Do-it-yourself well at the dacha: a guide to arranging a typical well from rings

Having your own source of water at your favorite summer cottage will significantly increase the level of comfort.It will eliminate the need to carry buckets of water to care for carefully grown plants or to fill containers in a bathhouse or shower.

The construction of a water intake structure can be entrusted to a team of workers specializing in this field. But it is better to dig and equip a well at your dacha with your own hands, investing a minimum of money in it. We will tell you how to choose a place for a water source, how to drill and equip a working.

Proper preparation - 100% success

Any enterprise requires careful preliminary preparation from the future contractor. Especially something as labor-intensive as digging a well.

Errors in planning, distribution of forces and work stages will certainly affect the result. In the best case, construction will last for a long, but unknown period, in the worst case, it will end with the construction of a useless tunnel “to nowhere.”

Research by an independent hydrogeologist

In order to eliminate the senseless expenditure of funds and muscular effort, it is necessary to conduct preliminary hydrogeological studies.

The best option for exploration is drilling. However, doing it yourself before building a well is at least unwise, and hiring drillers is expensive and unprofitable. It would be better to drill a water well right away.

Independent hydrogeological surveys consist of a banal survey of neighbors who have their own well or well.

You need to find out from them:

• At what depth does the water surface stand during flood and dry periods?
• How many meters were drilled or excavated to construct the water intake structure.
• Doesn’t water tend to “leave” from the water intake shaft if the summer is not pleasant with precipitation for two or three weeks, but is exhausting with heat?
• What kind of soil was extracted from the borehole or well during their development: was it clayey or sandy?
• Have drillers ever had to break a boulder with a chisel, or well builders have had to lift a large, heavy stone from a well?

Traditionally, suburban land plots and summer cottages are located in flat areas without pronounced relief structures. Wells are dug in sedimentary deposits that can be easily mined.

Work is carried out to the first aquifer, trying to bypass and block the high water if it is located at a depth of about 3-4 m from the surface.

Most holiday villages are located in flat areas, which are characterized by almost horizontal occurrence of soil layers. Groundwater in flat areas lies almost at the same level

Underground water, contained by the pores of sedimentary rocks, usually occurs in the form of a kind of pool. According to gravitational regulations and the law of communicating vessels, the surface of this pool is located at almost the same depth at all points.

This means that the geological and hydrogeological situation on your site will be almost the same as that of your neighbor.

Some level deviations are recorded as the groundwater moves. For example, if it is unloaded in the form of a spring in a ravine located 3-5 km from the work site.

Then the level at a point located closer to the spring will be slightly lower than at its distant counterpart. However, these deviations can be neglected when digging a well, because their significance is usually insignificant.

Significant differences in the height of the groundwater level (groundwater level) will occur if the well is built on a hillside. Water will always drain in the direction of easy discharge, which the slope provides it with. Therefore, they try not to build wells on such sites, because natural drainage significantly reduces the volume of produced water.

If there is high water in the work area, the level of which in the spring-autumn period will be on average 3-4 m, it is recommended to block it with a well shaft and reach the underlying aquifer. The level and water abundance of perched water are unstable, the water is most often polluted by domestic wastewater

From neighboring sources, you can determine the depth of the mirror with fairly high accuracy using a barometer. Its scale is marked with divisions of 0.1 mm, which in terms of heights equals 1 m.

So, if above the neighboring excavation the device shows 831.7 mm, and above the point of the planned well 831.5 mm, then the depth of your water intake structure will be 2 m more.

Information about the composition of the soil will help you evaluate your own strength for digging on your own. If neighbors insist that the development is difficult and there are a large number of boulders, it is better to entrust the work to a team of coven workers. Their actions will still have to be monitored, which means well construction technologies need to get acquainted.

The approximate water level in the well planned for construction can be determined by the mirror of a nearby reservoir. The water in the well will be at approximately the same levels

In addition to the “testimony” of the owners of existing water intake structures, organizations that carried out drilling or construction near your site can provide information about the hydrogeological conditions of the area. Information can be provided by the local weather service, which has a complete package of data on climatic conditions, natural phenomena and geological conditions in the region.

