Finding a well driller

Now that we know where the septic system will go, we can get a well installed. As it turns out, the company that drilled my parents' well has sold out to another business. This other company only uses percussion drilling, whereas we were planning to employ a rotary driller*; and, even worse, they also offer dowsing services, which was a red flag for us. Dowsing, as far as we're concerned, is a bunch of baloney - the stuff of Looney Tunes and Smurfs cartoons (I definitely remember Wyle E. Coyote using a divining rod). So, it was time to find another driller.

My dad pretty much took the lead on this, and through some searching found Moravec Water Wells. They sounded much more promising, especially since instead of also offering dowsing services they offer geothermal systems. Although we don't need a geothermal contractor (since we are already going with Roth Green Energy), at least this shows Moravec's priorities line up better with our own. Not only that, but within a few hours of my dad first calling, they were already out to visit the site!

My dad was pleased with the meeting, so it looks like we've got a well contractor. Now we just have to wait a bit for the ground to firm up so that they can get their 34-ton (!) trucks in to start drilling. We have to hope the ground will soon freeze up, without getting too much snow (since the snow will keep the ground pretty insulated and can actually keep things muddy). Hopefully we can get drilling soon, though realistically it's not urgent.

*A note on percussion vs. rotary drilling: Percussion drilling is an old technique that basically repeatedly drops a ram to pulverize the ground and create a hole. After clearing out the sludge, the well casing is pushed and pounded into place. Percussion drilling is cheap, but results in a less efficient well due to compaction and smearing along the sides of the borehole. Also, one of the neighbors got a new well drilled using this method not too long ago, and it noisily pounded along for days. Rotary drilling is just as it sounds: a rotating bit that excavates a borehole. The process is more expensive, but it's faster and allows for analysis and engineering of the well design. Reference

Perc Tests, Take 2

Nearly 10 days ago we had our first perc tests and DOH inspection of the site. Unfortunately at that time, the standard perc tests failed. We did determine a location further away from where the house is planned that appeared suitable, but more perc tests were going to have to take place, again with a DOH representative present. This time we would not need to do the deep hole investigation, though, since that was accepted previously.

Earlier today our surveyor came back with the DOH inspector to witness perc tests at the new septic site. These tests were modified so as to be 12" deep and 18" deep holes instead of the standard 24". And the good news is, the 18" holes passed within 45 minutes! So taking these results into account, we now have a vague idea of what the septic leach field will have to be.

The Monroe County Dept. of Health website includes a helpful downloadable Sewage Disposal Design Handbook, which I have perused in an attempt to understand what kind of system we require. It turns out that there are many more options than I realized, and while the information is rather straightforward to follow, this goes outside my range of knowledge. From what I've read, and using the results of the perc tests, I believe we will be installing a modified raised bed system. We will need about 6" of sand to make up for the lack of depth of acceptable ground soil, but luckily this is on the rather low end of things as far as raised beds go. We will know more once the full official site plan is drawn up, which will take about 6 more weeks. Once the surveyor has completed his design, we can take it to a septic installer to get construction under way, during/after which we'll need more inspections. In the short term, now that we know where the septic system will go, we can get a well installed!

Updated budget:
Another Fee to Monroe County Dept. of Health: $125
Surveyor Fee: estimated to be ~ $5,000 total (standard); $1,500 down payment made.
Total spent thus far: $1,810

Our first estimates!

Up until now we have spoken with a number of companies regarding green energy solutions, but have not had a lot come of it. Some companies don't really seem that knowledgeable; some seem to have more of a "me too" kind of approach. Or, some companies don't seem very enthusiastic about working with us, and aren't necessarily receptive to design questions. One such company was one we had a great, informative, and exciting conversation with at Greentopia, but now when it comes time to move forward things don't feel so friendly anymore. What gives? Don't people want our business? Don't they think we are serious?

Well, I guess that just goes to show that those are not the right companies for us. At any rate, ten days ago we met with Roth Green Energy, a division of Leo J. Roth corporation. We actually got connected to them through my searches for a metal roof installer, during which I found Leo J. Roth Corp. These guys seemed like everything we're looking for - the gentleman I spoke to was very knowledgeable, answered all my questions, and gave me a lot of great information about the types of metal roofs I should consider for solar panels - except, unfortunately, it turns out they are a commercial installer and their insurance does not cover residential. Rats. Even so, the helpful gentleman told me about their Green Energy division, which led to our meeting 10 days ago. At this meeting we learned all about the services Roth Green Energy offers, including geothermal and solar. Much of our researched knowledge was confirmed and our questions answered. Even better, their engineer is part of the installation process, which makes us more confident in the quality of their work. And best of all, we chatted at-length about our overall house plans, which they thought were very clever, logical, and well-informed. It felt nice to finally have some of our ideas reinforced, rather than being looked at like we're crazy. They even took us on a tour of their facilities, even though it was a Saturday. (For future reference, they also have a crane for hire. That could come in handy later.) The meeting overall was incredibly encouraging and invigorating - now this is more like it!

