# Wiring multiple homes on a single water well?



## logs (Mar 21, 2011)

I have a customer that just bought a home we are working on and she has a shared well with the neighbor. The neighbor has the only power to the well now with a pressure switch. This house has no power leading to we'll pump. I have problem getting feed to the well but not sure how to wire the two together to not interfere with each other. Any feedback would be great ..thanks


----------



## 480sparky (Feb 1, 2009)

Drill another well.


----------



## overanalyze (Dec 28, 2010)

480sparky said:


> Drill another well.


Yep! Shared wells never work long term.


----------



## logs (Mar 21, 2011)

The well is owned by my customer which has been a vacant house for a few years. The well is on her property and is shared with two other neighbors so 3 total on the single well. I told her that she might have to cut her neighbors off the well but she really does not want to. Didn't know of any other option. This well has been shared for 26 years.. Surprising to me!


----------



## overanalyze (Dec 28, 2010)

logs said:


> The well is owned by my customer which has been a vacant house for a few years. The well is on her property and is shared with two other neighbors so 3 total on the single well. I told her that she might have to cut her neighbors off the well but she really does not want to. Didn't know of any other option. This well has been shared for 26 years.. Surprising to me!


Sometimes there are written agreements that cover whose responsible for repairs and upkeep. If its just a handshake agreement, then the neighbors sound s.o.l unless she can get them to split the power bill until the house is occupied again.


----------



## logs (Mar 21, 2011)

overanalyze said:


> Sometimes there are written agreements that cover whose responsible for repairs and upkeep. If its just a handshake agreement, then the neighbors sound s.o.l unless she can get them to split the power bill until the house is occupied again.


In the deed it is agreed to share and they split maintenance and utilities but in return she shares there driveway so she is trying to keep everything on an equal playing field to not upset anyone so that why she wants to keep the well being shared.


----------



## 480sparky (Feb 1, 2009)

logs said:


> The well is owned by my customer which has been a vacant house for a few years. .....


Have her offer to help pay for the neighbors new well.


----------



## rrk (Apr 22, 2012)

I have a friend who has the same situation with 3 houses, shared driveway, shared well, for over 50 years. Well is on his property but power comes from house closest. They all share repair costs, not electric cost. He maintains driveway, 3rd house freeloads.

Looked into changing deed, too much money. Why change now.


----------



## logs (Mar 21, 2011)

Yea I'm just not sure on how I would wire the pump so the houses wouldn't interfere with one another. Thanks


----------



## overanalyze (Dec 28, 2010)

logs said:


> In the deed it is agreed to share and they split maintenance and utilities but in return she shares there driveway so she is trying to keep everything on an equal playing field to not upset anyone so that why she wants to keep the well being shared.


Then it sounds to me by having her power off, she is not holding up her end. The simplest solution sounds like having the power turned back on and continuing to split the cost with the neighbors.


----------



## overanalyze (Dec 28, 2010)

overanalyze said:


> Then it sounds to me by having her power off, she is not holding up her end. The simplest solution sounds like having the power turned back on and continuing to split the cost with the neighbors.


How about this. Run a small service line to the well from the transformer. Construct a small shed like structure over the well where the pressure switch and tank would be. Power the well and in the winter a small heater off the new meter. All three people split the bill.


----------



## 480sparky (Feb 1, 2009)

overanalyze said:


> How about this. Run a small service line to the well from the transformer. Construct a small shed like structure over the well where the pressure switch and tank would be. Power the well and in the winter a small heater off the new meter. All three people split the bill.


Who's name is gonna be on the bill?


----------



## overanalyze (Dec 28, 2010)

480sparky said:


> Who's name is gonna be on the bill?


Good question...start a small neighborhood association. Make all three join as members. Choose the address of the head of the association. Bill gets sent there and then they collect from the others. If the bill goes unpaid then the power company can shut off power. So much for an easy solution...lol!


