Tag Archives: irrigation

New Water Bores

Drilling a water bore when building

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Submersible bore drilled waiting for pump
Submersible bore drilled waiting for pump

If you are building a new house and thinking of having a new submersible water bore installed then we would normally do it in two stages.

Stage 1 – Drill, case and air develop the bore hole itself. As long as access for a drilling rig is not going to be restricted. This can be done just after the slab is placed or after the house is built.

This Perth customer knew access was doing to be restricted by limestone perimeter walls he was building so we drilled the bore hole when it was just a vacant lot. The bore casing left protruding above ground so it was obvious and protected from damage.

Stage 2 – After the house is completed and power connected we will return and install the submersible pump and motor. The bore casing will be cut off below ground and everything is connected.

If we can help you with a new submersible water bore at your new home please call one of the team on 9246 0111.

Bore Repairs & Service

Fix old style well Perth

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Old style well
Old style well

We are available to help out anytime. Today is a public holiday Monday and we were able to help out when Wayne called with a question about an old well south of the river. He rang us on 9246 0111.
Wayne has an old well style bore which is one liner deep. He had removed the sprinkler to flush out a line of accumulated debris. The pump was running but he wasn’t getting any water. Unfortunately he had run the pump at a flow higher than the bore could sustain. We explained to Wayne over the phone how to prime his “orange” pump and he was set to go. That was good news as he had just sold his house and needed his bore and retic working before settlement next week. He was going to get back to us if there were any further issues with his well.
If we can help with an old style well phone one of our team on 9246 0111.

Bores & Pumps, Members ADIA & IAA

New submersible motor and pump Doubleview

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Customer's submersible pump and 3 phase motor
Customer’s submersible pump and 3 phase motor

A Doubleview customer sent us this picture of his submersible pump and 3 phase motor. He and his electrician had pulled it out of his very old 32 metre submersible bore hole. They had disassembled it and electrically tested the motor.

The motor needed replacing. We attended and replaced the motor and while we were at it a new submersible pump. We replaced all down hole electrical cable which we heat shrunk to the new motor lead. We also replaced his old frayed stainless steel draw-wire but reused the existing 40 mm poly rising mainline that delivers the water. The poly pipe was all good even after several decades of service. At the same time we dosed the bore with 20 litres of chlorine to help kill the iron oxide bacteria that was evident.

Finished off with a new bore box at the bore head, reconnected and all set to go. Most Doubleview water bores are in the 30 to 60 metre deep range as a consequence of Doubleview’s elevation. If you have any questions call our team on 9246 0111.

Reticulation systems

Reticulation for a new home

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New house needs irrigation
New house needs irrigation

If you are building a new home try and think ahead like this Perth customer did.

The lady cleverly had a 90mm “PVC sleeve” put under the driveway before the paving was laid. Through the sleeve we can run our 25 mm reticulation pipes and solenoid cables. It is wise to put a 90mm sleeve or prelay pipes and cables to anywhere that may require access for future irrigation.

This includes not only under the driveway and pathways but also anywhere an “island ” garden may be created by paths or liquid limestone. Remember it saves trouble if pipes are also put under retaining walls. If you forget it is not the end of the world as we can nearly always tunnel under but it does save time and money.

If there is anything we can help you with call us on 9246 0111.

bore saves money, Bores & Pumps, Members ADIA & IAA, submersible bore pump

What size is my submersible bore pump?

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Most submersible bores in Perth have either a 1.1 kilowatt ( one and a half horsepower), 1.5 KW ( 2 HP ) or 2.2 KW ( 3 HP ) motor connected to a matching pump ( “wet-end” ) We can answer any questions on your submersible bore on 9246 0111

If the motor is a single phase then ordinarily it will have a start box mounted near the electrical meter box. This often has the kilowatts or horsepower marked on the front. These pictures show the common Sumoto pump start box where the kilowatt selection has been indicated in black markers. This one is 1.1 kilowatt.

Sumoto pump start box
Sumoto pump start box
Sumoto start box for 1.1 KW bore
Sumoto start box for 1.1 KW bore

For a three phase motor the only reliable way to determine the motor size is to pull up the motor and pump.

We repair modern submersible bores in all Perth suburbs.

If you need help with your submersible bore pump or electrical bore repairs in any Perth suburb give us a call on 9246 0111 or go HERE to learn more about submersible bore pumps

Bore broken, Bore Repairs & Service, Bores & Pumps, Checking bore and reticulation for summer, Electrical Problems, Members ADIA & IAA, New Water Bores, Water bore Ballajura

New water bore Ballajura

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Water bore problem Ballajura
Stuffed water bore Ballajura

It was a busy day in Ballajura today. We got called to a couple of bore electrical problems which we sorted quite quickly. We couldn’t immediately help the last call though.

