Drilling a water well yourself is difficult, but exciting. And it is quite feasible if you study the issue, then act according to a well-designed plan, follow existing rules and pay attention to the advice of specialists.
Today, such a well is the most affordable possible method of independent water supply. And if you take into account the current cost of drinking water, the costs of drilling it yourself, developing it and equipment will pay off quite quickly - in about a year.
In such a matter as drilling water wells, there are no standard instructions. This is not an easy matter, requiring a comprehensive and necessarily individual approach. Experienced drillers know this for sure. And to help beginners, you can give a number of recommendations and advice from professionals. Then, even on the first try, you will be able to get “your” water of good quality and in the required quantity.
Table of contents:Where to drill?
How aquifers form in nature can be seen in the following diagram:
High waters, lying to a depth of 10 m, form predominantly atmospheric precipitation. Such water can be used for drinking after purification (filtration through shungite, boiling), and for technical purposes, perched water is taken directly from the well. As for the flow rate of the well under it, it is too small, and even unstable.
For drinking water, it is best to drill a well into interstratal waters on your own (they are indicated by red arrows in the diagram).
Of course, the highest quality water is artesian, but it is almost impossible to get to it on your own, even if you know for sure where to drill. And in addition, individual development and extraction of such a valuable natural resource is prohibited by law, including criminal liability.
The depth of free-flow water is 5-20 m from the surface of the earth. And such water can already be drunk, however, after the well has been pumped up and the quality of the produced liquid has been properly checked by the regulatory authorities.
note! The design of any well into a free-flow formation is quite complex, since it requires filtering out sand during production. The lack of pressure also adds complexity - in connection with this, a number of requirements arise for the pump and the water supply system as a whole.
Pressure strata are lower than unconfined strata. The depth range of their occurrence in the ground is from 7 to 50 m. Such layers are dense rocks: fractured, water-resistant (loam, limestone) or gravel-pebble deposits. The highest quality water can be obtained from limestone. And wells (they are also called “limestone wells”) drilled into this rock last quite a long time. Their flow rate, like that of many other pressure wells, is up to 5 cubic meters of water per day. These structures are also distinguished by high levels of stability. Water is lifted almost to the surface of the earth by its own pressure, so any pressure wells, as well as the corresponding water supply systems, are much easier to equip.
Important circumstances
When planning to drill a water well, you should remember:
- In places where water is withdrawn en masse and uncontrollably from unconfined strata, soil suffusion becomes possible, which, in turn, leads to unpredictably sudden ground failures.
- On the Russian plain, the critical depth for self-drilling is 20 m, and if you need it deeper, you should order a well from professionals, since the cost of a self-drill is no longer justified.
- The service life of a self-made well depends on the regularity of water intake from it. So, if a well is made “for sand”, and water is taken from it regularly and little by little, it will last up to 15 years, “for limestone” under the same conditions - up to 50 years. When a well is used occasionally, and even periodically pumped to the bottom, the service life of the structure is reduced to 3-7 operational years. But repairing a well or restarting it is so expensive that it is easier and cheaper to drill a new one. Therefore, if you encounter free-flowing water at a depth of 12-15 m, you should not stop drilling. It is better to move on and reach the limestone.
If there are difficulties with funds, time and effort, it is more correct to start with exploratory drilling using a needle well. Such a well will also cope with the role of a temporary source of water supply until auxiliary production resources are found and used.
Well or well?
Work on the design of a well is more difficult and dangerous than the production of a water well. But the well is repairable .
You can draw as much water from a well as the “earth will give”, while the well itself “pulls” water from the earth layers. That is why the service life of wells is limited, and they can change the geology of a particular area for the worse. And a well-designed well is not only exploited for decades, but also for centuries and even millennia, if it is carved into rocky ground. And these structures have absolutely no negative impact on the environment.
It is considered a competent approach to organizing water supply to dig a private water well “with an eye toward” a collective artesian water supply system, which is durable and safe. If there are no such plans, they dig a well. And a major water supply system is being built. The used well is concreted, and the land around it is returned to economic use.
Types of wells
A water well is a long and narrow shaft in the rock. It is into this that the drill or drilling apparatus is lowered on a long rigid rod assembled from pipes or on a cable. A casing is placed in the shaft, which protects its walls from destruction and maintains the pressure of the surrounding rock. Such casing either sits tightly in the trunk, or is formed with an annular space filled with backfill, clay (the so-called “clay castle”) or poured concrete mortar.
As for the lower end of the trunk, it can be plugged, open, or with a stepped narrowing - a bottom. An intake device is made in the face or simply from below.
