Do-It-Yourself Well Cleaning: An Overview of Common Causes of Clogging and Best Cleaning Techniques. Purge for cleaning
Immediately after drilling and installing the filter, it is necessary to thoroughly pump the well. If the water intake equipment was handled by professionals, they will perform the initial cleaning. If you have to act on your own, before studying the question of how to clean the well with your own hands, it is worth considering several important factors. The choice of method depends on:
- Soil type and well depth.
- Technical parameters: casing diameter, water source performance.
- Availability of electricity on site necessary tools and an electric pump.
If you need to get clean water after long downtime hydraulic structure, the degree of contamination and the condition of the pipe inside the structure should be determined.
Starting a water intake: how to properly pump a well after drilling
The first rule: it doesn’t matter how, but it is necessary to pump the well after drilling immediately after the completion of work. If the work is not carried out on time, there will be difficulties with cleaning: all contaminants will settle at the bottom of the casing string, it will be much more difficult to raise the compacted layer of clay and silt. Proper flushing will bring the well flow rate to maximum rate- the layer of silt will not interfere with the flow of water.
The flushing procedure is technically simple, but takes a lot of time. For a complete cleaning shallow wells it takes from 12 hours, and for pumping deep - up to several months.
The choice of cleaning method: how best to clean the well
To determine how best to clean the well, you should analyze the depth and composition of the soil at the location of the arrangement:
- Shallow water intakes, with subsidence to 2 - 3 aquifers, with a predominance of sand or clay. In this case, you can both clean the well of sand and pump the source using a home-made device - a bailer, a hand pump, or inexpensive submersible equipment.
- At a depth of 15 m, work should be entrusted to the masters. For deep, drilled into limestone and hard rocks wells, you will have to use powerful centrifugal pumps, special equipment.
Features of professional pumping
Experts determine how to flush the well after drilling by analyzing the composition of the contaminants that rise to the surface with the first portions of water. Depending on the depth of the trunk, prepare hoses, pipes of sufficient length.
In order to pump the well as quickly and efficiently as possible, professional centrifugal-type submersible pumps are used. The equipment is lowered to a precisely marked depth and a continuous intake of water is made until a jet is completely free of impurities.
With such equipment, pumping will be done quickly, with a guarantee
Important! It is expensive to independently carry out work with powerful equipment purchased for organizing water supply. The pump may fail due to prolonged pumping of water with mechanical particles.
Video: professional leveling rules
Professional advice on how to properly pump a well after drilling
How to clean a well with your own hands from silt and sand
Owners of plots without power supply will have to solve the issue on their own. Also, owners of old water intakes that have not been used for a long time often face a problem.
Water sources, the depth of which does not exceed 15 m, can be independently pumped without extra expenses. A minimum of equipment is needed, the main thing is to stock up on time and patience.
With your own hands: how to clean a well with a conventional bailer and a hand pump
Most economical option solving the question of how to pump a well with your own hands - using a conventional bailer and a hand pump to facilitate work and speed up the process. This method is suitable for surface wells, if clay or sandy soil prevails.
You can make a bailer yourself: a tip with a valve with a sharp cutting edge is welded to an ordinary thick-walled pipe. A handle or hook is attached from above so that a pipe filled with silt can be lifted to the surface.
Hand pump used to make the job easier. With its help, it is possible to supply water inside the column and suck out the contaminated sludge mass to the surface through a hose. It saves time and effort: you do not have to manually lift several tens of kilograms to the surface. The pump can be used after removing the bulk of the contaminants with a bailer for final cleaning.
How to clean a well with a bailer:
- A bailer is lowered to the bottom of the well. From the water hammer, the valve opens, silt and sand enter the pipe body together with dirty water, the valve closes automatically.
- With the help of a winch, a cable, or manually, the filled device is lifted to the surface, the contents are poured out.
- The procedure is repeated until the complete removal of contaminants.
Disadvantages of the method: laboriousness, duration of the procedure. Due to the small volume of the device, the cleaning process can take weeks.
Flushing with a submersible pump
How to pump a well from sand with your own hands? The fastest way is with a submersible pump. It makes no sense to buy expensive imported tools for dirty work. It is enough to choose a cheap model. It is better that in the vibration pump the water intake hole is located at the bottom.
