes sense in your area and or ability to place one or more, usually in a utility are in the house. The well pump lasts longer with this setup and the use of a jet pump and pressure tank. Jet pumps are cheap and easy to replace, a pump in a 500 ft hole is expensive to pull and replace. There are down sides to having a cistern, jet pump, pressure tank..... noise, placement etc. You can also place a smaller cheaper deep well pump in a cistern with a pressure tank in the house, there is literally no noise this way. Your deep well pump can last 30 years or more if you are running it less because of the cistern, and the deep well pump is not used to charge the pressure tank. Also easier to make sure the deep well pump cannot run dry. One other thing that makes this better is to build a way to deliver water to your cistern(s) in the case that your well pump fails or can't run for some reason. It's also a way to start out if you can't afford a well right away. Sometimes people haul their own water as well as have it delivered. Did I cover all of that, lol... Just my two cents having built and lived in the hills for over 40 years.
Dude. I really like the way you handled this issue. No anger, no pretentious rebuttal. Class act man! “Well” done! Hahahahah
I totally agree. This video was super tactful, clear, and a courtesy because you definitely didn't owe anyone an explanation. It speaks to the respect you have for your viewers! Cheers my dude!
best thing is the actually researched it and learned who knows it might come in handy some day
I think you are spot on with this video - I am building an off grid cabin in Montana. My wife said I will go anywhere with you but when I turn on the faucet I want water and I want to be able to flush the toilet. (as you know not the easiest requests when off grid) so we drilled a well early on, for us it was worth whatever it cost and if it took a lot of the budget we were willing to live with that and make changes to the cabin design to save money. Our neighbor has a very nice rain catching system, after we drilled our well they drilled one - as you said many options out there none are right or wrong.
😂 I like your wife! She and I can be friends!
Yup, as a contractor, I can say that many people don't realize that a well and septic together sometimes can cost as much as building the house itself! You did the right thing. I watched all of the ads on this video to help you pay for it! When we build a house for someone, we NEVER include the well in the contract, or we could loose our shirts. The contract usually includes a well up to 150 feet deep, and they pay any additional cost.
Yaap, me too!
Thanks guys! Really appreciate your comment and your support! 😃
@@juliejohnson9531 as a builder I always have to think resale. I always advise to not build with out having water first for the very reason lending/ resale. I walked with my driller today at our place by Priest Lake and he doubled his estimate from a year ago. Luckily our target is only 120’. Be Blessed
@Elias Boudinot yes if you can haul your own water. Or a combination of catchment shallow well and hauling. There are also water delivery companies. Well, with a cistern is still best over all, but you can start out with less cash outlay.
The first two things to place on a mountain lot are the septic and well, then the house. The driveway comes naturally as you have to move equipment and building materials in.
It’s your property and home, you did the right thing by drilling the well. It’s your money. 👍👍
I think most of us that watch your channel like to see how things are going in YOUR dream building world. Its encouraging to see people (families) fulfilling their dreams and being creative doing it. People are different (thank God) and so will their preferences.
Right? There are so many different ways to build and live. I'm excited that we have the choice to choose ourselves.
Your response to the rain/shallow wells was extremely mature, considerate and well thought out! I sincerely wish your family much success. Jim in Virginia
Trust me you did the right thing for full-time living on the property
No thin the trees for fire prevention
Right! Sometimes I wish we were robots and could work non stop. Seems like there is so much to do!
@@juliejohnson9531 that's what people are for, and used to be, one's own grown children.
I am a 2nd generation well driller now 44 plus yrs. in the business. I have seen many trials such as yours. Universal treated you very fair and you definitely made the right informed choice. Congratulations you will reap the benefits of taking a risk.
A lot of people just don’t understand that off grid basically means off the power grid. When ever you can do something in life fist class go for it. Love watching your videos and watching you improve your property with every project.
So true!
This is a classy way of addressing the comments and concerns of your viewers. Well done!
Agreed. Great job explaining the numbers and reasons behind the decisions made.
Glad you didn't call your viewers skid-marks like another channel aha
Yes, well done.
I just saw where you replaced your well motor motor. I blew ours up. Would you be interested in selling the old one?
