Can the well be cleaned? How to make a do-it-yourself bailer for cleaning a well. Different types of wells and the causes of their clogging

Situation.
The well is 15 years old, depth 45 meters, water with iron, water column 6 meters.
Over the past 5 years, there has been a gradual decrease in production and a decrease in depth of about 1 meter or more.
Obviously it's time to clean up.
At first I tried to gel with a manual bailer - a pipe with a valve, weight 10 kg.
The bailer gains very little sediment, a couple of glasses.
Hard and very slow.
I don’t want to beat with a heavy powerful bailer, I’m afraid to break through the bottom, the water will go away.
Result:
- The well recovered in depth and flow rate to the same level as I started to operate it about 8 years ago.
- About 3 buckets of impurities (sand, small stones, rust in nodules) were extracted from the well.
- In addition, for about 8 hours he pumped out turbidity and dirty water with his own pump after cleaning, installed in its place.
- I cleaned it with a homemade device, made according to the idea from the Internet, according to the principle of a cyclone.
The idea is this:
The cleaning method was prompted by a drawing from this article:
http://usadba-kirov.ru/infrastruktur...skvazhinu.html
Since the "baby" cannot pump water with sand (although everyone does it, it eventually ends - overheating or complete wear of the valves, they are rubber), then you need to separate the water from the sand, do not pump this water to the top, but put in a circle in the well for loosening.
For example, the dirt that I had in the well cannot be lifted by any vibrator, there is a lot of it and it is very heavy.
Based on this idea, I made my iron construction - for real.
This is a pipe of 1.5 meters, in which a vibration pump and a container for collecting dirt are installed according to the "cyclone" principle.
This design is lowered into the well, the pump is turned on and collects dirt from the bottom of the well into the tank. It takes all of 15 minutes.
After that, we raise it - shake out the dirt and lower it again.
My design is gaining dirt about 3 - 5 liters.
Moreover, it picks up large stones and even dissolved silt - a cyclone is a great idea, it separates even the smallest particles of dirt.
What is bad is the severity of the design. But the attempt to make all this out of plastic failed. The installation should sink well under its own weight. Loosening takes place by the installation itself, since the vibrator transmits vibration to the pipe, and in addition, I welded three legs for loosening and stability at the bottom.
It turned out a water vacuum cleaner.
How is this better than bailers?
The main thing is that you do not need to hit anything, throw anything, injure the filters, the casing and the water-bearing layer.
Lowered - waited 15 minutes - raised - shook out the dirt. Everything is simple.
This method picks up much more mud in one lift than a manual bailer.
Lifts everything from rocks to dissolved silt. At the end, when the coarse dirt was lifted, the plant came full of slurry of dissolved fine dirt.
Below is a drawing of an idea and my solution in hardware:

It is practically impossible to deliver special equipment, install it and drill a well in areas with difficult terrain without access roads. You will have to work manually, using a self-made device, namely a bailer for cleaning the well.

A simple and effective tool is a bailer from bottom pollution. It will also help to make a high-quality punching of a water source without the involvement of specialists. The possibility of diverse application of the device makes it universal and necessary in the arsenal of the owner of the plot.

It consists of a piece of steel pipe with a thick wall. At the bottom there is always a valve that helps keep dirt inside the product. On the same side, the edge of the device may have a serrated or pointed (after chamfering) surface. Welded serrated tips are hardened elements.

The top of the device is covered with a metal mesh. It keeps large pieces of debris in the body and prevents the ball from flying out if the design is assembled with a ball valve. Eyelets welded to the upper cut of the pipe are designed for fastening the steel cable.

Important! The loop welded to the pipe and the cable attachment must allow the device to always be in a strictly vertical position. Any distortions are the cause of damage to the walls of the shaft and jamming of the device during manual cleaning.

Operating principle

The work of the bailer for drilling home wells for water is based on the use of the energy of gravitational attraction. A heavy product is abruptly dropped from a certain height. When hitting the bottom of the mine, the edges of the pipe loosen the soil, if the bailer is used as a bailer, or silt and sand accumulated at the bottom - when cleaning the source.

