Category: Tips and Tricks

1. Request an estimate. We do 2 different types of estimates: on site and over the phone. If you are on a lake, in a tight area, or are requesting an irrigation well quote, then the site must be looked at. When we do an over the phone estimate we must have an address, based on that address we can look up wells on the internet to find out how deep wells are in the area. By looking at the different depths of wells near your address we can estimate a depth we think we will get water. We will base our estimate on that depth and email/fax/mail it to you.

2. Apply for the Permit. You’re county’s Environmental Health Department requires a permit to be pulled before we drill the well and water samples taken after we drill the well.  If you want to do the permit and water samples yourself it will save you some money, or we can do them for you at an extra cost. Our price for pulling the permit and doing the water samples includes the cost of the permit fee and sampling bottles charged by the Environmental Health Department. It also covers our costs for fuel and our employee’s time to apply for the permit before we drill the well and take the water samples after the well is complete. Because each county charges a different fee for the permit our price varies from county to county.  If you decide to do the permit and water samples yourself, go to your county Environmental Health Department to apply for the permit. You will need to complete a form, draw a site plan of the property, and pay the permit fee. The process varies by county.  Washtenaw & Livingston County: Apply for permit and pick up water sample bottles: arsenic, bacteria, and nitrates.  Oakland County: Apply for permit. Oakland County does all water sampling for the homeowner.  Jackson & Lenawee County: Apply for permit and pick up water sample bottle: bacteria required only.  When there is a no water condition you can get a permit right away, the sanitarian must look at the site first and then he/she will issue the permit. If there is water then your permit will take 1-2 weeks for the county to complete.

3. Send Cribley a copy of the permit if you pulled it yourself.The county can fax it to us upon request.  If we applied for the permit they will automatically fax it to us.

4. Sign the estimate. If you would like to go ahead with the well sign the estimate and send it back to our office by mail, fax, or email.

5. Pay the deposit. You can pay the deposit over the phone by credit card, in person with cash or a check, or mail a check to our office. (Many people mail the signed estimate and check together to our office.)

6. Schedule the work. Once we have a signed estimate, deposit, and a copy of the permit we can schedule the work. Our      director will call you to schedule the well drilling.

7. Well Drilling & Well Hookup.  The well drilling usually takes ½ a day      to 1 day to complete depending on the well’s depth. After the drilling      portion is complete our director will call you to schedule the hook up. The      hook up will usually take ½ a day to complete.  The old well is left for use until the      new well is hooked up. When the new well is hooked up the old well is   abandoned.

8. Billing.      After the well is complete the deposit is applied and we send the bill in the mail. You have 30 days to pay the bill. It can be paid cash, check, or credit card.

9. Water Sampling.  When the well is hooked up the crew chlorinates the well. This is to clean/disinfect the well and get it ready for water sampling.  After the chlorine has sat the recommended time you must run a couple outside hoses to purge the water from the well.  Once the water is chlorine free you are good to take the water samples.  If Cribley is to take water samples they will contact you to arrange it or take samples from an outside faucet.

10. Payment, Well Log,  Warranty,  and Water Sample Results. As soon as we receive payment we will send you a well log, warranty card, and your water sample results in the mail.  We automatically send all well logs to the county for record keeping.

By Allison Clark-Dondzila

Your Water and Arsenic: Is the deadly poison in your Water Supply?

Written by Allison Clark-Dondzila

Water is essential to our everyday lives but safe water is essential to our health. The word arsenic puts fear in our eyes and for good reason. For some people it may not even cross their minds that arsenic could be in their water supply. This brings up some questions: Have you tested your water? Do you have arsenic in your private well? Is there a way to remove arsenic from water? If you have not tested your water you may want to think about doing so. Why? Because over a long period of time the health effects from arsenic can cost you your life.

Arsenic occurs naturally in rock, sand or gravel. Arsenic consumption can be a danger to your health causing illnesses including bladder, lung and skin cancer, and may cause kidney and liver cancer. Arsenic harms the central and peripheral nervous systems, as well as, heart and blood vessels, and causes serious skin problems. It also may cause birth defects and reproductive problems.Research shows that skin contact with arsenic is not a significant risk: showering, washing dishes, and laundering are fine. Only water used for cooking and drinking is a health concern.

