Installation Tips (2010P & WW670)

The Well Sounder 2010 PRO and Well Watch 600 Series work on very similar software so these tips will work on both!

Residential Wells with Sanitary Seals

Standard well caps like these are simple installations. Simply remove the vent cap and insert the probe. The probe fits perfectly in a standard 1/2 or 3/4 threaded pipe connection and gives a great tight seal.

Make sure that other openings are closed as much as possible.

Open Wells

This installation was not giving reliable readings. The problem is that the well is open at the top. To fix this installation it was necessary to close the openings around the tubes and wires. The openings can be blocked with nearly anything that prevents the air from easily moving in and out of the well. Cardboard, duct tape, or even rags stuffed into the holes can do the job.

A sounding tube could also be used in this situation. Alength of 1/2″ or 3/4″ PE tubing could be fed into the well to below the low water line and left sticking out of the top of the well slightly for the well sounder. This would provide a stable and noise resistant path for the sound pulse.

Here the Well Sounder is being used on an oil well by Tokata Oil Recovery. Since their well had an open top they used duct tape to seal it off. Remember the Well Sounder works best with a good seal around the probe.

Wells With Pitless Adapters

The Well Watch and Well Sounder meters need access into the casing through the well cap. In regions that are prone to freezing the well is often outfitted with a pitless adapter and turtle cap. These wells can still be measured with our sonic meters by drilling a hole to fit at least a 1/2″ pipe thread in the turtle cap. This will allow the tapered nozzle of the probes to sit firmly in place. If the well is outfitted with a spool type pitless adapter then a sounding tube will need to be utilized to get past the spool, otherwise the spool will create too much of a blockage to get a good reading of the water levels. The sounding tube needs to reach from the tip of the probe down to the access hole in the spool. The microphone tube of the Well Watch will also need to be extended the same distance. This will allow for accurate readings with either type of pitless adapter setup.

Sounding Tubes

Wells which do not allow reliable sonic sounding, such as those with large diameter casing (10″ or greater), exposed screens or steps in casing diameter, can be measured using a sounding tube. A 3/4″ or 1″ PE or PVC tube extending into the water from the surface provides a good conduit for the sound pulse. Keep in mind that the tube must extend into the water and be continuous to where the probe can make a tight connection at the top. A tube which ends below the sanitary seal will not work unless the setup can provide an air tight connection between the tube and the probe.

Piezometers

This photo is an example of the Well Sounder being used on a piezometer. The Well Sounder makes taking measurements on these environmental monitoring wells quick and easy.

The inner tube in this piezometer is 1″ PVC which does not seal tightly to the probe. It is necessary here to use a stepdown fitting to make a tight connection to the probe. A 1″ PVC cap with a 3/4″ hole drilled in the end makes a perfect adapter. The cap does not need to be glued to the pipe.