The loosened masses open the valve and fill the internal cavity of the product, and when the device is lifted, it closes. After several throws and lifts, the device is removed from the well, soil with impurities is removed from it, the cycle is repeated until the shaft is completely cleaned or the required depth is obtained.

Types of valve designs

The reverse shutter determines the cleaning efficiency. Its main task is not to prevent the entry of soil or dirt into the pipe cavity when the bailer falls and prevent them from spilling out when lifting. A snug fit of the valve will ensure the capture of dense masses and contaminated water.

Petal

The working part of the structure is one or two flat petals. In the manufacture of the locking surface, sheet metal, plastic, hard rubber are suitable. One petal needs a round blank that will freely pass into the pipe hole.

The petal is movably fixed on the inner wall of the device. It can be spring-loaded, it will become more reliable operation.

A two-blade damper is made from an oval blank, which is cut in half along the smaller axis of symmetry. Then the petals are movably attached to a metal axis passing through the center of the pipe.

The petals work like a door. When hitting the bottom of the mine, the soil presses and opens the doors. When the device moves upward, the petals-doors close under the weight of the soil that has fallen into the cavity.

The disadvantages of a leaf gate are rapid wear and possible breakage during operation; only the option with metal petals is suitable for drilling.

On a note! To quickly restore the petals, the valve is made in a metal cup, which is attached to the main pipe with a threaded connection.

ball

The locking element of this design is a metal ball. During the water hammer, it rises, freeing the intake hole of the product. When rising, the ball closes the entrance with a spherical surface. Inside the long pipe, it is necessary to provide a limiter for the ball travel. To do this, use a welded finger, a screwed bolt or a piece of reinforcement. With such a device, when the bailer is raised, the ball will lower faster and block the hole. As a result, more soil or silt will be captured.

The advantages of the ball valve are reliability of operation, the product cannot fail, it is suitable for drilling and cleaning wells.

Calculation of parameters

Before starting work, the most detailed drawing is prepared to prevent possible errors. Especially if the bailer for cleaning the well is being done for the first time.

The dimensions of the structural elements are individual - for the possibility of application in certain conditions when working with a particular mine. When making a tool, they try to take into account the following nuances:

The blank-ellipse for the petal valve should have a small axis of symmetry slightly less than the inner diameter of the bailer, and the large one should be 20 mm longer than the small one.
The ball valve sphere diameter should be 10–15 mm less than the internal diameter of the product or cover up to 75% of its cross section.
When determining the diameter of the bailer, one should start from the internal dimensions of the casing. The recommended gap between the walls of the fixture and the shaft is 20 mm. Therefore, the outer diameter of the pipe used will be 40 mm smaller than the inner diameter of the casing. An increase in the gap makes the work of such a tool unproductive, a decrease leads to damage to the non-ideal walls of the barrel and possible jamming of the device.
2–10 mm is sufficient wall thickness for the body tube.

Case manufacturing

Use a steel or cast iron (requires special welding technology) pipe. Its segment should not have bends along the length. The edges are aligned and the internal thread is cut from below, if such a connection is provided. At the top of the body, a window is cut out (drilled and knocked out with a chisel) to be able to clean the cavity from dirt.

When selecting a pipe, it is important to balance the weight and length of the workpiece. After all, the finished tool must have sufficient impact inertia and the ability to be removed manually or by a winch when the cavity is completely filled with soil.

Helpful information. The weight of the device is important when drilling a new source. Therefore, for efficient operation, a pipe 2–4 m long is used. In the manufacture of a bailer for cleaning a well, from 0.7 to 1.2 m is sufficient.

Assembly steps with ball valve

Follow this order:

A seat for a metal ball is screwed or welded to the lower edge of the pipe. This can be a conical funnel turned by a turner or a washer with an internal hole corresponding to the ball. Suitable for the seat and a concentric purchased adapter used to connect pipes of various diameters. This part is inserted into the product with a side with a smaller diameter and scalded.
A metal ball is inserted through the top.
Then a ball lifting limiter is made in the device body. It is fixed above the saddle at a distance of 3–4 sphere diameters. As a limiter, it is better to use a screwed bolt.
At the top of the body, a restrictive grid is welded (for large fractions of the soil) and a loop for connecting to the cable.
The provided pointed teeth are welded to the finished bailer. You can also do this at the stage of assembling a glass with a valve seat.

