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Having grown up getting water from a hand dug well I was looking to go that route with my new place. I considered all the details such as depth necessary, work involved etc. I finally figured what the heck I would try and drive one.
I saw this on a website and thought I would try it. Well I sunk four of them using drive heads I made myself to save considerable money. I tried everything and the best I could ever get was 5gph(gallon perhour) Thats isnt much for me and three growing boys. So I went back to thinking of the hand dug or drilled well. I still couldnt convince myself to go that route. So I broke out notebook and went brain storming.
I went to a hunting lodge in New Mexico and found my answer. A cistern
I went home and started building. I figured I would rather err on the big side. I built a cistern out of cement blocks. I built it 10ftx16ft and eight ft deep. I used some stuff used to waterproof basements to seal it on the inside. Then I took an old swimming pool liner and cut it to fit and glued it over that on the inside. I built the top and lifted it into place with a boom on an old pulp wood truck I had. It took a few days to fill it from the driven well because I was having to haul it in plastic drums about a hundred feet from the well to the cistern. that got old fast. I bought some more 2 inch pipe and ran it from the well to the top of the cistern. I put a ft valve and a small pump on it. Now I just go out and when it gets about a third the way empty I just turn on the small electric pump and fill er up.
Instead of running the water I was using through the top or dipping it out with a bucket etc. I put a row of five standard outdoor water faucets along the bottom of the cistern on the house side. The weight of the water pushs it through the food grade hosing and I have plenty of pressure. I use one for my sink. One for my shower. One for my toilet and the others for odd jobs. The water is always fresh as it is constantly being replaced by new water from the well.
My next project is to establish some type of float valve to automatically turn on the pump as the water level warrants.
What things have yall done similar to address the water issue?
Also anyone here know the mathmatics to guesstmate about how many gallons I may be having in the cistern at full pool?
I saw this on a website and thought I would try it. Well I sunk four of them using drive heads I made myself to save considerable money. I tried everything and the best I could ever get was 5gph(gallon perhour) Thats isnt much for me and three growing boys. So I went back to thinking of the hand dug or drilled well. I still couldnt convince myself to go that route. So I broke out notebook and went brain storming.
I went to a hunting lodge in New Mexico and found my answer. A cistern
I went home and started building. I figured I would rather err on the big side. I built a cistern out of cement blocks. I built it 10ftx16ft and eight ft deep. I used some stuff used to waterproof basements to seal it on the inside. Then I took an old swimming pool liner and cut it to fit and glued it over that on the inside. I built the top and lifted it into place with a boom on an old pulp wood truck I had. It took a few days to fill it from the driven well because I was having to haul it in plastic drums about a hundred feet from the well to the cistern. that got old fast. I bought some more 2 inch pipe and ran it from the well to the top of the cistern. I put a ft valve and a small pump on it. Now I just go out and when it gets about a third the way empty I just turn on the small electric pump and fill er up.
Instead of running the water I was using through the top or dipping it out with a bucket etc. I put a row of five standard outdoor water faucets along the bottom of the cistern on the house side. The weight of the water pushs it through the food grade hosing and I have plenty of pressure. I use one for my sink. One for my shower. One for my toilet and the others for odd jobs. The water is always fresh as it is constantly being replaced by new water from the well.
My next project is to establish some type of float valve to automatically turn on the pump as the water level warrants.
What things have yall done similar to address the water issue?
Also anyone here know the mathmatics to guesstmate about how many gallons I may be having in the cistern at full pool?