I moved to this house a year ago, and until someone mentioned it yesterday, it hadn’t occurred to me that I had never seen a cement well cap like mine that also had a plastic tube sticking out of it:
Given how many COTHers live on farms or in rural places, I thought it would be a good group to ask about it.
Does anyone know what the plastic tube is for?
I’m afraid to open it to explore further in case I break something that wasn’t meant to be touched…
Is that just a standard Clean out on the top of it that will just screw off?
Electrical access maybe?
My well cap looks more like the pic at the top here, and that PVC into the top is for electric. So maybe for yours too?
It does have the shape of a clean-out (sorry for not posting a better look at the lid). Just not sure why there would be a clean-out on that end!
Thanks for the input so far! Really hoping someone has seen something similar before and can give me some reassurance that I won’t break my well or introduce something that shouldn’t be there if I open it.
Is there a reason you want to open it?
I’m mostly curious what it is, but I also know that things tend to seize up when not used, so if this is meant to provide access to something when necessary, I imagine it should be opened every once in a while to keep it functional?
Wells are generally a don’t touch sort of thing. I’d get in touch with your well guy before opening up anything.
This😀.
Don’t worry, there’s a reason I didn’t just open it up to solve the mystery - I have no desire to mess with my water supply!
I’m mostly very curious about what it is, and this property has demonstrated to us in various ways that the required maintenance wasn’t done on a lot of things, so I’m hesitant to just ignore something I don’t understand in case it’s something that should have been receiving regular attention before we moved in.
Was the well inspected with your purchase? Call up that guy 
If the well wasn’t inspected, just get a well guy out to inspect and walk you through all the parts. It’s super to have a relationship.
No, the water was tested before purchase, but that’s all.
A well inspection is a very worthwhile investment. It’s not costly, and it’s really useful to have a well guy assess everything. Highly recommend! Especially since you know things weren’t well maintained.
Isn’t it funny how the well guy is always the well “guy.” Like the cable guy, the HVAC guy, the roof guy, the fence guy and the hay guy. Thank goodness for the guys, one and all.
Well, old chap …
That doesn’t look like a well it looks like a spring. And it’s sealed up pretty solidly. The plastic tube looks newer and it does have clean out valve on the top. It was likely installed so that water sampling can be performed.
Either way this is an atypical setup. Call your well/water guy and a private utility locator and figure out how this works and all its supporting components (water source, production/GPM, electric, pressure tanks and main valves to house and barn.) Take notes and pictures. Much easier to do NOW than in December in the middle of the night.
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