Assembly steps with reed valve

The assembly order is the same, except for the following points:

A petal valve already assembled in a special metal cup is attached to the lower edge of the body.
It is not necessary to make a limiter inside the pipe, since the ball is not used in this design.

How to do it yourself without cooking equipment

In these cases, other types of connections of structural elements come to the rescue. For example, a glass with a built-in valve and a formed sharp edge can be screwed into the lower part of the pipe along the thread. To get shock teeth, you can use a grinder.

Drilling comes to the rescue. A thick wire can be inserted into the prepared holes to form the upper loop. You can also insert a bolt through them, pass it through a ring or carabiner and fix it on the outside with a nut. The bolt will simultaneously play the role of the upper limiter. At the bottom of the pipe, a bolt-nut connection helps to secure the valve petals - the bolt is threaded through their wire rings.

The videos below will show you how to make a reliable bailer yourself, and help you avoid mistakes in its manufacture.

The following signs will tell you that the time has come to desire:

For some reason, the well was not used for several months.
The pump draws air.
Water contains impurities.
After several minutes of operation of the included tap, the water jet visually becomes thinner.

When starting to clean a working well, and this can happen every 3-4 months, be sure to make a visual assessment of its inner surface. The work can be complicated or made impossible by significant deformation of the walls of the mine, loss of their integrity, severe siltation.

Then the condition of the working equipment is checked: wear and strength of the cable, free (without jamming) operation of movable joints, reliability of fasteners.

A tripod installed above the well with a block on which the cable is wound will help facilitate the work. The result is a strictly vertical operation of the device, its easy lifting through the block, especially with an additional winch. In order that the device torn off during operation does not create a serious problem and does not stop the process for an indefinite time, it is desirable to weld a pair of hooks to the pipe. They will come in handy for its quick extraction from the well in case of force majeure.

All work with the device ends with a thorough cleaning of the internal cavity from the soil. A square window at the top of the pipe will help make this faster and easier. For clayey or dense viscous soils, such a window is made along the length of the entire pipe. It is advisable to store a clean and dried bailer until the next use in a dry utility room.

On wet, sandy, loose, soft soil, you can do self-drilling with a well device or a diagnostic puncture. In case of inconsistency of the soil structure with the specified characteristics, the work is entrusted to specialists using professional equipment.

Useful video

Making a valve:

Step by step process of creating petal:

If you plan to clean the well, then first read it. You will need at least a general knowledge of this in order to independently determine why the water fell in the well and what cleaning method should be used.

Why wells clog

Cleaning the well is required if it is silted up. A number of reasons may contribute to this.

The case may be that the pipe was not installed correctly during drilling. The section of the pipe where the water should enter is outside the deep water layer.
A well may become silted up if it has a high depth vibratory pump equipped with an overhead intake.
If the pumping of water is weak, then dirt, silt, and stones accumulate in the well. Soon all this is rammed, which significantly limits the water supply. Therefore, if you often use the well and consume a lot of water, the chance of silting is reduced.
If the pipe diameter is larger than the filter diameter, then the pump will not be able to go below a certain depth - this is about 20-25 cm above the filter.
Finally, siltation can be caused by a rotary pump installed at a depth of less than 10 m. This will cause various particles to settle below the filter and compact there.

Well cleaning technology

Today there are many devices for cleaning wells. It can be a pump, an engineering pistol, special vehicles. But it is not always possible to use such devices, and not only because of the excessively high price for such services, but also because of the limited space next to the well. In this case, you have no choice but to eliminate the silting yourself.

Let's look at the most common cleaning equipment.

vibration pump.
A pair of pumps used at the same time.
Airlift (lift).

Now in detail about each.

Cleaning with a bailer

This is the most effective way of cleaning, requiring a lot of time and effort. The bailer allows you to bring even the most neglected wells back to life, clean them of silt and small pebbles. You can make the bailer yourself, using improvised materials and fitting it to the size of the well. But you should pay attention to the fact that you need to clean not only the well itself, but also the water. Mandatory because the deposits of these impurities are very detrimental to human health.