The upper part of the casing is the head of the well. A set of devices called “well development” is placed in it or around it.
Wells can come in a variety of designs, but the ones most suitable for DIY projects are:
Drilling methods and drilling tools
The following methods are suitable for self-drilling wells:
All of the above methods are so-called “dry drilling” methods. If we talk about hydraulic drilling, you have to work in a layer of water or drilling fluid, which makes the rock more pliable. Hydrodrilling is considered an unecological and costly method, so amateurs use it extremely rarely. In addition, it requires special professional equipment, whereas with any of the dry methods you can get by with:
The cutting edges of all of the above drills are made of hardened steel. You can see the diagrams for making homemade drilling rigs for water wells in the figure:
Diameters vary depending on the caliber of a particular well.
Rocking up a homemade well
A drilled well is not everything. It will not provide water of the required quality in the required quantity. To do this, it is necessary to open the aquifer or “pump” the well. If you open the formation (directly or inversely - it doesn’t matter), water can be obtained within 24 hours, but complex, expensive equipment will be required. And pumping up the well will last several days, but for it it is enough to have the most ordinary household submersible pump (only a centrifugal one, because a vibration pump will not work).
To pump a drilled well, the silt is first removed from it with a bailer, and then water begins to be pumped - completely, as soon as a volume has accumulated to cover the pump involved.
You can do the rocking with the help of a manoeuvre, but then you will have to scoop up water for a long time - 2 weeks, no less.
Important: The pumping of the well can be considered complete when the transparency of the water reaches 70 cm. You can check this in an opaque vessel (for example, in a clean barrel), using a white enamel or earthenware disk, the diameter of which is approximately 15 cm (take, say, a saucer or pan cover). You should look at the submerged disk strictly vertically, and as soon as the liquid begins to spread along its edges, blurring the contours - this is already opacity, you need to stop. As soon as transparency is achieved, you need to take a water sample and submit it to a laboratory for analysis. If the regulatory authority confirms the quality of production, the annulus of the well is concreted or sealed with clay, and then a filter is installed.
Filters
The quality of water from any well is largely determined by the presence of a special well filter. And this part is more susceptible to wear than others included in the well structure. This means that your choice should be approached responsibly.
For wells “for limestone”, for example, a simple mesh filter will be sufficient - that is, perforation on the lower casing bend. It can also become the basis of a well filter “for sand” (in combination with gravel backfill). In this case, the requirements for perforation are as follows:
- hole diameter from 15 to 30 mm, depending on the soil;
- duty ratio (the ratio of the total area of the holes to the area they occupy) 0.25-0.30;
- the arrangement of the holes is transverse, in a checkerboard pattern;
- the area (total) of the holes must be no less than the cross-sectional area of the casing pipe (its lumen).
When a pump is placed in a well equipped with an internal filter, the bottom of this well is considered to be its (filter) upper edge. Because of this, the single volume of water intake is significantly reduced. In addition, the filter heavily silts up the well structure, because water seeps into the gap between it and the casing pipe. Both the service life of the filter itself and the pump are reduced, since sand inevitably gets into the latter. Therefore, the pump is often placed in a separate pipe, which is attached to the filter outlet. But for this you need to make a hole with a larger diameter.
If drillers have an expensive and structurally complex centrifugal pump at their disposal, everything is simple - it is connected to the outlet pipe of the filter, and as a result, both silting and sanding stops. But when there is no such equipment, you have to come up with something.
note! Many craftsmen make filter parts themselves using PVC pipes, polymer mesh and springs made of stainless materials. But such designs rarely last long, and they don’t filter water very well.
It’s better to spend money, but choose and buy a truly reliable, well-functioning filter. Moreover, there is plenty to choose from:
Do-it-yourself well construction
In order for water from a well to be supplied to the house, this well must be equipped and coordinated with the water supply system. For this:
- install a steel or concrete caisson;
- equip a stone pit;
- or install a downhole adapter.
The latter is the most modern method of well equipment. And install it like this:
- When the water flows, they decide how much deeper it can go based on the speed of its clearing. And then the last casing pipe is cut to size from above.
- They dig a trench towards the house so that it is deeper than the standard indicators for soil freezing.
- A hole for the adapter is cut out in advance in the pipe and it (the adapter) is installed, plugging the pipes.
- The pipe is placed and drilled, with the outlet of the adapter oriented into the trench just below the freezing mark of the soil.
- They rock the well, install a filter and lower the pumping equipment.
