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I dug my own well
Sep 10, 2022 11:33:34   #
Coos Bay Tom Loc: coos bay oregon
 
About 20 years ago I took on the task of digging my own well by hand. It wasn't easy. I was on my neighbors well and that water was so bad that you could chew on it. I wanted my own well and hoped for better water. An old timer told me how to "witch" my well and by golly it works and I guarantee you anyone can do it and you don't have to believe in nothing or cast a magic spell. I would walk my property and every time my forked stick went down in the same place. I borrowed an auger with pipe handle extensions and commenced auguring down to the water. At 10 feet I brought the auger back up and it was wet and I shined a flashlight down the hole and I saw a rising pool of water. Eureka !! Then the work began. I took a 54 inch long stick and centered it over my hole and traced a perfect 54 " diameter circle around it. Then I commenced to dig straight down I dug down through topsoil till I hit red clay and had water coming in. I flattened the bottom of the hole out and made sure it was perfectly level. At this point I lowered a 48' concrete well tile perfectly centered in the hole with 4" space all around it. I got into the tile and started digging my way down and undermining the clay that supported it. Whump it would drop down a few inches at a time and It would make me jump out of my skin when it did. I had to keep bailing water as I dug and I would raise my buckets with a rope and pulley connected to a steel pipe tripod I had over the hole. My good Ol father in law Arley was on top emptying buckets of clay and water for me. Down I went- down through the red clay then I hit blue clay. That stuff was hard as concrete and I sawed the handle off a 6 lb sledge and drove bars into the clay to break off chunks. The whole time my well tile dropped with a whump and it still scared the bejeebers out of me. I added a few more tiles on top my first one when it leveled out on the red clay and I kept digging for 3 more weeks. Finally the water was coming in so fast I could not bail it out fast enough to keep digging. The sky was bright blue and hot but in the hole it was cold and when I looked up the sky was black and I saw the stars No kidding. I had dug far enough and the old timer told me to stop before I hit sand and ruined my well. I stacked the tiles up till I was a foot over the top of the ground. The reason I had left 4" of space around the well was to concrete it in around the tiles to keep ground water out. I placed a shovel full of dirt all around the tiles to keep from sealing the well off from the water and had a cement truck come in and I filled all around it to the top and made a 8x8 slab to build my pump house on. Turns out I had hit soft water and it tested clean. I don't want to go through this again but I do know how to find water and dig my own well.

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Sep 10, 2022 12:01:42   #
permafrost Loc: Minnesota
 
Coos Bay Tom wrote:
About 20 years ago I took on the task of digging my own well by hand. It wasn't easy. I was on my neighbors well and that water was so bad that you could chew on it. I wanted my own well and hoped for better water. An old timer told me how to "witch" my well and by golly it works and I guarantee you anyone can do it and you don't have to believe in nothing or cast a magic spell. I would walk my property and every time my forked stick went down in the same place. I borrowed an auger with pipe handle extensions and commenced auguring down to the water. At 10 feet I brought the auger back up and it was wet and I shined a flashlight down the hole and I saw a rising pool of water. Eureka !! Then the work began. I took a 54 inch long stick and centered it over my hole and traced a perfect 54 " diameter circle around it. Then I commenced to dig straight down I dug down through topsoil till I hit red clay and had water coming in. I flattened the bottom of the hole out and made sure it was perfectly level. At this point I lowered a 48' concrete well tile perfectly centered in the hole with 4" space all around it. I got into the tile and started digging my way down and undermining the clay that supported it. Whump it would drop down a few inches at a time and It would make me jump out of my skin when it did. I had to keep bailing water as I dug and I would raise my buckets with a rope and pulley connected to a steel pipe tripod I had over the hole. My good Ol father in law Arley was on top emptying buckets of clay and water for me. Down I went- down through the red clay then I hit blue clay. That stuff was hard as concrete and I sawed the handle off a 6 lb sledge and drove bars into the clay to break off chunks. The whole time my well tile dropped with a whump and it still scared the bejeebers out of me. I added a few more tiles on top my first one when it leveled out on the red clay and I kept digging for 3 more weeks. Finally the water was coming in so fast I could not bail it out fast enough to keep digging. The sky was bright blue and hot but in the hole it was cold and when I looked up the sky was black and I saw the stars No kidding. I had dug far enough and the old timer told me to stop before I hit sand and ruined my well. I stacked the tiles up till I was a foot over the top of the ground. The reason I had left 4" of space around the well was to concrete it in around the tiles to keep ground water out. I placed a shovel full of dirt all around the tiles to keep from sealing the well off from the water and had a cement truck come in and I filled all around it to the top and made a 8x8 slab to build my pump house on. Turns out I had hit soft water and it tested clean. I don't want to go through this again but I do know how to find water and dig my own well.
About 20 years ago I took on the task of digging m... (show quote)


Wow!! That was a job and half.. amazing, great work..

Years ago I drove a 2" sand point 40+ feet down. I thought that was a job. but It gave me plenty of very good water.. In my ignorance I used a mesh which would not hold the very fine sand in deposits below. so in a few years it plugged up and I again needed a well.. This time regulations had changed. Had to get a driller. go down 400+ plus feet. got safe water but tastes bad.. that is what to expect when living over an iron mine..

