To achieve comfortable living conditions in a country house or in a private house, every home craftsman must take care of the availability of water supply. At the same time, more and more people today rely on their own sources. These include wells and wells. The first option is definitely more effective, but in order to dig a well yourself, you need to have an accurate understanding of all stages of the work. There are stereotypes that it is impossible to dig a well on your own plot of land. In reality, this task is achievable if everything is done correctly and consistently.

When can you dig a well?

If you decide to build a well on your site yourself, you should choose the right time to complete this task. If specialized companies with good equipment can carry out this procedure at any time, then you definitely cannot dig a well in winter with improvised means.

You should wait for optimal weather conditions, that is, drought. While it rains, you can prepare all the necessary equipment and materials. The groundwater level is at its lowest, usually from late summer to early autumn. Therefore, it is best to plan to dig a well in August-September.

The first video is about how you can dig a well yourself, without relying on friends and acquaintances.

In this case, you do not need to hire a team of professionals.

How deep should a well be dug?

The depth of the future well depends on the chosen place for digging. For example, if you need a well near a river, then it will be easier to get to the water. At the same time, it is almost impossible to independently determine where to start work so that the waters are closer without special equipment. Specialists with experience working with soil can help you with this. You can also consult your neighbors. If they have a well on the property, they will be able to tell you what depth is optimal.

A well for a summer residence should be located at least thirty meters away from toilets, sewers, and other groundwater pollutants. The optimal depth of the well is considered to be 5-10 meters. Although in rare cases it can even reach 30-40 meters. Typically, the appearance of black clay indicates that you are approaching a water vein.

How to determine whether the water in a well is suitable for drinking

In order to understand what kind of water is available on your site, you should do geological exploration of the area. If there are already communication networks in the yard, then such data probably already exists. If not, you can again ask neighbors who have a well. They will be able to tell you where the waters suitable for drinking are concentrated.

You can check your water quality by contacting your local SES. As for more professional methods, these include electro-vertical sounding. This technology allows you to correctly determine what water accumulates underground. But, as practice shows, one method is not enough for a 100% result. The most correct result can be obtained only in combination with other methods.

Safety precautions

A few words about safety precautions. Our health is everything - we can’t dig a well without it))

It should be understood that digging a well is a complex process that requires care from the performer. For this reason, due attention should be paid to safety precautions. To avoid risks, just follow a few simple rules:

1. First of all, you need to wear a helmet when working. After all, at any moment a handful of earth or a stone can fall on a person’s head.
2. While digging a hole, you should periodically check the integrity of the rope.
3. It is recommended to periodically inspect fastening systems and containers designed for lifting soil.
4. You can stay in the mine for a limited amount of time.
5. It should be borne in mind that dampness and cold have a negative impact on health.

Choosing a location for a well

The correct choice of place to dig it is of great importance in the independent construction of a well. If the area is polluted or there is a source of any waste nearby, you will not be able to get good water from the well. For this reason, you must accurately study the geological condition of the soil.

It should be taken into account that many sources of pollution easily penetrate not only into the surface layer, but also into groundwater. Also, you should not focus on areas of land where rocky soil is observed. Many home craftsmen, in search of a source of drinking water, rely on ancient methods. In particular, they are trying to detect veins by the presence of vegetation. However, this method is not reliable. It is also problematic to dig a well on slopes. The best option is clean, flat terrain.

What technologies can be used to dig a well?

If there is dense soil on your site, then the installation of structures such as a well is carried out using the open method. This is due to the fact that the walls of the mine will not collapse, since the soil includes clay deposits. The open method of constructing a well means the following work plan:

• Digging a mine;
• Installation of reinforced concrete rings;
• Fastening the rings;
• Elimination of cracks;

We will talk in detail about each stage from the above scheme of work later. Thus, the open method of digging a hole is effective in cases where nothing affects the deformation of the walls of the shaft.
The closed method of constructing a well for a summer residence is typical for loose soil.