Inexpensive model vibration pump
For pumping you will need:
- Hoses significantly exceeding the depth of the source barrel.
- Pump.
- Cargo ( metal bolt, a blank with a mount).
- Rope or rope.
A cable is attached to the pump, which must be strong enough to lift the equipment if the pump is sucked into the sand. It is better to use a thin and durable steel cable. After lowering the pump, a hose is lowered in parallel, which will supply water. The pressure will wash away and lift pollution from the bottom.
To soften, loosen the sludge, you can lower the load to the bottom of the well before submerging the pump. During cleaning, it is necessary to periodically lift the equipment, pump clean water - the pump will not break, overheat or clog.
Note! It is very important to accurately determine the depth of immersion in order to clean the water from the well as best as possible. A pump set too low can suck into the sand that has accumulated on the bottom, and a pump set too high will cause sludge not to be removed. Optimal Height– from 50 to 70 cm from the bottom of the casing string.
Cleaning with two pumps: how to flush a well yourself
Express method, how to pump a well: surface pump water is continuously pumped in, at the same time silt rises from the bottom, submersible pump pumps water to the surface. This way is the fastest.
Scheme correct location and equipment connections
You will need:
- Two pumps: one for supply, the other for the intake of polluted water.
- Capacity, at least 150 - 200 liters.
- Hoses.
Connect first submersible pump to fill the pipe with water. Then an external one is connected, the pressure erodes the dirt. The process takes place almost automatically. It is necessary to monitor the water level in the barrel, periodically turn off the pumps to avoid overheating.
Difficulties when pumping a well
The main problems that arise during pumping are associated with the incorrect choice of method and non-compliance simple rules. If the well is old, not used, it is better to entrust the diagnosis of its condition to specialists. Too intense pressure can damage the walls: in this case, you will have to repair the equipment and clog new pipe.
Haste is another reason why the source cannot be flushed. In areas with alumina, the process can take months, because contaminated water easily seeps back into aquifer. It is important to discharge the pumped water over a long distance, so cleaning will take less time.
Deep water intakes should only be serviced by professionals. The procedure should be carried out regularly - the source will be reliably protected from silting.
The owners of private houses talk to nature “for you”: they feast on fresh cucumbers, picking them right in the garden, bathe in summer shower, located in the yard, can afford to indulge in a smoky barbecue and enjoy clean and tasty water from the well.
If there is no centralized water supply in a private house, then the presence of a well can replace the uninterrupted water supply of six acres. But the well has one significant drawback: the time inevitably comes when, like any hydraulic structure, it begins to require preventive maintenance or repair work.
This circumstance often confuses homeowners, since not everyone knows how a well is flushed.
What contributes to the clogging of the well?
The first signal that should alert the owner of a country estate, which has a well instead of a water pipe, is a weak water pressure of water flowing from a tap.
The main causes and signs of well clogging.
The next signal is the “sneeze” of the tap, the release of a cloudy water suspension and sucking air. And finally, the most unpleasant thing happens - the water from the tap stops flowing at all.
Before you start cleaning the well, determine the reason why this trouble occurred. And the reasons may be as follows:
- The most main reason– improperly performed drilling and well construction.
- A well becomes clogged if it is operated intermittently rather than continuously.
- The existence of underground natural processes, which cause the movement of earth layers, change the direction of movement of the aquifer and others.
- There are no protective devices that prevent litter from entering the well.
- The filters are clogged and do not do their job well.
- The pump is inefficient.
- The hydraulic structure is technically serviced irregularly and others.
What methods clean wells
The following three rules are used to clean up wells:
- Performing pumping;
- Purge;
- Washes.
Well cleaning using equipment and machinery
With radical and fast way problem solving cost big financial resources, which are necessary in order to call a fire truck and pay for the work of a team of two people. Using a fire hose with pressurized water, 10 minutes is enough to clean the well, remove all accumulated silt, muddy water and elements that have fallen into the well from outside.
Self-cleaning of the well
If the well is slightly contaminated, you can clean it yourself. For this, it is blown through with the help of air supplied by an airlift with a pressure of 15 atmospheres. This air column is sufficient for the water mixture to be pushed up. However, when using large volumes water method is inefficient.
