Cleaning well water pipes is typically part of disinfecting the entire well water system, often done through a process called shock chlorination. Based on the provided information, this involves adding diluted bleach to the well casing and then circulating the water through the system.
Understanding Well System Disinfection
When cleaning your well water system, including the pipes that carry water into your home, the goal is often to eliminate bacteria or other contaminants. A common method involves introducing a strong disinfectant, like chlorine (from bleach), into the well and circulating it throughout the plumbing.
Step-by-Step Process (Based on Reference)
The provided information outlines specific steps for introducing a cleaning solution into your well system:
- Prepare the Bleach Solution: Dilute the bleach by about 50%. This means mixing one part bleach with one part water.
- Add Bleach to Casing: Pour the diluted bleach into the well casing, ensuring that the solution wash[es] down the inside of the casing as you pour.
- Set Up Circulation: Attach a garden hose to an outside spigot that is connected to your well water system.
- Return Water to Well: Put the end of the hose into the well casing.
- Start Circulation: Turn on the spigot to allow water to flow through the hose.
- Circulate for Duration: Let the water in the hose run for about 1/2 hour (30 minutes) into the well. This action helps to mix the chlorine solution throughout the well water and draw it into the pump and initial pipework.
By following these steps, the chlorinated water is circulated, helping to clean the inside surfaces of the pipes and the well itself. After this initial circulation, the chlorinated water is typically left in the system for several hours (often overnight) to allow the disinfectant time to work, before the system is thoroughly flushed clean.
This process focuses on introducing the cleaning agent into the source (the well) and using system pressure to push it through the pipes.
