Bill, We've been giving that new stove a good workout today, that's for sure! Now that it's had it's "break-in" small fires, we were able to let it get up to peak-efficiency heat today, and it definitely got that living room toasty! Before the snow got TOO deep I thought to wade out and dig up some of the small logs we've had stashed behind the shop from when we took down a little tree a few years ago, so once they dried off we had some bigger pieces to add to the piles of kindling chunks DH produces in his work. The dog has discovered that he loves to lie with his head toward the stove getting toasty. And I think the warmth must have been a contributing factor to the fact that the cat, whom we've been trying to coax back into the living room since we got the dog, finally was willing to come hang out there for a while today. Still falling here, some 36 hours after it started. I can't complain, though --- we made sure we were well stocked up, and didn't have to go anywhere all day except to take the dog out. No power problems. Watched curling and Christmas specials. Cooked a tasty roast. Baked cookies. And since we both work at home, we won't have to be in a hurry to dig out the car tomorrow. Lots of blessings to count. My sister, a doctor in Halifax, had her car die yesterday and had to walk across town in the blizzard to get to her shift today. Zabby

terry If you are using a large residential builder - they normally handle the utilities (at least my last builder Toll Brothers handled Gas, Water, Power and Phone). However, if you are doing a custom home -like I am now - then it is a different story. I first scheduled the power to be installed - and am paying the delta cost to run it 700' from the main road to my house underground. Then after the power goes in, I have the phone company coming in to trench the phone line. I was told that in most cases, the phone company will use the same trench as the power company (but not always) and when they do - they put ther teleco wire above the power line. In my case, the power line will be down 30 inches in conduit. The phone line will be 12 to 16 inches deep - and I doubt it will be in conduit. Custom builders are not usually responsible for ordering the utlilities - but they must be involved in coordinating the activities with the power company. I had to provide my builder contact info to the power co. so they could communicate. My builder is putting in a well and geo-thermal HVAC - so there is a lot of digging going on that must be coordinated. But you have to order the service - since the account will be in your name. Once power is in, the telco should follow the same trench path so not a lot of coodinating with my builder will be needed. The phone and power companies are not good at coordinating with each other - so I am acting as the coordinator. I found out from the power company when the job will start and finish, then I added a week to that date and set the phone schedule. I talk to the power guy once a week just to stay on top of the schedule, and if it changes I call the phone company (had to do this once already). This is one of the hidden joys of building a custom home. One could ague that my builder should handle all of this - but I decided that it was worth my time to make sure it is handled properly and things are done right. I also plan on being there at the start of the power trench digging just to make sure the back hoe drivers understand which way they need to go. I have heard horror stories about the low bidder workers that the power company outsources to in my area. Hope this helps.

I know this trick. The prior owner had a well dug because a lender wouldn't lend on a house with a spring for its water supply. The owner reluctanly hires a driller. The driller says he hit water, but only 1.5 gpm. The owner says fine, stop drilling, because all he needs is a well and he doesn't want to pay another $200 to get a usable well when he's only interested in selling. I'm housesitting a home where that was done. I'm using bottled water and only washing in the spring water. I've used springs. I've also had giardia and C. Dificile bacterial infections at the same time. No E. coli, thankfully. When I tested the spring on my property, it tested positive for coliform, meaning that there was evidence of recent surface water intrusion into the spring. The spring in the house where I'm now staying tested the same. The water pressure behind the spring may come from far away, but the water can come from only a few feet away. Even my new well once tested positive for coliform, generally an indication that the ground around the well head has become supersaturated or that the well head is not sufficiently sealed. A well can be sanitized and resealed. Not so with a spring. I've travelled extensively and have had some very serious boughts of "turista," including sleeping naked in the shower because I got tired of cleaning up after myself. This was minor compared to giardia. So my recommendation would be to spend the time, energy, and money on getting your well to function. When was the last time you had the output of the well measured? My well produced 2 gpm the day it was drilled, 4.5 the next day, and now I know it is more than 10. It appears that tiny "seams" opened up and begin draining into the well hole after a bit of time. During the drilling, they weren't enough to make the driller think that he'd hit sufficient water. He came back the next day (unusual) because I'm on saltwater and sometimes saltwater can intrude. The final check was much different than the initial check. Make sure that you really are still limited to 1.5 gpm. If there is a limiter on your well (a restriction that only permits 1.5 gpm), then you'll have to remove it to make your test. While I was connecting my system, I removed the 4.5 gpm limiter my well driller had installed. I forgot and ran the well to fill a 500 gallon cistern (that I now fill with the well instead of using the spring). I was surprised how fast it filled and then remembered that I had taken the 4.5 gpm restrictor off. So I know I can pump probably 10 gpm for 40 minutes. I put the restrictor back on because who needs that much water? What is the reserve capacity in your well casing? The pump is probably down 10 or 15 feet below the water level. This can also change over time. My driller hit water at 180 feet. When he came back the next day, the water level was at 115 feet. This gives me a large reserve above the pump even if the speed of water infiltration changes seasonally. You may have 40 gallons of water sitting above your pump. That, plus a big expansion tank, may answer all your problems. What is the size of your expension tank? This is another area where sellers often scrimp. They don't have to live with the tiny reserve tank and can save $50. What are your water needs? You may be able to pump periodically to a cistern. 1.5 gpm is over 2,000 gallons per day. You have enough water, you just need storage. Your already looking at a pump for the spring. Use that pump for house pressure from a 500 gallon buried cistern that's filled intermittently by the well pump. Why is it that you have a well that's practically dry and a nearby surface spring that can supply the water you need? Those are questions for the well driller. I'd be reluctant to use the original driller again. Mark

Ive lived in my house for 20 years and probably had a handful of times water would appear in the basement. I knew something also was wrong with a plumbing issue but couldn't afford to have someone do the work. Finally in 2007, I had my plumbing looked at and 15,000 dollars later my pipes were replaced and a new bathroom renovated. I mentioned to the plumbers about the random water in the basement where they were working and didn't see anything underground. I also had my driveway paved and made sure they slanted away from house and they put a drain to connect downstairs. Then I found my downstairs downspout was clogged and I found out I had an empty septic tank. I was running out of money so I hired a contractor do unplug the spouts and replace the pipe underground while he filled the abandoned septic. Then came the fall and the rain and after heavy rainfall the water flooded my basement. The brand new carpet that I finally could afford was soaked and it continued to run into my house for the next 5 hours. I was devastated and heartbroken. I went outside in pouring rain at midnight and dug a trench to get the water from my house. no problems in 2009 so I thought I did some good. Wrong I had my basement flood twice in 2010. the water outside the house is not higher than my base of house, the water comes up from undergroud through any little crack in cement floor. My kids and boyfriend have helped me soak the water up and been luck we were home at the time. But oh so tiring. So far I think we've saved the walls from mold. Anyway, my question is-if we dig a hole near the base of the house will the water go there instead of my basement is it something we can do ourselves? I am out of money and out of ideas and I've got to save my home. The basement is like a apartment and my two boys live down there. This house is all I have. oh my gosh sorry this is so long I guess I needed to vent. Ive talk to city officials plumbers and water guys but they are not sure where the water is coming from.