Do-it-yourself water drilling allows you to save on renting a rig and paying workers. Most often, people prefer to make a well, since in terms of size it takes up less space, and also less soil will have to be removed from the site after completion of construction work. There are several types of wells and methods by which you can independently get to the aquifer.
Types of wells
On the site, you can equip several types of sources that differ in design. In this case, it is necessary to clarify at what depth the water is located in order to choose the best place. Usually, when preparing documents, the owners are advised of one or another arrangement. In especially difficult cases, you have to lay out large funds to get to the water, for example, if the house is located on a hill, the depth of the well automatically increases by a distance equal to its height.
Types of sources that you can do yourself:
- Abyssinian well - the simplest design;
- well on sand - depth up to 12 meters;
- artesian - a well on limestone.
Abyssinian well - this is a pipe with a diameter of up to 4 cm. It may be even smaller - 2.5 cm. Below is a filter and a sharp tip, so the abyssine is also called a needle. Water can be pumped out using a hand pump or a pumping station connected to electricity. Depending on the speed of filling the wells, up to 3 cubic meters of fluid are pumped out per hour.
The advantages of arranging the Abyssinian well:
- speed - it takes several hours to install and then you can use the source;
- there is no need to buy expensive materials and rent drilling equipment;
- long service life of 10 - 15 years, if properly equipped underground water intake.
Basically, the needle is used on sandstones. If the soil consists of a large amount of clay, it will be difficult to break through it, and the filter will quickly silt up, and the well will stop giving water.
When the distance to the water mirror is more than 8 meters, it is necessary to equip the caisson for the pumping station a few meters below ground level, which will entail additional costs of time and money. The problem is that the station cannot lift the fluid from great depths, and the submersible pump does not fit into the very narrow hole of the casing. Before proceeding with the arrangement, you need to find out the depth of the aquifer and determine the type of soil.
Well on the sand
Sandy soil filters the fluid well from large particles, so the water in the well is transparent. Provided that the filter is correctly made. The main problem is flowability, so the walls often collapse during installation of the well. At the same time, drilling rigs easily cope with a soft layer, so the work does not last long.
Sand wells can be drilled to a depth of 35 meters, but they have many disadvantages:
- insufficient natural water filtration, since sand does not remove dissolved substances and residual wastewater, as well as pesticides and other types of agricultural chemistry;
- the well can work no longer than 20 years, then the process of siltation takes place and overhaul with washing is necessary;
- sand clogs the filter, which can be cleaned by removing the full casing;
- the need for regular cleaning of the pump, as its filter element is also clogged with small solid particles.
Nevertheless, most of the available wells are sandy, since they are much cheaper than artesian ones.
Artesian well
Aquifer limestone can be at a depth of 50 to 250 meters. In one area, the difference is up to 150 - 200 meters. It is believed that artesian water is much cleaner than sand. This is not entirely true. It is a little cleaner as the fluid passes through more layers of soil. The main advantage of the artesian well is its high filling speed and inexhaustible supply of water. In limestone rocks, the fluid is under high pressure and rises higher during drilling. There were cases when the water spilled over the edge of the neck. Thus, the fluid can be raised to the desired level in order to be able to install a pumping station or a shallow submersible pump.
The advantage of an artesian well:
- no seasonal fluctuations in water level, which positively affects the operation of pumping equipment;
- the liquid is cleaner - it can be used in raw form without boiling;
- dissolved minerals have a positive effect on health;
- no repair and maintenance is required provided that the installation is of high quality;
- Long service life - more than 50 years.
The deepest artesian well drilled by man reaches a depth of more than 12 km. It is located on the Kola Peninsula and is listed in the Guinness Book of Records. In the 13th century, the Chinese drilled manually very deep wells - up to 1.5 km.
There are practically no shortcomings in artesian wells. The only thing is the presence of a large number of iron ions, but this depends on the composition of the rock in this region. After pumping for 2 to 3 weeks, the fluid is sent for analysis to install the desired filter and use the source.
Selection Criteria for Your Site
First of all, those who want to drill a well are interested in the price of work and materials. In some cases, tenants do this manually to minimize the cost of arranging the source. For example, it is not possible to equip an artesian well cheaply, therefore companies that are engaged in drilling offer economical options, but this affects the quality of water and service life.
The best option is a sandy shallow well, if the geological location of the site and the aquifer are close to the surface of the earth. This does not always happen, so you have to spend money on deep drilling.
