Vacuum muck from old well

[irwin]

I’m looking for advice. Well is over 100 years old, very nicely constructed. The depth to top of muck is 14 feet, about 3-4 feet of muck. Wondering about buying a better wet vac to DIY or should I just hire a vacuum truck outfit?
Thanks, Tim

 

[sea2summit]

No help here, an opinion would be hire it out. What are you trying to do with the well though?

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

You could make a suction dredge with a water pump and hose.

 

[irwin]

Creating a beautiful addition to my property, and want to use the water (eventually) for horses and garden

 

[irwin]

If possible I want to do my own work, sometimes it costs me more, but I like the satisfaction of doing the projects myself (don’t most of us ?)

 

[alexpops]

HF 2 inch semi garbage pump. Maintaining prime on a 14 ft drop may be an issue, but possible if you add a check valve at end of pick-up hose. Probably a multiple stage clean up, give it time to recharge after the well is pumped dry each time.

2 in. 212cc Gasoline Engine Semi-Trash Water Pump - 158 GPM

Amazing deals on this 2In 212Cc Gasoline Semi-Trash Pump 158Gpm at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.

www.harborfreight.com

 

[ChuckT]

I'd go the suction dredge route if it's doable. Thing is, and I don't recall clearly, any suction will only lift x feet. So in mines, as an example, they have multiple lifts.

 

[irwin]

Thanks for the advice, I wondered how many pump outs I have to do.
This is one reason I want to DIY, if I hired someone it’d be a one shot deal but without a thorough clean up.

 

[repete]

We had a bad flood in our area many years ago and we cleaned mud out of wells by using about a 3' length of 2.5" steel pipe on a section of fire department hose to pump water in and force mud out. We used a fire department water tender to pump in. It took very little pressure to "pump" the mud out and some of the well owners said they were able to lower their pumps about 15' further down in the casing than the last pump replacement. The well casings became the drains for the about 1' of mud that came with the flood waters.
The most you can lift water is about 32' with a perfect vacuum. Mud will be less as it is heavier.

 

[irwin]

I’d hate to spend several hundred $ on a trash pump and learn it can’t suck mud up 18 feet .. Have to ask vertical specs
I don’t have a friend at firehouse, (but I should)