How to dig a well - the main features of this type of work

As you know, uninterrupted water supply is just as important as electrical communications and a high-quality heating system. Carrying water from afar is a tedious task, it takes a lot of time and effort. This article will tell you how to dig a well in the country or garden without attracting outside specialists.

Many believe that the construction of the well is an overwork that must be done by professionals. In fact, even hired specialists do the work the same way as it was done 300 years ago - with a shovel, and the price of the work is quite impressive. Proper planning and a reasonable distribution of power will allow you to do the work yourself.

Preparatory stage

At this stage, planning and preparation activities should be carried out. It is important to provide all the nuances and stock up with everything necessary for the most comfortable work. There are many factors to consider.

Water intake location

Here there are several basic requirements, following which you protect yourself from the consumption of poor-quality drinking water:

• On the site near the well there should be no sources of biological contamination, these include the disposal of garbage, heaps of manure and other similar objects.
• Do not trust the various "craftsmen" who allegedly can determine the optimal location of the source with the help of twigs and wires. If there is water in the neighboring areas in the wells, you will be at about the same level.
• Also it is necessary to take into account the peculiarities of the area in which your cottage or a personal plot is located. Marshy areas are unsuitable for the construction of wells due to the high risk of water pollution. In such places, the only solution is an artesian well.
• It is better to have water intake close to home, you will save significant funds on laying communications. But, it should be borne in mind that the well should not be located closer than 5 meters from the buildings.

• Remember that on the slopes of the water lies much deeper, and often in the soil there are stone layers, dig a well with their own hands in such conditions is unlikely to succeed.
• If an industrial or agrotechnical enterprise with a large volume of wastewater is located nearby, it is better to clarify the environmental situation and groundwater quality indicators in a competent organization. There are cases when the device of wells is not recommended within a radius of several kilometers.

Basic work rules

So, consider how to dig a well in the country, following all the recommendations of experts and the process:

• The optimal period for work is the end of winter or the end of summer, periods with stable weather and stable groundwater levels. It is not recommended to carry out work in the spring, because, firstly, it significantly complicates the process due to increased soil moisture, and secondly, the groundwater level is much higher than the annual average, and having dug a well, in summer you may find that the water intake is dry .
• Sometimes, the only option is to work in the winter. Do not be afraid for the working conditions - by digging a well, you will not freeze, and in the depth of the ground, even in the most severe frosts, the temperature is above zero.
• Work should be carried out continuously, as downtime can cause warp rings and sticking of the column, which is highly undesirable.
• To perform the work, it is better to invite at least two assistants to work as efficiently as possible: one digs, the second lifts and carries the ground, the third rests. So, with the help of constant rotation of workers, a sufficiently large amount of work can be done with normal expenditure of forces. Of course, it is better to collect even more assistants, it is impossible to complete the work yourself.

• To facilitate the heavy process of lowering the rings into the pit, it is better to erect a massive structure above the place of work, which is equipped with a system of blocks - with it work on lowering the rings and lifting sand and stones will be much easier. If there is an electric winch - in general, fine, the work will be facilitated even more.

• Stones that come across should be reached with the help of any short lever - crowbar, pipes, and so on. They are tied up with a rope and move up.

Tip! Be very attentive to the rope when tying up large stones, with its breakage you can get fatal injuries.

How to dig a well

We note immediately that this can be done in two main ways; we will consider the features of each of them in more detail.

Digging mine method

This view is distinguished by the fact that at first a hole is digging to the required depth, and only then the rings are lowered into the ground.

Of the features include the following:

• The main condition under which this type of work is possible is solid ground, not prone to shattering. The walls of the mine should be strong and stable, without loose areas.
• So that later there is no unsolvable question of how to level the well, in the process of work one should constantly check the vertical of the pit and, if necessary, correct the walls.
• Both methods begin with the digging of a small depression under the size of the rings; it will serve as the main guideline for further work.

• With the deepening, it is necessary to increasingly supply sand to the surface, as noted above, the frame or tripod with a block or a winch will significantly speed up the process and retain a lot of strength from the workers. At the same time to speed up the process, you can lower the capacity manually.
• It is easiest to check the geometry of the mine with the help of two strips fastened crosswise.

• With the deepening of the need for lighting, take care of this in advance. To have on hand was carrying the required length.
• When water appears, you need to use a pump to pump out excessive moisture. Do not forget about this aspect, otherwise you will have to look for equipment and extension cord urgently or buy them.

• Rings are lowered with the help of a crane, or with the help of a self-erected structure; this work is unlikely to be done manually.

Digging with the simultaneous installation of well rings

This method is different from the first:

• First, a small recess is dug along the diameter of the ring, the depth of which can be 20-30 cm.
• Next, a special shoe is installed that facilitates the penetration of the rings into the ground and the first ring is placed on it.
• As the soil is removed, the section is lowered due to its own weight, and when its upper edge becomes equal to the ground, the next ring is placed, and so on.
• When you reach the aquifer, you should use a bilge pump to continue.

• Sometimes it happens that the construction ceases to go into the ground; this means that the shaft of the mine has deviated from the vertical axis. Let us consider how to align the rings in the well - this is a fairly simple process - a large, strong shield is placed on top of it, on which you must put as many sand bags, stones and other heavy objects as possible. After some time the rings will go to the ground again.

Remember! After the end of the earthworks, stones are piled up at the bottom of the source, and they are piled up with well-washed rubble. This system acts as a sand filter.

Conclusion

The construction of a well is a rather difficult process due to the large weight of concrete rings and a significant amount of work on digging and transporting the soil (see also the article Establishing a sewer well: requirements and types).

The video in this article will help to understand this issue even better.