This project goes over how you can dig your own shallow well using simple tools that you can get from your local garden store.
STEP 1 : MATERIALS REQUIRED
The materials you need to dig and install a well are as follows. A customized Seymour AUA2 Post Auger to dig the hole, and a shovel is used to move the pea gravel and dirt out of the way. A Four-inch casing PVC pipe that is going into the hole that is dug and this is going to hold the water until you need it. One and one-fourth inch threaded adapter. This connects the bottom of the casing pipe to the foot valve. The foot valve is one and one-quarter inch. This valve allows the water to come in and not go out. This helps to keep the pump primed.
STEP 2 : FINDING THE WELL SPOT
To find the spot for the well, we use a couple of coat hangers as dowsing roads. We take a drinking straw, cut it in half and slide it over the coat hangers. This helps us in not using our hands or fingers influence while dowsing. Also, it is easy to rotate the rods within the straws. The rods are kept parallel to the ground. If the rods cross each other, then mark the spot on the ground directly down the cross. This is the ideal spot for the well.
The auger used for digging the hole for the well is modified from the default Seymour Post hole auger. We use a custom 5 foot 11 gauge one and half-inch square tubing as the extension for the auger. The handle of the auger is a three-foot-three-quarter-inch pipe welded to a four-inch 11 gauge square tubing.
We start digging into the spot that we found earlier using the dowsing rods. Pay attention to the changes in the color of sand, because that can give you clues as to whether you are getting closer to water. We extend the auger using the square bar tube once the auger handle is near the ground. Once you have hit wet clay, there is going to be suction around. We twist and pull at the same time to get the auger out of the hole in this situation.
STEP 3 : INSTALLING THE PVC WELL PIPE
A water well pipe used here is a one and one-quarter-inch PVC pipe. This will pull the water from the bottom of the well, bringing it to your pump. The length of this pipe is going to be determined by how deep your well is. It should be at least a foot shorter than the depth of your well. You don’t want this pipe sitting on the bottom because it would just be sitting in sediment and it will be clogging things up. Next, we put the 20-foot PVC casing pipe into the hole. We cut slots using a reciprocating saw on the pipe one foot from the bottom of the well to the top of the water level to allow the water to flow into the well. Pea gravel is poured around the sides of the pipe all the way up to the slots.
STEP 4 :INSERTING THE ONE AND QUARTER INCH PIPE WITH A FOOT VAVLE
We lower the one and one-quarter-inch well pump pipe with the foot valve at the end into the PVC casing pipe. A four-inch drain flange is secured on top of the casing pipe.
STEP 4 : MOUNTING A PITCHER PUMP AT THE TOP
A pitcher pump that has a one and one-quarter-inch threaded water inlet at the bottom. A closet flange. It makes mounting the pump to the top of your casing pipe very easy and it also helps keep things clean. Basically, you would just set this inside your four-inch pipe, drill a hole out of the middle of a board, screw that to the top of this flange then mount your pump to the board that you have fastened to this. A one and one-quarter-inch threaded adapter. This will screw into the bottom of your pitcher pump and in turn, it will connect to the pipe bringing water to your pump from the bottom of the well. Teflon tape, PVC glue. To prime the well, we pour some water down through the pitcher pump. Pump out the dirty water until it is clean.
STEP 5 : ADDING PEA GRAVEL
Pea gravel – This will go down around the casing pipe of the well. The amount of pea gravel you need is determined by the depth of the well and water height. Quikcrete or aerated concrete to cap the top of the well. This prevents groundwater contamination and keeps stuff from finding a way to easily get into your well.
The remaining hole area around the pipe is packed with sand and clay. We seal the well by packing it around the sides with quick rate cement. This helps the water not to be able to run down into your well but around it.
Image Credits : TigerCreekFarm
