Cleaning Out Old Wells

HUBERT · #1 12/15/04, 10:57 AM

Does anybody have any good ideas On how to clean out an old well?I have dug it out 30 feet so far and hit water.I am finding it impossible to get muck out.I need to go down another 5 feet.Only trash pump I can find has 23 ft. max. lift.Is there an old tool they use to use?

Thanks for your help in advance.

Huey

renee o'neill · #2 12/15/04, 11:11 AM

I am waiting here to! we have one that ended up being in the middle of our sunroom floor,dont ask lol. I want to clean it but its 46 ft deep with about 4ft of water in it the magnet does try to lift something out but its to heavey.

ed/IL · #3 12/15/04, 11:31 AM

How did you dig 30 ft? Sounds dangerous if you dug by hand. Perhaps you could pound or jet a pipe down to get to the depth you need.

HUBERT · #4 12/15/04, 12:56 PM

ED It is an existing concrete well that was backfilled.I hand dug it out with a shovel and a bucket.It has concrete for well casing.I'm not too worried about cave in concrete 100 years old but in good shape.

ed/IL · #5 12/15/04, 01:03 PM

Check out these sites. Some old tool illistrations. I think the bail down method might be worth looking at. A large diamater pipe with home made check valve and cable to pull it up to empty. http://www.fdungan.com/well.htm
http://www.fao.org/documents/show_cd...E/x5567e05.htm http://www.voy.com/102731/ <--- This site someone asked the same question you asked with some answers.

big rockpile · #6 12/15/04, 01:20 PM

A Well or Cistern?

big rockpile

HUBERT · #7 12/15/04, 01:36 PM

Ed thanks for the links I think I have come up with a brainstorm after viewing drawings.

Thanks again Huey

HUBERT · #8 12/15/04, 03:01 PM

Big Rockpile I am talkinging a well not a cistern.Have you any suggestions?

comfortablynumb · #9 12/15/04, 05:59 PM

If I am not mistaken, you can buy a trash pump hose check valve to put along the hose lenght say every 20 feet. this shopuld solve your depth problem.
one valve will reach you 40 feet, 2 will get you 60 feet ect ect.
I'll look for one and post it

comfortablynumb · #10 12/15/04, 06:07 PM

what is it you are pumping... muck mud?

ed/IL · #11 12/15/04, 06:21 PM

Call the septic tank pump guy and he might pump it. Also look at the sand sucker diagram at the bottom of page of the first link I posted above. Something like that might work.

RedneckPete · #12 12/15/04, 06:29 PM

Here in Ontario we have an industry called hydro-excavation. They use a vacume truck (about 600hp) mated to a crazy powerful pressure washer. The pressure washer dislodges the dirt and the vacume sucks up the resulting muck.

This tool is used for locating underground utilities because the water will not ususally cut the burried line.

These trucks also work very well for cleaning out wells. Chances are the guy that runs the truck won't go down the hole, so you will have to man the pressure wand.

These rigs run about 250 grand. They usually charge about 200 bucks an hour. I know it sounds like a lot, but I would think he could clean your well out a good 10 - 15 feet in less then an hour. If you are far out you will probably have to pay his travel time.

Best of luck

Pete

comfortablynumb · #13 12/15/04, 06:38 PM

sounds like that would be worth the money to do, that way its flushed and cleaned as well as dug deeper... no telling what yucky crud has settled in there over the years.

jacksun · #14 12/15/04, 07:51 PM

Trash Pump Will Only Suck Up 23ft But Will Push Up Alot More Lower The Pump Down The Well

sisterpine · #15 12/15/04, 08:51 PM

How about using an air pump, you put a pipe in the well , could be plastic pipe and then run a pex type tube down and up inside the other pipe a couple of inches. then attach the pex pipe to an air compressor and the water and yuck should pump right out.

big rockpile · #16 12/15/04, 10:38 PM

All the Wells around here were rock lined,mostly got Spring or Surface Water.Where they didn't have this luxury they put in Cisterns to catch Rain Water,which were Concrete lined.

Use to clean out a lot of Cisterns.Now a Well if it was filled in,it would just be easier to dig a new one,and probably safer.

big rockpile

comfortablynumb · #17 12/15/04, 10:54 PM

jacsons right.... it will suck its rated FT PLUS push that on to its rated "head limit".

so if you lower that pump halfway down and the discharge is up and out half the depth of the well...

its sucking only 15 feet and pusing up 15 feet. with the pump halfway down in the well.
watch yer head... lol

mikell · #18 12/16/04, 06:05 AM

A diaphram trash pump should work just keep the water flowing to keep the muck flowing.

mikell