If the site already has a source that provides the house with water, and a well is needed to water the garden, it is enough to make an Abyssinian well with manual pumping of liquid. You can make a water well manually without equipment in one day using improvised materials.
DIY drilling methods
There are several ways to get to the aquifer:
- auger drill - as it deepens into the thickness of the earth it is built up with new sections of a metal pipe;
- bailer - a device with sharp teeth at the end and a valve that prevents the spilling of earth back into the shaft;
- using soil erosion - the hydraulic method;
- "needle";
- shock-rope method.
Using technology auger drilling, you can dig a well up to 100 meters deep. It is difficult to do it manually, therefore stationary electric installations are used, and the drill is built up with new sections as it deepens. Periodically, it is raised to pour out the soil. So that the walls do not crumble, they put a casing pipe after the drill.
If the drill cannot be built up, a chasel with sharp edges is attached to its base and the drill screws it a few meters deeper. Next, the pipe is lifted and the accumulated soil is poured out.
Work with the auger can be done on soft soil. Rocky terrain, clay deposits, and mounds are not suitable for this method.
Bailer - This is a metal pipe with solid steel teeth soldered at the end.A little higher in the pipe is a valve that blocks the exit to the ground when lifting the device from a depth. The principle of operation is simple - the bailer is installed in the right place and manually rotated, gradually deepening into the soil. The method takes longer than using electrical equipment, but it is economical.
The device is required to periodically lift and pour the earth out of the pipe. The deeper the pipe goes, the harder it is to lift it. In addition, scrolling requires brute force. Most often, several people work. To make the soil easier to drill, it is washed out with water, pouring it from above into the pipe with a hose and pump.
In hydraulic drilling, a bailer is also used to soften the soil layers, which the fluid can not even cope with under pressure.
Shock Rope Drilling - The oldest method that is used to this day. The principle is to lower the metal cup into the casing and gradually deepen the well. For drilling you need a bed with a fixed cable. The method requires time and frequent elevations of the working pipe in order to pour out the soil. To facilitate the work, a hose with water is used to erode the soil.
The “needle” method for an Abyssinian well: when lowering the pipe, the soil is compacted, so it is not thrown to the surface. To penetrate the soil you need a sharp tip made of ferroalloy materials. You can make such a device at home if the aquifer is not deep.
The method is characterized by low cost and low time. The disadvantage is that such a well will not be enough to provide a private house with water.
Tools and materials
Depending on what type of well needs to be equipped, what is its depth, and also on the budget of measures, choose tools and materials.
A drilling rig with a bed can be welded using a conventional apparatus. Screw hand drill buy in a store. It may require additional threaded sections. Their number depends on the estimated depth of the source.
Plastic pipes are often used for casing, although they are not so strong as to withstand the movement of the soil. Concrete casing or metal pipe lasts longer, but metal is prone to corrosion. Optimum material - thick-walled plastic, resistant to low temperatures. When connecting the parts, you will need to pay attention to the quality of the soldering - some types of plastic require special devices.
For independent drilling of wells, you can use the devices that firms rent out. This will allow you to quickly do the job, while you do not have to buy tools.
Preparatory Activities
The most important step is determining the depth of the aquifer. You can determine it by plants - birch, black poplar, alder grow near water sources. The wood of these species was previously used to make the frame. If the wire in the tree begins to rotate in the hands, then there is an underground source nearby.
If the aquifer is not deep, midges and mosquitoes will be circling in the evening. The presence of liquid is indicated by fog or excess dew in the morning. If there is a pond or lake nearby, then this always means that the water is shallow.
If none of the above signs indicates the proximity of an aquifer, you must contact a geologist. In addition, all hydraulic structures need to make a technical passport.
Make trial drilling more profitable. You can come across stones or a clay layer, so you need to look for a place in the sand so that the water is cleaner. After the sample, the liquid must be taken for analysis and only then begin to drill a stationary well.
How to avoid mistakes
You can’t dig a spring in the fall or spring, as at this time of year the groundwater rises higher.Depth is determined in the summer, especially if it is planned to arrange a well on the sand. In a drought, the fluid can go deeper and you will need to dig a finished well.
Do not equip a source of drinking water near septic tanks, landfills or swamps. Liquid in such places will need additional filtration.
Sometimes when drilling, you can get to the top of water - surface sources. They are usually shallow, the production rate of such a well is not enough to meet the needs of a private house.