Making a bailer

If you intend to make a bailer yourself, you will need a metal pipe 70 cm long and Ø5 cm. You also need to find a metal ball Ø4 cm. Make the bottom of the pipe in the form of a thick washer.

Important! Make the top of the washer in the form of a funnel, and the diameter of its saddle is equal to the diameter of the ball.

It is desirable that the bottom of the washer looks like a return funnel. Next, take a washer and weld it to the bottom of the pipe, and attach a metal grate on top so that the ball cannot pop out. Weld an arcuate handle above the grate, a cable will be attached to it in the future. To increase the efficiency of the bailer, attach several metal “fangs” near the washer, which will loosen the silt.

But we did not mention one important aspect - where to find such a ball so that it fits the size of the bailer? To get the ball, you can:

by ordering its manufacture to a professional (blacksmith or locksmith);
buying it in the store;
by doing it by hand.

Let's consider the last option in more detail. To make a ball, buy a children's rubber ball that is suitable in size. You also buy hunting shot, the caliber does not matter. Cut the ball into two equal parts and fill each of them with shot, previously mixed with waterproof glue. When the halves are dry, carefully sand them and connect them with the same glue. The reliability and durability of the bailer will depend on the quality of the glue. If you were unable to buy a fraction, then it can be replaced with bearing balls.

Bailer cleaning technology

Fasten the bailer to a metal cable and lower it into the well. Having reached the bottom, raise the bailer about half a meter, then sharply lower it. The potential energy of the ball will cause it to remain in its original position, while the lower hole will be open and dirty water and silt will get into it. Soon the ball under its own weight will fall and close the hole. To fill the bailer ½, repeat the procedure about four times. Then slowly pull out the bailer and empty it.

With each such lift, you will remove up to 0.5 kg of dirt and silt from the well.

Cleaning with a vibration pump

Another method of cleaning a silted well is to use a vibrating pump. This method has excellent performance, however, it requires much less time and effort than bailer cleaning. It is ideal for narrow bottom wells where conventional pumps are powerless. The only drawback is the fact that when using a vibration pump, you will not be able to determine the bottom of the well.

For this, you can use a deep-well pump of the “Kid” class, which draws from below. Before starting the procedure, put a rubber hose on the water intake, firmly fasten it with wire. You can additionally insert a metal pipe into the hose - this will protect it from slipping. Attach a small weight to the bottom of the hose so that during the dive the entire structure goes under the water entirely, and the hose does not float to the surface.

Lower the "Kid" pump into the well until its lower end reaches the silt load. Then lift the pump 10 cm and turn it on. When the cleaning is finished, you will need to change the piston in the pump. Usually the pistons come with it.

Important! Judged objectively, the vibration pump is more efficient than the bailer.

This method of cleaning is able to cope with silting of any degree of complexity, and in record time. The disadvantage is that the working valve wears out a lot, and large particles cannot be lifted from the bottom of the well with such a pump.

Vibration Pump Prices

vibration pump Technopribor

Cleaning with a pair of pumps

Using a pair of pumps at the same time is the simplest way to remove sludge from a well. In this case, you will use two types of pumps.

Depth device with a lower fence.
Self-priming device necessary for supplying water to the well.

Well cleaning technology

The submersible pump is placed at the bottom of the well. It will raise the silt to the surface. A self-priming pump working in parallel with it will supply water to the well to further agitate the sediment. Water will come from a special tank with a volume of 100-200 liters, installed near the work site.

Periodically shake the hose to remove water from the well - this will increase the efficiency of work.

Important! Make sure that the concentration of sludge in the outlet water is not too high, as this may cause the appliance to overheat.

Pay special attention to the choice of pumps. It is characteristic that vibration pumps can only be used in cases where the depth of the well exceeds 10 m.

Cleaning with an airlift (lift)

Another method of well cleaning is airlifts. What is the essence of this method? In applying the law of Archimedes. After all, what, in fact, are wells? That's right, a regular container of water. Place a water pipe in the well. Compressed air will be supplied to its lower part, for which you need to use an air compressor.