No country house can exist without normal water supply. Carry water with you when visiting a dacha in weekend days? This option is not even considered, since it is unlikely to be enough even for household needs. Constantly annoying your neighbors with requests to replenish their water supply? This is only possible for the time being - there is a limit to every human patience... A source of water will be all the more necessary if long-term or even permanent residence is planned in a country house, and there is a desire to grow some flowers or crops on the adjacent plot. The solutions are to connect to the centralized water supply system (in most cases this is simply impossible or is associated with too large financial costs), or to equip a source of autonomous water supply on your territory.
Video: surface well development
All these issues will definitely be discussed in a separate publication on our construction portal.
Drilling a water well is a rather labor-intensive process that requires certain knowledge and skills. The article provides information that will not make you a professional driller, but will fill some knowledge gaps and help you drill a well yourself.
If you are going to drill a well yourself, without using special drilling equipment, then you will have access to a maximum drilling depth of about 40 meters. It will be quite difficult to drill a well deeper. Therefore, you have the choice of drilling a regular deep well or an Abyssinian one. It is impossible to drill an artesian well manually, since such wells are approximately 100 m deep or more.
Manual drilling methods.
Hydro drilling.
To drill using this method, you will need drill rods with a cutter, a water supply hose and a water pump.
The essence of the method is that drilling occurs using a drill with a cutter and a stream of water. To drill, just twist the rod in different directions, first in one direction and then in the other direction. Full rotation of the drill is not required. As the rod rotates, the drill cutter loosens the rock, and the water that comes out of the rod in the drilling zone lifts the eroded rock up out of the well.
The upper part of the drill string with removable handles and an attached hose through which water is supplied to the drill shaft.
The disadvantage of this type of drilling is that it cannot be used to penetrate clastic rocks such as pebbles or simply rocks rich in stones. During the drilling process, soft rock is washed away, and stones remain at the bottom of the well, where they accumulate and interfere with drilling.
The advantage is that there is no need to remove the drill from the wellbore to remove loose rock.
Drill rods are made 1.5-2 m long from a water pipe with a nominal bore of 25 mm and an outer diameter of 32 mm. The rods are connected using threaded couplings. The rods have regular pipe threads cut on both sides. The coupling is partially screwed onto the rod on one side and scalded.
The drill bit must be made of durable and thick metal. An old leaf spring from a truck will work best. These springs are made of 75G steel and they are hardened, which gives the metal special abrasion resistance.
The cutter, as a rule, is made with three blades or two blades. It is necessary to make notches on the edges of the cutter. These notches perform the function of a rock crusher and with them the drill rotates more easily.
For hydrodrilling, you need to organize two pits for water: one of them is larger (it should be located close to the drilling site) and the second is smaller. The pits will serve as water reservoirs. In the first pit, the washed rock will settle and settle to the bottom, and from the second pit, water should be taken by a pump and supplied inside the drill rod. This way the water will flow in a vicious circle. The first pit must be periodically cleared of washed-out rock and, at the same time, this rock must be inspected in order to search for coarse-grained aquifer sand.
To reduce the amount of water that goes into the soil of the pits, their bottom can be covered with polyethylene.
Video: making a water well using hydrodrilling.
Auger drilling.
To drill a well with an auger, special auger rods are required.
This type of drilling has both its advantages and disadvantages. Augers allow you to drill into rocks saturated with stones, but in order to lift loosened soil to the surface of the earth, you need to periodically remove the entire drill string from the wellbore. And the deeper the well, the harder it is to remove the drill string. Therefore, when drilling deep wells, it is necessary to manufacture a lifting mechanism.
For manual auger drilling, it is enough to make the first rod with the auger. It makes no sense to make the remaining rods with augers. You can make a rod with an auger yourself or use some other auger, for example, from an old fishing drill.
Video: drilling a well with an auger.
Drilling using the percussion-rope method .
The operating principle of such drilling is that a round metal pipe is lowered into the wellbore under its own weight. Hitting the bottom of the well, it breaks the soil, stones and is filled with broken rock. Afterwards, the pipe is removed from the well and cleared of soil. This process is repeated many times.
The effectiveness of this drilling method directly depends on the height from which the drilling tool falls and its weight. Therefore, this projectile should be weighted. You can make it long and fill one part with concrete or lead, and leave the other part to receive soil.
The big advantage of this drilling method is that it allows you to penetrate rocks with stones. But there is also a drawback. If you do not use a winch to lift the projectile, you will have to expend great physical effort.
Homemade drilling rig for percussion-rope drilling.
For manual well drilling, two main types of tools are used:
- Drive glass- This is a pipe with pointed edges and longitudinal slots for removing soil.
The pointed working edge should be slightly larger in diameter than the diameter of the pipe. To do this, the edge of the pipe is flared with a hammer.
