The question of how to dig a well with your own hands will always remain relevant, because this is an excellent opportunity to solve the problem of water supply for areas that are not connected to a central water supply. At first glance, this process may seem too complicated and time-consuming, but if you follow a certain sequence of actions, you can cope with the task on your own.

Wells were built back in those distant times when there was no heavy construction equipment, which means you can build a well on your own site.

The photo shows the digging process

Where to dig a well

Of course, the first thing you need to do is decide on the place where your well will be dug, and in choosing this very place you should take into account the following factors:

• Under no circumstances should construction begin near large sources of pollution, since water that passes through the upper layers of the soil will absorb harmful substances. Such sources of pollution may include compost, manure or garbage heaps, or wastewater disposal sites;

Pay attention! If you plan to dig a well with your own hands on a slope, then it should be located above sources of pollution.

• When thinking about building a well, you should understand that its construction is not always practical. It is necessary to take into account the hydrogeology of the area, for example, in swampy areas it is impossible to use water from wells for drinking, since it contains perched water with various harmful impurities;

• The availability of water at an accessible level directly depends on the terrain in which you plan to dig a well with your own hands, and on the type of soil. For example, on a slope you may not find water at all, or getting to it will only be possible with the help of specialized construction equipment;
• The well should be located as close as possible to the place of water consumption. This arrangement will reduce shipping costs. But you can’t build a well too close either. To provide a house with water from a well, the shaft must be located at least five meters from the building.

Many superstitious people entrust the matter of choosing a place to dig a well to shamans. Previously they used willow twigs, but today they use wire frames to find water. Whether to trust shamans or not, everyone decides for themselves.

If your neighbors already have a well, then you can safely dig and be sure that you will find water. But if your neighbors don’t have a well, then you should drill an exploratory well, which will tell you everything about the presence of water in the ground.

When and how to dig

The question of choosing the time to dig a well with your own hands is as important as choosing a place, so you should pay due attention to this point:

• Spring is the time when the snow melts, so it is undesirable to start the digging process during this period, since you can make a mistake in choosing the depth of the shaft. This error may be made due to the fact that during this period of time groundwater is located at a very high level. So a well dug in April may be completely dry by December. The groundwater level can fluctuate in the range of 1-2 m;
• The best time for construction is winter, the very end of it, or the very end of summer. It is at this time that the water level is at its minimum. Of course, digging wells with your own hands in winter period difficult, but there are situations when other times of the year are completely unsuitable for such work, we're talking about about well shafts passing through floats;

• The process of digging fairly deep mines takes a huge amount of time, and digging must be done continuously. Therefore, you should plan everything so that you have a lot of free time.

Now let's try to figure out how to properly dig a well with our own hands.

Basically, such construction requires at least three people:

• One man works with a crowbar and a shovel in a mine, filling buckets with soil;
• The second person lifts these buckets to the surface and carries the soil to the dump;
• And the third is resting at this time, preparing to replace one of his comrades.

The photo shows a clear demonstration of the digging process

The work is carried out at a fairly dynamic pace, so workers often replace each other. If there are large stones in the ground, they are turned out using a short crowbar, then tied with ropes and removed from the recess.

Pay attention! If you work in a mine, you should listen to your own health, and if you suddenly feel unwell, you should leave the mine. Your condition indicates an accumulation of harmful gases that need to be pumped out to continue construction.

Related articles:

Well made of reinforced concrete rings

If a place for construction has been chosen, the materials, the price of which is relatively low, have been prepared, the digging process itself should begin. It should be noted that the work ahead is difficult and time-consuming, because the weight of the concrete rings is quite high.

It is quite difficult to install them manually, so perhaps you should use a manual type hoist suspended on a tripod, which you can easily assemble from wooden beams. Of course, purchasing such a mechanism can significantly increase the cost of digging a well manually, but it will reduce the labor intensity of this process.

The technology for digging wells manually consists of the following steps:

• At the initial stage, we dig a recess that would be equal in diameter to the dimensions of the concrete ring. The bottom of the well must be horizontal and as level as possible so that the first ring lies without tilting.

Initial stage - deepening

• Next, we dig a well with our own hands, descending directly into this ring, sending the developed soil to the surface. Under its own weight, as it is dug, the ring will lower. At the moment when the first ring deepens, the next one should be installed on top of it;

The photo shows the installation of the second concrete ring

Advice. If at some point the rings stop lowering under their own weight, then a deviation has occurred. In order to level the structure, it is necessary to install a shield on top of the rings, which is weighted with bags of soil and heavy stones, and leave for a while. Under the weight of the shield, the rings should lower.