How to determine a place to dig a well

For the water intake structure it is necessary in advance find a suitable place. It is undesirable to arrange it in a place where garden plants have been planted for several decades and the soil has been fertilized with chemical compounds.

Please note that well water is rarely drinkable. If the plans do not include the extraction of the drinking category, then you can ignore the previous cycles of fertilizer application.

Due to the small size of summer cottages, it is difficult to find a place to install a well with drinking water. Due to the insufficient distance from possible groundwater contaminants to the source, it can only be used for cleaning and irrigation (+)

We list the main factors influencing the selection of a site for building a well:

• Elimination of contamination. The distance from places where negative components are likely to be introduced: from domestic and outbuildings, livestock pens, cesspools, compost heaps is at least 20 m. In the case of constructing a well with drinking water, there should be no such objects at all on a summer cottage.
• Cost reduction. The shortest and most direct pipeline route if a water supply system is planned. The shorter the length of the highway, the less money will be spent.
• Optimal location. There should be a minimum of 5 m between the foundation of the dacha and the well. The water intake structure will “draw” groundwater into itself according to the principle of a whirlpool. It will constantly strive to replenish the depleted reserves, attracting not only water, but also soil particles, which will ultimately wash away the soil under the foundation if the well is close.

Vast summer cottages are rare in our realities, so choosing a place in the direction of movement of underground water on the site is strange, to say the least. However, if the ground surface of the plot has a certain slope, then, if possible, it is better to choose a place for the well at the lowest point. There, the thickness of soil to be excavated will be smaller, and the influx of water will be greater.

According to the requirements of SanPiN number 2.1.4.544-96, there must be at least 50 m between the source of drinking water and objects of possible groundwater contamination (cesspools, compost heaps, cattle pens, etc.)

Specifics of a typical well design

The maximum depth of a traditional well with a shaft-shaft is considered to be 30 m. Digging below is dangerous, too difficult, and impractical in terms of costs and labor costs. At the dacha, you can make a very shallow well, the height of the shaft will be 6 - 8 m.

Digging a shallow shaft is not difficult; a standard bucket or an inexpensive surface pump will work to extract water. However, the extracted water from shallow workings is applicable exclusively for irrigation and other economic purposes.

A water intake can be made with a shaft 15 - 20 m deep. From such a depth there is a greater likelihood of obtaining drinking water. The chances especially increase if the aquifer is covered by loam or sandy loam - clayey rocks that do not allow water to pass through.They prevent the penetration of atmospheric and flood water along with household wastewater, industrial oils, and chemicals.

The well builder's task is not only to extract soil from the excavation, but also to form the walls of the well shaft. They are constructed from stone, brick, logs, wood plates, timber, monolithic reinforced concrete poured into formwork placed in a pit.

The most common material option for wall construction at the moment is factory-made concrete rings or home-made analogues, poured into a mold right on the work site.

Regardless of the material used to construct the walls of the shaft well, its design includes three main elements: 1 - water intake part, 2 - barrel, head (+)

Regardless of the material used to construct the walls of the well, they are constructed in accordance with a single design scheme. Its main parts are:

• Header. The part of the mine that rises above the earth's surface. The standard height is 0.7 - 0.8 m, but with variations. Equipped with a well house for protection from atmospheric negativity. For manual lifting of water it is equipped with a collar or crane.
• Trunk. The part of the mine measured from the earth's surface to the water surface. Serves to strengthen the walls of the excavation and to protect against ground collapses.
• Water intake part. A section of a mine immersed in an aquifer. The main working element of a well, ensuring the supply of water to the structure and, if necessary, creating a supply.

Apart from the geometric parameters, there are no significant differences in the design of the head and barrel. The width and height vary, and the shape of the shaft in plan: square or round.The main design difference that determines the division of wells into types is determined by the design principle of the water intake part.

Based on differences in the design of the water intake part, wells are divided into:

• Imperfect. The water receiving part of this type is immersed in the water-saturated formation at approximately 70% of the capacity of the water carrier. The mine is not installed on an aquifer, therefore the influx of water into it occurs both through the bottom and through the walls of the water intake part.
• Perfect. The water intake part is completely buried in the aquifer. The base of the mine rests on a water-resistant layer, which is why the influx of water occurs exclusively through the side walls.
• Perfect with a sump. The water intake part rests on a water-resistant layer; water enters the shaft from the side through the walls. The water intake is supplemented with a kind of reservoir formed in the underlying waterproof layer.