When you turn on the compressor, a mixture of air and foam forms in the pipe, a column of water will press on the pipe from below - this is the beginning of the process. Such cleaning requires careful control, you must ensure that the water in the well does not run out.

Cleaning occurs due to the fact that the lower end of the pipe is located almost at the bottom of the well, silt with sand rises and is drawn in by the intake pipe. Your only task, again, will be to control the water level in the well.

Finally

Often, wells in suburban areas are shallow, so you can clean them with a bailer or a vibration pump. If the well depth exceeds 10 m, then it is better to use the two-pump method.

Video - Causes of well pollution

Video - Cleaning a well with a bailer

Over time, wells become clogged. An individual source of water supply requires periodic maintenance, which will allow it to operate for a long time. When the well is clogged, the functioning of the pump is disrupted, so it is imperative to carry out preventive measures and eliminate blockages in a timely manner. To eliminate the blockage, flushing of the well will be required.

Well blockage: causes of blockage

Identification of the cause of well blockage is a mandatory procedure that will help clarify the problem, as well as select the best option for flushing. There are two options for clogging wells:

sand getting into the pipe;
siltation.

Well silting occurs extremely rarely, and only in the case when an autonomous source of water supply is not in operation. During the operation of the well, accumulation of small particles in the area of the presence of the filter is observed: sedimentary rocks, deposits, rust, etc. Over time, the number of these particles only increases, so the mesh holes of the filter become clogged, and water is not able to enter the pipe to be absorbed in the appropriate amount.

When the resource of pumping water decreases, the process of siltation gradually develops. This process develops slowly in those wells that are operated regularly. If the source is used periodically, then siltation occurs soon (after 2-3 years).

To extend the life of the pump, flushing the well should be carried out in a timely manner, without waiting for the moment when the water stops flowing from the source at all.

When sand enters the well (this process is also called “sanding”), a decrease in water pressure is observed. This process is much more common, and is present when the well is located in a sand and gravel layer. If the construction of a source for this type of soil was taken responsibly, then the grains of sand will enter in small quantities, and flushing of the well will be needed no earlier than after 10 years. If grains of sand in the water are observed much earlier, then this indicates the following factors:

leakage of the caisson;
wrong type of filter;
the filter element has been damaged;
leakage between casing sections.

If over time the amount of sand in the water increases, then the source needs to be cleaned. To prolong the life of the pump, a sand separator is installed in the casing pipe. As a result of such a device, water enters the pipe without grains of sand and sediment.

Do-it-yourself well cleaning

Cleaning wells on your own is quite realistic, for which there are various methods. For this, the following cleaning options are used:

With the help of a vibration pump, pumping is carried out.
The use of a pump to flush from the surface.
Use of two pumps.
Water hammer method to remove contaminants.
Flushing the well with a bailer.
Gas-air mixture for flushing the source.

These are the main well cleaning methods used for independent work. In fact, there are many more options, however, only the above will be presented in the material.

How the well is cleaned of sand: the use of a vibration pump

Cleaning a well with a vibration pump is, although an inefficient method, but one of the simplest. As a flushing device, a vibration pump is used instead of a flushing pump. Its advantage lies in the fact that the impeller is capable of passing small pebbles.

In the process of cleaning in the vibrator, the check valve may fail, the cost of which is low. Such a pump is also much cheaper than a circulation pump. The vibratory pump method will help if sand removal is needed, but will not solve the silting problem. As a vibrator, you need to use a pump with a lower water intake.

To remove contaminants, you will need to place the pump almost at the very bottom, which will effectively eliminate contaminants. In the process of pumping out deposits, the amount of sand will decrease, so you need to gradually lower the pump.

During the operation of the pump, you need to take breaks for 10-15 minutes every half hour of work.

Flushing with a pump from above

Well cleaning is carried out from the surface. This method is more practical than the previous one. So that in the process of cleaning a deep well from silt and sand a swamp is not created, it is recommended to flush in a closed circle.

If there is no source of clean water nearby, then it should be delivered. The volume of water needed to clean the well is equal to the full capacity of the casing. This method allows water to circulate between the bottom of the well and the tank, thereby accumulating contaminants on the bottom of the tank. It is recommended to use a powerful motor pump as a circulation pump, and to introduce chemicals into the water.

