Discover source of screaming pump. Downstairs toilet had been running since the constable got home at 3:30 am. Go and check the well. Only a foot of water left, and a snake in there to boot. Go drink the coffee, come up with a game plan.
First order of business, save the snake.
If you ever need to retrieve a snake from your well, here's a handy tutorial to come up with an on the spot snake saving tool. Materials: margarine bucket; a now useless piece of trim, preferably with a nail in one end; some duct tape. Mode d'employ: Tape bucket to trim. Make sure it's long enough to reach the foot of water left in your well. Retrieve snake.
Allow exhausted snake to catch it's breath and get it's bearings. Allow curious deg to sniff, but not attack, snake.
Now the well is snakeless and we've made enough trips to the public well to get the level back up to where the pump will likely catch and prime itself. But one foot of water will not do for four people in one house doing dirty home renovations. What to do, what to do. Some quick investigative work yeilds a solution. Apparently the fire department will come and fill your well. But don't call 911. Call the fire hall. See if you can find a volunteer fire fighter on a beautiful Sunday afternoon on a long weekend.
Well, we did. And they came right away, bless their hearts.
Something like 1200 gallons later and we're back in business.
Nothing to get excited about, just another day at the homestead.
3 comments:
Man oh man sometimes wells suck. My aunt - WAY up in the boonies - has a pretty shallow well to begin with and its water level is in tandem with the local town reservoir which sits 300 yards off the back of her property. (This was my grandparents place, I spent summers there and got married up there and even in a good year you couldn't flush th toilet more than 4 times in a day and expect to do any dishes or laundry)
Anyhoo - the town decided to rebuild the dam on the reservoir last spring, took down the old one and drained the whole thing - only to find that what they thought would be a 1 month rebuild would be a 2 year rethink/redesign/reapply for state permits/reargue with the Dept for Enviro protection/rediscover endangered species....the list goes on
In the meantime my aunt has NO water. The town had to buy, plumb and fill a 500gal water tank for her and they have to go fill it every 2 days until the reservoir fills back up. They expect the construction to be done next fall and that it will only take 3 more years for the lake to fill back to its original level. Nice.
Sheesh - long post:) Toots
What fun! We have a well and although we have plenty of water, when the power goes out...no water! I don't mind so much except for not being able to flush toilets...yuk. It usually happens in the winter and I have bottled water on hand for cooking etc..but not enough for the flusheroos.
Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment. I look forward to that!
Sara: Guess my little snake in the well isn't such a big deal, huh??!
Ellen: I very much enjoy your blog, and check in often! I know what you mean about the power outtages and flushing...not looking forward to that when it happens.
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