In Washtenaw County new homes and home sales require an arsenic water sample be taken by a registered well driller or a time of sale inspector at the water supply. Arsenic results must be 10 parts per billion or less (.01 or less). We have a certified time of sale inspector on staff, as well as, registered well drillers to take an arsenic sample for you. These requirements were put into effect to protect the public from the health risks of arsenic but what about the homes already established that aren’t new builds and homes that haven’t been sold? These wells should be tested for arsenic too.

If you find arsenic in your water supply there are two options to remove it from your water: installation of a Whole House Arsenic Removal System or an under the sink Reverse Osmosis System. Depending on the level of arsenic you may be required to get the whole house unit but for lower levels the Reverse Osmosis will suffice. We carry both products and have staff available to install these systems.

Your health is important, test your water for arsenic. Arsenic sample bottles are available at the Washtenaw County Environmental Health Department located at 705 North Zeeb Rd. in Ann Arbor. Or from Cribley Well Drilling at 8300 Dexter-Chelsea Rd. Dexter, Mi. 48130. Arsenic tests cost $17.00.

It is officially spring and our weather here in Michigan already seems summer like.  It won’t be long before we will all have the garden hoses out watering grass, gardens, plants, washing cars, or even filling up that swimming pool.  Here at Cribley Drilling we are not just concerned about your water, but also your wallet.

Here’s a little tip on how to reduce wear and tear on your well pump and keep your cash in your pocket.  When you are watering or filling anything outside, it is best to run 2 hoses (turned on full) at the same time.  This keeps your pump running and prevents it from turning on and off repeatedly.  You see, it’s not how much a pump runs that can wear it out faster.  It’s how often it turns on and off that will reduce the life of a well pump.

So take good care of your well pump and save your money.

But when that pump finally stops working, that’s where Cribley Drilling can help.

Summer is coming and with it, hot weather and possibly a growing season without a great deal of rain. Whether you are a farmer, irrigation consultant or just a savvy homeowner that wants to save money on the high cost of city water, get a jump on summer and call us about irrigation wells today.

Successful farming starts with a dependable source of water. And groundwater is the only truly dependable means to get it. Irrigation can increase crop yield by 20-65% in a typical year depending on crop variety, not to mention how beneficial it would be in a drought. Is it time to make a sound investment which will pay big dividends for many years to come? Your children and quite possibly your grandchildren will thank you.

We can help you develop a strategy to get the water you require at a price that’s affordable. Cribley Well Drilling Co is one of the most trusted names in Michigan for quality well construction, water pump system design and installation. We have the well drilling equipment to handle wells up to 20″ in diameter, as deep as necessary, and pumps up to 100 HP.

So give us a call whether your project is big or small and we’ll work up a price quote that meets your irrigation demands and your budget. In most areas you will recover your investment in 1 – 2 years. Call 800 697-6485 today and let’s get started!

Timothy Clark

Since green seems to be the word of the century, few household technologies are greener than a geothermal heat pump.  How would you like to heat your home in the winter without burning any oil, natural gas, or propane?

Instead of burning fuel, geothermal heat pumps collect the Earth’s natural heat through a series of pipes, called a loop, installed below the surface of the ground.  A heat compressor is used to concentrate the heat or energy pulled from beneath the Earth.  That heat is then released inside your home at a higher temperature and distributed through your ductwork.

During the summer the process is reversed and excess heat is pulled from your home out through your underground loop which allows it to be absorbed by the Earth.  This process cools your home much like a refrigerator is cooled, by pulling heat out not blowing cold air in.

Additional equipment is available to help reduce the cost of heating water in the home.

While the initial cost of a geothermal heating and cooling system is more than a conventional system, they are easy to maintain and typically last 15 – 20 years.

Geothermal drilling is a separate part of the project.  The final cost will depend on if your system will utilize a deep vertical approach or if the loops are installed in a horizontal fashion.

That’s where Cribley Drilling Company can help.  Call 800 697-6485 for more information.

Unless you are a “snowbird” locking up your cottage or home, winterizing your water system, and heading south for the winter, your day to day needs for clean water on demand won’t change much in the cold weather.

So why is it we wait until warm weather to think about a 10 Point Well Check-up, Water Softener or Reverse Osmosis Check-up, or a new well and pump installation?  Perhaps it’s the same reason we wait until May to have our lawn equipment serviced.

While if we are living in and using our homes and cottages over the winter we don’t need to winterize our water system, we may want to consider winterizing our wallets.  Because new construction well drilling and irrigation well drilling are typically slow during the winter, Cribley Well Drilling and Champion Water Treatment offer specials this time of the year.

Winter is also a great time to consider Geothermal heating and cooling systems.