This is necessary so that when using this tool, a hole is formed in the ground slightly larger than the diameter of the glass. This removes friction between the nozzle and the wellbore.
Basically, a glass is used to remove soil that may stick to its walls. Such soil can be clay and loam.
- The second tool is bailer.
This tool is also made of a metal pipe and its working edge must be sharpened and flared. The difference from the glass is that the bailer does not have longitudinal holes for excavating soil, but there is a valve inside near the working edge. This design is due to the fact that the bailer is designed to remove extremely loose or waterlogged rock. For example, a mixture of clay and water is lifted very well by a bailer.
Video: homemade glass and bailer for drilling.
Hammering the Abyssinian well with a needle.
The essence of the method is that a pipe with a diameter of 57 mm with a sharp end, which is also called a needle, is driven into the ground. Often a tip made from old scrap is welded onto the tip of the pipe. The needle consists of several pipes along the length, which are extended during the driving process using conventional welding.
During driving, the pipe pushes the soil apart with its tip and enters it. This method of drilling a well is suitable only for shallow wells, for example, for the Abyssinian.
Slots are cut in the pipe in a checkerboard pattern using an angle grinder (grinder) in a thin circle at a distance of about half a meter from the tip. The number and size of the cracks will affect the ability of water to penetrate inside the pipe, so there should not be too few of them. The cutting wheel should be as thin as possible. These slits will act as a coarse filter. The length of such a filter must be at least two meters on the pipe. The slot filter should be located 50 cm from the pipe tip. Thus, this distance will act as a sump.
To make it easier to plug the pipe, you can first walk a couple of meters with an ordinary garden drill, and only then proceed to plugging.
The driving process can be mechanized by using a hammer drill or jackhammer for this purpose.
To reduce friction between the pipe and the ground and make work easier, a small thickening is made in a circle immediately after the tip. The easiest way to make such a thickening is to weld around the pipe. If the pipe reaches stones that cannot be penetrated, you can always remove it and try to hammer the needle in another place.
This method of drilling a well has two significant disadvantages.
- The problem with driven wells is that the water carrier is searched for blindly, since there is no soil to be removed from the well. Therefore, to determine the aquifer, you need to pour water into the pipe after every meter of blockage and watch its absorption by the earth. As soon as good absorption has begun, the aquifer has been reached. One point is worth paying attention to here. Sometimes, when clogged, the holes in the pipe become clogged with clay and therefore it is worth paying attention to every, even small, absorption of water by the well. If there is absorption, then you need to first backflush and then pump the well.
If, after pumping the well, the volume of water that it can produce remains small, then the pipe should be driven deeper.
- After reaching the aquifer, it may turn out that the water surface will be established at a depth below 7-8 m. In this case, the surface pump simply will not be able to lift water from the well to the surface.
If the well has been pumped, then a HDPE pipe with a diameter of 32-25 mm with a filter is lowered into the well and a pump is connected to it.
The filter is wrapped in stainless steel mesh.
If during the drilling process the so-called slurry is removed - it can be sand mixed with water and clay and the well is not deepened, then it means they have drilled to quicksand. Quicksand constantly fills the drill shaft and prevents it from being deepened.
To pass the quicksand, you can try the following options:
- Wash the quicksand with bentonite or glue.
- Drill the well to a larger diameter to the quicksand and drive the conductor. This is a metal pipe that is one or two sizes larger than the casing pipe. It is important that the conductor completely covers the quicksand and enters its end into solid ground. If this is not done, the conductor may turn into quicksand, since he is in constant motion. After this, you can continue drilling through the conductor using a bailer or hydraulic drilling.
Why is it necessary to flush a well?
Washing a well is washing it with a special adhesive solution, which glues and strengthens the walls of the well and prevents them from crumbling and collapsing.
The solution is prepared using water and bentonite, which can be purchased at a hardware store.
Bentonite is a natural, non-toxic material that swells in water and forms a dense gel. In confined spaces, this gel does not allow water to pass through.
Approximately 25 kg of bentonite per ton of water is diluted. After this, the resulting solution should sit for at least 2 hours, and preferably 12 hours. During this time, the bentonite will swell and the solution will resemble jelly.
As a replacement for bentonite, you can use ordinary CMC wallpaper glue. It costs an order of magnitude cheaper. Dilute it with approximately 20 liters of water per 4 plastic cups of glue. If during the work the glue begins to curl up and turn into a paste, then ordinary soda can be added to the solution. This will prevent the glue from curling.
You can also mix water with fatty clay and create a jelly solution. This solution also works well.