----------



## Tinstaafl (Jan 6, 2008)

logs said:


> Yea I'm just not sure on how I would wire the pump so the houses wouldn't interfere with one another. Thanks


Are you saying it's a shared pump as well as a shared hole in the ground? If so, a single power source (which is already there) is the only practical thing.

If you have three different pumps, you need to be looking for plumbing help instead.


----------



## 480sparky (Feb 1, 2009)

overanalyze said:


> Good question...start a small neighborhood association. Make all three join as members. Choose the address of the head of the association. Bill gets sent there and then they collect from the others. If the bill goes unpaid then the power company can shut off power. So much for an easy solution...lol!



So.......... I and one of my neighbors will have no water if the third bozo doesn't pony up.

Having arrangements like this actually hurts a home's value when it comes time to sell. The best solution is everyone has their own well, fed by their own power.

If I'm gonna share the responsibility with someone, it's all gonna be in MY name, and I will have the ability to cut 'em off if they don't pay. Been there, done that. HA I once belonged to stated that every property owner help pay for maintenance of the private road. One HO never paid. So.......... every snowfall, all the snow got piled up in his driveway.


----------



## overanalyze (Dec 28, 2010)

480sparky said:


> So.......... I and one of my neighbors will have no water if the third bozo doesn't pony up.
> 
> Having arrangements like this actually hurts a home's value when it comes time to sell. The best solution is everyone has their own well, fed by their own power.
> 
> If I'm gonna share the responsibility with someone, it's all gonna be in MY name, and I will have the ability to cut 'em off if they don't pay. Been there, done that. HA I once belonged to stated that every property owner help pay for maintenance of the private road. One HO never paid. So.......... every snowfall, all the snow got piled up in his driveway.


I agree with you 100%! Just offering alternate ideas.


----------



## jlsconstruction (Apr 26, 2011)

Drop a second pump down there :laughing:


----------



## logs (Mar 21, 2011)

480sparky said:


> So.......... I and one of my neighbors will have no water if the third bozo doesn't pony up.
> 
> Having arrangements like this actually hurts a home's value when it comes time to sell. The best solution is everyone has their own well, fed by their own power.
> 
> If I'm gonna share the responsibility with someone, it's all gonna be in MY name, and I will have the ability to cut 'em off if they don't pay. Been there, done that. HA I once belonged to stated that every property owner help pay for maintenance of the private road. One HO never paid. So.......... every snowfall, all the snow got piled up in his driveway.


The bill is in her name . It's more of a grandfathered thing. The well has just one pump. One 1" line comes down to her house and 1 1/4 line runs to and branches off to her neighbors. She gets water when the other neighbors pump kicks on. She just needs a switch of her own. The only thing I worry if two homes are asking for water at the same time, how you would wire to keep that from happening.


----------



## Tinstaafl (Jan 6, 2008)

One power source to the pump, three pressure switches wired in parallel. When one or more of the switches closes, the pump runs. Wacky but workable.


----------



## TimelessQuality (Sep 23, 2007)

It's a single pressurized system, so should only need one tank and one switch.. What is the problem with it now?

If it aint broke...:whistling

I bought a house in a similar situation... It was the middle of three homes on one system. I put in my own well, but still have access to turn it back on to the shared system in case of pump failure.


Let's talk shared lagoons...:no::no::no::no:


----------



## woodchuck2 (Feb 27, 2008)

I would put in a new service with disconnect, pressure switch and pressure tank inside a small heated building. Run new lines from tank to each building with separate valves. From there split the bill, if one does not pay bill then unlock the building and close their valve. Split the whole cost of this upgrade and future maintenance with each owner, if they do not like it then it is time for them to drill their own well. As far as the HOA thing, i would stay away from that as it will open liabilities she may not want to deal with such as water testing, clorine system, back up pumps, etc.