1. When working with sandy soil, usually the walls of the shaft constantly crumble and shift. For this reason, work will have to be interrupted, which can lead to lengthy installation of the well rings. To get a good result in this case, you need to start digging the hole correctly. This method involves sliding rings along the walls of the shaft using their own weight.
2. In other words, the rings will begin to fall down on their own. And we need to dig out from under them. Before you start digging a hole, you must mark the exact location of the future rings. The mark must strictly correspond to the outer diameter of the structures. After this, the top layer of soil is removed. As a rule, for the first ring a hole is dug up to two meters deep.
3. Then the ring is mounted inside, and all further work is carried out inside the product. Under its own weight, it should sink lower on its own. After each meter dug, a second one is installed on top of one ring. The last ring is installed after the aquifer appears.

There is no need to completely bury the last element of the structure. Also, to achieve a full result, you will need to use sealed products. The process of insulating seams in this case is no different from the above. But we’ll talk about the details of this stage of work later.

Well design

Regardless of the chosen digging method, all wells have the same design features. The lower part of any well should be equipped with a bottom filter, which is designed to purify drinking water. This structural component consists of three layers of gravel and crushed stone. The first layers, as a rule, are represented by a fine fraction. The middle layer is five times larger.

The last layer is the large size fraction. In some cases, the filter can be supplemented with a plank floor. Such measures are taken when the soil at the bottom of the well is too viscous. There are rings on top of the filter. Using them is the easiest way to create a mine. It can also be made of brick, concrete and stone.

The upper part of the structure is represented by the head. The upper part of the well can be made in the form of a house, a mill or any other object. This will give the well an aesthetic appearance. You should ensure that the storehouse is equipped with a special lid. Safety precautions require that the well be closed at all times. Otherwise, foreign objects, pollutants, rainwater may get in there, and someone may get hurt due to their carelessness.

Necessary materials and tools for digging a well

Before you start building a well, you can estimate in advance how much this task will cost you. To do this, you need to calculate the price of all the necessary materials and tools. For work you will need the following building materials:

• Crushed stone;
• Gravel;
• Concrete rings;
• Wooden boards;
• Bars;
• Nails,
• Bolts;
• Sealant;
• Cement;
• Sand;
• Staples;
• Seam putty;

The amount of resources required for work depends directly on the location and depth of the well. As for the tools that will be useful for the job, it also all depends on the placement of the well and its depth. But in any case, to work you will have to use:

• Tripod;
• Shovels;
• Ladder or ropes;
• Buckets;
• Drill;
• Durable chains;
• Cart.

Start of work

It should be noted that to make a well you will need the help of several comrades. This is due to the fact that concrete rings are difficult to install independently, even with special equipment. This is directly related to their heavy weight. But in any case, the help of friends will cost much less than the services of companies that provide drilling and construction services.

Advice from professionals on proper well digging, a large number of important nuances that should be followed

1. As already stated, work on creating a well on your site begins with calculations and determining the location for digging.
2. If you have already collected all the necessary information, you should start marking.



marking the future well - the beginning of the beginning

3. After this, you need to start digging holes.
4. It is necessary to dig to such a depth that the first ring, regardless of the type of installation (open or closed), does not go completely into the ground.
5. As you already understand, the work is described using a closed installation method, due to the fact that it is much more common.
6. After installing the first ring, there should be a protrusion of 10 centimeters. You can transport the ring into the dug hole using a cart. It should be the same height as the ledge. That is 10 centimeters. You must understand that even the installation of the first ring determines the quality of the future well. For this reason, it is necessary to carefully check its verticality. If the first ring is slightly distorted, further work may not go according to plan.



7. Then the second concrete ring is installed. It is connected using special brackets.



8. For two rings you will need at least three staples. Considering that the operating principle of the closed well installation method is to immerse the rings under their own pressure, it is necessary to dig a hole in the center of the rings.
9. After installing the first two products, the structure should be deepened by 80 centimeters.
10. After this, the rings are dug in a circle.
11. If you are forced to work with soft soil, it must be removed from the middle of the ring. If we are talking about hard ground, then first you need to remove the soil under the rings. This will allow you to get rid of obstacles that may interfere with the immersion of the structure.
12. After eliminating unnecessary soil and interference, you can work in standard mode, removing soil from the middle.
13. To connect rings on soft ground, experts recommend using staples. Despite the existence of more modern designs - rings with locks, the above option is considered more optimal. This is due to the fact that rings with locks are not able to protect the rings from deformation in soft ground in winter. They start to move. The brackets provide for this process and do not allow the structure to move.
14. As you dig a hole, it is necessary to process the joints of the strung rings. To do this, a special sealant is used and a tarred hemp rope is installed. Additionally, it can be sealed using cement mortar. The walls of the shaft should be built up until water is visible.