You did the correct improvement with the well!!! A Deep well was a solid investment and will improve your property value!! Proven systems such as deep wells can’t be beat by these other systems IMO
Thank you for commenting today!
I've had many deep wells drilled. They all had lots of Minerals. Once hit salt water, another time hit iron water were the water ran out red.
Deep wells are great where there is good quality water in a water-bearing geologic formation. Drilled wells are not the best choice for every situation.
This, I think it was the right choice if you are ever going to sell. It is an investment in the property, albeit a painful one.
Not if you only have a quart a minute
Marty, I am impressed how you keep up your positivity throughout the barrage of "you did this wrong...you did that wrong...". Keep plugging away!
I have no idea about off grid, and i never built something myself. But i cant understand people telling other people they "wasted" something. In the end we all gonna die and take nothing with us. So everything we do is "wasting". The only point is "are we happy or not". And if you are happy, then its perfect! I really loved to watch those series, one can learn a lot of your explanations. Even a guy like me, who has no knowledge about those things. Thankyou!
Drilling the well was the best option. Good for resale.
Making the homestead eligible for mortgage.... best investment EVER! Change it from overgrown cabin in the woods to sturdy homestead and farm. Well done!
😃
Well done.
We had to go down 420 feet to find water. Have never run out like our neighbors. A good well is a life saver in so many ways. Worth the money in the long run. Good luck with your off grid project.
You made the right decision without a doubt. A drilled well is soooo much better in so many ways. Thumbs up !!
Our well is 330' and real hard water. 4 neighbours have shallow wells, all plagued with bacteria from runoff and in arid times they truck in water, pour it in their well and use it until it seeps away. Good choice Marty!
LOL... you could sell water to your 4 neighbors and pay for your well.
We have a existing well. It’s a nice source for constant never ending water supply!! You guys did right!
It ends. My well gets low in low rain seasons. People have to stop thinking it's a never ending party.
We had a well that had a weak supply and it is frustrating living with out a decent amount of water. I rented and excavator and dug us a new one during COVID as we could not get any contractors to come and we have zero issues with water now. The well was the way to go!
My grandparents didn’t have a well when I was a kid. They caught rainwater. They had to use water sparingly and still ran out in the dry months. After things went dry water had to be trucked in. When the county ran a public water line through they gladly tapped into it and never looked back.
Let's put this into perspective, folks. In the small town I live in, the average monthly city water bill is about $120/month, averaged over 12 months. $33k well cost will pay for itself in 25-28 years. With no usage restrictions! So, added property value, unrestricted water usage, and peace of mind: priceless.
I like the way you explained this!
In Florida we even have restrictions on the use of well water.
Another variable is how much water the well can produce and how much Homestead use do you have in addition to your family use. Animals, gardens and young trees can use quite a bit of water the payback time for that well might be reduced quite a bit.
I agree with y'all, it was the right decision for you, just as it will be the right decision for my property in Alaska that I'll start developing later this summer! My buddy Jim is going to try to do rainwater collection on his part of the property. I wish him the best...
If i could do it over, a well would have been the first thing we did. You guys easily recouped your investment in added property value.
You folks are always smilling, upbeat and extremely positive. I just found you and glad i did. I've been looking at land in North Idaho for a little while now, i grew up near Moyie Springs and have been missing that area since i left 25 years ago. Excellent job on your homestead, much love and best wishes!
I’ve seen wells like this over the years . A few things to consider doing. Before giving up on it.
My back ground was water conditioning mainly well water. I’ve retired since but had 33 years experience. I’ve probably tested over 50k water samples and made recommendations.
First of all the well needs to be pumped off for several days non stop once you get power to it. It needs to develop it self and pull in all the silt. I’ve seen wells run like this then clear up, but when the shut off the well pump and restart it goes dirty again.
Need to slow down the draw rate or gpm it’s drawing. Either by putting a ball valve on the well pump line or right on your welll hydrant. Flow it to around a gallon per minute . Let it run like that for a while see the water clears up. If it does you could then pump it into a settling tank like you have already.
I’ve seen wells that pump sub micron particles , colloidal clay (milk is colloidal particles if you would run it threw a 20 micro filter it will come out looking like milk cannot filter it) the water look like milk.
They do make filters it’s a Ultra Filtration . But I use this as your last resort.