The sump is arranged to form a water supply. Consequently, its volume is calculated based on the actual daily consumption. If it is necessary to increase the volume of water that can be pumped out at a time, the sump is arranged in the form of a bell with an expansion towards the base.

The well design is chosen in accordance with the geological situation in the work area, the experience of neighbors in building similar sources and the real need for water of future owners

A survey of neighbors can also help in wisely choosing the optimal well design. A similar imperfect scheme or a perfect scheme supplemented with a sump may suit you. It all depends on your actual water needs.

It should be remembered that well water cannot “stagnate” in the mine. If it stays there for a long time, it will bloom or begin to rot.

If you do not plan to permanently live in a country house with abundant water procedures, then an imperfect design will provide a sufficient amount of water. They arrange it at the bottom bottom filter made of gravel or crushed stone backfill to retain grains of sand.

Construction of a well from concrete rings

Constructing a water source on a summer cottage is the simplest option that can be done independently. The use of ready-made concrete rings will allow you to dig an excellent well at your dacha with minimal loss of effort and expense, and, if desired, decorate the head with a stone or log.

However, the most economical method will still be the one that involves self-filling. reinforced concrete well elements.

Technology of construction from ready-made rings

IN construction of wells from concrete rings The lowering method is mainly used. Although you can go the other way: install concrete elements in a pre-dug shaft, but the lowering method is more practical and safe. With it, the walls of the shaft are strengthened simultaneously with the extraction of soil, which prevents the collapse of loose rocks into the shaft during operation.

For the construction of a well, both concrete and reinforced concrete rings with a locking chamfer along the end edge are suitable.Note that with equal sizes, the first and second options differ in weight. For example, with the dimensions of a concrete ring Ø 1 m and a height of 0.7 m, the weight will be on average 800 kg. A similar reinforced concrete element will weigh only about 500 kg.

Using reinforced concrete factory rings is the easiest way and most convenient material for constructing a mine well

In addition, the wall thickness of a concrete ring for constructing a well must be at least 10 cm, preferably 12 cm. And when using reinforced concrete rings, a minimum of 6 cm is allowed, but the average thickness is 7 - 8 cm.

The construction of a well shaft from concrete rings does not require the mandatory use of lifting equipment

The size of the walls is largely reflected in the size of the internal diameter, and this in turn affects the convenience during the development of the mine and the subsequent use of the well.

It is better to construct a well shaft using the lowering method, but you can install them in a pre-dug pit using the technology shown in the diagram

The appropriate diameter of the rings is selected based on the comfortable position of the worker while digging in the mine. On average, this is from 1.0 m to a maximum of 1.5 m. You should not hope that there will be more water in a wide well. If it is imperfect, then the influx will be equal to both the wide and narrow trunk.

In addition to the factory-made concrete rings, you also need to purchase a shoe - a shortened concrete ring equipped with a cutter along the lower edge. It will speed up penetration and ensure smooth immersion of the column of concrete elements into the ground. When constructing a shaft from homemade rings, the lower edge of the starting ring is made in the form of a cone.

A tripod with a block for a rope with a hook attached to its top will help to significantly facilitate the process of lifting soil from a well shaft. Lowering and lifting can be done using a manual winch or an electric winch

If, when digging a neighbor's well, loose sand was extracted, then there is a possibility that the upper part of the trunk would be clamped by collapsed rock. At the same time, the lower part continues to fall, the upper part remains clamped in place, and a gap appears between them, which is extremely difficult to eliminate.

The stepped version of the well shaft arrangement is made of cone-shaped rings, which form stiffening ribs on the outside, and steps on the inside for ascent/descent

The most common method of constructing a well from rings is the lowering method, according to which the trunk is built up from above and immersed in the ground by digging from below.

To avoid such a serious accident, it is better to stock up on a 16 mm rod for making brackets fastening the rings or a strip 5-10 mm thick.

To facilitate the procedure for lifting soil from a mine being developed, it is advisable to make a tripod and attach a block to its top. This makes it easier and faster to free the trunk from the dumped rock.