15. After sealing the rings and sealing the cracks, the sides must be compacted with clay. Additionally, you can sprinkle with earth. This will protect the well from rainwater, pollutants and other unnecessary elements.

At the last stage of work, the upper part of the well is made. Traditionally, wood is used to make it. The ground part can be made in the form of a house. In some cases, home craftsmen choose concrete or brick. In this case, the upper part of the ring can be supplemented with flowerpots or some other architectural elements. You should also create a cover made of concrete or wood. This is necessary for safety reasons.

Cleaning a well from dirty water

Even if your well is well protected, it needs to be cleaned periodically (preferably once every six months - regarding the filter itself).

The final video about digging a well is a reliably informative way

Next, to decide the question of who will dig the well, if hiring a team of workers is expensive for you, then invite more assistants, because digging the well must be at least three people, who will ensure a continuous digging process, replacing each other.

One person digs, putting it in a bucket, another lifts it at the top using a lifting device, and a third waits to replace the person who is tired.

The rope with the bucket also serves as a level to maintain the strict verticality of the shaft.

Here it is necessary to say separately about safety precautions.

A person who is digging earth in a well shaft must wear a helmet; even a small lump of earth falling from a bucket from a height of three meters can cause serious injury.

How to dig a well pit with your own hands

Before you start digging a well, you need to prepare the necessary equipment.

To work you will need: shovels, crowbar, buckets, pump for pumping out water, rope, chain, lifting device (such as a hand hoist), and, of course, concrete rings.
First, let's consider the option of digging a well manually with the installation of concrete rings. We begin to dig a hole, the diameter of which is equal to the ring, about two meters deep. Then, having installed the ring, we begin to select the earth inside the ring, while taking into account the viscosity of the earth.

If the soil is dense, we dig under the ring; if it is loose, we start from the middle of the circle. During digging, the ring lowers under its own weight.

When the ring is deep enough, place the next one on it. The whole process is repeated. When doing work, you must make sure that the rings are lowered evenly, otherwise not only distortion, but also pinching may occur; eliminating such problems is quite labor-intensive.

Immerse the ring

We seal the seams between the rings with cement-sand mortar, having previously laid tarred hemp rope, and fasten the rings themselves together with iron plates, screwing them with bolts using special metal eyes.

The depth of the well is usually about 10 meters, but this value can vary up or down depending on the topography of the area.

The depth of the shaft is determined by the following parameters: Soil moisture increases, the clay layer is penetrated, and air temperature decreases.

If water appears in the well, the work does not stop, and the water is pumped out using. If there is a rapid increase in water, we stop digging. Now you should pump out the water and leave the well for 8-12 hours, then pumping out the water should be repeated and more soil should be removed until you see aquifer veins.

Making a clay castle. Outside, we dig our well to a depth of about a meter, compact it with clay at ground level, and then make a blind area.

Diagram of a properly constructed well

That's it, the well digging is complete. Now we set up a bottom filter to purify the water. It is done this way: at the bottom of the well we place small and large crushed stones of about 20 centimeters each. If the soil at the bottom of the well is very viscous, then you first need to make boards with holes for water, and then lay a bottom filter on top.

Shutdown

We complete the work by installing a water-lifting mechanism, or pump. We close the well with a lid.
The design of the above-ground part of the well, the head, is chosen by everyone according to their taste and financial capabilities. There are many options available.

You can also dig a well without rings. For the device we will need a wooden one, chopped into a paw. But this method is more labor-intensive and is chosen by lovers of ecological construction.

Wells by depth

Even if you bought a plot of land without expecting further development, and only plan to plant a garden or vegetable garden on it, you, in any case, need to establish a water supply. Moreover, water is needed if you build a house on your land. Clean water from a well is incomparable to tap water - that's a fact. Surely you are looking for specialists who will relieve you of the need to build a well yourself and then care for it. What do you need to know to get started?

The construction of a well can help solve the problem of drinking water in a summer cottage. Before you start digging a well, you need to choose the right place and have information on how to properly drill a well and how best to strengthen its walls.