The top flush technique is an effective and easy cleaning option that you can do yourself without calling a plumbing team.

Two-Pump Flushing Method

The above two methods are suitable for flushing a well in a country house, the depth of which is more than 30-50 m. If the well has a depth of more than 50 m, then the power of the vibration pump is simply not enough to raise clogged water to the surface. The clogging problem in deep wells can be solved by using two pumps.

This method is even more effective, and for its implementation you will need to use surface and deep devices. With the help of the first pump located on the surface, water will be supplied to the bottom of the well. With the help of a deep pump, water is pumped out together with sand, silt and other blockages.

As a deep pump, a pump located in a well is suitable. Moreover, it will not need to be raised from the bottom to the surface, and also lowered as the pollution is pumped out.

The main condition for carrying out such a cleaning method is that the water supply hose must be lowered to the very bottom of the well. Carrying out this cleaning method, you need to understand that when sand, silt and pebbles pass through the impeller of a submersible pump, its resource will decrease.

Removing contaminants using a bailer

If a lot of sand has accumulated in the casing, then the bailer cleaning technique is very effective. This method is not used only if it is necessary to clean the filter and soil.

A bailer is a section of a steel pipe, the length of which is from 0.5 to 1 meter. Inside this pipe there is a valve on one side, as well as a lever for the cable on the other.

A steel ball is used as a valve, fixed with a washer with a threaded connection. Before carrying out cleaning work, it is recommended to pump out water from the casing pipe completely. After that, the bailer is lowered to the bottom of the well, and when the bottom is reached, the valve will open. In this case, sand gets inside the bailer, after which the bailer is removed from the bore hole. After raising the bailer, it is necessary to clean the internal cavity from silt and dirt, and then repeat the procedure.

The bailer cleaning technique is effective, but it requires a lot of physical effort. To simplify the procedure, you need to use a design in the form of a tripod, on which the winch is fixed. In order not to make a bailer yourself, you can buy it ready-made or rent it.

Water hammer for cleaning

The water hammer cleaning technique is popular when it is necessary to remove sludge from the filter. This cleaning method is used as an additional method after sand and silt have been removed from the casing. If, after cleaning the casing pipe, water does not flow from the source, then it is necessary to clean the sludge from the filter.

To translate the water hammer cleaning method into reality, you need to prepare a special device. As such a device, a steel pipe is used, with a diameter of several centimeters less than the size of the casing. The end part of the device must be tightly closed, and holes are drilled on the second side to fix the cable.

The pumping of sand from the well in this way is carried out as follows:

The well is filled with water up to 2 meters.
Orthophosphoric acid is added to the water, which corrodes deposits and rust.
The device drops sharply into the casing pipe, after which it rises up.
The water hammer technique is repeated for 2 hours.
After that, the casing pipe is filled with water to the very top, after which flushing is performed.

If this technique did not help to achieve a positive result, then the procedure is repeated for several more hours.

The use of a gas-air mixture for cleaning

To clean the well, you can use another method that is also effective. This method is called "cleaning the well of the gas-air mixture." It is put into action by installing a sprayer at the bottom of the casing pipe. This atomizer should stick into the ground. Through this device, a stream of compressed air is supplied to the bottom, which is pumped by a compressor. In this case, air bubbles are formed, which move to the surface along with contaminants.

Water must be added inside the well, which can flow by gravity or be supplied by a pump. The technique of cleaning with compressed air is used extremely rarely, due to the need to perform manipulations for several days. Thanks to the advantages of this method, it is possible to achieve a positive result in cleaning not only the bottom of the well from silt, but also the filter. This washing option is the most gentle, therefore it is used when the above options do not give positive results.

Which cleaning method do you prefer?

Having considered 6 methods of self-cleaning a well, one should dwell on one option. The use of each method is overhead, so before choosing, you need to decide what the problem is. If water with sand moves from the source, then the bottom of the well is not silted up. If the water pressure decreases, then this indicates that the filter is dirty. Depending on the cause, appropriate methods should be preferred.