Concrete or reinforced concrete elements for the construction of a well shaft are purchased in advance, taking into account the height of the neighbors' shaft, or are poured at the construction site

Steps of the lowering method of constructing an imperfect shaft well:

• We mark the outline of the shaft according to the actual sizes of the rings. The simplest marking method is to install a peg in the center with a string tied to it equal to half the diameter of the ring. With this simplified compass we need to outline the boundaries.
• We dig out a round pit according to the markings.It may be slightly wider than the outline to make it easier to immerse the starting ring. We dig to about ¾ of the height of the concrete element.
• We install a shoe with a cutter in the pit and check its position with a level. If necessary, we align the position so that there is no further distortion of the barrel.
• We immerse the starting ring into the shaft. We fasten it to the shoe in four places with staples or metal plates cut from a strip, if there is no confidence that the shoe will not separate from the concrete column when immersed.
• We select the soil inside the shaft without digging it under the shoe.
• We dig four or more cavities under the shoe so that logs, bricks, or similar temporary supports of equal height can fit there.
• We install the supports so that the assembled part of the well rests evenly on them. We control the fit of the barrel with a level and plumb line, so as not to subsequently correct flaws that increase with depth.
• We dig up the remaining areas under the shoe and knock out temporary supports.
• We plant the ring into the ground, trying to maintain uniform immersion.
• We act in accordance with the algorithm described above until the upper edge of the ring is aligned with the day surface.
• We lay a sealant along the chamfer of the installed ring - tarred hemp cord Ø 20 mm. We use a seal for at least three to five lower rings. It is needed in the water intake part and a little higher in case the level rises during the flood period.
• We install the next ring, if necessary, connect it to the previous one in 3 - 4 places around the circumference.

Using this method, we go deeper and increase the rings until water-saturated sand appears.We dig as many meters of shaft into it as the neighbors had. At this time, it will be necessary to constantly pump out water from the excavation so that it does not interfere with the worker.

The diagram shows the process of digging up soil under the cutting shoe of a well trunk step by step

If there is no information on deepening into the aquifer, then after installing at least one concrete element, another simplified reconnaissance must be done.

Before digging up the soil under the trunk, you need to dig something like a pit in the center. If there is only sand and small stones in the pit, then the development of the mine can be continued until the next ring is immersed.

Then exploration is carried out again until the roof of the waterproof layer appears at the bottom of the pit - clayey rock similar to plasticine. This is a signal to stop digging.

Now the work in the mine consists only of installing a bottom filter made of a three-layer gravel backfill. The gravel is poured into three tiers 15–20 cm thick. The fraction of each upper layer should be larger than the lower one.

To prevent shear and displacement of concrete rings, they are connected with bent brackets made of reinforcing bars, welded brackets or metal plates with bolted fastenings (+)

When installing a perfect type of well at a dacha, the shaft should be installed on the roof of a water-resistant layer. Naturally, there is no need to conduct exploration during the digging period. The shaft is simply gradually immersed until it hits the aquiclude.

It should be noted that one or more starting links of a perfect well must allow water to pass through the walls. To do this, semblances of windows are formed in rings in a checkerboard pattern, filled with fine mesh, slag concrete crackers or similar porous materials with filtering capabilities.

The number of rings should be such as to completely cover and slightly exceed the capacity of the water carrier.

Rings with side filters are used not only in the construction of perfect wells, but also in the construction of imperfect structures in layers with low water inflow.

In order to increase the flow of water into imperfect wells with a small flow rate and to install a filtering water receiving part of a perfect well, the starting ring is arranged with perforation. Its function can be performed by peculiar “windows” made of large-porous concrete or holes filled with a fine stainless steel mesh

Before you decide whether to dig a well yourself or invite guest workers, it is worth calculating the amount you will have to pay for digging a well. Definition details own source prices Find out from our recommended article.

Method of making homemade rings

The construction technology is similar to the previous method, but is complicated by the procedure for making concrete rings. To do this, you need to stock up in advance on collapsible formwork from boards or sheet metal interconnected into one sheet.

It is clear that the formwork must be paired: one part must follow the outer surface of the ring, the second the inner one. It is better to select the size and shape of the formwork according to the dimensions of the factory rings.