• When water starts flowing into the mine, the digging process should not be stopped. The water needs to be pumped out and further digging;

• Digging stops when there is too much water and water-bearing veins are visible;
• The bottom of the well is lined with carefully washed large stones. A layer of washed gravel or crushed stone is poured on top. Such a filter at the bottom of the well will protect the water from sand.

• The seams of the well are treated with a solution of cement and liquid glass so that the perched water does not enter the well.
• After there is enough water in the well to submerge the pump, it should be pumped out. This procedure must be repeated several times.

Construction of a well is an excellent opportunity to solve the water supply problem. If the construction procedure is taken seriously and responsibly, then the whole process will not become backbreaking work. Well, the very fact that the well was built with one’s own hands will certainly warm the soul of a good owner.

The video in this article will allow you to learn even more about the intricacies of the construction process.

Live in country house or at the dacha without water supply it is impossible. It’s good when there is a river or lake nearby, then the water issue is resolved by itself. Well, if there are no natural water sources around the building, then the owner himself must take care of extracting it from underground. And then the question arises: what is better to build - a well or a well? If the water level in your area is at a depth of 5 to 15 meters, it is better to dig a well, but if it is deeper, then you will have to build a well. Today we will talk about how and where wells are dug, the main nuances of construction, and safety measures.

Choosing a location for a well

It is impossible to independently determine where it is better to make a well so that the water is closer and its quality is satisfactory. It is better to consult a specialist on this issue. But there are other guidelines when choosing a location for a future well:

• you can find out from your neighbors who already have wells what their depth is, what the soil is like on the site, what problems arose during construction and place your well not far from the neighbor’s (preferably in higher places on the site’s terrain);
• the well must be located at a distance of at least 30 m from toilets, garbage pits, places where animals are kept and other sources of groundwater pollution;
• it is necessary to take into account not only the type of site at the present time, but also the buildings planned in the future (barn, bathhouse, gazebo, etc.), since the location of the well can no longer be changed;
• for ease of use, the distance from the intended location of the well to the house should be optimal.

Digging wells should be planned for the driest period (late summer - early autumn), when groundwater is at its lowest level.

It is best to start constructing a well in late summer and autumn, when the groundwater level is at its lowest.

Preparatory work

To know how to dig a well with your own hands, you need to familiarize yourself with a certain technology and follow safety rules.

Deciding on the design of the building

Any well is a wide shaft (round or square), reaching , suitable for human consumption. Its depth is, as a rule, about 10 m, but there are cases when the bottom of the well is at a depth of 30-35 m. The design of the well includes:

• head – upper (aboveground) part;
• shaft - well shaft;
• water inlet - the lower section of a well shaft where water collects.

At the bottom of the mine, a bottom filter must be installed to purify the water. It usually consists of 3 layers of gravel or crushed stone: bottom layer(fine fraction) 10 cm thick, middle (fraction 5-7 times larger) - 15 cm and top (fraction even larger) - also 15 cm.

Sometimes it happens that the soil at the bottom is very viscous - then you should build a plank floor with holes for water, and only add layers of bottom filter on top.

The simplest and most convenient option for constructing a well with your own hands is to use special concrete rings during the construction of a well shaft

The well shaft can be made of stone, brick, wood, concrete. The most common and simplest option is to use ready-made concrete rings. We will look at it in more detail.

How to calculate the cost of digging?

To estimate how much it will cost to dig a well, you need to calculate the cost necessary materials. For work you will need: small and large crushed stone or gravel (for installing a filter), concrete rings, staples for fastening them together, sand and cement for filling the seams between the rings.

Obviously, carrying out the work independently, of course, not without the help of several comrades or neighbors, will cost less for the owner of the site, otherwise he will need to spend money on a team of hired workers. Of course, there are special companies that drill wells and, if desired and have a decent amount of money, will make a turnkey well. But if it’s too expensive for you and you want to save money, then you can do everything yourself.

What tools are needed?

Since all work will be carried out manually, it is necessary to ensure the availability of the following tools: shovels (large and small), buckets, chain, tripod and lifting device, rope ladder. It will be necessary to build a wooden cart from boards to move the concrete rings, which are quite heavy (up to 600 kg).

Safety rules

The process of digging a well involves an increased danger to life and health, so you must follow several simple safety rules:

1. To prevent possible falling of stones and earth on a person’s head when they are pulled out of the mine, it is imperative to wear a protective helmet.
2. During work, the strength of the ropes used should be checked daily by hanging a heavy load on them.
3. It is imperative to check the fastening strength of all parts of the containers for pulling out soil.
4. Since dampness and cold are detrimental to health, you should not stay in the mine all day.

