Well, guess what I found!

mahlers · Mar 29, 2004

I keep finding rolled and riveted 6" pipe installed all over the place, and I am pretty sure it was used at least 50 years ago. The folks that built/worked on my place used it for just about everything - from drainage culverts to sewer line. It seems to have held up pretty well considering the age and application.

SPIKER · Mar 29, 2004

I would try the big trash pump too. then dig a pit or have a large tank near by and pump the sludge into it, then let the settled out water bak in and re-pump if it does not re-fill fast enough... maybe a water truck standing by? use solid line to drop into the much and suck it out that way. sump water down to get enough head to get suction started and then really suck her clean!

Mark M /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

TBAR · Mar 29, 2004

With your FEL dig two shallow troughs about 6'x8'x1' close together and connect them with a small trench only 6" deep. Fill both troughs with water and place your suction hose in one and your trash return in the other. Dirt, mud and muck comes out of the well via the trash pump into the first trough and the solids settle to the bottom. The water then spills through the connecting trench into the other trough and is pumped or siphoned back into the well where the process starts all over again.

Or, if the garden hose will reach just fill the well as you pump the mud and muck out onto the ground.

TBAR

Poppa · Mar 29, 2004

( That well bucket looks interesting but wouldn't it fill with water before it got down to the mud? )

They do fill with water but they still work to clean out the well. I used them quite a bit in the environmental industry on 2 and 4 inch wells used for water sampling. Quite often, on a poor well install it wasn't unheard of to get sand from the sand pack into the well. Or, if the soil itself is very silty and the sand pack wasn't done properly the silt migrates into the well. yeah I know, too much info /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif. Anyway, the cheap solution on a hundred or two hundred foot well is to drop a bailer (what you are calling a well bucket) to near the bottom of the well and then vigorously raise it and lower it to get the muck or sand into suspension and that is what (hopefully /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif) gets into the bailer. Lots of work and no where near as rewarding as using a pump.

for the shallow well you describe, go trash pump. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Mike

cedarranch · Mar 30, 2004

I thank each of you for the help. As alway, this board is well worth the time I spend reading the threads. I will look into renting a trash pump this summer and clean it out. If it recovers well and provides enough water I will use it for the barn which brings up another question. How to pump the water! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif I must keep cost to a minimum and I will not have electrical access. I did a little searching for pumps. The solar pumps seam a bit expensive, the hand pumps may be a choice since the water level begins at 13'. DC pump with a solar rechargable battery is not too high priced if I do it myself and not buy a kit. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
I would like to hear any of your ideas!

NIXON · Mar 30, 2004

If you're looking for non electric things try www.lehmans.com
Even if you don't find a pump you like it's a pretty neat site to visit . John

SPIKER · Mar 30, 2004

Cebersu right across the street is GERBER lumber that is where all my pole barn stuff came form we have lots of amish people around here, though kidron is about 20 ~35 min drive from my farm it was a less expensive place to buyu that kind of stuff from. NICE stores and peole too.

Mark M Jeromesville ohio /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

NIXON · Mar 30, 2004

Spiker (Mark ). While I don't have an interest in most non -electrically powered things ..... I do love Alladin Kerosene lamps ! Lehmans has a great inventory of them .
I also have furnished my house with Amish furniture . Mostly from New Wilmington Pa . Like You said . Nice folks ! And a great sense of humor once they know you !
John

TOMDUALLY · Mar 31, 2004

THE FASTEST AND EASIST WAY THAT I KNOW OF IS TO GO AND RENT ONE OF THOSE BIG COMMERICAL AIR COMPRESSOR (THE ONES THEY USE FOR JACK HAMMERS ON THE HIGHWAY) HOOK IT UP A FULL LENGTH OF 1" PVC PIPE THAT IS INSERTED IN THE WELL PIPE TURN ON THE AIR AND WATER AND MUCK WILL FLY OUT AND ALL OVER EVERYTHING INCLUDING YOU. THE WAY TO CONTROL THIS IS TO PLACE A 4"X2" ABS TEE ON TOP OF THE WELL PIPE BEFORE INSERTING THE 1" PIPE THEN SEAL IT WITH A WET RAG ON TOP THE 4X2 TEE. TURN ON THE AIR AND IT WILL PUMP OUT THE WATER AND MUCK , JUST KEEP FEEDING THE !' AS IT CLEARS OUT. I'VE SEEN SEEN THIS WORK ON A 180' WELL. JUST KEEP ADDING THE 1" PIPEAND KEEP THE OUTLET IN THE WATER, HOPE THIS HELPS.