If the pressure in the fire hose is too high during the purge, it is possible to eliminate the reason for stopping the water, however, the water can damage the components of the system, damage the filter.
Most in a rational way consider pumping, which saves the hydraulic structure from various deposits on its bottom, which may be silty, sandy or other. The presence of a conventional pump of any type, or a special pump for pumping contaminated liquids, allows you to pump out water contaminated with sand and silt, as well as small pebbles and debris. The cleaning process is carried out after the pump is installed on the bottom - in this position of the pump, it is able to pump out any contamination.
Need a periodic "run" through the clean water pump, which washes work surface systems from any contamination. If the body heats up, this indicates that the hydraulic installation needs to be prevented and allowed to “rest”.
affordable but inefficient way is the use of a bailer. The method is good in cases where the well is cleared of sand sediment. To make translational shock movements with a half-meter piece of pipe, which has a metal ball with a diameter of 50 mm and a cable, and then unload the contents of the bailer, it is necessary to apply certain efforts. The use of a bailer is advisable for shallow wells with little clogging. If the well has a significant depth (more than 30 meters), then a winch is also used to perform lifting work.
Deep wells are preferably cleaned using mechanical cleaning, which is the most effective. Process optimization can be carried out using two pumps that work together in harmony.
To do this, it is necessary to place a deep-well pump equipped with a lower water intake at the very bottom of the well. They supply water containing silt and mud deposits to the top. An assistant to the pump is a pump - it supplies water from a container with pressure in order to shake up sand and silt deposits.
In order for the operation of the equipment to be uninterrupted and the cleaning of the well to be effective, it is necessary to periodically shake the drainage hose and constantly monitor the content of contaminants. If the concentration of contaminants in the water that is pumped out is increased, the equipment may overheat and break down.
At correct selection well cleaning equipment is most effective. The depth of the waters affects the equipment. For example, if the hydraulic structure has a depth of more than 10 meters, it is advisable to use a vibration pump, but not a rotary unit.
So, decide and think about renewal operational life wells, it is necessary for the owner himself country house. If you are unsure of your strengths and abilities, do not hesitate to resort to the services of specialists who will cope with this problem easily and efficiently.
In many private homes, a well is the only way to get drinking water. Its operation does not deliver special trouble, but occasionally it crashes. This is influenced by several reasons, and how to eliminate them effectively and quickly is described in the article.
Gradually, any well gets dirty, in order to eliminate the blockage, you need to find out why this happened. The decrease in tap water, the supply of contaminated water occur due to several reasons, the main of which are:
- Irregular water intake . The well is used intermittently, and during the period of inactivity during the cold period, a sediment consisting of sand, silt from pieces of rust from pipes accumulates at the bottom of the well.
- Pollution from environment . They can enter the system due to poor quality installation work, incorrect filter installation or worn parts.
- Clogged filter . It often happens that due to irregular maintenance, the filter device becomes silted.
- Well drilling errors . Some craftsmen build it before reaching the aquifer.
Purge for cleaning
It will require special device- airlift. This is an ordinary compressor, to which a hose is connected. With its help, air is supplied into the well under a pressure of 15 atmospheres, thanks to the pressure, it pushes silt and sand to the surface from the bottom of the well. This option is used for wells up to 40 meters deep, while you need to clearly monitor the pressure. The purge process is carried out step by step:- Insert pipes into the well . They must be fixed from above with ropes, this is necessary to prevent the rise of pipes, which can occur due to high pressure.
- Installing the vacuum adapter . It needs to be secured with screws. After pumping up the pressure to the maximum value, the compressor is connected to the adapter with a hose.
- Turn on the unit. Under pressure, the air will begin to push out dirty water, which itself will clean the annular space.
Chemical cleaning
It is used if after blowing the water debit has not increased. This phenomenon indicates that the filter is clogged with hard layers containing iron, salt and lime.To get rid of them, they resort to a radical method - they use battery acid. All water is pumped out of the well, and then acid is poured into its bottom. In this form, the well should stand for 2 days, while its top should be carefully closed with a lid. After that, the water from the well is pumped out several times in order to purify it from the residue split by acids.
