Problems with newly-dug well in W. Michigan

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We own a hobby farm and have recently dug a well about 20 feet deep. We have no electricity at our barn, which the well is near, and we must have a well. We have been pumping for days and get very little water and tons of sand. Is there a remedy for this? Our pump was purchased at a farming store. Do we need to try another? We are getting very frustrated! Thanks for your experienced help.

-- carla s. miller (carlasmiller@hotmail.com), September 26, 2001

Answers

You dug or drilled a well? Does it have a casing? How close to the bottom of the well is the pick-up of the pump?

-- Mel Kelly (melkelly@webtv.net), September 26, 2001.

Mel-I called my husband and asked these questions. We dug the well ourselves, it has no casing (if casing means is it inside anything else?), and we "struck" water about 8 feet from the top. The well is 25 feet deep. Hope this helps. Thanks!

-- carla s. miller (carlasmiller@hotmail.com), September 26, 2001.

Mel- Me again. My husband pounded the pipe into the ground. We know the sand is not filtered for days, but it has been a long time.

-- carla s. miller (carlasmiller@hotmail.com), September 26, 2001.

Carla, driving the well method requires that there be a accumlation space for the water at the bottom of the well. This can be accomplished by useing a pitcher pump (the kind you see on old "Gunsmoke" episold). After you have struck water, pull the pipe back up about 3 or 4 feet (with a tripod and chain fall or rachet cable winch), install a pitcher pump, draw up a cone of sand that is about 4 feet high. You will need to rinse out the pump a lot of times, maybe replace the leathers more than once. After drawing the sand let the well set for a day or two undisturbed so that the earth can seal around it. You can drive more than one well and later connect all of them together at one point before putting on the electric pump, or hand pump in your case, just keep them seperated at least 10 feet or more and creat the cavity for each drive site....

-- mitch hearn (moopups@citlink.net), September 26, 2001.

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