
How to drill a well with the help of a well drilling kit
Did you know that you can drill a well with the help of the right equipment and preparation?
If you wonder why you would want to drill a well when you have water connections, well there are various reasons.
There are some water districts that make the residents wait for years to get a public water conneciton. These residents will need to drill a well to fulfill their water requirements.
Supposing you want to adopt a self-sufficient lifestyle, then drilling a well provides you with your water source. It makes you self-sufficient with water, where you don’t have to depend on water connections.
Besides, you never know when calamities like hurricanes strike. This is when you will need access to water resources for your water needs.
Now that you know how important and necessary drilling wells can be, here’s how you get about it.
Buy the right equipment
As you will be drilling the well on your own, you need to invest in the perfect well drilling kit. With so many kits available, you may wonder which will serve your purpose the best.
Well, of the lot, large-bore water well kits make a sound and right investment.
Look around, and check the specifications of the different kits. You need a bore water well kit containing at least a 25 feet water well hand pump. It should also carry a well screen assembly, a water well auger, and a well cap assembly.
Of course, you will need some tools and additional materials around while you work.
Examples are pipe wrenches, a hacksaw, pliers, a parachute cord, and drill pipes. In addition to this, have a PVC primer and cement, a few pea gravel and cement bags, and well casing handy.
Locate the right spot
You need to check the records at your state’s geological survey or watermaster to get an idea of the ideal spot to drill a well. The documents give you an idea of the water table’s depth and the confined aquifers’ location.
The aquifers at the water table depth are called unconfined aquifers because they have porous material above them. Confined aquifers, however, are covered by nonporous layers that are difficult to drill into.
Don’t worry if you do not understand these records. You can turn to a professional hydrologist for guidance.
Get the required well-drilling permits
Don’t forget to consult the appropriate municipal and state agencies for regulations governing drilling work and the required permits.
Start drilling
Once you have your spot and permits ready, it’s time to start digging using the water well auger.
Aim to make a 7-inch hole.
You will need to drill and first penetrate through the topsoil, clay, and water-bearing layer. It’s only after that will you reach the second clay layers.
You will need to attach drill pipes to the auger as the hole gets deeper.
Set up the well screen assembly
You need to next put in the well screen assembly upon reaching the desired depth.
You can do this by attaching it to the required length of PVC pipe using PVC collars and PVC primer and cement. It should be secured so that there always is a foot of pipe above the ground.
Fill up gaps surrounding the PVC pipe
This is where the pea gravel, dug out clay, and cement comes in use. You have to mix the cement with water and everything else to fill up and seal the gap around the PVC pipe.
Inserting the pump
You are now practically done with drilling your well.
This is the point where you have to insert the pump to complete the assembly. You do this by first attaching riser pipes and then putting it into the PVC pipe.
Once attached, start pumping and flushing out the dirty water. Tie the parachute cord to the pump end and connect the other end under the well cap once all the dirty water is flushed out.
The well cap has to be installed, and the additional PVC pipe layer around the pump has to be carefully hacked away. Now cut the inner pipe to the length or point where you will be attaching the pump handle. Complete the installation by using a connector for connecting the handle to the pipe.
You now have your water pump ready to pump out water whenever you need it. It is always better and safer to test the water and ensure it’s safe to drink.