Pump that well off let it develop and clean out the vanes feeding it . Hopefully you get some clarity . If you would like to talk just let me know . Just hoping to give you free advice to get you better water. People don’t realize that a well driller cannot guarantee what comes out of the ground. However you local well driller knows the aquifers better then most. Also like you did contacting your neighbors helps to know what they have.
It also is dependent on where the pump is set in the well. I have seen a well that had pink water from the soft granite. Sometimes pulling the pump up 5 or 10 feet can work, or like you said pumping into a cistern through a sediment collecting filter. And then filtering again.....
Vanes: blades on a fan or windmill. Veins: vessels to return blood to the heart or cracks in subterranean rock.
I deeply appreciate your thoughtful reply to your commenters. Very informative. We went through similar thought processes regarding our property developement. We have an ample supply of water without a well but finding a lender who will accept the use of surface water, and persuading the county to issue an occupancy permit for a new home utilizing surface water is virtually impossible, even if we added a cost prohibitive filtration system. And, developing a shared well for our adjacent parcel is such a regulatory headache, I'll be drilling 2 wells. If you live somewhere where you can get away with not drilling a well, I'm all for it. But we're not in such a place. Keep the great vids comin!
That is true. There is more to it than many people realize.
I know I am late to the party here but I just wanted to say how much I enjoyed these well videos and how you showed the process and your decision making. In the end, water is THE most important aspect of your family's ability to thrive on that homestead. You thoroughly explored all the options and came up with the best solution for your circumstances and I believe you definitely added more value with the deep than you spent on it.
Thank you for sharing this!
I really love how you addressed this !!! I think if you did the sums on how you would source that difference in required water per year .. you'd pay your well off pretty darn quickly. That could have been some interesting figures to include in a future video. Doing great as always guys !!
There will always be "naysayers" (especially on the internet). You guys did your homework and did the right thing. Not that those options were "bad", but, like everything, they have there place, benefits and limitations. Guiding principal - "Always think about resale..." Your place looks great. Enjoy.
Great videos. Sorry to hear there are so many haters regarding the well. Here's a POTENTIAL SOLUTION to your well issue... create a slow sand filter using 4 large tote bins and use the well to refill your main water reserves. It's not ideal as the filtration process does take time. But I'm sure you can scale it up. I've done experiments in my classroom using just a bottle, but larger scale sand filters are very very effective. The 4 bin system allows you to maintain the bin that collects the glacial flour while having less maintenance on the other bins. Slow sand filters have been used in Africa to create potable water in some of the most polluted water sources. Anyways, look into it.
I went through a similar situation. We call them "dug wells" here in the PNW and all three were dry during the deep summer months. We ended up drilling 260 ft well but the water was bad. We had to treat the water collected in a new tank. Cost was high but it worked out. Good luck to you guys. Great videos. Keep them coming.
I had a well drilled years ago and it took them three attempts. Two shallow wells that didn’t work then the deep well 420 feet . You did the best thing!
you do a good job of explaining things. you guys a true teachers best part is you did not take offence at the comments or at least you did not act like it like the other youtubers do.
Thanks! We work really hard to make our videos both entertaining and helpful. Really appreciate your comment today! 😃
With the well, it is possible to have a large garden, a small pasture and maintain a green space around the house for fire protection.
Classic example of typical you tube superstars who are fairly quick to slap the keyboard keys and mash out the advice without even thinking past their nose . My farm property had a shallow well and some summers with low rainfall I was running into issues to ration or haul water to pour into it. I said no more and drilled a deep well and never looked back. Classy way of addressing this . Kudos.
This was great! Good breakdown of the comparisons between those three types of water supply for your homestead. I love having alternative water sources on my property, but it sure is nice having a standard well both for convenience, as well as resale value like you mentioned. Keep up the great work! Looking forward to seeing you guys in about an hour or so 😁
Hei you guys did the right thing! We've done the same, here in Norway, was expensive, but it totally worth it. But I would like to see a video on the filter, as your water seems to be full of minerals too! For us that was another 4 thousand dollars + the lab analysis + installation ,
Drilling a well is way better that any other way you did a great thing
I really appreciate your show, such a fine family working to gather for a great project.