The problem of drinking water in the lap of nature is more than relevant. Even if you live on the shore of an immaculate body of water, you cannot drink the water from it without serious purification. And cleaning means money, and also chemicals that will enter your body. Therefore, you need to either drill a well on the site or dig a well.

You should think about all this in advance, that is, before construction begins. The presence of water on the site must be determined at the stage of engineering-geological surveys, when the soil is checked, the depth of groundwater is determined, etc. If there is a main line nearby that supplies water to the nearest populated area, then it is better to connect to this main line. But if it is not there, you will have to go deep into the depths yourself and get the much-needed water from there.

Our ancestors most often dug wells on plots (sometimes there were several common wells per village). The well served well for many years, supplying clean water, and the owner did not know grief. Now the situation has changed: in a number of cases, water from the layer of free-flow groundwater does not meet sanitary standards, and septic tanks have appeared on the sites, and it is necessary to move the well as far away from them as possible. Therefore, many owners of modern country houses prefer to drill wells.

However, wells are still being built. The only pity is that many homeowners strive to equip them at the lowest cost, saving on the professionalism of those who deal with this by no means a simple task. The results are disastrous: as a result of illiterate work, buildings on the site are deformed, and concrete rings allow melt water to pass through in the spring, which is why from March to mid-June well water is unfit for drinking. It also happens that the owner of the site decides not to spend money on an initial soil examination, and the water in the well is yellow.

Strictly speaking, you can equip a well at any time of the year, even in winter. However, in the spring, when the snow melts, there is a risk of incorrectly determining the required depth of the well. During this period of the year, groundwater is high, and the proper water level in April will turn out, say, in August not to meet your needs (fluctuations can reach two meters). Therefore, professionals recommend digging a well in the fall, when the groundwater level is lowest.

A traditional well in a special language is called a shaft well (a well is called a tube well). If the aquifer is shallow (up to 10 m), such a water intake can be built on your own. However, more and more people are turning to specialists who know how to identify the aquifer and determine the nature of the underground reservoir.

The basis of the well is the walls of the shaft, which are strengthened either in the traditional way (a log house made of thick logs) or with concrete rings. Brick or wild stone masonry is also used, but less frequently. The mine is deepened into aquifers in such a way that the thickness of clean, settled water is at least one meter.

If wood is chosen to strengthen the walls, then the lower part of the frame, which is constantly in water, should be made from species that are durable and have a long service life before rotting begins - oak, pine, alder, larch, elm. Relatively small logs with a diameter of up to 20 centimeters are preferred.

A more modern way is to use concrete rings. They must be selected with special care, since low-quality unreinforced concrete may not withstand the load immediately or begin to collapse already during the operation of the well. The height of the ring is from 0.6 to 0.9 m, the diameter is 1, 1.25 or 1.5 m, depending on the depth of the shaft. The part of the well protruding above the ground is called the head; it rises to a height of 0.7 to 1 m. The head, as a rule, is equipped with a blind area, and it must be done with a slope from the log house. It is preferable to pave the blind area with stone, brick or tiles so that rain and melt water do not fall into the well shaft. For the same purpose, drainage grooves are made in the blind area.

A concrete ring can weigh more than 700 kg, so lifting equipment is sometimes used during installation. It is also possible to lay the rings manually: they are placed on top of each other, and a reinforced concrete pipe is formed. In this case, soil is removed from under the first ring, and the rest are lowered under their own weight, sliding along the walls of the cylindrical shaft. And so on until the aquifer is reached.

From time immemorial, the raising of well water was carried out using a gate with a bucket on a strong chain. However, nowadays they prefer to use pumping equipment. Leading manufacturers are constantly improving pumps already known to consumers and delighting with innovations. Modern well pumps are equipped with a float switch and a special grille on the suction line, which protects the device from the penetration of possible contaminants. They are also protected from moisture: their hydraulic part is made of stainless steel. The volume and pressure of the supplied water allow the pump to be used in a system with home plumbing.

The maximum depth to which such a unit can be immersed under water is 20 m. The usual warnings: the device should not operate dry, the valve on the pressure pipe of a running pump should not be completely closed. It is also necessary to take into account that well pumps are designed to pump only clean water, without suspensions or fractions.