So we use a water filter all this time to remove the rust taste from our water.. darn..

thanks for the information on your well digging.. truly a great undertaking... glad it worked out well (pun)

Reply
Sep 10, 2022 13:45:01   #
Tiptop789 Loc: State of Denial
 
permafrost wrote:
Wow!! That was a job and half.. amazing, great work..

Years ago I drove a 2" sand point 40+ feet down. I thought that was a job. but It gave me plenty of very good water.. In my ignorance I used a mesh which would not hold the very fine sand in deposits below. so in a few years it plugged up and I again needed a well.. This time regulations had changed. Had to get a driller. go down 400+ plus feet. got safe water but tastes bad.. that is what to expect when living over an iron mine..

So we use a water filter all this time to remove the rust taste from our water.. darn..

thanks for the information on your well digging.. truly a great undertaking... glad it worked out well (pun)
Wow!! That was a job and half.. amazing, great wor... (show quote)


So for both you guys, is it true what they say, "colder than a well diggers ass"?

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Sep 10, 2022 16:57:57   #
permafrost Loc: Minnesota
 
Tiptop789 wrote:
So for both you guys, is it true what they say, "colder than a well diggers ass"?


LOL, consider that I did mine in July/August,, not cold at all..

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Sep 10, 2022 19:16:30   #
Coos Bay Tom Loc: coos bay oregon
 
Tiptop789 wrote:
So for both you guys, is it true what they say, "colder than a well diggers ass"?


I was down there shivering at times if it makes you feel better---Most of the time I was sweating from all the chiseling on that hard blue clay. I found out much later that I could have rented a pavement breaker and gotten the job done in a couple days --lol teach me to try and save a dollar.

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Sep 10, 2022 19:20:39   #
Coos Bay Tom Loc: coos bay oregon
 
permafrost wrote:
Wow!! That was a job and half.. amazing, great work..

Years ago I drove a 2" sand point 40+ feet down. I thought that was a job. but It gave me plenty of very good water.. In my ignorance I used a mesh which would not hold the very fine sand in deposits below. so in a few years it plugged up and I again needed a well.. This time regulations had changed. Had to get a driller. go down 400+ plus feet. got safe water but tastes bad.. that is what to expect when living over an iron mine..

So we use a water filter all this time to remove the rust taste from our water.. darn..

thanks for the information on your well digging.. truly a great undertaking... glad it worked out well (pun)
Wow!! That was a job and half.. amazing, great wor... (show quote)


I gave a sand point I had to a friend who lived out in the sand dunes and it is still serving him many years later. What I can say about digging my own well --It was an adventure for sure-- I was amazed that I could dig a hole 24' straight down on evenings and weekends and do it in 3 weeks.

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Sep 10, 2022 22:26:17   #
archie bunker Loc: Texas
 
Coos Bay Tom wrote:
About 20 years ago I took on the task of digging my own well by hand. It wasn't easy. I was on my neighbors well and that water was so bad that you could chew on it. I wanted my own well and hoped for better water. An old timer told me how to "witch" my well and by golly it works and I guarantee you anyone can do it and you don't have to believe in nothing or cast a magic spell. I would walk my property and every time my forked stick went down in the same place. I borrowed an auger with pipe handle extensions and commenced auguring down to the water. At 10 feet I brought the auger back up and it was wet and I shined a flashlight down the hole and I saw a rising pool of water. Eureka !! Then the work began. I took a 54 inch long stick and centered it over my hole and traced a perfect 54 " diameter circle around it. Then I commenced to dig straight down I dug down through topsoil till I hit red clay and had water coming in. I flattened the bottom of the hole out and made sure it was perfectly level. At this point I lowered a 48' concrete well tile perfectly centered in the hole with 4" space all around it. I got into the tile and started digging my way down and undermining the clay that supported it. Whump it would drop down a few inches at a time and It would make me jump out of my skin when it did. I had to keep bailing water as I dug and I would raise my buckets with a rope and pulley connected to a steel pipe tripod I had over the hole. My good Ol father in law Arley was on top emptying buckets of clay and water for me. Down I went- down through the red clay then I hit blue clay. That stuff was hard as concrete and I sawed the handle off a 6 lb sledge and drove bars into the clay to break off chunks. The whole time my well tile dropped with a whump and it still scared the bejeebers out of me. I added a few more tiles on top my first one when it leveled out on the red clay and I kept digging for 3 more weeks. Finally the water was coming in so fast I could not bail it out fast enough to keep digging. The sky was bright blue and hot but in the hole it was cold and when I looked up the sky was black and I saw the stars No kidding. I had dug far enough and the old timer told me to stop before I hit sand and ruined my well. I stacked the tiles up till I was a foot over the top of the ground. The reason I had left 4" of space around the well was to concrete it in around the tiles to keep ground water out. I placed a shovel full of dirt all around the tiles to keep from sealing the well off from the water and had a cement truck come in and I filled all around it to the top and made a 8x8 slab to build my pump house on. Turns out I had hit soft water and it tested clean. I don't want to go through this again but I do know how to find water and dig my own well.
About 20 years ago I took on the task of digging m... (show quote)