Some useful tips will help you avoid mistakes when building a well, especially if you hire workers:

The procedure for performing digging work

Let's move directly to the work algorithm:

• On the site where the well will be located, markings are made: the diameter of the shaft should be 10 cm larger than the diameter of the concrete rings used. They dig a hole to such a depth that the first ring is not completely immersed - 8-10 cm above ground level.
• Using a cart (which also has a height of 8-10 cm), the first ring is delivered to the pit and installed, carefully checking its verticality, since even a slight distortion affects the quality of the well as a whole. A second ring is installed on top and connected to the first using staples (at least 3 pieces).
• Next, deepen the hole 80 cm in the center, then dig it in a circle so that the first ring sinks deep under its own weight. If the soil is soft, it is removed first from the middle of the ring, and if it is hard, the soil is removed first under the ring so that there are no obstacles to its immersion, and only after it settles, the middle is removed. The joints of the strung rings are sealed by laying tarred hemp rope and sealing their cement-sand mortar.
• The wall of rings should be built up until water begins to appear at the bottom of the well shaft. The water along with the washed sand is removed and the well is left for 12 hours to fill with water.
• On the second day, the bottom needs to be cleaned again. This operation is repeated until water veins are visible at the bottom of the shaft. Cover the well with a lid and leave it untouched for 24 hours.
• Again, pump out the collected water and sand and place a filter on the bottom: 10-15 cm of fine gravel, then 30-40 cm of coarse gravel (crushed stone can be used). A 1.5-meter water level in a well (about one and a half rings) is considered sufficient.

It is important to note that on the outer sides of the rings (in the space between the edges of the pit and the walls of the well) they fill gravel-sand mixture, and at ground level they are compacted with clay and sprinkled with sand. The resulting clay castle will prevent rain and melt water from entering the well.

The first stage of constructing a well: a hole is dug in the selected area with a diameter 10 cm larger than the diameter of the special concrete rings for the well

The joints between the strung well rings are carefully sealed by laying tarred hemp rope in them and sealing them with cement-sand mortar

Sides concrete wall from the rings they are compacted with clay at ground level and sprinkled with sand, which will protect the well from precipitation getting into it

The upper (ground) part of the well can be built from wood in the form of a house or from concrete. In the second case, it is necessary to install another upper ring. The well is covered with a lid to protect it from precipitation and debris.

The above-ground upper part of the well (the so-called head) can be built from wood in the form of a house: it is aesthetically pleasing, hygienic, and safe

The well must be covered with a lid to protect the water from debris, rainwater, and also for safety reasons

Another visual master class on digging a well at your dacha can be seen in this video. Take a look and see that doing all the work yourself is quite possible. There are such craftsmen!

Are you planning to order a turnkey well?

In the Moscow region and Moscow region, 85 percent of residents in their dachas and suburban areas have a well - a common and affordable way get water on your site.

Well digging is one of the main activities of our company. Security suburban area water is one of the first tasks that the owner solves. If you also need a source of water and are planning to order a turnkey well, we are ready to help you. We will dig and equip a well for a reasonable fee, in no more than 3 days and with a written guarantee of quality, and will also provide discounts on subsequent cleaning, maintenance and related services.

About finding water

Some companies offer such a service - searching for water on the site. We assure you that walking around the site with two metal rods is a way to earn an extra 4-5 thousand rubles and in no way concludes on the presence or absence of water on the site.

Remember! The exact depth of the water deposit is determined only by geological exploration, but it is not required for digging, and it will cost the same as building a well.

We dig wells based on the characteristics of neighboring hydraulic structures; if your neighbor has a ten-meter well, then you will have similar parameters with a small error.

When to dig

It is better to dig a well in winter, when the groundwater level is lowest. This will ensure the largest volume of water in the well and fewer problems when digging. This is a recommendation, not a golden rule. As practical experience shows, wells dug in spring and summer have no less excellent characteristics. Therefore, if you need a hydraulic structure right now, feel free to call.

Stages of building a new well

Drilling and subsequent construction of the well is done manually using algorithms that have been developed over the years, which we will describe:

1. Determining the location of the future water source;
2. Digging a mine under the first water, then we dig up to a volume of 800-900 liters;
3. The water is pumped out and the remaining soil and stones are lifted;
4. We install reinforced concrete rings into the shaft (as an alternative solution, installation of plastic rings is possible);
5. We fill the soil from the outside of the rings;
6. Finally, (if required) we install the house or cover. We remove soil, clay and sand.

In 90% of cases, the shaft itself (trunk) is dug on the first day; on the second day, the rings are delivered and installed in the well, a bottom filter is installed, seams are sealed, and the house is installed.