Well water

Before we begin the story about wells, let us remind you what kind of water is available underground. There are three types of groundwater: soil (the so-called perched water), groundwater and interstratal water (see figure). Soil water is formed at a depth of 0.5 to 2.5 m as a result of spring floods, heavy rains or snow melting. Therefore, they cannot be considered a reliable source of water supply: they can dry out, and their quality is questionable.

Part of the water that seeps deep into the earth forms groundwater, which accumulates in the so-called aquifer - the first from the soil surface. Below is a waterproof layer. When water lies between two aquitards, they are called interstratal. Wells are usually dug to groundwater. But wells are drilled to interstratal wells, the water in which is cleaner and preferable for drinking and household use.

The most common are two types of wells: “for sand”, up to 35 m deep, and “for limestone” - up to 100 meters and deeper. If a fountain comes out of the ground, that is, water flows under pressure, the well is called an artesian well (this is quite rare).

A sand well is drilled to the nearest aquifer, usually to a depth of 20-30 m. It consists of a casing of pipes with a diameter of approximately 12-13 cm and a strainer. Drilling sometimes takes only one or two days. The productivity of such a well is about one cubic meter of water per hour, and the more often it is used, the longer it lasts. In this case, the well silts up less and therefore lasts longer - sometimes up to 15 years.

Wells “for limestone” take longer to drill, and pipes are used more widely, up to 30 cm in diameter. There are more casing columns, which means the cost of such work is higher. I note that in different places it can vary greatly, since somewhere the aquifer lies at a depth of 40 m, and somewhere it is necessary to drill up to 100 m. But the productivity of such a well is up to 100 cubic meters of water per hour. Service life - 50 years or more. Siltation is excluded because the aquifer itself serves as a filter.

It would seem that drilling “in sand” is definitely cheaper. But if we take into account the period of operation, it turns out that in the end it is still more profitable to drill “on limestone”. In addition, here it is necessary to take into account the environmental aspect: aquifer sands are close to the surface of the earth, fecal water from cesspools, storm water, etc. sometimes penetrate into them. A deep well supplies exceptionally high-quality water, which, after a system of conventional filters, can be safely use as drinking water.

After the well is drilled, it is advisable to do a chemical analysis of the water. It is recommended to take a sample after about a month of operation - during this time the composition of the water is completely stabilized. Based on the results of the analysis, water treatment equipment should be selected.
You need to drill a well no closer than three meters from the house, and in order to use water all year round, you need to build a caisson at the outlet. And already from there, at a depth of more than one and a half meters - the depth of soil freezing in our region - connect the pipeline and direct it to the house.

In the wells, seamless steel pipes with a wall thickness of 5 mm are used. The pipes are connected either by welding or by making a threaded connection. In recent years, plastic pipes have also been used. A well turns out to be more expensive if you have to drill deeper: more pipes are required and powerful pumps are needed. Some companies sometimes offer lighter galvanized pipes, which reduce the overall cost of the well. However, if they are used for a long time, the incoming water can be harmful to health.

In all wells, except artesian ones, it is necessary to install pumping equipment. Among the pumps available on the market, I would like to note Italian submersible pumps made of corrosion-resistant stainless steel. Cheaper and fairly reliable domestic pumps are “Malysh”, “Rucheyok” and “Aquarius” (cost ranges from 1500-3000 rubles). For convenience, well pumps can be equipped with automatic elements that will allow you to create an autonomous water supply system. In this case, the pump will be located in a well or borehole, and the automation elements will be in any easily accessible place.

There are already ready-made sets of well equipment on the market, equipped with a cable, a control device and appropriate sensors for automatic water supply. Such a system automatically maintains the set pressure at changing flow rates using a built-in speed converter. And constant pressure in the water supply network, in turn, guarantees stable operation of household appliances.

Sometimes a well is installed right in the basement of a house, if the ceilings there are at least two meters. This should be a shallow well that can be drilled using a small drilling rig. A deep well requires the use of large equipment, which will not fit in the basement of any cottage. Drilling operations are carried out using heavy equipment, and there are dumps of earth left on the site, so it is better to drill a well before building a house.