The gentleman had a submersible bore that was of dubious construction. Not only was the borehole itself drawing sand, something which incidentally does not happen if the correct screens and gravel packing is used, but also the submersible pump was stuck irretrievably down the bore hole. The submersible pump had been installed down the bore without a stainless steel draw wire. The owner had erected a tripod and attempted to retrieve the pump by hauling up the poly pipe on a block and tackle. Unfortunately the poly pipe had snapped some metres down the bore hole and the poly pipe and submersible pump were now completely stuck.

Next week we will be drilling a new water bore for him. We’ll be sure to do everything to best practice standards to avoid problems like this in the future. We suspect this original bore had been a DIY or at best done by a backyard operator. Make sure if you are having a bore drilled in Ballajura or surrounds you use a licensed driller and preferably one who is a member of the ADIA.

If you would like a quote on a new water bore or need repairs to your existing bore in Ballajura give Virgin Bores a call on 92460111 or visit http://www.virginbores.com.au

Bore broken, Bore Repairs & Service, Bores & Pumps, Checking bore and reticulation for summer, Members ADIA & IAA

Why is my old Perth bore running out of water?

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Some Perth bore owners are telling us their very old water bores are running out of water or that it runs for a minute or two then it runs out.  We can help on 9246 0111.

This can be a a problem with the reticulation system or with the pump.

Slotted PVC bore casing
Slotted PVC bore casing

 

Commonly it is an issue with the yield of the bore itself and the pump is pumping water out faster than it is flowing in to the bore casing.

Many people think the bore is not deep enough. At times the water table does drop & it is a depth related issue. More often the stainless steel bore screen or slotted PVC bore casing has become blocked. Sometimes the ground around the bore has reduced the water it will “allow” to flow through it.

We would try air-developing, a process where large volumes of compressed air are pumped down the bore. We can also chemically clean and restore the bore with a combination of special cleaning compounds, surfactants and clay dispersants.

If your old Perth water bore is running out of water call us on 9246 0111 and we will talk through the problem or book a service online

Bore broken, Bores & Pumps, Members ADIA & IAA, New Water Bores, Water bore Wilson

New bore Wilson

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Today we attended a house in Wilson. Wilson is a suburb near Riverton and Shelley on the Canning River.

The couple had lived in the house for 12 years and had a shallow old well style bore with a centrifugal pump in one concrete liner. They told us that on average they had spent $400 a year on “bandaid” fixes to the old bore which appeared to be an original DYI attempt. The centrifugal  pump constantly lost prime and the water flow from the bore had been marginal. The couple have decided to bite the bullet and invest in a new trouble free submersible style water bore

Next week we will be drilling an 18 metre bore hole specifically designed for the ground conditions of Wilson. Wilson’s proximity to the river means our bore design must pay due regard to avoiding potential saline intrusion. We will install a submersible stainless steel pump that will have the same or greater flow than the existing pump so we can connect it straight into the customers existing reticulation sprinkler system with little modification. The bore will continue to be run from their existing retic controller.

The drilling sand from the new bore will be used to fill the old well.

For new water bores or bore service and repair in Wilson, Shelley or Riverton call us on 9246 0111 or visit www.virginbores.com.au for further info.

Shallow old well style bore
Shallow old well style bore

Old centrifugal pump in one liner well
Old centrifugal pump in one liner well

Fix retic controller, Members ADIA & IAA, Reticulation systems

Failed reticulation controller South Perth

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We had a call today from a customer in South Perth who reported her submersible bore was not working. She thought her Rain Master reticulation controller was OK because the screen still had a display.

Fix Retic controller
Rain Master Reticulation controller

We took out the 9 volt back up battery and the display disappeared. This simple home test showed there was either no mains power to the reticulation controller or its internal 24 volt transformer had failed. The reticulation controller needs a 24 volt output to switch the relay, that in turn starts the 240 volt single phase bore or 440 volt DOL starter in the case of a 3 phase pumps.

A bit of an investigation by our servicemen at the South Perth call out revealed that in this case the controller transformer HAD failed. We replaced the controller and there were smiles all round as the bore fired up and the sprinkler came on.

For any bore or reticulation repairs or maintenance in South Perth, Kensington, Como area and surrounds call us on 9246 0111 or book a retic service online HERE

bore saves money, Fix reticulation, Members ADIA & IAA

Fixing reticulation problem in Piara Waters

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We attended a service call to a new home in Piara Waters (a southern suburb of Perth in between Forrestfield, Harrisdale and Banjup near Jandakot Airport) to fix a reticulation problem. They called 9246 0111

They had a recently installed water bore. Unfortunately when the bore had been connected to the reticulation system it had been incorrectly balanced. The output from the submersible pump was over 90 litres per minute as the water table in Piara Waters is only about 2 metres down.

However the reticulation system was using about 20 litres per minute. We combined several stations to come on at once and now their reticulation system is using nearly 80 litres per minute. A far more comfortable flow for the submersible pump and now well within it’s designed operating range.

Piara Waters

Fixing reticulation in Piara Waters

If you have a bore, pump or reticulation problem in Piara Waters or surrounds call our team on 92460111 or if you would like a reticulation service book online HERE