How much does it cost to dig a well?

The cost of a turnkey well varies depending on the individual characteristics of the site, but the price for the rings is fixed - 4,400 rubles. The price includes labor and consumables, including the concrete itself. Possible additional payment - passage of a limestone slab.

You can also choose a cheaper option by selecting from the list only necessary elements future well.

If you already have rings and only need to dig a well and install reinforced concrete products in the shaft, you can save on the construction of a hydraulic structure.

The cost of digging a new well is from 4400 to 4900 per ring, this price is turnkey (work + our materials). The cost varies depending on the distance and difficulty of passing the ground.

A table with a list and cost of materials is given below. The price for one ring is equal to the cost per meter.

Table with prices for work

Free consultation with a specialist

Order our services or ask a question in a way convenient for you:

How to calculate the total cost?

The price is based on the total number of rings. As mentioned earlier, the approximate number of rings is determined based on the characteristics of neighboring hydraulic structures with a small error. Exact - after digging the mine.

Example: a turnkey well with 10 rings costs 44,000 rubles. The price will include: labor, concrete rings with locks, materials for sealing seams and installing a bottom filter.

Is there a guarantee

Yes! Before digging a well, we enter into a written agreement. The document specifies the responsibilities of the parties and the list of work performed.

Warranty - one year from the date of delivery and acceptance of the well.

When digging a well, it is necessary to use high-quality consumables and follow construction technologies. Well companies, including us, guarantee:

• Stability of hydraulic structure performance under operating load;
• No mechanical impurities.

The second point does not guarantee absolute purity of water. Chemical composition liquid is determined by the composition of the rock where the water occurs.

How the work happens and deadlines

In most cases, digging a drinking well takes two or three days.

1. On the first day we dig the shaft of the future well. Having reached the water, we bring the required number of reinforced concrete rings.
2. On the second day, using a special lift, we install the rings into the shaft, seal the seams and install the bottom filter.

Sometimes the process is disrupted by incidents, for example, limestone in the ground. In such cases, we may need additional time. Regardless of the circumstances, we will bring what we started to the finished structure, and you will enjoy clean water from your own well.

We dig, clean, deepen and equip wells throughout the Moscow region and all districts of the Moscow region. We have affordable prices and a guarantee for all services.

Examples of work

To understand the work process, we publish reports on excavated and equipped hydraulic structures.

In order to live permanently in a private house or country house, you need a source of water. At the same time, it is desirable that it operates year-round. The simplest and most accessible source of water supply, the use of which has been tested for centuries, is a well. Such a drinking source can be dug manually, using a minimum amount of construction equipment.

Choosing a place for a well

Naturally, it is recommended to locate the well as close to the house as possible. No one is interested in walking on water several hundred meters away. However, it is not recommended to dig wells close to residential buildings. It is necessary to find a middle ground, guided by the following factors:

• distance from all potential sources of pollution, be it cesspools, barnyards, garbage dumps;
• It is important to ensure that there is no surface water present in marshy areas that could contaminate the water in the well.

Where does water come from in a well?

Water accumulating on the surface of the earth, gradually cleared of impurities, penetrates downwards until it encounters a water-resistant clay layer on its way. Based on their location, aquifers can be divided into:

• high water at a depth of up to 5 meters;
• soil water at depths of 5-10 meters;
• groundwater at depths of 10-40 meters;
• all water located at deeper levels is usually called artesian.

How much water does a home need?

If you need water solely for watering a small garden plot, then 1-2 cubic meters per day will be quite enough.

How to choose the time to build a well

During the year, the height of groundwater rise can vary by 2 meters. In order not to be without water supply in dry times, the construction of the source must begin during the period of minimum groundwater levels, that is, in winter or late autumn. Digging in winter is a dubious pleasure, so the most acceptable time would be the very end of autumn.

Where does water come from in a well?

After the well is formed, it begins to collect water from the aquifer - a layer of soil that can cover several square kilometers in area. Such an aquifer, sufficient to fill a well, can be located at a depth of 5 to 20 meters. If there is no aquifer at a depth of 20 meters, then it becomes unprofitable - it’s easier to drill a well.

The procedure for forming wells is not formalized in any standards or government instructions. This is simply the concentrated experience of thousands of years.

Over these many years, the classic structure of a water well has been formed. In order to dig such a well, you need to use a set of tools and equipment.

1. Winch. It will greatly facilitate the rise of water from the well shaft.
2. Tripod, made of durable wooden poles or a metal corner, on which the winch is hung.
3. Materials for strengthening the walls of the well. The most promising modern material are reinforced concrete rings.
4. As you go deeper into the ground, you will need ladder to get to the surface.
5. Actually, the digging tool: good bayonet and shovel, scrap.