In conclusion, I will repeat what was said at the very beginning. In principle, it is also possible to take water from the nearest open body of water - a stream, lake, etc. It is clear that this method is both simpler and cheaper than digging wells or drilling wells. But, given the current environmental situation in general, we do not recommend taking water from these places. Saving on digging a mine and drilling, you will spend three times more on medicines for diseases that you risk purchasing.

Rice. Mine well made of reinforced concrete rings.

Rice. Well construction.

Of course, all of the above work on digging a well or drilling a well should be carried out by specialists, and I only gave general information so that you, as the owner or customer of these works, are aware and can correctly direct and control the entire process. And who should do the “well and borehole” work? And what are they?

Cost of digging wells

Most often, shaft wells are installed in summer cottages. Their depth usually does not exceed twenty meters. Most often, the walls of the shaft are lined with concrete rings. Nowadays, the cost of digging a well is not too high, and therefore many dacha owners prefer not to do this work themselves, but to hire specialists.

The main difficulty when digging may lie in the composition and characteristics of the soil. Often, when carrying out such work, there are specific layers that are very difficult to penetrate. This is another reason to hire professionals. In this case, a service such as digging turnkey wells is provided.

The only question for the site owner may be the price and provision of access for equipment to the work site. After all, heavy concrete rings, which can be considered the most reliable protection for the pit walls, weigh a lot and are delivered using special equipment and mechanisms. The cost of the service is of course affected by the number of concrete rings that will be installed in the pit. Please pay attention to the following factors:

1. It is difficult to choose the right place for a well, so the services of hydraulic engineers are needed. Experts will easily find an aquifer with potable water, and if necessary, they will carry out exploratory drilling on the site so that you know exactly what the depth of the groundwater is and where it is best to install a water supply system.

I do not advise you to address this issue to a team of guest workers. Unlike shabashniks, special companies have all the necessary tools, so they can solve almost any problems with water supply in a short time.

2. It is important that the rings that will be installed in the pit are of high quality. An oil film on the surface of the water is not a very pleasant phenomenon. For wells, a special grade of material is used.

3. It happens that water “leaves” from an already completed well, then it needs to be deepened. Quicksand and calcareous soils may also be found on the site.

4. It is no secret that water from a well that has not been cleaned for a long time contains many pathogenic bacteria that can cause various diseases. So, you need to clean and disinfect the well at least once a year.

The speed at which such work is completed may depend on a variety of factors. First of all, of course, the composition of the soil. The second important factor in this regard is the number of concrete rings. Up to ten pieces are usually laid in one day. In total, digging a well by professionals takes about two days.

Before starting work, an analysis of the site is carried out, the purpose of which is to determine the most suitable place for digging a well. Typically, companies that dig wells are also hired to clean them later. This procedure must be carried out periodically, approximately once every 2-3 years.

Moreover, the more often such an event is carried out, the better the quality of the water. Structural repairs are also carried out as necessary.

Let me add that the work will cost you an average of 50-60 thousand rubles. (digging a well, purchasing and laying concrete rings to a depth of 10 meters). Drilling a sand well (up to 40 meters) or an artesian well (depth up to 135 meters) will cost you about 1,500 rubles. for every meter.

Video.

Any summer resident knows: having your own well on your property is very convenient and practical. In most cases, wells are built by guest workers - people for whom the well business is just a way to earn money. But there are still professionals in Russia, masters of well making, who have long-standing traditions and centuries of experience behind them. They know everything about creating real, environmentally friendly wells.

How to choose the right place for a well and provide your area with clean water - all the secrets of the masters in the program “Great Rare” on the “Men” TV channel.

Map of water sources for digging wells in the Moscow region

The main negative aspect of owning a summer cottage is this is the distance from central communications and water in this case is no exception.

At the moment, there are only 2 types of autonomous water supply at a summer cottage:

Firstly, it is necessary to correctly determine the location of the future well. After all, this place must not only coincide with the layout of your summer cottage, but also meet safety requirements and the presence of an aquifer.

Expert advice!

Before planning a summer cottage, and even more so before building a house, call surveyors to accurately and correctly determine the location. After all, the only place with water can get to the site of your future home. It’s even better to check with your neighbors before purchasing a summer cottage whether there is water and in what quantity.