Thanks for the show. I enjoy learning a lot. I like that you are learning, also. You made a valid point about the marketability of your property in the future. More people will want a place with a well. Thanks again.
Excellent breakdown... I can say, that in order for me to use my VA Home Loan, it required the Well with an EPA water test, utility Power and Septic inspection.
Good point!
I'm an electrical contractor, I live on the grid, but super simple for me to go off if I ever need to. All that to say Your well was the best investment you've ever made. If you had to you could live in a lean-to and heat and cook with fire. But water is beyond the most important thing. Just saying. Love and respect you guys. Love the videos.
You guys totally did the right thing. We are in central Virginia and you want a deep well.
See? you guys are way more thoughtful and eloquent than I am. Personally I would have posted a comment on their comment that read something like " That's because you're an idiot who has NO clue what you're talking about." But you just softly explained to them they are idiots in a way that makes them happy to be one. Outstanding.
Of course there are some trolls, and then there are some people who write without thinking, but there are other people who write without watching much of the series. If you don't know the details of the Johnson family's setup and needs, you could easily mention a water source that works fine but not in this situation.
If you can afford the expense digging the well is worth the cost. Living off the grid is not free you may not have monthly utility bills but you have many other expenses. Digging a well, solar panels for electricity, saw mill for milling logs into lumber, lots of tools and many more items. Good luck you have a really nice home.
This, alternative living is great, but it is hardly without cost.
You guys did the right thing. I watched both those videos. You guys didn’t waste anything.
Thanks Bob! Appreciate it!
yep, we bought a few acres in the rockies, and we made the decision after camping their our first year that before we do anything structurally for a shelter/house, we need a driveway, a well, and a septic. One, down, 2 to go. We have a nice tent though for short stays. Thank God for the driveway, cuz the walk up and down to that site over the course of a weekend will wear this flatlander out. Love yer vids Man!
When we bought our acreage the real estate agent was really clear about the fact that it had no water. There was an existing well, but all it produced was black stinking water that you couldn't even use for the toilet. There was no point trying to drill another well as there was no history of good water in the area. You could spend a lot of money, but with no guarantee that you were ever going to get potable water. We had a good rainwater collecting setup that was able to supply the animals and the garden, but for everything else we had to haul it in. After three years of doing that we saved up enough cash to get hooked up to the county water system, at a cost of $20,000. It only gives us 2gpm but it was a life changer. We would easily get that money back if we went to sell the place.
Sorry for your well problems, but if there's a family that can deal with it and make it better it's you guys. God Bless You All.
Great points on your well review, I feel you guys did the right choice, even if only for resale value.
Thanks Chuck
Shallow wells tend to dry up during periods of drought so I think you made the right decision,I've seen it before in Montana and Wyoming!
Your videos alerted me to this issue. Many thanks! I want my children to be able to get top dollar for my homestead, so making sure I have a solid well is now a priority.
Glad it was helpful information!
Getting 90 inches a year and being it’s just my wife and I, rain catchment was our best option. Also the fact that we live on a remote island with no public services getting a standard load is very difficult.
It really boils down to what’s best for you area and what meets your needs.
P.S my absolute favorite channel on RUclips.. Love you people, keep them videos coming.
Awesome way to explain why you went the route you did. Just like the way you explained putting in a solar system instead of just using a generator. Keep them coming!
Thanks Barry! So thankful for your comment. We really try to be detailed and helpful.
I beleve you made the right call. when you use shalow well,rain, or surface water you have to filter out bird droping from the roof. geradea from surface water incuding shalow wells. I helped a friend with his sitern and there were 4 mice in it. yum
Again, When we had our well drilled, the plumber told us to run our water for a week. The well driller also pumped quit a bit of clean water down the well, to create a pocket down there. Running the water pump for a week cleared up our dingy water. It worked for us. We now have beautiful clean great tasting water. Its worth a try.
Awesome!
Excellent rebuttal to those opposed, great comment about the mortgage and sharing the REAL cost is super. Best to you, very positive in this video.
Love the videos. Great work on building your homestead!
Always people telling others what's best for them. lol
You did the right thing!
You Sir DID NOT WASTE ANYTHING ON YOUR WELL !
DO WHATS BEST FOR YOU! AND WHAT WHATEVER MAKES YOUR FAMILY HAPPY.....
