[bordercollie]

Hello,

Hello everyone,

I'm buying a farm house in Iowa and getting a pretty good price b/c the old well is bad (I was told by owner that casing is bad and a new well was quoted $12k to drill and install).

So....I had a few crazy ideas.

(1) Cable tool method such as the one in this video. I'm thinking of buying 8ft of 12" steel pipe that weighs about 240lbs and setting up some sort of rigging using 4x4's, wire cable, quick release and my truck. [ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJNyAMwrUBE[/ame]

Any guesses on how long that might take to drill down 100ft?

(2) Not sure this would work but someone suggested buying a standard auger digger and mud pump attached to a hose to flush out drilling bits using as many extensions as I need to drill down 100ft??

I'm guessing this "might" work until a cave in (which could also happen with the cable tool method).....

Anyhow, any feedback would be appreciated - Also I've searched this forum quite a bit and I've found mostly info for smaller wells, hand dug, ect.

 

[Nevada]

You might consider a drive point well (also called a sand point or well point well). 100 feet is pretty deep for a drive point, but it can be done depending on the soil.

Drive points are not legal in Nevada because there is no way to grout the well to keep contaminated surface water out, but they are apparently legal in Iowa.

Drive point is the simplest and least expensive. You'll need a 2" well for your depth. It shouldn't cost more than a few hundred for everything. Search at google and youtube to learn more.

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=flYs98xBEZo[/ame]

 

[PD-Riverman]

Having washed down several wells in the 50+/- ft range in a hour or two after setting up----If "I" had a well already in the 100ft range with a bad casing I would use the old well casing as a guide----if its not to big and wash it up and replace it with new pipe.

How big is the pipe?

How deep is the well now?

If the pipe is to big, deep, etc, then I would go to plan 2 and wash down another well and Hope I did not hit rocks. In my area I put down a 2" pipe 52ft deep in 1 hour after setting up. This well produces 42gpm. I have other wells that are about as deep and produce 20 to 30 gpm. Most of these took 2 hours or less after set-up. BUT, I hit No rocks except for one well and I moved 100ft and did not hit any that time. I have sent of water samples on a couple of these wells to make sure they are safe for human drinking water---and they were.

 

[FarmboyBill]

U Tubes show a variety of ways to drill/wash wells.

 

[unregistered41671]

Having washed down several wells in the 50+/- ft range in a hour or two after setting up----If "I" had a well already in the 100ft range with a bad casing I would use the old well casing as a guide----if its not to big and wash it up and replace it with new pipe.

How is that done? Is it possible with 6"PVC? Just curious. Thanks

 

[bordercollie]

Having washed down several wells in the 50+/- ft range in a hour or two after setting up----If "I" had a well already in the 100ft range with a bad casing I would use the old well casing as a guide----if its not to big and wash it up and replace it with new pipe.

How big is the pipe?

How deep is the well now?

If the pipe is to big, deep, etc, then I would go to plan 2 and wash down another well and Hope I did not hit rocks. In my area I put down a 2" pipe 52ft deep in 1 hour after setting up. This well produces 42gpm. I have other wells that are about as deep and produce 20 to 30 gpm. Most of these took 2 hours or less after set-up. BUT, I hit No rocks except for one well and I moved 100ft and did not hit any that time. I have sent of water samples on a couple of these wells to make sure they are safe for human drinking water---and they were.

Thanks for the replies everyone!!

Fixing the old well may be the BEST place to start - all I know about the well is what the bank told me from their well report (the house was bank owned) - I should be moving in this weekend LOL.
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On July 14, 2014 Oasis Pump Service performed a well inspection at xxxxxxxxxx IA. Well pump was not completely pulled from the well due to the poor condition of the pipe, wire and casing. Pump setting is 120 feet, static water level is 32 feet with a pumping water level of 96 feet at 5 gallons per minute. A nitrate and bacteria test sample was taken but results have not been received from the Iowa Hygienic lab. Current well pump is a ½ - ¾ hp motor, pressure tank is a Wellxtrol WX203.

Well was pumped for one hour, water was very cloudy with no improvement. Existing water well needs to be raised out of the well pit and pressure tank moved to meet Iowa code. Well and casing could be televised if the well water was clear, however casing may be beyond repair.

Please call Luke with any questions at (563) 920-XXXX

 

[FarmboyBill]

Ah heck. Luke didn't know anything either. Need to talk to Amos lol.

 

[Junkhound]

The first thing that I would do is, try to fish the pump out. Then get an air compressor, a 100ft roll of 1 inch poly pipe and air jet the well till it cleans up. You then might put a smaller casing inside the existing well. As a master well driller in Tx. for 30+ years I have done this procedure numerous times. Sometimes the results aren't spectacular, but it would save a well for a home owner that could not afford to drill a new one.

junkhound

 

[fordy]

...............If , you can retrieve the pump and cable,etc. , and IF the interior diameter is say 5 or 6 inches , you can simply insert smaller casing , into the existing pipe ! Obviously , you need to know the depth that the old pipe has it's perforations so you can drill holes into the new casing before lowering into the old . Once the new casing is established , then you can reset your pump and simply allow it , over time , to evacuate the old water until it is pumping potable water . , fordy

 

[PD-Riverman]

How is that done? Is it possible with 6"PVC? Just curious. Thanks

Never tried 6". The biggest I have Washed up was 2" pvc. I set-up with a water source/tank/pool etc. I use a gas farm water transfer pump( http://www.agrisupply.com/hypro-power-pro-transfer-pump/p/62855/&sid=&eid=/ ) I measure the depth of the well. I then use 10ft pieces of 3" pvc pipe with male and female threaded couplins glued on each end(I reuse these for every well). Example---If the well is say 55ft deep, I start out with a 4 1/2ft piece of 3", wash it down then screw on a 10ft piece((((BUT I cap the end of the old pipe first so no water will go down it)))----doing it this way when I get the 5th 10ft piece of 3" washed down----By using a T on the top----when I unscrew the T the old pipe will be about 6" above the pipe I washed down----then I have something to get a hold on to pull it up. If needed(we did not need a tripod for 52ft) Construct a Tri-pod with a winch/frontend loader/etc to pull it up a few feet at the time. Clamp, then winch/pull it up a few more feet till its up to the first connector---unscrew---if its rusted--saw it into(sealing the top of the wash downed pipe so the sawed shavings do not drop into the well)---repeat till its all up. Then we dropped new pipe with new screen into it---cap the end of the new pipe, then hook back up to the Pump and wash the 3" back up---10ft at the time. In my area the soil will settle around the new pipe with no problem.

If you got a deep well and its drilled through rock----I am sure this method would not work.

If you are washing down a new well-----I do it the same way----except no old pipe to deal with. I wash it down till I hit a "stream"(I call it) I measure the depth of this stream as I continue washing down---when I hit the bottom of the stream----say it was 12ft deep. I put about 8ft of screen on the new pipe and lower it into the pipe-----cap and wash up the bigger pipe.

I told a friend how to do this to put a well at his hunting cabin. He washed down--I think he said 2" pvc, dropped 1 1/4 inside with 3 or 4ft of screen---hooked to a shallow well pump----works good.