Cases when well cleaning is necessary:
- If a well is drilled in sand, then it must be washed along its entire length. If the hydrodrilling method is used, then the drilling fluid should be prepared from the very beginning of drilling. If the auger drilling method is used, then the well must be flushed after changing each rod.
- If a well was drilled in clay and reached a sandy aquifer, then the well must be flushed before removing the drill and installing the casing. While drilling is taking place in clay, it is not necessary to fill in the well.
- If you need to pass quicksand.
- If it is necessary to pass through an unnecessary water carrier, for example, a perch. In this case, this aquifer must be sealed and prevent the drilling fluid from escaping into this aquifer. The density of the drilling fluid should depend on the rate of outflow of the solution into the aquifer. The stronger the outflow, the thicker the solution should be and, therefore, the longer it will take to flush the wellbore.
How to understand that an aquifer has been found.
There may be more than one aquifer. Therefore, if water is needed for technical needs or for irrigation, then you can stop at the first layer. Such a layer can be at a depth of 4 meters. Water taken from this layer is usually not pure, but there may be exceptions. This water is called perched water.
Verkhodka is underground water that accumulates above temporary support (frozen soil, etc.). They occur near the surface (above the groundwater horizon), are prone to sharp fluctuations, and are easily polluted. Wikipedia
If water is needed for general use, then it is better to drill deeper.
It is not difficult to understand that you have reached an aquifer.
If the hydrodrilling method is used, the drilling fluid will begin to flow into the well. This will be clearly visible by the drop in water level in the technical pits. That is, the aquifer will absorb the water that is poured into it. At the rate at which the water carrier consumes water, at the same rate it releases it. In 95% of cases it will be an aquifer, in 5% of cases it will be a crack in the ground or a void. If water goes into the well very quickly, then it may be a void in the ground.
If the auger drilling method is used, then you can understand that you have reached the aquifer by the wet soil being removed and its type.
Good aquifers are found in coarse sands, limestones, sand and gravel, or gravel. Sometimes there is water in loam, but very rarely. Therefore, one of the signs of an aquifer will be coarse sand or other aquifer-bearing rocks.
The end of a sand aquifer can be determined when the drill hits something harder than sand, most likely limestone or clay. If the coarse sand runs out and another rock starts, it means the aquifer has ended.
Once the aquifer has been found, it is necessary to install a casing pipe with a filter.
Why is well backflushing done?
Backflushing is done immediately after the casing is installed. It is necessary to unseal the water-bearing channels of the well and wash sand and small stones out of it. Essentially, this is hydraulic fracturing (creating voids in the well).
Backwashing also flushes water-bearing channels that were previously sealed with bentonite or glue. Moreover, if the water carrier was sealed in loam, then it will take longer to erode than a water carrier in sand.
It is best to wash with a high-capacity motor pump (from 1000 liters per minute) with water in a volume of 2-3 m3. In order to perform backwashing, a head with a fitting is placed on the casing pipe, to which the hose from the pump is connected. Water under pressure is fed into the casing, exits the filter into the well and rises to the surface of the earth between the casing and the walls of the well.
A pressurized water supply hose is connected to the blue plastic casing.
How to pump a well.
Pump the well immediately after backflushing.
Pumping a well is a long-term pumping of water from a well in order to flush water-bearing channels, clarify the water and increase the productivity of the well. Well pumping can be continuous for 2-48 hours.
This action allows you to clean the well water from small rock particles dissolved in it. Therefore, you need to pump the well until the water becomes clear. Also, in order to increase the productivity of a well, it is practiced to pump it for a long time for a day or more.
All small particles that pass through the filter are pumped out of the well, while the rest accumulate at its bottom. Therefore, it is better to use an inexpensive pump to pump the well, as it can easily clog. If the well was drilled in the warm season, then you can understand what kind of water flows from the well by its temperature. The water from the well will be noticeably colder than the water that was previously backwashed.
Well filling.
Filling the space between the casing pipe and the walls of the well is carried out in order to protect the well from various contaminants entering it from the surface of the earth.
In order not to clog the water-bearing channels, sprinkling is carried out only after backwashing and subsequent pumping of the well. Also, sprinkling is done only under water pressure, so as not to clog the casing filter. Therefore, before sprinkling, a pump is connected to the casing pipe and water is pumped into it. Everything is the same as when backflushing a well.
The well is filled with sand or crushed stone above the height of the casing filter, and then covered with clay.
How to determine the water level in a well.
Everything is very simple. You need to take a regular rope with a narrow weight. For example, you can attach a regular wrench to it.
