DIY shallow well?

moresmoke · Jul 23, 2016

Any of you have experience with making aa shallow well yourselves? We currently have a old dug well that provides our water. No real issues with it, other than the supply is somewhat limited. Its been ok for the house, but SO likes to water her garden and leave the hose on until the pump doesn't shut off.

I'm considering developing another well on the other side of the property to feed the garden and wash vehicles/equipment with. Prefer to keep it fairly simple. The ground is all fine sand. Start digging? Sand point? What wisdom do you all have to share?

Dick2 · Jul 23, 2016

Anyone remember the ads that used to be in certain magazines years back that you could dig you own well with the equipment from various companies. Basically you drilled the well with water power if I remember right. Anyone have some info on that system?

macec3(TX) · Jul 23, 2016

Utube has some videos that may give you some ideas. There are several ways to get it done. I made a bit about 22 years ago and drilled a 25' well for a windmill.
Worked good, water was hard. Windmill just pumped it into a pond.

Janicholson · Jul 23, 2016

If the sand goes down to a source of water, it is sure possible to use water pressure to blow a hole for a new casing. But you need a lot of water to do it. We used the method on sand to blow holes 18 ft deep for steel Z section break water installation on Lake Michigan. The pump was a 12 hp 2 inch discharge. The connection was using fire hose connected to a 4' long 2" steel pipe. The holes were blown to about 25 inches in diameter, then the steel was lowered into it locking to the last piece. Continuous flow is necessary, I would think the pipe would need to be premade as long as you wanted the well to be in depth. Once blown to depth, a sand point of 100 mesh of 1.5 inch diameter was driven out the bottom against a drive coupling that stops the point from extending past tha casing. Driving a well in sand might be an easier option, Utube the process for that. Jim

Charlie M · Jul 23, 2016

How do you know water is available and shallow on the other side of your property. Would hate to do a lot digging and find the aquifer runs in a different direction.

Billy NY · Jul 23, 2016

I've set a 1000'(length) of 18' deep well points before, they do sink in easily when you have them connected to water from a pressurized 12" main.

I'd also not want to dig in that type of soil without retaining the sidewalls, fine sand is no fun to dig in. I've been in one collapse in fine sand myself. I was holding up a phone line with a rope near the cut, a huge chunk fell in with me riding it down. I held on to that rope and was hanging from the phone line as the excavator operator was spinning back around to get another bucket full. I had to dig another co-worker out who was pinned by a big chunk of it against the opposite trench wall, right up to his face. We were installing a new sewer line through sand conditions, 20' deep or so, the job was a disaster from the start, given the way it was done. They finally wised up, got a trench box, well point system to lower the water table.

LAA · Jul 23, 2016

What do you consider shallow, in my area good irrigation water is around 30' deep and drinking water 90-140 foot. A 30 foot well in sandy ground can be washed down with a joint of 2 7/8" tubing and a water hose pretty easy, get a swivel for the water hose like comes on a hose reel and weld a 2" NPT collar in the box of the tubing joint, bushing down to 1" and cross over to water hose thread, screw on swivel and hose, cut a "mule shoe" on the pin end of your tubing joint, dig a post hole 3 feet deep to start and stand the joint up in the hole. Use two pipe wrenches to turn the pipe and to lift the pipe and "spud" through hard spots and for slips when it's time to pull the pipe out of the hole.

oldtanker · Jul 23, 2016

If it's just sand and that shallow just get a sand point and drive it. Have put several in from 12 feet to 55.

Rick

Steve A W · Jul 23, 2016

When I was a kid living in the sand dunes of Northwest Indiana,
we just drove the sand point by hand. 15 to 30 feet.
My Grandpa was a dowser and could tell where to try. Then
hopefully you didn't get sulfur water!

Steve A W

Janicholson · Jul 23, 2016

That is the place it was used by me and my dad. Fine uniform golden beach sand. Jim

showcrop · Jul 24, 2016

I have been involved with three or four. It starts with delivery of 4-5 four foot concrete culvert sections. Then the backhoe digs around five feet down with a ramp down to where the well will be. Next he digs down as far as he can dependent upon the material and how stable it is. Then 2-3 pipe sections are set in for the walls of the well. Now it is time for the labor to start. Guys take turns digging at the bottom and hauling the material up in buckets. A mud sucker pump is used to keep water out for as long as it will keep up. The location is usually determined by dowsing, but depth of water in other nearby wells is taken into account as well.

John - OH · Jul 24, 2016

I think I would wash in a sand point. Quick and easy.

DIY shallow well?

moresmoke

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Dick2

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macec3(TX)

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Janicholson

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Charlie M

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Billy NY

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LAA

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oldtanker

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Steve A W

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Janicholson

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showcrop

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John - OH

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