The well itself

For permanent or temporary residence in a suburban area requires a source of water, preferably operating all year round. One of the simplest and inexpensive in the construction of water supply sources is a well, which you can dig out with your own hands, almost without resorting to the services of special equipment.

Stage one. We choose a place for a well

First, we will consider the basic requirements for the location of the well.

1. It should be as close as possible to the house, but not close to the walls.
2. Also important is the maximum distance from all possible sources of pollution - cesspools, dumps, etc.
3. There should be no riding water in the selected place( they are found in a swampy area), capable of contaminating water in the well.

Despite the aforementioned low cost of building a well, certain costs and efforts are still required. Therefore, it is so important to choose the right place for this well to provide constant water supply in the required volumes.

There are many methods of finding a place for a well - with the help of aluminum frames, willow vines, glass jars, by observing natural phenomena or the behavior of animals. But one of the most effective and at the same time accessible methods is studying the features of the landscape. We definitely will not find water( or we will find, but in a small amount) on those sites that:

• have significant elevations of the relief;
• are located near wells or other water intake points;
• are located at the steep bank of the pond;
• is densely planted with acacia or pine.

Please note! There are also places where the well will give low-quality water. Such places include low coastlines and dried bogs - the water here often contains a large amount of manganese and iron.

Various depressions and cavities - these are our areas of search. Some kind of indicators of the presence of underground aquifers are such plants as willow, cowberry, birch and so on. A specific place for digging should be selected there, where the crowns of these plants are tilted. Finally, if the fruits of the newly planted apple tree rot, and she herself is sick, then the groundwater is lying nearby, since this garden tree is susceptible to a moisture-saturated soil.

From the diagram below you can get acquainted with the types of plants, as well as the depth of the corresponding groundwater.

Please note! Another effective indicator may be fog. In the hot summer in the evening or in the morning, where the water is very close to the surface, fog grows. The density of the latter is directly related to the proximity of the aquifer. It is characteristic that monitoring the fog makes it possible to calculate the site for the construction of a well with an accuracy of 75%.

Where does water come from?

At the bottom of the constructed well, water begins to accumulate( it comes from an aquifer, which is also called the horizon) from several tens of meters to several kilometers square. The horizon, whose "power" is sufficient to fill a well, usually lies at a depth of 4 to 20 m. If at 20 m the aquifer is still not found, further digging of the well is unprofitable - it is easier to equip the well.

Stage two. Prepare everything you need

The procedure for the construction of wells is not standardized by any state regulations and standards. The classical device was formed not one century, until it acquired a modern look.

To make a well yourself, you need to prepare:

• tripod from metal corners or wooden poles;
• winch;
• ladder rope;
• shovel;
• scrap;
• material for strengthening the mine.

As for the last point, the most promising material is concrete rings. They are strong( reinforced with steel bars ø1 cm and more), are durable( the service life is 50 years), frost-proof and waterproof.

Product name	Height x Wall thickness, cm	Diameter internal, cm	Weight, kg
КС-7-1	10х8	70	46
КС-7-1,5	15х8	70	68
КС-7-3	35х8	70	140
КС-7-5	50x8	70	230
KS-7-9	90x8	70	410
KS-7-10	100x8	70	457
KS-10-5	50x8	100	320
KS-10-6	60h8	100	340
KS-10-9	90x8	100	640
KS-12-10	100x8	120	1050
KS-15-6	60x9	150	900
KS-15-9	90x9	150	1350
KS-20-6	60x10	200	1550
KS-20-9	90x10	200	2300
KO-6	7x12	58	60
KS-7-6	60x10	70	250

Concrete ringscan be:

• wall( abbreviationround - KS) used for arranging the neck and suitable for all types of wells;
• additional - are used in those cases when the standard options are not suitable, because these non-standard sizes;
• W / O rings - used for drainage and sewerage wells, communication systems, gas and water supply.

There are other types - with an overlapping plate, with a bottom, prefabricated and so on. To avoid displacement of the rings after installation, they are equipped with special grooves, which prevent the moment of displacement.

Please note! For a well on a countryside site, it is best to use wall products KS-10 or KS-15( the numbers are the inner diameter in decimeters).

After selecting the place and preparing all the necessary we can start construction.