Try to use water only for household and construction needs. Only after a month it is allowed to drink and use it for cooking, otherwise there is a high probability of poisoning with acid residues.
With two pumps
To perform cleaning, 2 pumps are used: deep and self-priming. The process takes a lot of time, but it proceeds without clogging with large sediment particles:- For all the dirty water raised from the bottom, you need to prepare a barrel of at least 200 liters. A small container is attached to its upper part, the bottom of which is made of a fine sieve;
- One hose is directed into this container, the other loaded is lowered into the well, but so that it does not rest against the bottom;
- Work begins with the inclusion of the deep pump. He draws a full barrel of water, if it is not enough in the well, then it will be necessary to top up;
- It is necessary to put into operation a self-priming pump that will supply water from the barrel to the well, since particles of silt will remain in the tank with a mesh bottom, the water will return relatively clean.
The cleaning process in this way lasts about 2 hours.
Application of the bailer
This is effective method, for the use of which you need to prepare a half-meter pipe, insert a metal ball into it, its diameter must be chosen about 50 mm. This device can be purchased at the store or created from improvised means. A mesh is welded in its upper part, and a hole is provided in the lower part, which is made using a conventional nut. In this design, an arc is welded on top, for which a cable is suspended.
The bailer sinks to the bottom, water seeps into it, and the ball inside begins to rise and then falls. He performs such forward movements up to 4 times. After that, the structure is lifted from the well and cleaned of sand. In general, about half a kilogram of sand enters the bailer. Work is carried out until the bailer rises almost empty.
This method is most often used for shallow wells - up to 30 m.
Cleaning with pump and fire engine (video)
The wells of private houses are characterized by a shallow depth, which can reach up to 25 meters. Thanks to this, you can clean them yourself with the help of low power pumps as suggested in the attached video:Cleaning with a pump
To supply water to the surface, a pump is lowered on a suspension, then it turns on and pumps out water. If silting occurs at the bottom of the device, the water supply may eventually completely stop.Most wells use a conventional vibratory pump model. If the plug is eliminated, you need to choose a model with a lower water intake, but before using it, you need to modify it:
- Unscrew the outer nut on the tip of the pump;
- Install a metal bracket about 15 cm long on the threaded shaft;
- Tighten it with a nut and tighten it well.
The pump is lowered to the bottom of the well, but on condition that there is water. If not, then you need to add a small amount of liquid there. After filling it, the pump is lowered, it is lifted with light swaying movements and immediately lowered. With this action, a bracket attached to the end of the pump agitates the sludge. The pump is able to pick up contaminants and throw them out.
Cleaning with a fire truck
If the blockage is more serious, and the sediment formed on the outer walls of the pipe has become a hard crust, then the second option is suitable, which is shown in the same video as in the previous paragraph.You need to take a fire hose, the diameter of which freely enters the well pipe, and put a tip on it. Its design is made with a narrowed end, due to which, when water is sucked out in the system, it will increase the pressure at the bottom of the well.
Flushing is carried out using a fire truck:
- Fluid supply to the sleeve;
- Filling the entire well;
- Due to the resulting pressure, water penetrates through the filter into the space behind the pipe walls, and destroys the sludge crust.
Cleaning and repairing wells is an important issue for owners personal plots. Before starting the operation, it is necessary to identify and eliminate the causes of contamination and then choose the best cleaning option. To do this, you should familiarize yourself with its design, calculate what the cost of cleaning the wells will be, the timing of the work.
Types of wells
There are two main types of water intakes:
- Sandy. Feature of the building - water is coming through layers of gravel and sand. This includes the main part of wells at summer cottages and household plots, and the change in the chemical composition and water level occurs seasonally.
- Artesian(see): Found between layers of limestone. Chemical composition and its water level is constant. Such devices are rare. This is due to the fact that they need to drill the ground for 50 meters or more.
In addition, the column and filter can be either the same or different. The fundamental difference between them is that the first option is simpler and easier to clean. In this case, the pump can be lowered to the very bottom.
