# Anyone know how to do a shallow well?



## MichiganHunter1971 (Jan 30, 2007)

I have some land located somewhere, where i would like to install a shallow well, I am about to buy the well point, drive couplings, and 1 1/4 galvanized pipe this weekend. Now my ? is How in the hell do i do it? Where do i start? My land is pretty sandy I have heard you just hit it down. But how do yo uknow when you hit water and then how is it you clean the well point out? Hope someone that has done this can give me alot of pointers on where to start and how to finish. Thnaks in advance.


----------



## Steve (Jan 15, 2000)

I have done it. Make sure you have neighbors who were successfull in doing this before you start. If your zoning allows it (and it probably doesn't) start with a dug pit first, as any digging is easier than driving. Make sure you use a drive cap on your pipe or you will screw up the threads for when you have to couple to the next section. Keep pounding until your point and screen is at least 3 feet below the top of the water. Once you are there, surge the screen by pouring as much water as possible through the pipe as fast as possible.


----------



## MichiganHunter1971 (Jan 30, 2007)

No my township does not allow it but oh well.. Can you use 10' sticks of 1 1/4 galvanized pipes or do you use 5 footers? When you mean stop about 3 foot above what are you talking about or how do i know when i will hit water? My neighbor had a 4"well put in and the water was down about 30' or so i guess


----------



## 2britts (Dec 21, 2008)

You can use 10' sticks I just did one at my parents house to water the lawn. We stood on a ladder to start and worked our way down. We only had to go about 18' deep as they are close to the bay. You will want to rent or borrow a post pounder. It is hard to do it with a sledge hammer without messing up the threads on the pipe. Another tip is to stop every few hits and make sure your drive cap is tight it will loosen up as you pound on it. It is some work and will take some time but it really isn't that hard to do. As far as knowing when you hit water we just dropped a string with a weight down the pipe once it came back wet we were able to tell how deep into the water we were.


----------



## Plant175 (Jul 8, 2009)

I have one sand point in and I'm about ready to do another. Here is what I did. I went to the local rental place and rented a large generator, with a heavy duty cord and a electric jack hammer with a 2" coupling on the end. Our pipe lenght was 6' and we would climb up the ladder and squeeze the trigger and watch the pipe go into the ground. Much easier than hand pounding in the pipe. Hope that works !!


----------



## Steve (Jan 15, 2000)

I would use the 10 foot sections if you have some idea how far down you have to go. The less joints the better. Also keep in mind that if you have to suction draw more than 25 feet it will probably not work. That's why I suggested the pit.


----------



## MichiganHunter1971 (Jan 30, 2007)

Thanks for the info guys, It really helps me out, I did not know you could rent a jack hammer with a coupling attachment I will definitly be renting that.. I was at tractor supply today and they had 115volt well pumps that would reach 70 feet can you use this on a shallow well to bring water up if i end up having to go beyond 25 feet?? once i hit water i would like to go down about 5 feet past that to make sure i stay in the water. The whole idea to this is I am wantingt o make a shower house at our deercamp, the old ways of heating water and pumping it by hand out of the water heater that cabelas sells is getting old I tried the zodi and did not like it. So I am wanting to dig a pit about 5' down and start the pounding from there then we are going to line it with 3/4" womanized sheets of plywood and keep everything below frostline, I am wanting to get a holding tank also then pressurize it from there to 1 of those propane wall mounted hot water heaters in a 4x4 shower house.


----------



## FREEPOP (Apr 11, 2002)

What we did is make it a 3 sided pit, used a tractor to aid my backhoe work with I did with a shovel. That makes it legal. Line with wolmanized plywood and heavy foam 3" thick. Mice will ruin regular insulation as will water. 
One important thing, "Any well that will take water, will give water". Drive down, fill with water and if it stays full, drive some more. Once you can't fill it, you are where you need to be.

Edit: Oh, hard pan is usually just before the water and is real fun.


----------



## Steve (Jan 15, 2000)

Yeah that hard pan or gravel is a bitch. Tell me more about this 3 sided pit as I don't understand the concept. @MichiganHunter, with the 1 1/4 inch pipe you are talking about driving the only pump I know of that will work with that is suction draw and they are limited to 25' give or take a few.


----------



## FREEPOP (Apr 11, 2002)

Steve, it is just built on the side of a hill. My father used the back blade and a scoop on a small Ford tractor to excavate one side out, while I dug my butt off. Thankfully it was sand. We went 6 foot down, 2 foot still sticking above and on the excavated side it has a door that basically makes it a "walk out". Cemented the floor, put in posts and 3/4" wolmanized for construction. Makes for more insulating but it passed.


----------



## Steve (Jan 15, 2000)

Hmmm. that won't work for me. Don't have any hills around. Also my head has to be six foot under in order to work as the pipe is 30ft under that, so bringing it above ground would make the suction draw not work.


----------



## bigcountrysg (Oct 9, 2006)

Usually just take a shovel and start digging.


----------



## Steve (Jan 15, 2000)

Hmmm now you have me thinking. I'd have to call my sanitary guy up there. I could backhoe into the side of the pit I already have dug. You got me thinking now. I still think they won't like it because the well head is six feet below grade.


----------



## FREEPOP (Apr 11, 2002)

The pump ended up sitting at the bottom of the "walk out well pit". We were lucky to have that hill, the water table there is very high and at times the water almost backs up into the pump house.


----------



## Steve (Jan 15, 2000)

Got it. That won't work in my area. No hills and the well head has to be above grade.


----------



## FREEPOP (Apr 11, 2002)

I believe the biggest thing they are worried about is it flooding, going back down the well and contaminating the water table, is my best guess.


----------



## MichiganHunter1971 (Jan 30, 2007)

Ok just got back from menards, they had there shallow well stuff on sale i ended up going with 1 1/4 well point drive cap and couplings, they had the well point on sale for 30.00 couplings 4.00 and the cap 4.00 bought 2 sticks of 10 foot 1 1/4 galvanized pipe that was 25 a stick. Now i have to get up and drive that sucker down,lol I will be checking the rental places in cadillac and seeing if they rent that jack hammer thingy to help out with the pipe. If i dig my hole down 5' and make it 4'x4' I can go down 25' from that point right?


----------



## FREEPOP (Apr 11, 2002)

If there's water there


----------



## MichiganHunter1971 (Jan 30, 2007)

lol, I know thats what i am scared of how in the heck do i find out where to put the darn thing??? Can i just pick anyspot? I do not know how to use the forked branch,lol. I am in manistee county and it is pretty sandy where i am wanting to do it at.


----------



## FREEPOP (Apr 11, 2002)

I watched a guy use two copper wires before and it worked pretty good.


----------