To prepare the solution, you will need Portland cement of a grade of at least 400, river or quarry sand and gravel of fractions 30 - 70. In order for the rings to sink freely into the ground, the walls of the handmade product must be as smooth as possible. Therefore, preference should be given to fine gravel.

To produce rings yourself, you need to develop a formwork design. The optimal proportions of concrete mixture are 1:2.5:4 and/or 1:2:3; CC from 0.5 to 0.7

Water is needed with neutral acidity. Its volume is determined according to VTs graphs, taking into account that the water-cement ratio for filling the elements of the well cannot be less than 0.7. Taking into account the consumption of cement and water, it is possible to calculate the volume of initial components for the manufacture of rings.

It is necessary to think in advance about the type of seam edge of the rings: the butt quarter will be straight or with a beveled wall.

Joining the elements of a concrete shaft will be carried out faster and with greater accuracy if an end chamfer is provided during pouring

To form a rebate during the pouring period, two more ring-shaped parts will be required, one of which must be laid on the bottom of the formwork, the second on top of the pouring. These parts must fit together so that the manufactured well elements can fit tightly together.

At the formwork preparation stage, a decision is made on the use of reinforcement. If a reinforcing frame is used, the consumption of grout for filling will be reduced. It is possible that the cost of the ring will increase slightly, but at the same time the rigidity and strength of the structure will increase.

If you plan to install concrete rings in a pit using construction equipment, you should install mounting loops in the reinforcement frame

The reinforcement is constructed from vertically installed rods and horizontally laid rings from 10 - 12 mm bar. The diameter of the rings should be smaller than the size of the outer part of the assembled formwork, but larger than the inner one, so that the structure fits freely into the gap formed by them.

Between the vertical elements of the reinforcement frame there should be about 25 cm, between the horizontal rings 10 -20 cm. To create a unified system, the reinforcing bars and rings are fastened with knitting wire.

The formwork is filled in layers 100 - 150 mm thick. As the solution is filled, it is compacted until laitance appears on the surface. Tamping must be done; the denser the solution is laid, the higher the strength characteristics of the product.

After laying the mixture into the formwork, care should be taken to ensure that it hardens correctly. For the first 10 days, the ring must be protected from possible freezing and drying out. The surface should be periodically moistened or covered with damp sawdust.

Having completed the construction of the mine, you should equip the well head and build a clay castle - a ring of crumpled compacted clay. The width of the castle is 0.5 m, its depth is from 1.0 to 1.5 m (+)

The starting ring is made with a lower cutting edge. If you don’t want to bother with the edge device, you can buy or fill the shoe separately. The formation of filter windows in the walls of concrete rings, as in the previous case, depends on the structural type of the well. The technology for constructing a mine from homemade rings is no different at all.

Having completed the work on constructing a well shaft, you can safely begin arranging your own source. At the bottom of an imperfect structure, the trunk of which is buried in the aquifer, but does not rest on water-resistant rock, a bottom filter should be built.

The bottom of an imperfect type well should be equipped with a bottom filter. It is filled with three layers of rocks with good filtration properties. The first layer is about 10 cm of sand, then 15 cm of fine gravel and on top of larger gravel (+)

A clay castle should be placed around the trunk to protect against household waste from entering the shaft. The head must be equipped with at least a lid or canopy and a device for lifting well water.

Don’t forget that in addition to digging your own water source, its owner will also have to carry out regular maintenance. Dedicated to methods, rules and frequency of well cleaning This article.

Conclusions and useful video on the topic

Video #1. How to choose the best place to install a well in a suburban area:

Video #2. An example of a self-digging mine well:

Video #3. A video with a step-by-step demonstration of the process of constructing a mine well yourself:

Building your own well is not an easy, but completely doable task, which a home craftsman can easily solve without the involvement of hired workers.True, he will need at least two assistants to extract soil to the surface and to monitor the condition of the worker at the bottom of the mine.

In case of dizziness, it is necessary to immediately raise it to the surface, and before work, regularly check the gas content with a burning candle or gas analyzer.

Would you like to tell us how you installed a well on your own summer cottage? Do you have any questions about the topic of the article, or have you found any controversial points in the information? Please comment in the block below, leave posts with your opinion and photos on the topic.