Damn Tom! No wonder you're all broke down!!
Our pump went out a few years back, and I called every well service company I could find to see what it would cost to have them install a new one that I supplied. One guy chewed my ass, and told me he was in the business of selling pumps, and he wouldn't touch it even if I bought his pump just because I asked that question. What a dick!
Finally found a guy who was glad to do it. Told me the best pump to get, and he would put it in for $600.00.
The pump cost me $450.00, and they came, pulled the old one, put in the new one, installed my new pressure switch, checked my pressure tank, and plumbed her all in at no extra cost.
The old pump they pulled had been down there for 28 years, they said. It looked pretty rough.
Anyway, they told me my pump sits at 220 feet with 75 feet of water over it.
I spent about $1200.00, and had to take down a section of fence so they could get in, but it was worth it!

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Sep 11, 2022 00:01:56   #
Coos Bay Tom Loc: coos bay oregon
 
archie bunker wrote:
Damn Tom! No wonder you're all broke down!!
Our pump went out a few years back, and I called every well service company I could find to see what it would cost to have them install a new one that I supplied. One guy chewed my ass, and told me he was in the business of selling pumps, and he wouldn't touch it even if I bought his pump just because I asked that question. What a dick!
Finally found a guy who was glad to do it. Told me the best pump to get, and he would put it in for $600.00.
The pump cost me $450.00, and they came, pulled the old one, put in the new one, installed my new pressure switch, checked my pressure tank, and plumbed her all in at no extra cost.
The old pump they pulled had been down there for 28 years, they said. It looked pretty rough.
Anyway, they told me my pump sits at 220 feet with 75 feet of water over it.
I spent about $1200.00, and had to take down a section of fence so they could get in, but it was worth it!
Damn Tom! No wonder you're all broke down!! img s... (show quote)


I would say you came out pretty good. I once pulled a submersible that was 250' down on a holiday weekend and even though we pulled it my buddy still had to pay out $1600

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Sep 11, 2022 09:21:14   #
Big dog
 
Coos Bay Tom wrote:
About 20 years ago I took on the task of digging my own well by hand. It wasn't easy. I was on my neighbors well and that water was so bad that you could chew on it. I wanted my own well and hoped for better water. An old timer told me how to "witch" my well and by golly it works and I guarantee you anyone can do it and you don't have to believe in nothing or cast a magic spell. I would walk my property and every time my forked stick went down in the same place. I borrowed an auger with pipe handle extensions and commenced auguring down to the water. At 10 feet I brought the auger back up and it was wet and I shined a flashlight down the hole and I saw a rising pool of water. Eureka !! Then the work began. I took a 54 inch long stick and centered it over my hole and traced a perfect 54 " diameter circle around it. Then I commenced to dig straight down I dug down through topsoil till I hit red clay and had water coming in. I flattened the bottom of the hole out and made sure it was perfectly level. At this point I lowered a 48' concrete well tile perfectly centered in the hole with 4" space all around it. I got into the tile and started digging my way down and undermining the clay that supported it. Whump it would drop down a few inches at a time and It would make me jump out of my skin when it did. I had to keep bailing water as I dug and I would raise my buckets with a rope and pulley connected to a steel pipe tripod I had over the hole. My good Ol father in law Arley was on top emptying buckets of clay and water for me. Down I went- down through the red clay then I hit blue clay. That stuff was hard as concrete and I sawed the handle off a 6 lb sledge and drove bars into the clay to break off chunks. The whole time my well tile dropped with a whump and it still scared the bejeebers out of me. I added a few more tiles on top my first one when it leveled out on the red clay and I kept digging for 3 more weeks. Finally the water was coming in so fast I could not bail it out fast enough to keep digging. The sky was bright blue and hot but in the hole it was cold and when I looked up the sky was black and I saw the stars No kidding. I had dug far enough and the old timer told me to stop before I hit sand and ruined my well. I stacked the tiles up till I was a foot over the top of the ground. The reason I had left 4" of space around the well was to concrete it in around the tiles to keep ground water out. I placed a shovel full of dirt all around the tiles to keep from sealing the well off from the water and had a cement truck come in and I filled all around it to the top and made a 8x8 slab to build my pump house on. Turns out I had hit soft water and it tested clean. I don't want to go through this again but I do know how to find water and dig my own well.
About 20 years ago I took on the task of digging m... (show quote)


That’s one heck of a task!! Good job !!!!!!

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Sep 11, 2022 15:09:55   #
hygrometer3
 
I used two mules tied to an auger--round and round they went--Hit water 30 ft-- of course I live by a creek--a spring flows out of the hillside !!!

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Sep 11, 2022 18:35:03   #
Coos Bay Tom Loc: coos bay oregon
 
hygrometer3 wrote:
I used two mules tied to an auger--round and round they went--Hit water 30 ft-- of course I live by a creek--a spring flows out of the hillside !!!
I would have liked to see you work at it . I live on the coast and water is everywhere lots of hand dug wells here

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