It is recommended to start work on cleaning the well only with the simplest method - the use of a vibration pump. Depending on the results obtained, it can be concluded that other methods are needed. The use of a bailer is not suitable for cases where the casing is made of plastic. This option is only relevant for wells with steel casing.

All of the above methods, although they are popularly called "handicraft", but they help to effectively clean the well. Calling a washing machine is rational only if all of the above methods have been tried and do not give positive results. At the same time, it is important to take into account that the method of cleaning with a washing machine will cost ten times more than trying to implement all of the above methods on your own.

It can no longer function in the previous mode, then do not panic. After all, there are no “eternal” sources of water supply and it is possible that a mechanical clogging of the well has occurred. In this article we will tell you how to deal with this problem on your own, without involving specialists. Cleaning a well from silt and sand is not as complicated as it might seem at first glance. And if you arm yourself with our instructions, then there will be no problems at all!

How to avoid well clogging? Important Points

So, we found out that sooner or later, all well owners have problems. Of course, if the aquifer dries up, then deepening of the development or drilling of a new well will be required, which can hardly be considered easy and cheap procedures.

It is a completely different matter if the well is clogged - this can even be avoided if it is operated in accordance with all the rules. How to extend the life of the water source on the site?

Table. Well operation rules.

rule	Short description
	Make sure that the casing is tight and the filter is intact.
	Ideally, several tens / hundreds of liters need to be pumped out every day, and this is not a problem if people live in the house all the time. Otherwise, try to pump out at least a hundred liters every two months.
	After drilling, immediately flush the source until clean water appears.
It is better to refuse the vibration pump	The fact is that such a pump, vibrating, will contribute to the silting of the soil or the ingress of sand into the well (to a greater / lesser extent). It is better to use a centrifugal pump for this purpose.
	Install a cap for this, a caisson. Alternatively (but only temporarily), seal the top of the casing.
	Do this even before the start of the operation of the well, taking into account the water flow rate, and install the device at the desired height.

Note! If you follow all these recommendations, you still will not be able to prevent clogging of the well. But you can delay the problem, achieve the maximum resource for efficient use.

Why can a well become clogged?

To understand the causes of the problem and choose the appropriate cleaning method, you need to familiarize yourself with the types of clogging.

Reason one. Sand got into the casing

This is a common problem in shallow sand wells where the aquifer is located in a sand and gravel layer. If the well is properly equipped, sand will enter the casing in minimal volumes.

With a decrease in well productivity and the presence of grains of sand in the water, the problem may be:

ingress of sand from the surface (due to leakage of the caisson, cap);
broken tightness between casing elements;
incorrectly selected (with too large cells);
violation of the integrity of the filter.

It is impossible to eliminate leaks inside the well. Fine sand, constantly penetrating through the filter, is easily removed (especially since it is partially washed out when lifting). But when coarse sand gets in, everything is somewhat more complicated, the well can simply “swim” over time. That is why it is necessary to choose a filter and mount casing elements with special attention.

The second reason. Unused well silted up

Over time, particles of rocks, rust, clay, and calcium deposits accumulate in the ground near the filter. With an excessive amount of them, the filter cells and pores in the aquifer are clogged, and therefore it will be more difficult for water to enter. The flow rate of the source decreases, it silts up to the complete disappearance of water. If the well is used regularly, then this process slows down and can take decades, and if not, then siltation may take one to two years.

In the case of timely cleaning of the well from sludge (that is, before the water disappears completely), the source can most likely acquire a “second life”. Water supply will be maintained in sufficient volumes for the residents of the house.

How to clean a well yourself. Available methods

There are three main principles that can be used - pumping, flushing with circulating water, blowing with compressed air. As for the methods, there are several more.

Method number 1. Pumping with a vibration pump

A simple, but not always effective way. good for cleaning, while not recommended for regular use. Plus, the vibrator is undemanding to water - it easily copes with sand and even small pebbles. Of course, the check valve can fail because of this, but it costs a penny and changes in just a few minutes.

Note! The cost of such a pump is several times lower than that of a circulation pump, and even if it fails completely, the financial damage will be insignificant.