Stage three. Construction of a well

Immediately make a reservation that it will not be possible to cope alone - at least one more person is needed.

1. One of the workers( let's call it "slaughterer") starts digging the ground in the chosen place by the diameter of the ring. For the destruction of heavy ground, he uses scrap, the stones that are found on the way are also extracted.
   

   Digger of the well

   

   Construction( digging)

2. The second person at this time is near the mouth of the mine and lifts the selected stones and soil to the surface with a tripod, winch and bucket.
   

   A tripod to which the manual chain hoist

3. is suspended. It is recommended to get a third helper, which will replace the "miner", say, every half hour.
4. It is important that for the "slaughterer" provided the most comfortable working environment. For this, the shaft needs to be ventilated - by a mechanized pump device or by an ordinary umbrella.

All actions are performed in this order.

Step 1. We lay the first concrete ring in place of the future mine."Slaughter" digs through the walls of the ring, as it goes deeper, it goes down deeper. It is advisable to use for the first ring a product with pins or conical tapers to facilitate downward movement.

Step 2. After the upper edge of the ring reaches one level with the ground, we put the top one on top and continue working. The weight of each ring is approximately 600-700 kg.

Step 3. Two people are quite enough to put the ring to the place of work. But if there is a possibility to use the crane, then it is better not to neglect it, because with such special equipment it is possible to lower the ring more precisely to the seat.

If the soil is dry and strong, then you can go 2-3 meters deep, and after that, with the help of a crane, install several rings in a row.

Step 4 .Similarly, continue the procedure until the aquifer is reached. As practice shows, for a standard work shift( 8 hours) you can lay 3 concrete rings.

Please note! The proximity of the aquifer can be seen from small springs, hitting from the walls, and rapidly dropping temperature.

After the fontanel, we go a few meters further, after which we cover the bottom with a "pillow" made of rubble( it will serve as a water filter).

Step 5 .The mine is pumped by a drainage submersible pump. The more water is pumped out of the well, the greater will be its debit.

Stage four. We protect the structure from surface water

To maintain the cleanliness of the well, it must be properly protected. Water must enter the shaft only from the bottom, so that the walls must be securely insulated. To do this, firmly connect the rings with each other, resorting to one of two possible ways.

1. Drill the walls of the rings and fix them with metal brackets, bolted.
2. We twist the rings with steel wire, clinging it to the loading lugs. To twist the wire, use a metal rod, for example, scrap.

Pay attention to the waterproofing of the seams between the rings! If water seeps through seams, it will lead to contamination of the well. To close the seams, you should use a substance that does not affect the quality of water.

Seams are strengthened according to the following scheme.

Step 1 .We lay in the voids between the rings pieces of linen rope( excellent material - natural and environmentally safe).

Step 2 .The cables are covered with a solution of sand, cement and liquid glass. This we will achieve a reliable waterproofing, which, moreover, will be completely neutral in contact with water.

Step 3. Over the upper rings, the swath of the pit is a meter deep.

Step 4 .Waterproof the outer surface of the rings, using a liquid bituminous mastic.

Step 5. We put a thermo-insulating layer around the upper rings( we can use any foamed polymer, for example, foam).

Step 6. Fall asleep pit around the well with clay. This is called a clay castle.

Video - Clay lock

Stage five. We equip the well

But the drilling of the mine and its strengthening does not limit the construction of the well. For this we equip the upper part of the structure - the headpiece.

Around the well we equip a blind area - a small area of ​​concrete or carefully compacted rubble. The blind area should leave at least 1 m from the mine on each side and, importantly, it is constructed after a certain time after the construction is completed, when the soil settles.

We also build a canopy over the structure to avoid atmospheric precipitation. If a pump is used to pump water, it is best to close the shaft completely, leaving a small hole for the hose and cable.

As a conclusion. Protect the well from frost

If the aquifer is too close to the surface, then in winter the water can freeze. In such cases, a "house" is built over the structure, and any available material( for example, polystyrene or mineral wool) can be used for insulation. Moreover, the water supply pipe should be introduced into the mine below the freezing level of the soil.

In the scheme below, two wells are used for the system - one directly for water supply, the other for water supply to the intermediate tank.

Video - Construction of a well