Question about Well

[CrewelaDeVil]

I need some serious advice. Here is the scoop: house is 1765.....the well is 20 ft deep with 13 ft of water. Someday, a pipe was added for the sump pump in the basement. It is stone wall all the way down. What are the odds there is something in there? Is it worth it to try to bail it first? Just to see if there is another source of water coming in? FTR- I would NEVER do this alone....I have help, just wondering if it's something anyone else would avoid and why. I will take pics in the next few days.

Thanks for any advice passed my way!

 

[RedGinger]

If it's that old, there has to be something in there. It's just a matter of deciding if it's worth the danger. I'll leave this to the expert well diggers. Good luck. It sounds exciting.

 

[GuntherHess]

Just because the house is that old, dont assume the well is too. My house has at least four wells of various ages. If it hasnt been filled in not likely there is going to be much in it. People didnt throw trash in working wells. Considering there is water in it, I wouldnt touch it with a 20 foot pole.[] Go find the privey , thats where the treasure is.

 

[NorCalBottleHunter]

i would check it out, run a long hose down there and pump it out, theres probably not any bottles down there but you never know if someone threw a 5 dollor gold piece down there to wish them self something

 

[CrewelaDeVil]

Matt-
I have dug the last privy known....I still have yet to find the others if there are. There were some great shards in the last privy but nothing whole. Someone hit this property before me, well at least the dump. There are 2 questionable spots in the yard though. I cannot probe- my 3 footer doesn't do the trick and there are alot of rocks. Someone needs to come here with a 7 footer and find them lol

 

[GuntherHess]

I have the same problem, very rocky soil makes probing very difficult.

 

[RICKJJ59W]

If the house is 1765 and someone lived in it up to the time they got plumbing,there should be 4 to 5 pits in that yard un less they built one big (deep) one. If the yard is really small it changes every thing.

 

[CrewelaDeVil]

Rick- yep it's that old and someone always lived here. I "think" I located 2 pits just looking at where they are in the yard and there is some sinking. This place is 50somthing acres but the yard is probably 2. They added a porch right behind where the original kitchen was so maybe there is something under there. I don't know but it's driving me nuts. I have no confidence with my probing skills and I think it's too short anyway. The privy I dug was about 9-10 ft and cleaned out except shards. I know that was the last one used. Other than that I'm clueless . I would love to have a probe "expert" come here and check it out.

 

[RICKJJ59W]

Why don't you get your self a longer probe? We use a 5 1/2 footer.If you cant find the pits, keep probing until your arms fall off [] Then at the end when we still cant locate them,at least you tried.A lot of things could have happened over the year with the lay out of the land also.The best yards (for us) are un touched 19th century row homes.

 

[baltbottles]

What kind of shards were in the privy? Did you save any of the glass and ceramics. What was the age contex of the bottom of the privy? Also what was the privy lined with? And its shape? What was the age of the fill in the privy? As for the well they generally suck and are a waste of time.

Chris