Adding Clorox to Home Wells - By: Tauqeer Hassan

If you have a well in your home and you use it for a water source, you must have to get it test regularly for any signs of coliform or iron bacteria. At times some harmful bacteria develop in water that makes the water unhygienic for health. To disinfect the well from bacteria Clorox or other chlorine bleach is suggested to clean the system.

Required Items

- Clorox
- 5 gallon plastic bucket
- Rubber gloves
- Eye protection
- Stirring Implement

Steps

1. Have enough water stored before cleaning the system for the cleaning process will take several hours (12-24 hours). You need water for drinking, cooking, washing or in washrooms as well. Stored water should be recommended to boil before use because it is taken from the infected well. You can use mineral water or other available options.

2. If you have any systems installed like softener or filtration systems, make certain that the cleaning process would not harm the systems. Check if your water treatment system has a bypass valve or not. If it has a valve you can simply close it before starting cleaning the system.

3. Before handling the bleach, it is suggested wear the gloves and safety eyes goggles to keep your skin and eyes from any contact to bleach. Follow the table provided by CDC to make the bleach solution. That table will help you to use the specific amount of Clorox according to your well size. For instance, for well with 50 feet depth and casing diameter of 10 inches, you have to mix 6 ¼ cups of Clorox in five gallons of water.

4. If well has a covering simply take it away by pulling it. If it has plug, then remove the plug with the help of wrench. Tilt the bucket containing the solution gradually towards the well and pour the entire solution into the well. Pour the solution by moving on each side of the well.

5. Take a hose long enough to dip inside the well water for few minutes. You will soon smell the bleach odor coming out of the hose.

6. The next step is to run water through all the water fixtures and faucets inside and outside of the house. Open all the hot and cold taps till you smell the bleach. Turn off all the taps, faucets or water fixtures and allow the water to remain in the pipes for about 24 hours. For best disinfection leave the water in the pipes for about 24 hours.

7. After 12 or 24 hours, flush again the system by turning on the faucets outside of the house. Keep them open till the odor of the bleach diminishes.

8. Use the well for few days and then take a sample for test again, to see if your well is completely disinfected from bacteria or not.

Precautions and Tips

- Keep you plants safe from Clorox. It is extremely harmful for plants.
- Don’t wash cloths while Clorox is active in the well. It will bleach the cloth.
- Proper ventilation is needed while working with Clorox.
- During cleaning process or before having your water tested again, you can use mineral water or boiled water.

About the Author

You might want to learn about How to do up Short Spaces in your Home, living with children and also How to do up minored Spaces in your Home

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