After you decide on the location of the future well and prepare necessary tools and equipment, start digging a well. The work is performed by a team of at least two people.

The first reinforced concrete ring is simply laid out on the ground at the location of the future well. As the hole goes deeper, the miner digs under the walls of the ring, causing it to settle deeper into the ground. As soon as the top edge of the first ring is at ground level, the second ring is placed on it and work continues. Each ring weighs about 500-700 kilograms.

To roll the next ring, the efforts of two people are enough. However, if you have a faucet at your disposal, you should not neglect it. This device will help you accurately and accurately lower the rings onto the seats.

If you are building a well in dry, strong soil, then you need to go to a depth of several meters, and only then, using a truck crane, lay several rings in a row in the shaft.

Soil is selected from under the lower ring.

It goes into the ground until it reaches the aquifer. In one eight-hour work shift, in sandy or light loamy soil, 2-3 reinforced concrete rings can be laid in a well.

As you approach the aquifer, the air temperature in the well pit begins to drop noticeably, and small springs begin to gush from the walls.

We protect wells from surface water

To keep the water in your well clean, it is recommended to protect it from surface waters that have a low degree of purity. Groundwater should enter the well only from below, after passing through all stages of ground purification.

To prevent water from intermediate horizons from entering the well water, the shaft wall must be reliably isolated from the ground. For this purpose, log houses made of water-resistant wood species were previously used. Currently, it is easier and cheaper to use reinforced concrete rings, firmly fixing them to each other.

Reinforced concrete rings can be connected to each other in several ways.

1. The simplest is to twist the rings with steel wire, hooking it onto the shipping eyes. The wire is twisted using a metal rod, such as a crowbar.
2. You can take a drastic approach and, having drilled through the walls of the rings, fix them together with steel brackets mounted on bolts.

Particular attention should be paid to waterproofing the seams between well rings. Water seepage in the seams leads to contamination of the well. When carrying out work, it is necessary to find a “golden mean” - to close the gaps between the rings with a substance whose material will not adversely affect the quality of water in the well.

Strengthening the seams must be carried out according to the following algorithm.

1. Place pieces of linen rope in the space between the well rings. This is a natural eco-friendly material.
2. Cover the gap over the rope with a mixture of cement-sand mortar and liquid glass. This composition will create a reliable waterproofing layer and will be absolutely neutral when in contact with water.
3. Dig a pit about a meter deep on top of the top rings of the well.
4. Waterproof the rings from the outer surface by applying a layer of liquid bitumen mastic.
5. Around the top rings of the well, you can lay a layer of foam insulation polymer material, for example, polystyrene foam.
6. Backfill the pit around the well with clay. This layer will create a “hydraulic lock”.

It is necessary to go deeper into the aquifer another one and a half to two meters, when fontanelles begin to flow from the walls of the well shaft.

A filter pad is placed at the bottom of the well. It is made from river stones and river quartzite sand.

Prices for concrete rings for a well

concrete rings for well

How to build wells manually

The construction of wells on personal plots is not limited only to the creation of a shaft and strengthening of walls. In order for it to become a full-fledged source of water supply, it is necessary to equip its head - the upper part.

A blind area is built around the contour of the well head - a platform made of tightly compacted crushed stone or concrete. Its dimensions must be at least a meter from the well shaft. The blind area must be erected some time after construction, when the soil settles.

It is also necessary to build a canopy over the well to prevent atmospheric precipitation. If you use a pump to lift water, it makes sense to completely close the shaft, leaving a hole in it for the inlet pipe of the surface pump or the cable, hose and cable of the submersible device.

Protecting the well from the cold

If the aquifer is located close to the surface of the earth, during severe winters there is a risk of water in the well freezing.

In this case, it is necessary to build a “house” over the well head. For insulation, you can use almost any materials, for example mineral wool or foamed polymer. In this case, the water supply pipe must be inserted into the well below the soil freezing line.

In the above diagram, when creating a water supply system, two wells are used - one to deliver water to an intermediate tank, and the second directly to organize water supply in the house.

Video - How to dig a well by hand

Even if there is centralized water supply, a well will not be superfluous: it is too expensive to water the garden or flower beds with tap water, and in case of a power outage it will be very useful. At the dacha, this is generally the main and only source of life-giving moisture. So its value is difficult to overestimate. Building a well with your own hands is not easy, but it is possible. Even if you decide to hire a crew (physically difficult), you will need to supervise them. Not everyone does it the right way. More often, as it is easier and faster. So you need to know how it should be.