Construction of a well in a country house - how we work

Our company’s specialists have been constructing wells for more than 10 years, during which an optimal algorithm for carrying out the work has been developed. After concluding a cooperation agreement, on a pre-agreed day, a team of employees will come to your dacha and deliver the necessary materials - reinforced concrete rings and connecting structures, backfill for the filter layer, bottom shield and elements of external decorative finishing.

Further work will be performed in the following sequence:

• Search for water. It is most rational to use the dowsing method to determine the aquifer, since it does not require absolutely any financial costs. To do this, take two aluminum wires, which are bent into the shape of the letter L and inserted into hollow tubes so that the wires rotate freely around their axis. Next, the specialist walks through the summer cottage and looks for a place where the wires cross each other - this indicates the presence of water. As practice shows, the accuracy of this method is 85-90%.
• Mine development. The shaft under the well is dug manually, 4 people do this. One operates a shovel inside the mine, the second is on top and lifts the excavated soil to the surface, while the second pair of workers rests.
• . After the shaft is deepened to the height of the ring, the first reinforced concrete product is installed into it - the structure is moved using a winch mechanism. Then the digging continues, soil is successively removed from under the ring, as a result of which it sinks to the bottom of the shaft under its own weight. All reinforced concrete rings are installed in a similar way; the digging of the shaft stops only after it is deepened 2 meters below the beginning of the aquifer.

• Creation of a water intake. Upon completion of the deepening of the shaft, all liquid is pumped out of it and the layer of dirt is removed, the bottom is leveled and covered with a layer of river sand 25 cm thick, a layer of small pebbles or crushed stone 20 cm thick is formed on top of the sand, on which a layer of coarse crushed stone of similar thickness is poured. The three-layer backfill performs the function of a bottom filter, through which the water is cleared of the main amount of suspended impurities.
• Mine waterproofing. The last stage of work inside the shaft is its waterproofing, which involves covering the seams between the reinforced concrete rings with a mixture of cement and PVA. For this, we can also use special waterproofing compounds, but this mixture is time-tested - it is inexpensive and performs its functions perfectly.
• Clay castle installation. To prevent water and precipitation from penetrating into the well, a clay castle is formed. To do this, a trench with a depth of 1.5 to 2 meters is dug outside the mine, which is filled with clay. The backfill is compacted layer by layer, as a result of which the clay becomes monolithic, hardens and does not allow external water to pass through. In the future, you will be able to concrete the area around the shaft to completely eliminate the possibility of high water entering the well.

Digging a trench for clayth castle

• Arrangement of the head. After completion of work with the shaft, the formation of the outer part of the well begins. It is mandatory to install a cover necessary to prevent various surface contaminants from entering the source. Also, most customers prefer to install houses that significantly improve the visual appearance of the well. We have a wide selection of decorative designs at prices ranging from 5 to 40 thousand rubles. The final touch is the installation of a gate and a chain with a bucket for lifting water, which you will receive free of charge when ordering a turnkey well.

You cannot drink water from the well in the first 2 weeks after its installation. The source must be regularly pumped out, using water for technical needs; in a few weeks it will be completely cleansed and begin to produce clean water.

HOW LONG IS THE WARRANTY?

• Pump warranty - 1 year

Prices for building a well at the dacha

The average depth of wells in the Moscow region varies between 10-15 rings, with the only exception being Sergeev Posad, in which the aquifer lies at a depth of 20 meters or more. A ready-to-use source of this size, without decorative finishing, costs approximately 50-60 thousand rubles.

We calculate the total cost of the well based on the depth of the shaft. The following tariffs are currently valid:

• installation of rings 1-10 – 4 thousand rubles;
• installation of rings 11-15 – 4.5 thousand rubles;
• installation of rings deeper than 15th - 5 thousand rubles.

It is impossible to live in a country house or dacha without water supply. 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 trunk;
• 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: the bottom layer (fine fraction) is 10 cm thick, the middle layer (the fraction is 5-7 times larger) is 15 cm, and the top layer (the fraction is even larger) is 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 the use of special concrete rings when constructing 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 of the 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.

A few 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:

• Markings are made on the site where the well will be located: 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) a gravel-sand mixture is poured, and at ground level it is 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

The sides of the concrete ring wall are compacted with clay at ground level and sprinkled with sand, which will protect the well from precipitation.

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!