# Shallow well



## ATB (Feb 17, 2006)

I hand drove a shallow well about 22 feet down and didnt hit water. Whats the best way to get my pipe and well point back out to try somewhere else again. Argh my back!


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## Crowhunter (Aug 27, 2005)

Handy man jack !


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## U D (Aug 1, 2012)

Tripod made of tree poles and a come along.


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## FIJI (May 15, 2003)

find a neighbor with a Jeep or Hummer that has a Hi-Lift jack strapped on the back




bet him a case of beer he cant pull the pipe !

sit in a lawn chair, open a beverage......and watch :evil:


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## Kennybks (Mar 29, 2010)

How did you confirm no water? Just curious.

22' ain't very deep. Several years ago I ran one down with a jack hammer and sulisair compressor. It was at least 45. I wouldn't pull it, just go a little deeper.

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## Steve (Jan 15, 2000)

Yeah I would go at least 25 feet which is the limit for a suction draw pump. If you know somebody with a backhoe and have a good chain, that will pull it back out in a hurry.


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## jasonvanorder (Feb 23, 2009)

FIJI said:


> find a neighbor with a Jeep or Hummer that has a Hi-Lift jack strapped on the back
> 
> 
> 
> ...



THIS!


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## ATB (Feb 17, 2006)

Kennybks said:


> How did you confirm no water? Just curious.
> 
> 22' ain't very deep. Several years ago I ran one down with a jack hammer and sulisair compressor. It was at least 45. I wouldn't pull it, just go a little deeper.
> 
> Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Ohub Campfire mobile app


Dropped a rope with a stainless steel washer down it. 1st day when driving wet about 6 feet. 2 weeks later bone dry!

I only have 1 1/4 pipe can I go much deeper than 25 feet?

Thanks


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## ATB (Feb 17, 2006)

Should have given more background. I am just trying to hit a shallow aquifer for washing and watering purposes. And I will bring drinking water. I have no electricity other than generator and small solar system. I am trying to keep off grid.

I do have a Kawasaki Mule with a 3500 lb winch to try to rig up something. I was so locked in I manually drove it with a sledge hammer so need to pull it out somehow manually!


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## BUCK/PIKE (Oct 24, 2011)

I have assisted in 3 shallow well installs.its been awhile but it seems like we poured water down the pipe as we were driving it down.if i remember right when u hit water u can pour unlimited ammounts of water down the pipe and it wouldnt fill up.if u werent in water the pipe would fill to the top of water.someone may correct me or refreshen my memory been about 20 yrs,we had water in 23 ft in 1 of them.


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## Petronius (Oct 13, 2010)

BUCK/PIKE said:


> I have assisted in 3 shallow well installs.its been awhile but it seems like we poured water down the pipe as we were driving it down.if i remember right when u hit water u can pour unlimited ammounts of water down the pipe and it wouldnt fill up.if u werent in water the pipe would fill to the top of water.someone may correct me or refreshen my memory been about 20 yrs,we had water in 23 ft in 1 of them.


What you say sounds right. The pipe would be plugged and keep the water in the pipe. Once you hit water, the water in the pipe has somewhere to go and drains down to the water table.


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## Steve (Jan 15, 2000)

petronius said:


> What you say sounds right. The pipe would be plugged and keep the water in the pipe. Once you hit water, the water in the pipe has somewhere to go and drains down to the water table.


That is correct and it will also clear the screen on the end of the pipe.


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## 1mainiac (Nov 23, 2008)

We put lots of them in on the farm when I was a kid to water the gardens and livestock. Helps to know where the water table is and find it. we had a working well 20ft down and 40 ft away gave up on another one when we hit 60ft and no water. Destroyed my right knee trying to pull a well out of hard pan when the chain broke and dropped huge log on my leg. 6ft from that spot we hit water 35 down the stuck well pipe was only 17ft down which was why we tried to pull it and save the point. Of the few we did pull after hand driving them most of the pipes were unusable because the driver hammered the threads together that was using a 100lb well driver not a sledge hammer your results may vary.


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## 1mainiac (Nov 23, 2008)

My uncle used to shoot his well with his 22 pistol when the screen plugged. Anyone ever do that or see it done?


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## Kennybks (Mar 29, 2010)

How deep you need to be largly depends on the area. Shallow aquifer you're hoping to hit should be noticeable somewhat. I'm sure you tried to take note of that, and the accessibility.

You had a driving cap on those couplings as you drove them? Any confidence you'll be able to undo them? I'd recommend renting a real well driver too.

I've seen this work. Make a good timber blocked LEVEL surface around the pipe. Bite a large pipe wrench onto the pipe and then use a 20 ton hydraulic jack just as close to the pipe as you can pushing up on the wrench. As it moves, just slide the wrench down for another bite and reset the jack. Carefully. Not responsible for injuries  .

I think I'd try deeper before I gave up. If you hit, water will likely raise into the pipe some. You've got the point, and 3 or 4 joints in so far? Worst case, go buy another point and pipe, worry about this one later. Good luck!

My area you can't miss water. Dig a whole deeper than 24" and it fills with water by morning.

Did you try witching?  long ago I worked in the water well industry and saw a few guys that convinced me it works! Used to work on Gardner Denver and Fahling rigs drilling industrial and ag wells. 6" test wells all the way up to 30"+. Cased wells with a turbine head powered by diesel motors doing 4500 gpm with 24" static head pressure. Done acidizing, bailing wells. Pump servicing. It was fun then as I recall.

Damn glad I gave that up though.


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## Waif (Oct 27, 2013)

Nope never shot down a well pipe. The screens I have seen replaced even if the energy could somehow transfer through the standing water to scale or rust it would take a lot of force. Just delaying the inevitable. Too those I had replaced I did not want lead in and they had other components at top a shot would damage with my luck.