How to choose a place

Most reliable way— order hydrogeological studies. You will receive exact location, where you need to dig and analyze the water that will be there. But this service is not cheap and is worth it if you plan to use the water as drinking water, that is, near your home permanent residence. At the dacha, you need it mostly for technical needs, and before drinking water, you can only clean the part that goes into the house.

If you do not order research, be guided by several signs at once:

• position of wells in neighboring areas;
• analysis of growing plants;
• observations of insects and animals;
• traditional methods.

All these methods are only ways to roughly determine where aquifers may lie. None of them gives guarantees, but if as a result of several methods you get a more or less specific place, it makes sense to try to dig a well here.

Wells in neighboring areas

You probably know that rock layers are completely uneven, just like aquifers. If your neighbors have water at a distance of 6 meters, this does not mean that you will have it exactly there. It may be higher or lower, or it may go sharply somewhere to the side. So this is only an approximate “sighting” on the ground.

Plants

This method is suitable if the area has not yet been plowed. You examine the “local” vegetation, identifying islands of characteristic grass. Not single plants (they can be accidentally introduced), but islands, clearings, etc.

Observations of animals and nature

The best predictors are small midges. In the warm season, in calm weather, in the evening, before sunset, look at the site. If there are places where midges “hang” in columns, most likely there is water in this place, and quite close.

To verify this, you can observe this place in the morning. If the water is really close, there will be fog swirling around here.

By the “concentration” of fog you can determine where the water is closest

Traditional methods

We find a clay vessel. Preferably not glazed. But it’s hard to find one now, so any jug or pot will do. Not even this? You can also use a regular pan, just a wide one.

Oven-dried silica gel is poured into the dishes. You don’t have it, don’t know where to get it? Take ceramic bricks, break them into fine crumbs (not flour, but crumbs), dry them in the oven for a couple of hours. Fill the container to the top, tie it with a dry cotton rag. Just so that it doesn't come undone. Weigh and write down the result.

In the expected location/locations of water, dig a hole 1-1.5 meters deep, place a pan in it and cover it with earth. Leave it for a day. Then you dig it up and weigh it again. The more the mass has changed, the more water there is in a given place (or closer to the surface it is located).

Best time

There are two periods when it is best to dig a well: the second half of August and the middle of winter - after two weeks of frost. At this time, the groundwater level is at its lowest and there is almost no high water. So it will be easy to work and you will not miss the determination of the flow rate - at this time it is minimal and you will not have to suffer from a lack of water in detail.

Winter and late summer are the best times to dig wells

If a team works, they can do it in a few days: two or three, sometimes more. If you plan to work alone, you may not have enough time in August. This is the “border” zone - before the rains. Then we need to start work earlier. Maybe since the beginning of August. At this time, there is already little high water, and by the middle of the month (even if you work alone in the evenings) you will already be near the aquifer. In general, try to time it so that the exit to the aquifer occurs at the most “waterless” time. It is also advisable to complete the waterproofing of the walls.

Type and structure

If you have decided on the location, all that remains is to choose what kind of mine you will make. You can only dig a mine well, and you can drill an Abyssinian well. The technology here is completely different, so what follows will be about the mine well.

Well shaft type

The most common one today is a well made of concrete rings. Common - because it's the easiest way. But it has serious drawbacks: the joints are not at all airtight and through them rain and melt water enters the water, and with it what is dissolved in it and what has drowned.

Of course, they try to seal the joints of the rings, but the methods that will be effective cannot be used: the water must be suitable at least for irrigation. But simply covering the connections with a solution is very short-lived and ineffective. The cracks are constantly increasing, and then through them not only rain or melt water enters, but also animals, insects, worms, etc.

There are rings with a lock. Between them, they say, you can lay rubber gaskets that will ensure tightness. There are rings with locks, but they are more expensive. But gaskets are practically never found, as are wells with them.

The log mine also suffers from the same “disease,” only there are even more cracks. Yes, that's what our grandfathers did. But, firstly, they had no other method, and secondly, they did not use so much chemicals in the fields.

From this point of view, a mine made of monolithic concrete is better. It is cast right on site using removable formwork. They poured out the ring, buried it, put up the formwork again, stuck in reinforcement, and poured another one. We waited until the concrete “set”, removed the formwork again, and started digging.

The process is going very slowly. This is the main drawback. Otherwise there are only positives. Firstly, it turns out very cheap. The costs are only for two galvanized sheets, and then for cement, sand, water (proportions 1: 3: 0.6). It's much cheaper than rings. Secondly, it is hermetically sealed. No seams. Filling occurs approximately once a day and due to the uneven upper edge the result is almost a monolith. Just before pouring the next ring, scrape off the surface of the raised and almost set cement laitance (a gray dense film).