I SAY YOU DID A GOOD JOB!
BUTCH ,ASHLAND, OHIO
the way your yelling I am sure he heard you!
Wow you are so polite, i miss that on the internet! and you made your point perfectly.
He even dropped all his wood to eagerly run and hear out an opposing view!! LOL
Everyone has to do the best with what they have for their situation, you did what you had to do, and I hope you have great success with your homestead!
I was an inspector for a health department for 20 years and I still have my license active. I found quite a few wrong things in your video. First, I did inspections for real estate loans everyday for rainwater catchment systems ( Cisterns ) in Ohio and as long as they are installed per code, maintained properly and the water test is safe, they can be approved for loans, at least in Ohio. Dug wells, no not a chance since all they are is surface water. That diagram that you had for the dug well would never pass our inspections for several reasons. The main reasons it wouldn't pass is because it is not deep enough and you have the gravel going all the way almost to the surface of the ground. That is basically surface water catchment which is full of bacteria and contaminants. In our state you have to have at least 25 feet of solid casing, grouted with a solid cap extended at least a foot above the ground. Your numbers on the average water use are high but I know that came from the EPA and they tend to exaggerate everything. I had to check peoples water use all the time and never came up with those type numbers. One thing to remember though, is that people on private water systems tend to be more conservative with their water and they don't fill swimming pools with them. You could also consider installing a hauled water storage tank although it is a pain having to pay for trucked in water at 2 thousand to 3 thousand gallons at a time depending on the size of tank on the truck. I just found your site today and I was curious as to what type of household sewage system you installed. I inspected those also.
all that snow... unless they have little rain in summer, seems they could do a large catchment system but they only seem to think it could be " on top of the roof" lol.
There off grid just because of government people like you
A well constructed comment by a person that is legitimately educated in the subject is a rarity, and for that I thank you.
She is a woman so you know. Best just to ignore them till super is ready.😉
I work at at water district 1100 ft wells said and done with a vertical turbine is about a million dollars with 1500 gals a minute . your well is a good deal metal casing and all good job
At 1100ft I'm not surprised you didn't hit Oil 😂😂😂😂
Great way of explaining the reasoning behind your decision. Nice job!
Thanks! Appreciate your compliment!
Anyone saying you wasted that money is a nut. Y'all did an awesome job. Watching you install that well pump reminded me of our ordeal. Wish I could have been there to help hold the pipe.
You did the right thing. Those other "options " are what you do when you have zero choice.
The arm chair experts strike again!
I like you common sense thinking and practical approach to making decisions. The drilling of the well seems very pricey but your right its a must . I had a well drilled here in maine and it cost me 3,700. We drilled 400 ft and I installed the pump myself. I only used 50ft of casing till I hit ledge .
New subscriber here. Very well done. Thank you for doing this and putting it out here for the you tube world.
You can still do the rain water collection. If the well fails to live up to your needs collected water can fill in the needs.
How much experience have you had collecting rain water James?
@@noyopacific some. Currently I have a couple 100 gal tubs under the downspout of my shop building. At one point I used a 1500 gallon tank but that has been repurposed. However I designed the roof from the beginning to funnel all the water to two points of the roof for collecting. There are gutters at those two locations. There’s a one inch high roof edge called gravel guard that prevents water from flowing off the roof anywhere else. If I collect water from every roof available it will produce 1100 gallons per one inch of rain. However I’ve yet to install the prerequisite plumbing to carry the water to a storage tank. Here in the desert we get perhaps six inches of rain a year. To collect it all would require a sizable cistern. Maybe some day.
good idea to have another water source!
Don’t read the comments...
EXCELLENT REVIEW AND VIDEO AGAIN!!! THANKS!
Great explanation, peoples ideas are great and helpful but you still need the wisdom to determine what’s best for your family. Love you guys
Wow thats deep!. We average about 100-200ft here on the Kenai in Alaska. I've seen 2500ft wells in New Mexico!
U guys did the right thing doing the well
Thanks! It was a difficult decisions for sure, but we do feel very thankful!
Well expressed. Complete common sense. Well thought out. Great video
Love your buckeye rooster! I had one ,his name was Hank, he was the best roo ever!