What are the causes of clogging
The main causes of clogging of wells can be:
- The instructions for the pipe device were not followed. This occurs when the lower part of the pipe, where the water should flow, is located outside the aquifer.
- Water is not pumped out enough, which leads to constant sedimentation of silt particles at the bottom, clay, and rust from the pipe itself.
Tip: If the owner of the site does not have the opportunity to regularly pump out water all year round, then it is necessary to do this more intensively in the summer. Increasing the amount of pumped liquid reduces the need to clean the well.
- Application of rotary water pumps. Such equipment can only be used at a depth not exceeding 10 meters. To clean this type of device, you must take a vibration pump. It is gradually lowered into the well to the very bottom.
- The use of a deep vibration pump, which has an upper water intake.
- The diameter is much larger than the filter diameter. Therefore, it is impossible to lower the pump to the desired level, it will stop about 30 centimeters above the filter, which will result in clogging of the filter with deposits.
Cleaning methods
How to clean a well with a filter
Each well must necessarily have a filter, which is a hole of small diameter located at the bottom of the pipe. It allows small particles and water to pass through, and retains large ones, thus preventing contamination of the well. Some filters consist of two pipes with different diameter and have holes in them.
How to clean a well with a bailer
Reliable, although rather laborious, is the cleaning of wells with a bailer. With its help, even a completely idle well is cleaned to its original state. At the same time, the well is well cleaned of silt, small stones and fairly coarse sand are removed.
The bailer shown in the photo can easily be made independently.
For this:
- A pipe is taken, in which the inner diameter is 50 millimeters, the length is 60 centimeters.
- A metal ball with a diameter of 40 millimeters is being prepared.
- A bottom is inserted into the pipe from below, which looks like a thick washer. In the upper plane, the washer has the shape of a funnel, and the seat of the hole is adjusted to the diameter of the ball. The other side of the washer is usually flat, but it is better to make it with a reverse taper.
- The bottom is well welded to the pipe.
- A grate or thick wire is welded on top of the pipe so that the ball does not fly out of the pipe. An arc is also welded here, to which a nylon cord or a thin metal cable is fixed.
Tip: To increase the efficiency of the bailer, you can attach from the bottom to the pipe from 2 to 4 high strength fang made of metal, which will loosen sand and silt.
To assemble the structure, the difficulty lies in the selection of the ball, so there are several options for acquiring it:
- Buy.
- Order the manufacture of a ball on a lathe.
- You can make your own.
For this:
- buy a plastic ball desired diameter and lead shot of any size;
- the ball is neatly cut in half;
- fraction is mixed with any waterproof glue, and both halves of the ball are filled with such a composition;
- once both hemispheres have dried, they are sanded and glued together.
Tip: The strength of the manufactured ball depends on the adhesive used (it is better to take epoxy) and the quality of workmanship.
- Instead of shot, you can use balls from bearings.
How the bailer works
First of all, the bailer is attached to a long strong cord or metal cable.
After that:
- The element sinks to the bottom of the device, rises by about 50 centimeters and drops sharply to the bottom.
- A sharp lowering of the bailer causes the ball, under the action of potential energy, to open the lower hole.
- Here comes cloudy water with silt and sand.
- The ball closes the hole.
- Three to four strokes are enough to fill the bailer by about half.
- Gently, without jerks, the bailer rises to the surface and sand and silt are poured out along with the water.
- Approximately 300 grams is lifted by the bailer for one lift of sand and silt, while water is not included in the calculation. When translated into the thickness of the silt layer, this is about three centimeters with a diameter of 108 millimeters. Knowing such parameters, it is possible to calculate the total height of the layer and the frequency of cleaning the well.
Tip: You can make the job easier by using a bailer lift gate.
How to clean a well with a deep vibration pump
Cleaning a well with a deep well is a more progressive, effortless way to care for wells. The disadvantage of the method is only the impossibility of determining the real bottom of the well, but this is not always so important.
For work, a vibration pump of the “Kid” type is taken, which has a water intake from below.
The order of work is as follows:
- A durite or rubber durable hose of the required diameter is put on the protruding body of the water intake and secured with a clamp.
- AT without fail insurance is required. It is needed in case of hose slippage due to pump vibration.
