# 25' shallow well driving



## boomer_x7 (Dec 19, 2008)

tdejong302 said:


> I use a post hole digger that you turn. Its not the type that you use w/ handles that open up. It attaches to a 3/4 pipe and your turn it. I bought 5 ft. sections that go down to 20 ft. When I hit wet sandy soil it will no longer pull it out. I drive from there. It takes a couple hours if you dont' hit anything hard. Put in 3 wells in the last 5 years doing it. Works awesome. Use good sealer on your joints w/ pipe tread tape and your good to go. Fill it when you have water.


That's called a hand auger


----------



## 1302berkey (May 6, 2015)

Scout 2 said:


> Keep turning your pipe to tighten the threads as you go. If it stops and won't go any deeper turn your pipe to loosen it. Make sure you have a drive point on your pipe or you will rip the screen. A drive point has a bigger head than the dia of the pipe


I thought hand driven Wells were "verboten" in Michigan.


----------



## FREEPOP (Apr 11, 2002)

jfishbones said:


> I made some rods and it worked great, they crossed over pretty quickly, less than the count of 3, where I am trying to drive well. I got the pipe down almost 20 ft right now, it filled up with water overnight to 6 ft up the pipe but it would not pump. First 12 ft went great using electric jack hammer, then I hit grey clay and it took me about 7 hours to go 7 more ft then I broke a pipe (I was putting down pressure on jack hammer with tractor bucket while my buddy ran the hammer). Not sure if I should re-thread that pipe and try again or not, took us 3 hours to go 4ft today.


When the pipe takes water, it will give water.


----------



## jfishbones (Aug 12, 2009)

FREEPOP said:


> When the pipe takes water, it will give water.


Freepop, I think you mean that if I pour water in and the water goes down the pipe she will give water back up? I think I read this. I filled the pipe with water and it stayed full so I am thinking I need to keep going.


----------



## FREEPOP (Apr 11, 2002)

jfishbones said:


> Freepop, I think you mean that if I pour water in and the water goes down the pipe she will give water back up? I think I read this. I filled the pipe with water and it stayed full so I am thinking I need to keep going.


Yes, you are correct.

I remember the old guy that came over to supervise while I was pounding away, kept mentioning those words.


----------



## jfishbones (Aug 12, 2009)

I am trying to find someone that rents an electric pipe threader but coming up short.
Anyone ever have to re-thread 1 1/4 pipe already in the ground?


----------



## newaygogeorge (Aug 16, 2006)

As i am pounding I could hear an echoing sound when i hit water within the pipe, at that point I ran a 100ft surveyors tape measure down the pipe till i hit the well point end when i pulled it back up i could gage if i did or did not hit water. If i did the wet tape told me how far i was in water. I like to be around 3ft wet on the tape that's where i feel most comfortable knowing I am not to far or not far enough into the water table to draw from. Good Luck jfishbones


----------



## Steve (Jan 15, 2000)

Also remember once you do hit water to make sure you continue deep enough to cover the entire screen.


----------



## Scout 2 (Dec 31, 2004)

1302berkey said:


> I thought hand driven Wells were "verboten" in Michigan.


Guess you thought wrong everyone around here has them and they have been checked by the health dept


----------



## boomer_x7 (Dec 19, 2008)

FREEPOP said:


> When the pipe takes water, it will give water.


That might be true if you're driving through clay


----------



## FREEPOP (Apr 11, 2002)

boomer_x7 said:


> That might be true if you're driving through clay


Sand then hard pan, it worked.


----------



## boomer_x7 (Dec 19, 2008)

FREEPOP said:


> Sand then hard pan, it worked.


So dry sand wont take water?


----------



## Petronius (Oct 13, 2010)

boomer_x7 said:


> So dry sand wont take water?


Ya got me stumped on that one.


----------



## boomer_x7 (Dec 19, 2008)

petronius said:


> Ya got me stumped on that one.


Pour water on dry sand and see what happens.....


----------



## FREEPOP (Apr 11, 2002)

boomer_x7 said:


> So dry sand wont take water?


15 foot down it wouldnt


----------



## Steve (Jan 15, 2000)

boomer_x7 said:


> That might be true if you're driving through clay


Even sand. The sand won't take much water from a surge but once you hit the sweet spot you should be able to surge the pipe and the water should leave very quickly. In fact I think it is a good idea to do this once you hit water to clear the screen. I really don't recommend doing it until you hit water as I feel it might make it more difficult to tell when you do.


----------



## boomer_x7 (Dec 19, 2008)

FREEPOP said:


> 15 foot down it wouldnt


Why wouldn't it?


----------



## FREEPOP (Apr 11, 2002)

boomer_x7 said:


> Why wouldn't it?


After you get down a couple feet, sand is rarely completely dry and the driving process compacts the soil/sand more than it was.

Have you ever tried it?


----------



## feedinggrounds (Jul 21, 2009)

Steve said:


> Also remember once you do hit water to make sure you continue deep enough to cover the entire screen.


That is correct Steve, I always found clay or hardpan, if you do not get too far past a shallow pumps working depth You will always find clay or hardpan, or gravity will just take the water down farther. Shallow aquafers are always perched on some barrier or they won't be shallow. My camp well is 38 foot, at 24 foot I hit clay about 2 foot thick once broke through pipe took water fast. I drove the remainder at 2 inches a hit then stopped hard at 38 water came up pipe to 17 foot below surface, letting me pump with a pitcher pump. I think going through a shallow clay layer will insure better water.


----------



## jfishbones (Aug 12, 2009)

feedinggrounds said:


> That is correct Steve, I always found clay or hardpan, if you do not get too far past a shallow pumps working depth You will always find clay or hardpan, or gravity will just take the water down farther. Shallow aquafers are always perched on some barrier or they won't be shallow. My camp well is 38 foot, at 24 foot I hit clay about 2 foot thick once broke through pipe took water fast. I drove the remainder at 2 inches a hit then stopped hard at 38 water came up pipe to 17 foot below surface, letting me pump with a pitcher pump. I think going through a shallow clay layer will insure better water.


I hit grey clay at around 13', at 19' now and its still hard. Going back at it tomorrow and into the weekend for one last try


----------



## FREEPOP (Apr 11, 2002)

jfishbones said:


> I hit grey clay at around 13', at 19' now and its still hard. Going back at it tomorrow and into the weekend for one last try


We found ours after getting thru the clay. We ended up close to 30, I think.


----------



## feedinggrounds (Jul 21, 2009)

jfishbones said:


> I hit grey clay at around 13', at 19' now and its still hard. Going back at it tomorrow and into the weekend for one last try


Keep tightening pipe every few whacks. Man if the clay is not too thick I bet you hit it, good luck, I am feeling for you, I swear I was going to give up. Put in a lot of easier wells since. The well at home was tough and I am on a lake 2 foot above water level.


----------



## multibeard (Mar 3, 2002)

If your lake is like the man made one we bought at the first water you hit is going to be crap, orange and nasty. The local well driller that drilled the well at the place that we bought only cares that the water is wet. They do not care that it is nasty.


----------



## feedinggrounds (Jul 21, 2009)

No sir tested


multibeard said:


> If your lake is like the man made one we bought at the first water you hit is going to be crap, orange and nasty. The local well driller that drilled the well at the place that we bought only cares that the water is wet. They do not care that it is nasty.


great, hard but clean. Went through clay at 15 or so feet. is 24 foot total, it does flow without pump hooked up, not a gusher but will flood the pit.


----------