God Bless
Interesting video. Here in Australia, the majority of people in rural areas collect rain water. A bore is way too expensive for many. Our annual rainfall is similar to yours and this keeps 3 tanks equaling 41,000 imperial gallons full for most of the year. In fact, I could fill them twice over. Although there are only two of us living here, that is enough water to keep us going for 3 years or more if there were a drought, but that is unlikely to happen here. We have a lot of water in stock, but it is there in case of bush fire. i have fitted the house and outbuildings with sprinklers and there are multiple fire hoses. It is a pity your regulations prevent the use of rainwater tanks.
Lol people get crazy in the comments. Great video explaining things brother.
I love seeming keeping it Dutch in the comments! Makes me feel like I’m part of the cool club. Seriously, thanks man.
@@MartinJohnsonOffGridLiving 🤣🤗💪💪
There are SO MANY "smart people" on youtube that really have NO IDEA what they are talking about!
I really like the editing and composing of this video :) You're certainly developing nice skills in making these vids :)
Such a nice comment! Thank you for saying so. I agree, Martin is an amazing editor! 😃
I am a well guy and I know it seems crazy when you initially put it in, BUT when you do your math across all the years of usage ( and you sanity of bailing water or working on a sub par system!). No pun intended it is "well worth it" we hate going down so far like that and I am sure your driller was praying it would end up shallow but this is mother nature, and we are stuck with what we get. I think you made a great decision and I know you won't regret it as the years go by.
The well was the right thing to do. We have a well and county water.
What many of these "Facebook" and "RUclips experts" on rainwater collecting do not understand about a well is that it will add value to your property. A rainwater collection system, not so much.
I love getting comments from those that have never built in a cold climate. Rainwater collection has extra issues when the gutters rip off the house from the weight of the ice. Yes you can have heat tape, but is that what a solar system is for?
@@ModernMountainLiving Not to mention how many chemicals, toxins and pollutants are mixed in your rainwater that need expensive filtration equipment and if you are in cold climates, it's hard to pump solid ice through your pipes.
😂 It is helpful to hear other people's opinions and experiences though!
@@ModernMountainLiving Exactly!
@@juliejohnson9531 catchment is doable if it's set up right. It can be supplemental and or great for gardening etc. It does come down to surface you collect it from and proper collection and filtration depending on use. And yes i am ome of those scruffy old (mountain) builders who learned to be less hardheaded about different ideas.
Amen, you did the right thing. Love your vids. Thanks from Woodinville WA
..great job and idea diggin' your well. enjoy and stay safe..
do you state what the well is producing,and the depth of the water
Coming from a dry country like South Africa, I can tell you, all I see is water all around him, rain water tanks, will be enough, if he nee more roof surface for more water, just create more, we use sheets of roofing around the property with separate tanks, each roofing on poles, with a tank under the the roof, to protect from evaporation
Sure it can be enough. Humans only need about a gallon a day. But that is not how we want to live. If other do that is great for them. I hope they love it.
Just a small dam on a down the hill string of water, with a good filter and a 24v solar pump. Cheap and Simple, and it collects waaay more water all year than a roof....-
Excellent response an informative thank you
This guy character is so cool and humble.... bless
My situation is completely different, but I have a story for viewers who came here to learn about the heartache of well-drilling. My cabin is on the east slope of the Blue Ridge Mtns. of Virginia. In 1993 I had a 455' deep well bored in solid green granite. There were no fissures and no water was found. My can-do builder said to be patient. 6 months later the well filled, a test was done and the rate was 2/3 pt/minute or 125 gallons/day. I have no idea what the flow rate is now, but I have never run out of water and I've had a house full of guests taking long showers, at Thanksgiving. I'm going to try the cell phone trick to do a capacity test some day, but I'm a happy camper. Keep the videos coming, warts and all.
I think they meant: Take care of your own business and don't bug us.
Haha That’s what I got from it but in a nice way. Gotta love them internet trolls that know everything.
Yeah and if you make a comment they don't appreciate they will erase it to keep there channel nice and clean.
Great idea, great video!
Well said and well explained :) If people actually watch RPR they would know that heath wants MORE rainwater collection as his system needs more capacity. Keep up the great work and Keep on keeping on.