- A long hose or PVC tube is inserted into the hose. The connection is securely fixed.
Tip: In order to prevent the hose from floating up at its end, you need to fix a small load.
- The pump and nozzles are lowered.
- The unit turns on.
- The performance of such a device is 10 times greater than that of a bailer.
- After completion of work, it may be necessary to replace the rubber piston in the pump.
How to clean a well with two pumps
Most the easy way well cleaning is to use two pumps simultaneously. In addition to which has a lower fence, you will need another pump, such as "Kama". He will supply water to the well.
Although the price of this method is higher, and due to the not very strong pressure, it takes more time to clean the device from silt than in previous methods, but at the same time, water is muddled more slowly, and the deep pump does not become clogged with silt and sand.
The cleaning procedure is as follows:
- A container with a volume of approximately 200 liters is installed near the well.
- An old bucket is attached to the upper part of the container, instead of the bottom of which a fine mesh, a water supply hose is lowered into it and fixed from the Kama pump.
- The end of the second hose is lowered to the bottom of the well, a load from a piece of metal pipe is preliminarily attached to it.
- A deep pump is lowered into the well and installed 10 centimeters above the level of silt. To do this, the pump is lowered to the stop in the ground, then rises to the desired height and is fixed.
- The deep pump turns on and the tank is filled with water to the upper level.
- The pump is turned on to supply water to the well, its duty is to stir and cloud the upper layer of silt.
- The deep pump delivers muddy water to the top.
Tip: If the water contains a lot of silt, is too cloudy and heavy, you need to slightly raise the supply hose, otherwise, due to the fact that the submersible pump cannot cope with large quantity or the hose may become clogged.
- The water supply hose must be moved and lowered from time to time as sand and silt are pumped out.
Which well cleaning pump to choose, you can better find out after watching the video. This article offers only the option of cleaning the well from sand and silt.
How to clean a well with an air compressor
Before cleaning the well yourself, you need to:
- Purchase a powerful air compressor.
- Create a vacuum plug on the pipe to which the compressor will be connected.
- The unit is purged several times.
- In the case of how to clean the well from silt, this option helps.
- In the presence of iron or lime deposits Most of the time it doesn't help, and sometimes it just makes things worse.
How to clean with acid
A barbaric way to clean a well with your own hands is to use acid.
For its application it is necessary:
- Buy acid.
- If it was not possible to get it, you can take acid for batteries, which is sold in automotive stores.
- The pipe is carefully blown so that there is no water in it at all.
- Then the acid is poured.
Tip: When working with acid, you must use a respirator, gloves and goggles.
- The pipe is muffled.
- It remains for two days.
- The pump is connected.
- The water is pumped to a safe place for at least six hours.
- Although the acid copes with any kind of pollution, it is considered not the best way. When using it, pipes and filters are seriously damaged. It is not safe for humans.
We do cleaning with the help of the Airlift lift
This method is quite simple and is based on the simple law of Archimedes
So:
- A well is essentially a container in it and you need to place a tube, a tube is attached to its lower end into which compressed air will be supplied.
- We turn on the compressor and the structure is cleaned with water and foam. Just make sure you don't run out of water.
The easiest way to clean a well
If the owner of the well decided to clean it, having nothing but a deep vibration pump supplying water from the well, the simplest method can be used.
This process is a little laborious, medium in duration. Its essence is to stir up water at the bottom of the well, and with it everything that is at the bottom.
For this:
- A small metal loosener is attached to a long thin cord or cable, which is lowered to the bottom of the well and then, raising and lowering it several times, the silt and sand are loosened.
- The vibration pump is lowered.
- Water is pumped out until silt and sand stop coming out.
- The process must be repeated several times until the device is completely cleaned.
Timely cleaning of the well for a long time will save good quality water and health benefits.
How not to damage the well during the cleaning process
In order to prevent damage to the well during cleaning, the following rules should be followed:
- Do not use cleaning equipment larger than the diameter casing pipe or unsuitable cleaning equipment;
- Keep the cleaning work under control all the time, do not leave the well and pumps unattended;
- In the event that cleaning is not effective, or large plastic or metal elements, it is urgent to complete the cleaning and invite specialists to solve the problem.