Disassembly of the vibration pump

For cleaning the well, such models as "Baby", "Brook" are suitable. Such cleaning will not cope with serious silting, but it will help to get rid of a large amount of sand. But only if the well is shallow - if the rise is more than 30-50 m, the productivity will noticeably decrease. Also remember that only a pump with a lower water intake will do.

During operation, the pump must be switched off regularly for about 15 minutes, continuous operation should not last more than half an hour. Note that this method, despite its simplicity and minimum human participation, is not always effective and will cost some money.

Master Class. How to clean a well with a vibration pump

Step 1. A vibration pump with a lower water intake is being prepared. In our example, the device is being slightly modified.

Step 2 The extreme nut is twisted at the tip of the pump, after which a metal bracket about 15 cm long is installed on the center. It is well attracted by the nut so that it does not jump down. Thanks to this design, the silt at the bottom of the well will be better shaken up.

Step 3 A hose and a cord are also connected to the pump (it will lower and rise by means of the second pump).

Step 4 The pump with the hose is slowly lowered to the bottom of the well. It must be lowered to the full depth, before contact with pollution.

Note! There must be some water in the well. If not, pour on top.

Step 5 When everything is ready, the pump turns on and light up and down rocking movements begin to be performed. The device should be located near the very bottom of the well, the bracket, screwed at the beginning, stirs up the silt. The pump picks up dirt and throws it out.

Step 6 The sludge is constantly agitated by means of a pump. The process may be delayed, which will indicate large deposits in the well, but the result is worth it.

The pump is periodically pulled out, its inlets are inspected. If required, they are cleaned.

Step 7 During the day of work in our example, we managed to remove several buckets of rust, sand and other contaminants.

Method number 2. Surface water supply

To remove turbidity, rust and fine sand, pumping from the surface can be performed. It is desirable to organize the process in a closed cycle, otherwise the site can be turned into a swamp. Water from an open reservoir should not be used, therefore it is necessary to prepare containers, the total volume of which is equal to the full volume of the casing pipe.

The fluid will circulate between the tank and the well thanks to the pump. Dirt will settle at the bottom of the container, so it will have to be removed periodically. The pump must be powerful. If you want, add chemicals to the liquid - for example, phosphoric acid, which will dissolve calcium deposits and rust. Remember that acid must be quenched with baking soda; moreover, after its use, the well needs to be pumped for at least another six hours.

Instead of a head, a nozzle is installed at the mouth of the source, which will direct the washing into the container with a reverse flow. The cycle, by the way, may not be closed - water can be pumped from the neighbors' water supply.

Down the water is supplied by a hose, its length should be enough for it to lie right on the bottom. This method allows you to effectively clean the filter.

Method number 3. Use of two pumps

If the depth of the well is more than 50 m, then it is problematic to clean it using the previous two methods. However, if two pumps are used at the same time, the washing efficiency can be significantly increased. In this case, deep and surface aggregates will be required. The first will pump water with impurities to the surface, and the second, located on top, will supply the washing liquid to the bottom.

You can remove pollution using the pump that is in the well - you do not need to remove it or lower it below the suspension point. It is only necessary to pass the supply hose in the casing pipe about to lower it to the very bottom. And remember: if there are small stones and sand in the water, the pump will be subject to increased wear.

Method number 4. Using a bailer

This method, which involves the use of a bailer, is effective if you need to remove a lot of pebbles, sand or fine compacted deposits. But if the filter or the soil next to it needs to be cleaned of silt, the method will be almost useless.

Who does not know, a bailer is a steel pipe 1-1.5 m long, on one side of which there is a lever-eye for a cable, and on the other, a valve. Extremely simple design, if you wish, you can make a bailer with your own hands.

A massive steel ball acts as a valve, which is held by a washer fixed to the threaded connection.

Water must be completely pumped out of the casing pipe, after which the bailer drops sharply to the very bottom. When hitting the sand, the valve will open and a certain amount of contaminants will get inside. Then the bailer rises, is cleaned of sand, after which the procedure is repeated more than once. It is advisable to wield the projectile together, it is more convenient to lower / raise it using a tripod with a winch or a block.

Note! The bailer can be made with your own hands, purchased or rented. You need to work with it carefully, especially next to the filter (there is a risk of damaging the thin mesh).