How to identify an aquifer

According to the technology, the soil is removed inside the ring and under it. As a result, under its own weight, it settles. This is the soil that you take out and will serve as a guide.

As a rule, water lies between two waterproof layers. Most often it is clay or limestone. The aquifer is usually sand. It can be small, like seaweed, or large interspersed with small pebbles. Often there are several such layers. As the sand goes, it means water will appear soon. Once it appears at the bottom, you need to dig for some more time, removing the already wet soil. If the water is coming actively, you can stop there. The aquifer may not be very large, so there is a risk of going through it. Then you'll have to dig until the next one. The deeper the water will be cleaner, but how much deeper is unknown.

Next, the well is pumped and filled submersible pump and pump out the water. This cleans it, deepening it a little, and also determines its flow rate. If the rate at which the water rises suits you, you can stop there. If it’s not enough, you need to quickly go through this layer. With the pump running, they continue to remove soil until they pass through this layer. Then they dig until the next water carrier.

Bottom filter in a well

Bottom filter device for a well

If you are satisfied with the speed of incoming water and its quality, you can make a bottom filter. These are three layers of cameos of different fractions, which are laid on the bottom. They are needed to ensure that as little silt and sand gets into the water as possible. In order for the bottom filter for a well to work, the stones must be laid out correctly:

• Large stones are placed at the very bottom. These should be quite large cobblestones. But in order not to greatly reduce the height of the water column, use a flatter shape. Lay them out in at least two rows, and do not try to have them stand close together, but with gaps.
• The middle fraction is poured in a layer of 10-20 cm. The dimensions are such that stones or pebbles do not fall into the gaps between the lower layer.
• The top, smallest layer. Pebbles or small stones in a layer of 10-15 cm. Sand will settle in them.

With this arrangement of fractions, the water will be cleaner: first, the largest inclusions settle on large stones, then, as you move up, smaller and smaller ones.

Digging methods

There are two technologies used to dig a well. Both methods are used, just at different depths. And both have their drawbacks.

Alternate installation of rings

The first ring is placed on the ground, which is gradually removed from the inside and under the side. Gradually the ring lowers. It's very important point: it is necessary to ensure that it falls straight down, without distortion. Otherwise, the shaft will turn out to be inclined and, sooner or later, the settlement of the rings will stop.

To avoid skewing, it is necessary to control the verticality of the walls. This is done by tying a plumb line to a block and placing it on a ring. Additionally, you can control it at the top level.

When the upper edge of the ring is level with the ground level, roll the next one. It is placed strictly on top. The work continues. If on the first ring the soil can be thrown over the side with a shovel with a shortened handle, then on the next ones you have to remove it using a gate or a tripod and a block. In this way, at least two people must work, and at least three, or even four, are needed to move the rings. So it is impossible to dig a well yourself, with one hand. Unless you can adapt a winch.

So, gradually, the depth of the well increases. When the ring is lowered to the ground level, a new one is placed on it. To descend, use driven brackets or ladders (more correctly, brackets).

The advantages of this method of digging a well:

• You can check how tight and even the ring has become.
• You can lay the same rubber gaskets that will ensure tightness or place them on the solution.
• The walls do not crumble.

These are all advantages. Now about the cons. Working inside the ring is inconvenient and physically difficult. Therefore, using this method, they dig mainly to a shallow depth - 7-8 meters. Moreover, they work in the mine in turns.

The structure of the “knife” for easier penetration of soil when digging wells

One more point: when digging a log with rings, you can speed up the subsidence process and facilitate the passage of soil using a knife. It is made of concrete and is poured into the ground at the very beginning. To form it, dig a groove in a circle. In cross-section it has a triangular shape (see picture). Its inner diameter coincides with the inner diameter of the rings used, the outer diameter is slightly larger. After the concrete has gained strength, a “standard” one is placed on this ring and work begins.

Installation of rings after reaching the aquifer

First, a shaft without rings is dug. At the same time, they watch the walls. At the first signs of shedding, they place rings inside and continue to deepen using the first method.

If the soil does not crumble along its entire length, when it reaches the aquifer, they stop. Using a crane or manipulator, rings are placed into the shaft. Then, they deepen it a couple more rings using the first method, increasing the flow rate.

The technique for excavating soil is the same here: as long as the depth allows, it is simply thrown out with a shovel. Then they put up a tripod and a gate and lift it in buckets. After installing the rings, the gap between the walls of the shaft and the ring is filled up and compacted. The top few rings can be sealed from the outside (with bitumen impregnation, for example, or other coating waterproofing).