----------



## TxElectrician (May 21, 2008)

logs said:


> I have a customer that just bought a home we are working on and she has a shared well with the neighbor. The neighbor has the only power to the well now with a pressure switch. This house has no power leading to we'll pump. I have problem getting feed to the well but not sure how to wire the two together to not interfere with each other. Any feedback would be great ..thanks





logs said:


> The well is owned by my customer which has been a vacant house for a few years. The well is on her property and is shared with two other neighbors so 3 total on the single well. I told her that she might have to cut her neighbors off the well but she really does not want to. Didn't know of any other option. This well has been shared for 26 years.. Surprising to me!





logs said:


> The bill is in her name . It's more of a grandfathered thing. The well has just one pump. One 1" line comes down to her house and 1 1/4 line runs to and branches off to her neighbors. She gets water when the other neighbors pump kicks on. She just needs a switch of her own. The only thing I worry if two homes are asking for water at the same time, how you would wire to keep that from happening.


I am having a difficult time following this thread. You say the neighbor has the only power to the well, the well is on your customer's property, and the bill is in your customers name? Is your customer paying the total electric bill for her neighbor?

From what I can tell from your postings, the cost of operation is not the concern, just making sure everyone has adequate water. Is that correct?

If that's the case, and everyone's not irrigating a garden, you can probably just tie in another pressure tank in series to provide water. I have seen several setups like this in small subdivisions and mobil home parks.

Another, but more costly solution would be to have the well fill a storage tank, and have seperate jet pumps going to each residence.


----------



## logs (Mar 21, 2011)

My customer owns property with well on it. Power service to well is in her name but other parties pay there 3rd each month. The only power service leaving the well is going to the neighbors. Customer has a 1" line to her house with no electric feed with it.. She only gets gravity feed of water or pressurized water when the neighbors pump is running.. I haven't had a chance to meet with neighbor to get the full detail but I do know they have a sistern tank on there property fed from well. So I'm guessing that they have a jet pump from that to there house. I'm needing to run electric to the well so she has control of when she gets water. If I tie into electric at the pump that is going to neighbors house also then not sure if that would work or if would hurt if both would send signal at same time for water. I have just never came across this. Thanks


----------



## TxElectrician (May 21, 2008)

logs said:


> The only power service leaving the well is going to the neighbors. Customer has a 1" line to her house with no electric feed with it..


I don't know what this means.

If you have power at the pump put the pressure tank and pressure switch there and be done.


----------



## tubtime (Jan 1, 2013)

Tinstaafl said:


> One power source to the pump, three pressure switches wired in parallel. When one or more of the switches closes, the pump runs. Wacky but workable.


this is the best solution, also add a check valve on all 3 feed lines so one nabour cant suck the othersdry in a huge load.


----------



## Red Adobe (Jul 26, 2008)

We have a com well at the lake with 1 other owner

Its on its own meter and we split the bill. 70/30 They have 2 people who live there fulltime and our cabin is basicly 1 person maybe on weekends. You have to do what works and is fair.

2nd 1 pump , 1 pressure tank, 1 pressure sw, and as some else said make each line out with a shutoof inside the wellhouse

As for costs it needs to be split evenly by each owners


----------



## tedanderson (May 19, 2010)

logs said:


> I have a customer that just bought a home we are working on and she has a shared well with the neighbor. Any feedback would be great ..thanks


I agree with what has already been said about either drilling a new well or adding a separate pump in the same hole. 

30-50 years ago when people knew their neighbors and worked together.. and back when running water was not as much of a necessity as it is now.. it was a time when people understood that living in a rural area meant that you had to make certain kinds of sacrifices. Nowadays people expect to have all of the amenities of the urban city on their 15 acre ranch in the middle of nowhere.

Having said that, a separate system is the only way that your customer is going to be happy. Even if she has cooperative neighbors, I believe that she will want the water to work every time she turns the faucet and/or not have to knock on the neighbor's door if there is a problem. Likewise, I wouldn't doubt that she wouldn't want the neighbors knocking on her door every time there is an issue and it didn't even have anything to do with her.

A situation like this works when all of the property owners are of the same family. That way Jed and Clem can yell across the yard, "Hey maw! Turn dat dang ol' water off! We need to wash these thar horses!"


----------