You lower the rope and listen. When you hear the sound of a “gurgle,” this is the beginning of the water column, that is, the level of the mirror. Tie a knot in the rope and lower it further. If the rope weakens, it means it has reached the bottom of the well. Tie a second knot. Pull out the rope and measure the distance between the knots, this will be the height of the water column.
You also need to understand that the level of the water surface may change according to the season or during active pumping of water from the well. Therefore, the level of the water column in the well should be as high as possible. Preferably at least 2m.
Thu o what to do if clay sticks strongly to the walls of the drill shaft and drill rod?
Red-brown clay tends to swell and stick strongly. In this case, ordinary soda helps well, as it makes the clay inactive. Soda must be added to the drilling fluid. As a result, the clay stops sticking to the tool and the walls of the drill hole.
Does the water surface level depend on the depth of the well?
A well is drilled to find a source of water - an aquifer. It may end up at a fairly large depth, for example, 25m. But this does not mean that water will need to be raised from such a depth. After the well has reached the aquifer, water fills the wellbore and rises along it to a certain level, for example, 10 m from the earth's surface. This level is called the water surface in the well. The exception is artesian wells, where water is under pressure in the ground and when such an aquifer is opened, water can spontaneously flow to the surface of the earth.
What pipes to use as casing.
Metal or plastic pipes are used as casing pipes. Since metal pipes are quite expensive, plastic casing pipes are most often chosen for wells. Special blue HDPE (low-density polyethylene) plastic casing pipes for wells are available for sale. These pipes are made of food-grade plastic and are chemically safe for humans. It is strictly forbidden to use ordinary yellow or gray PVC sewer pipes for the well.
Pipe with slot filter. Filter length 3 meters.
When purchasing plastic casing pipe, try not to purchase black pipes. As a rule, such pipes are made from recycled materials. And no one can guarantee that secondary raw materials will not contain potentially hazardous substances.
Which pump to choose for a well?
A deep-screw pump is best suited for a well. The main thing is not to use a vibration pump. Due to constant vibrations, the soil around the well is compacted and the water channels are closed. As a result, the well's flow rate may decrease until it completely dries out. Also, due to constant vibrations, the water in the well will be cloudy.
If the water surface is at a depth of 7-8 meters, then you can install a centrifugal pump on the surface of the earth.
What oil should I lubricate the threaded connections of drill rods and plastic casing pipes?
The lubricant must be safe, so ordinary grease and machine oil cannot be used. Can be lubricated with vegetable oil or soap solution.
How to drill a well with your own hands? Review of three drilling methods
If you have made a deliberate decision to provide your suburban area with water, then it is best to use wells. You can drill wells on your own, and if you intend to do this, then this article will be useful to you. But it is better to entrust the installation of a water supply system to specialists, because it requires considerable experience and knowledge.
Choosing a location for a well
To begin with, we must choose the right location for the future well, as well as so that it is as efficient as possible. We need to determine whether there is a shallow aquifer on the site, for which there are certain signs.
Signs of a shallow aquifer present on the site
- In a specific area of the site, many plants that prefer high humidity have accumulated.
- In the evening, in areas with an increased amount of vegetation, fog and dew accumulate, and in winter, thawed patches form in the snow.
- A large number of mosquitoes and other insects gather. It is also believed that cats prefer to rest in places located above deep waters.
If at least one of these signs is noticed, then you can safely start drilling a well. These are all, of course, mostly folk signs; a more effective way to identify deep waters is geological research.
Folk" method of detecting deep waters
Tools that will be required during the drilling process
Let’s immediately make a reservation that not all tools can be made with your own hands; some of them will have to be purchased. If we manage to make, for example, a drill, its quality will be questionable, because standard factory drills are made of high-strength hardened steel.
For work we will need:
- Derrick;
- Drill column to which couplings are attached for connection;
- Drill head;
- Boards;
- Rope;
- Filter.
A drilling derrick is a kind of tripod that you can assemble with your own hands from thick logs Ø15 centimeters. Between two of them we attach a winch, to which we suspend the drill column using a rope. The column is a structure of rods connected to each other by couplings and threads. There should be 6 rods in total, their length should be from 1.5 to 3 meters.
The boards will be useful to us so that the walls of the pit do not crumble (we will talk later what this is). Drill heads come in different types and are used depending on the type of soil. Much depends on this type, including the method of drilling the well.
Types of drill heads
Drill heads come in the following types:
- a chisel used to split hard rocks;
- bailer - it removes the soil remaining after the bit has worked (you can also drill loose soil using a bailer);
- a spoon used for sand and clay;
- a coil will be needed if there is gravel in the soil;
- spoon with a coil.