When working, control of the verticality of the walls is also necessary, but it can be adjusted within certain limits. The control method is similar - a plumb line tied to a block and lowered into the shaft.

Advantages of this method:

• The shaft is wider, it is more convenient to work in it, which allows you to make deeper wells.
• Several upper rings can be sealed externally, which minimizes the possibility of the most contaminated water entering.

There are more disadvantages:

• It is difficult to check the tightness of the joint of the rings: it is prohibited to be in the shaft during installation. It is impossible to move an already installed ring in it. It weighs hundreds of kilograms.
• You can miss a moment, and the mine will crumble.
• The filling density of the gap between the shaft wall and the rings remains less than the “native” soil. As a result, melt and rainwater will seep deeper, where they will get inside through the cracks. To avoid this, make a protective circle around the well made of waterproof material (waterproofing membrane) with a slope away from the walls of the well.

Commissioning

If you think you dug a well and that's the end of it, not at all. You still have a series of daily exercises to do. You can do them yourself, without any help. First you need to waterproof the walls from the outside, then clean and wash the walls from the inside and pump out the water - clean the well.

After the well is dug, it takes a couple of days for the rings to settle and take their places. At this time, nothing needs to be done inside, but you can do external waterproofing.

Waterproofing

If the well was made using the second method - first they dug a shaft, then installed the rings - this stage is a little simpler. You will need to widen the gap slightly to make a waterproof seal. If the rings were installed right away, you will have to dig a decent ditch around. At least until the middle of the second ring. When the soil has been removed, we proceed to waterproofing.

It is best to use a coating. You can use bitumen mastic, you can use other compounds. In principle, you can fuse or glue roll waterproofing, or in the worst case scenario, wrap it in film. Film is the cheapest, but it will last no more than two years, and only if you buy it expensive and reinforced.

Since you dug a well anyway, insulate it. You may not be at your dacha in winter for now, but maybe later the cold weather will come. So make sure you have water in advance.

Cleaning walls and internal sealing of seams

A couple of days after the well has been dug and the glass has sunk, you go down inside with a broom and sweep the walls. Then you wash the walls: you pour them on them and sweep them with a clean broom. Douse it again, then with a broom. The water was pumped out and drained away. The next day the procedure was repeated. So - five, seven, ten days. Until the inside and water become clean.

One more thing. Not all teams immediately coat the joints of the rings. Then after the first cleaning you need to coat the joints with a solution (cement:sand in a ratio of 1:3). To improve the effect, you can add PVA or liquid glass(instead of some part of the water, or dilute PVA with water). It is also advisable to ensure against horizontal shifts of the rings. Especially if they don't have locks. To do this, adjacent rings are fastened metal plates, which are attached to anchors. This measure is strictly necessary on unstable loose or highly heaving soils.

After the walls are washed, the water is pumped several times, you can use the water. But to prevent anything from attacking inside, it is necessary to close it. ABOUT

For some of the features of digging wells and cleaning them, watch the video.

Safety at work

Digging a well (with your own hands or with a team) is hard and dangerous work, especially after the first three rings have been dug. The buckets have to be pulled out with a winch, a winch or a block, but it is heavy. It may break - or the rope or handle may not hold up. Therefore, it is necessary to comply with safety rules:

Believe me, precautions are not unnecessary. Better to play it safe.

How they dug a well: photo report

We dug using the first method - immediately put rings. Three people worked, taking turns: no one stayed inside longer than “one ring.” This is all the details in a nutshell. The rest is as we go along.

First, they brought the rings and laid them out on the site. A knife was assembled from specially shaped wooden planks.

It turned out to be a ring, according to the size of which they began to dig around the chosen place.

The first concrete ring is laid on this ring. At first, the soil was only discarded - as long as the depth allowed.

We installed the second one, sealed the seams inside and outside, and went on digging.

When the second one went level with the ground, we set up a tripod with a winch and a block. So they lifted and lowered the digger and buckets of rock.

Now: one is digging, the second is “twisting” on the winch, the third is dumping the soil. The same winch was used to lower the well into the shaft.

They buried the sixth ring and after that water appeared. If you look at the soil, it looks like this: black soil, sand, clay, aquifer. This means that the layer where water flows is separated by clay that is poorly conductive. This is very good - the water should be good, as it turned out later.

After this, three more rings are installed. One is left for the end of August, when the water is lower, we will lower the well another meter. Then the procedure is standard - wash the walls, pump out the water. So six times - seven times. Afterwards, we saddled the head on the well and installed all the stuffing - the gate, pulled out the cable from the house, and installed the socket. The plans are to bring water into the house.

This is what a well looks like “in a house”