Based on our discussions in that meeting, we asked for estimates for a geothermal radiant baseboard system, a geothermal radiant slab system, and as large and powerful a solar array could be achieved on the dimensions of our south-facing roof, aiming for ~10kw. Earlier this evening we met up at the site to go over the topography, after which we went to my parents' house to discuss the project estimates. Since we haven't signed anything official or made any deposits yet, I won't go into detail about the quotes, but I will say that we were very happy with them. Matt and I were both expecting the out-of-pocket expense for the solar to be three times as much as estimated, so that came as a very pleasant surprise. The geothermal quotes were pretty much as expected, though the part that surprised us was that the in-slab radiant actually came out slightly cheaper in comparison to baseboard. We had expected the in-slab to be more expensive, so now we have more to consider when it comes to deciding which radiant approach to take. 

We are now quite certain that we will be getting geothermal and solar, both installed by Roth Green Energy. Next up, we need to decide whether we want to go with radiant slab or baseboard heat, after which we can agree on the contracts, put down deposits, and finalize drawings and parts lists for final review. At that point I'll go into more detail about the systems we're going with and the reasoning behind them.

So, readers: Does anyone have radiant in-floor heating? The fact that it is so permanent and inaccessible makes me kind of nervous. How likely is a slab on-grade to ever crack; and if it does, what possible ramifications would there be on the in-floor radiant system and on the house structure as a whole? Also, how do we deal with doorways or floor transitions (i.e., wood to carpet, etc.) where something would need to be nailed down? I must admit that I am leaning towards the radiant slab, but it complicates things to a point where we will have to rely on others to do the job (whereas before we were planning to do much of the concrete work ourselves).

The Percs of House Building

Last week some official initial site planning took place. A surveyor and my dad dug some deep holes for perc tests. I guess the process is to dig holes, pour in water, and time out how long it takes to drain. According to Wikipedia:

The goal of percolation testing is to ensure the soil is permeable enough for septic tank effluent to percolate away from the drain field, but fine grained enough to filter out pathogenic bacteria and viruses before they travel far enough to reach a water well or surface water supply. Coarse soils – sand and gravel – can transmit wastewater away from the drain field before pathogens are destroyed. Silt and clay effectively filter out pathogens but allow very limited wastewater flow rates. Percolation tests measure the rate at which clean water disperses through a disposal trench into the soil.

Apparently the results weren't ideal, but either way we were going to need to dig some deep trenches and have a Monroe County official come out and inspect the dirt, which was scheduled for today.

Prior to today, a few stars aligned. A neighbor who runs a deer farm visited my parents a couple weeks ago because a bunch of the deer got loose, and they were wondering whether my parents had seen any. My dad agreed to keep an eye out... and meanwhile, it turns out this neighbor has a backhoe/bulldozer, and is willing to help out with digging. Fantastic coincidence!

Today, the surveyor, the inspector, the neighbor, my dad, and Matt and I all met in the field to dig trenches and analyze the dirt profile. Water was poured into the perc holes again for the inspector to observe and time.

Perc test site 3 of 3

 And then our friendly neighbor started digging!

After digging about 4 feet, the inspector hopped in.

He picked away at the walls, crumbled the dirt in his hands, and measured how deep any mineral deposits were. Apparently minerals started appearing at about 19", which indicated the presence of water. The septic leach field needs to be a certain amount above the water table (I think 2'), so we would not be able to do a conventional below-surface design. Instead, we would have to do a modified raised system, which would be more expensive. Basically we would need sand, gravel, and topsoil to make up the depth difference - assuming the perc tests would pass within 45 minutes. However, it didn't look like that was going to happen. After digging down two more feet to make sure the analysis of this ditch was exhausted, the hole was backfilled and we scoped out another spot which might be more suitable.

Soil profile in the first ditch. The orange stripe is the mineral deposits.
The soil was rather sandy, with enough clay to be able to mold a ball.

As opposed to the initial dig, which was slightly downhill and west of the proposed house site, the surveyor suggested trying to dig east of the house where the land also sloped away, albeit more gently. And so, ditch #2 was dug.

This time, mineral deposits showed up at only 8" - even worse. We gave this ditch its due diligence and still dug down the full 6 feet before backfilling, but it was clear this site was not going to work. And after checking the perc tests, it became clear that in order to use the initial site, we would need an even deeper raised bed system - which would be even more expensive.

After the initial surprise and panic subsided, brainstorming ensued. So long as we were 100' away from any neighbors or streams (no problem), we could have the leach bed farther from the planned house site. We went back to the west side, further down the hill, and dug a third hole.

This dirt was rockier, but - success! The mineral deposits were 24" down this time. While we will likely still need to do a modified raised bed system (considering the slow perc tests), to install it further down the hill would mean trucking in less sand and topsoil. So it's looking like this will be the site.

Unfortunately, we would need new holes dug for perc tests to determine the necessary depth/height of the system, which would take more time than the surveyor had for today. We will have to wait until next week to get new perc tests done, and then have the inspector come out again and basically repeat the whole process we went through today - but hopefully next time we'll actually end up with an approved site.

Once we know where the septic is going to go, we can get a well drilled and house plans drawn up while the surveyor develops the detailed site plan. Although today did not totally go as planned, we have the time to be flexible and still keep on our rough timeline. Besides, it was fun getting out to the site and digging some holes - this is getting real! The not-so-fun real part was that today we incurred our first costs.

Gratuity to neighbor for use of his backhoe/bulldozer (initially he politely refused, but we wanted him to walk away with something): $60
Fee to Monroe County Dept. of Health: $125
Surveyor Fee: TBD with contract
Total spent thus far: $185