We have selected the tools and proceed directly to drilling.
Well drilling technology using the cable method
The percussion-rope drilling method consists of the following stages.
Stage 1. Preliminary “instruction”. Before starting work, we must understand that the optimal well depth is 7-10 meters. You can drill no more than 20 meters on your own; if the groundwater is at a greater depth, then specialists must do the drilling.
Important! It is impossible to drill a well on your own in any case, since this will require at least two assistants.
Stage 2. We align the pit (rectangular “box”) in the place where the well will be located. The dimensions of the pit should be 2x1.5x1.5 m, and it is needed so that the unstable upper layers of soil do not crumble. We take boards and line the walls of the pit.
Stage 3. We mount the tripod at the drilling site. We securely fasten it, then place the drill column in the hole and turn the rod. The drilling process has begun. Every 60-70 centimeters we clean the column from adhering soil.
Stage 4. When we reach the aquifer, the drill column should be pulled out and the filter lowered in its place. We will definitely use a filter, otherwise the water pump will quickly become unusable. The voids formed between the walls of the well and the filter are filled with sand. Then we install pipes through which the water will rise and dismantle the walls of the pit. We fill in the well.
Stage 5. We install a water pump, which will be the “core” of the entire well. Outwardly, it will not look very attractive, so it is advisable to decorate it with some decorative element, for example, a canopy.
In this way we can drill a well up to 20 meters. Water located at such a depth has repeatedly undergone natural filtration, it will be clean and soft.
Well pipes and filter
A well filter is as important a part as a pump. The following types of filters are distinguished:
- Gravel;
- Wire;
- Reticulate.
During operation, it is advisable to fill the filter with gravel, which will prevent dirt from entering the pipeline. When choosing a filter, we must pay attention to the following parameters:
Options for arranging pipes for water lifting
- If the water is planned to be consumed as food, then plastic water should be used, which does not corrode. If finances allow, you can buy more expensive enameled steel pipes.
- If the well is intended for economic purposes, then we can use socketed, thin-walled or threaded pipes.
Drilling a well using a pump
This method is perfect if the depth of groundwater does not exceed 10 meters. It is no less effective than the previous one.
Stage 1. We dig a hole 1.5 meters deep in order to remove loose and unstable upper layers of soil. The area of such a pit should be approximately 1 square meter. We line its walls with boards to make it convenient to work.
Stage 2. We take a steel pipe and cut one end of it into teeth, like on a hacksaw. We bend the teeth in different directions. At the other end we make a thread for connecting to the pipes. Next, using clamps, we equip the pipe with handles so that it can be held vertically. We also make threads on the remaining pipes, but on both sides. Each pipe should be approximately 3 meters long.
Stage 3. We take a pre-prepared container of at least two hundred liters filled with water, a medium-power water pump, and a hose that will reach the bottom of the pit. All pipes must have a diameter of 12 cm, more is possible.
Important! This procedure cannot be completed by yourself either; you must have at least one assistant.
Stage 4. We insert the pipe into the hole to the maximum possible depth. Turn on the pump. The water pressure will erode the soil under the pipe, and it will gradually sink. It is advisable to constantly rotate the pipe.
Stage 5. The water will come out of the pipe, but can be reused by straining it through a sieve. When the pipe is completely deepened, we attach the next one to it and continue working until the aquifer is reached. Then we remove the boards and dig a hole, and attach a lid to the end of the pipe, which will prevent debris from entering the system.
This is the simplest way to drill a well, but there are others.
Shallow well for economic purposes
If water is needed, for example, to water a garden, then a well for this can be made using a regular hand drill. The only condition is that the upper groundwater level must be a maximum of three meters from the surface. If the length of a hand drill is not enough, then we extend it with reinforcing bars or small metal pipes. How to install f , You can read in our article.
We go through the hardest layers of the earth with an additional load that clings to the handle of the drill. This way the load on your hands will be less.
Important! Water extracted from such wells is not suitable for drinking, since it has not undergone natural filtration!
If branches or roots come across while drilling, we cut them out with an ax pre-attached to a long iron rod. After about two meters, wet sand will begin to appear, so every 10 centimeters the drill will have to be pulled out for cleaning, otherwise we may break the device.
When the sand acquires a bluish tint, it will mean that we are almost there. When the first water appears, you can no longer use the drill, because it will no longer give anything - the liquid soil will not stick to the blades. All we have to do is insert the casing pipe - the shallow well is ready!
To lift the water we will use a conventional electric pump.
