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Need a new well

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kthompson
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 5275 South Carolina
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2007-06-11          142846

Am thinking about putting in a shallow well. Would want it safe for drinking. Most well drillers around here only want to drill a 4 inch well. Do not want that major of well. Use will be mostly to fill sprayer and water dog and such. Any experience on washing a well down? We don't have rock's per say but can have crush sea shells. kt

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Murf
Join Date: Dec 1999
Posts: 7249 Toronto Area, Ontario, Canada
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2007-06-11          142849

We use a dug in sand point and an accumulator tank for that. Basically just 2,000 gallon septic tank buried next to the sand point, in the first compartment is a pump and float switch, when the water in the tank is lower than the set point of the float, the pump comes on and fills it back up.

It's not potable water, but it sure was a bunch cheaper to set up than a drilled well too.

Best of luck. ....

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kthompson
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 5275 South Carolina
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2007-06-11          142857

Murf, what is a "sand point"?

Thanks, kt ....

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Murf
Join Date: Dec 1999
Posts: 7249 Toronto Area, Ontario, Canada
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2007-06-11          142859

Without turning this into a 1,000 word essay, let's see...

A "sand point", also known as a "driven point" is used to create a "driven well". It consists of a pointed, hardened tip like a spear, behind which there is a length of screen, generally about 36" of it, and which is rated in "gauze size" which relates to how small a particle has to be to go through the screen, and finally at the top, a short length of pipe thread.

In practice, a sand point is stood up on end, onto the threaded top is screwed a "driver" or hardened cap which allows a hollow pipe hammer, much like that used for driving a steel fence post or t-bar, to be used to pound the sand point down without mushrooming the threads. When the point is down far enough, the driver is unscrewed, a length of pipe is added, and the driver placed on top of the pipe, which is then pounded down some more.

The whole process is repeated until the sand point hits the water table, at which point the water is able to pass through the screen section but the dirt stays down the hole. A pump is connected, and the well flushed of all fine sediment able to pass the screen, and to open passages in the soil to the point to encourage a good flow of water.

The big advantage of this type of well is the low cost, the sand point is generally under $100 and can be installed in very little time. Since the water table is generally only down 25'ish feet, the cost is minimal to buy materials and also to install it.

In sandy areas where the water table is average (~25' down) and there is ample ground water, a 2" sand point will almost run a 1.5" water pump non-stop. In my area, I have no problem keeping the tank full, if I pump it dry, the water truck holds 2,000 gallons also, it is full again before the next morning. I've never tried to take more than one tank a day, so I don't know how fast it recovers though.

If you Google "driven well" or "driven well point" you will get lots of information. As a word of caution though, buy a top-quality well point if you're going to try one, the cost difference is likley only about $20 between the "imported" and top quality domestic one, but the difference in qualit is night & day, and 25' down is not the place to find out where they cheaped out on it. ;)

Best of luck. ....

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kthompson
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 5275 South Carolina
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2007-06-11          142861

Murf, I know the "sand point", just had not heard it called that. I think here they have shorten it to pipe screen or well screen. Right off don't remember which.

I tried searching for how to "wash a well down" which is also done here and could find nothing. Any experience with that?

Again, thanks. kt ....

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Murf
Join Date: Dec 1999
Posts: 7249 Toronto Area, Ontario, Canada
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2007-06-11          142863

I think you will find a "well screen" is a different beast, that is what is lowered into a conventional well, to filter the water at the tip of the intake pipe.

A sand point IS the well, there is nothing but that tip on the end of the pipe stuck into the ground, with no casing at all.

I know the term "washing down a well" yes, basically it is just that, washing the inside of the well to remove any contaminants that are left behind after installation, or to remove things like algae that has accumulated. Around here it mostly restricted to shallow dug wells.

Best of luck. ....

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kthompson
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 5275 South Carolina
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2007-06-11          142864

Again, thanks. It has been years since I dealt with a well so some of the terms I am fuzzy on. kt ....

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Billy
Join Date: Oct 1999
Posts: 975 Southeast Oklahoma
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2007-06-11          142874

Don't feel bad, I'm fuzzy on most things :-( ....

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kthompson
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 5275 South Carolina
TractorPoint Premium Member -- 5 Tractors = Very Frequent Poster  View my Photos  Pics

2007-06-12          142903

Thanks Billy. On my best items I am only slightly fuzzy. Hey if I did not laugh at myself, I would miss the best laughs. kt ....

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