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## topgun47 (Jan 17, 2014)

ATB said:


> Should have given more background. I am just trying to hit a shallow aquifer for washing and watering purposes. And I will bring drinking water. I have no electricity other than generator and small solar system. I am trying to keep off grid.
> 
> I do have a Kawasaki Mule with a 3500 lb winch to try to rig up something. I was so locked in I manually drove it with a sledge hammer so need to pull it out somehow manually!


Wow! You own a Solar System? I thought only God could own one of those.


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## limige (Sep 2, 2005)

No farmers get them too thanks to the government 

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## JimP (Feb 8, 2002)

Try this to pull it...we used it for several dozen fence posts including some that were concreted at the base.
You need the chain to be closed into a loop that loosens as the lever is lowered. A large nut and bolt will work.
If not a loop, a figure eight can work too.
As you raise the lever the slight twisting of the chain constricts the pipe for grip.
A heavy duty oil filter wrench principle...

.









...


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## Kennybks (Mar 29, 2010)

limige said:


> No farmers get them too thanks to the government
> 
> Sent from my SCH-I535 using Ohub Campfire mobile app


I was thinking the same thing, but after several beers last night I got the "own a solar system" only God comment. Harhar

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## 1mainiac (Nov 23, 2008)

jimp said:


> Try this to pull it...we used it for several dozen fence posts including some that were concreted at the base.
> You need the chain to be closed into a loop that loosens as the lever is lowered. A large nut and bolt will work.
> If not a loop, a figure eight can work too.
> As you raise the lever the slight twisting of the chain constricts the pipe for grip.
> ...


That is what we were doing back in 73 with a 25ft long 12in dia log when the chain broke the log bounced off my right knee knocking the knee cap down to my ankle. Spent the entire summer working on the farm in a cast and broke the cast 7 times. The doctor just gave me a shot and pushed the knee cap back in place hurt like heck. Nothing like good old country doctors thank God they are nearly all gone now. It was not actually all the way to my ankle but felt like it, I could barely walk for 2 years after that. Ended my sports plans and my dreams of playing big league baseball. Still could throw and hit just could not run much. Barely made it thru Boot camp in 76 because it still hurt to run all the time. 41 years later it still is not much better so be careful if you try that method.


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## ATB (Feb 17, 2006)

Was up over the weekend and took the pump off dropped a line and it showed around 6 feet of water. Retightened and re-primed getting the leathers wet and got water all weekend. I think the problem is a fickle cheap arsed Chinese made hand pump.

I said I only had a small solar system, not our big one.


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## Waif (Oct 27, 2013)

We always had to prime our pump we had after it sat unused long enough to dry/drain enough to break the seal of leathers. Mornings for sure after sitting all night. Kept water jug put near it for when it sat long enough to need re priming and refilled after used.Keep water indoors in winter of course as well as pump if leaving it for the season or insulate it and its drop pipe big time.


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## Scout 2 (Dec 31, 2004)

How deep is your well? If it took a week for you to get 6 foot of water you are not in a vein and probably getting surface water. You may have bad leathers in your pump because we always prime our pump in the spring and let it out in the fall. If you have a chinese pump take it apart and check where the leathers seal if this surface is pitted it will not hold a prime and if the side walls are pitted it will not pump good. If you leave the handle in the up position it will lose its prime


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## jjlrrw (May 1, 2006)

The only time I put a well down my neighbor back then helped, we went to the creek where he cut a branch to use as a witching stick, after about five minutes he located what he called a stream ~20&#8217; down. I seen the branch move, he had me try it and I felt nothing, I thought hmmm not a believer at this point. he just laughed 

He had a number of 5&#8217; sections of 1&#8221; pipe that could be connected together with pins and a large tee handle, the first section of pipe had a large old wood drill bit welded to it about 1.5&#8221; x 8&#8221; long. We drilled and pulled out about 4&#8221; of dirt at a time about an hour later the bit came up clean and wet 18&#8217;, we connected the well pipe together dropped it in the hole and drove it another couple feet, connected the pump, primed and was pumping water.

He said he has put in many wells this way, no needing to pull the pipe because of not hitting water or hitting a root or rock.


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## shoelessjoe (Dec 13, 2012)

I'm the opposite I hit water that immediately fills the hole after 28 inches, also a lot of trouble if I want to put in any footings on the property. This said, I wouldn't trade my swamp/wetlands for anything else. It just gets into one's blood so to speak.


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## WALLEYE MIKE (Jan 7, 2001)

jjlrrw said:


> The only time I put a well down my neighbor back then helped, we went to the creek where he cut a branch to use as a witching stick, after about five minutes he located what he called a stream ~20 down. I seen the branch move, he had me try it and I felt nothing, I thought hmmm not a believer at this point. he just laughed
> 
> He had a number of 5 sections of 1 pipe that could be connected together with pins and a large tee handle, the first section of pipe had a large old wood drill bit welded to it about 1.5 x 8 long. We drilled and pulled out about 4 of dirt at a time about an hour later the bit came up clean and wet 18, we connected the well pipe together dropped it in the hole and drove it another couple feet, connected the pump, primed and was pumping water.
> 
> He said he has put in many wells this way, no needing to pull the pipe because of not hitting water or hitting a root or rock.


I witch with a pair of metal coat hangers. And yes it works.


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## Kennybks (Mar 29, 2010)

WALLEYE MIKE said:


> I witch with a pair of metal coat hangers. And yes it works.


I've seen it done with survey flags, but never a green willow branch. 

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## fishmagnetmike (Dec 10, 2010)

worked for a excavating co. we used arc welding rods for witching sticks to find under ground pipes it works


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