As a conclusion
Production drills are amazing in their scale, which is why the very idea of drilling a well with our own hands seems stupid and unfeasible to us. But those of you who have read the article already know that this is, to put it mildly, an exaggeration. All we need is a drilling tool, additional materials, a bit of skill and, of course, patience.
It is impossible to do without water in a garden plot or in a private house. You can have a central water supply if you live in a city, but then when watering your garden, the harvest will be very expensive, since water fees increase every year. If a person lives in a village or is talking about a summer cottage, then any water supply seems like a pipe dream. There is only one way out - to drill your own well for water supply.
Currently, many have appreciated the benefits of having a water-bearing well for personal use. Dozens of companies are ready to provide paid services to ensure water supply using modern technology. However, such pleasure is not available to every person. Therefore, using improvised means, people try to drill a well with their own hands.
First you need to determine the location for the future well. The aquifer is usually located at a depth of about 10-20 meters. If there is a river or lake nearby, then the groundwater layer will be located close to the surface. A map of the location of groundwater, which is available in every executive committee of the locality, will help determine the place where it is most profitable to drill a well. The types of soil characteristic of this area are also indicated here.
Do-it-yourself well for irrigation
If water is needed only for irrigation, you can make such a well yourself using a simple drill, provided that the first layer of groundwater lies close (no more than 3 m) to the surface. The length of the drill should be increased using small diameter pipes or reinforcement rods. When passing through denser layers of soil, additional weight can be hung on the handles of the drill to reduce the load on the person. It must be taken into account that such water is not suitable for drinking, because natural purification does not occur at such a depth.
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Using an ax welded to a metal rod, you need to chop off the roots of trees that get in the way of the drill.
At a depth of about two meters, wet sand will begin to appear. It is necessary to remove the drill with adhering soil approximately every 10-15 cm, otherwise the device may break under the weight of the earth.
When bluish-gray sand appears, it means the aquifer is very close. When water appears, the use of a drill loses its meaning, since liquid soil does not adhere to the blades. You need to insert the casing pipe. The well for irrigation is ready. To raise the water, you can use a manual column or an electric pump.
Well for extracting drinking water using a pump
If groundwater deposits are located at a depth of about 10 meters, there is another effective and simple method to drill a well.
First, you need to dig a hole about 1.5 meters deep to remove the loose and loose top layer of soil, about a square meter in size. Cover the hole with boards for ease of further work.
Cut the steel pipe on one side with teeth using the hacksaw principle, bending the teeth in different directions. On the other side, make a thread for connecting to other sections of pipes using a coupling. Using a clamp, attach handles to the pipe so that you can hold it in a vertical position, at a height that will be comfortable for the person who will hold it. On the remaining pipes, make threads on both sides. The length should be about 3 meters.
Prepare a 200-liter or more barrel of water, a “Baby” type water pump, and a hose of such length that it can be lowered from the barrel into the middle of the pipe almost to the ground.
The diameter of the pipe must be at least 120 mm; in the future it will be used as a casing.
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It is inconvenient to do such work alone, so it is better to find an assistant.
Turning the pipe slightly from one side to the other, deepen it as much as possible. Then turn on the pump. Water under pressure will erode the soil at the base of the pipe, and under its own weight and thanks to the efforts of the person who rotates it back and forth, it will sink deeper and deeper.
To fill the barrel, you can use the water that will pour out of the pipe, having first filtered it through a sieve, or prepare another one. By connecting pipes in series, you can quickly get to the aquifer. Having removed the unnecessary boards, the hole must be buried, strengthening the pipe in the middle. Attach a lid on top to prevent debris from getting into the well. Pump water using a deep-well pump or pumping station.
This is not the only way to make a well with your own hands, but it is quite simple and does not require expensive equipment or complex types of work - welding, cutting, sharpening, and so on.
Drilling a well using the shock-rope method
This method of water extraction is the most common. A drilling derrick is constructed from logs of medium thickness, the top of which should be located directly above the future neck of the well.
A hole measuring 1.5 x 1.5 meters with a depth of about 2 meters is dug. It is advisable to cover the walls with boards so that the earth does not crumble.
The casing pipe must be steel without side seams, with a wall thickness of at least 5 mm. In its lower part, a cone with a diameter 4-5 cm larger than the diameter of the pipe is welded around the circumference.
At the top of the pipe, a thread is rolled so that it can later be connected to other pieces of pipe using a coupling.
The pipe is installed vertically using a plumb line into the hole, not firmly fixed, but so that it does not swing. A bailer, tied with a strong hemp rope with a thickness of at least 20 mm or a steel cable with a diameter of at least 10 mm, is lowered into it, and the actual drilling of the well begins.