I got a deal on a 24" plastic culvert. Had some ideas on where I was going to use it and never got a round to it. I've been thinking of a small dug well ever since I built the little barn for her cows. This weekend was time for action. I used my backhoe and got down about 7' before I hit some real hard stuff. That was close to max depth anyway so I stopped there. Cut the culvert to 10' and stuck it on end in the hole. The water comes up about 4' from the bottom. I wired in a switched outlet (GFI protected) and used a small submersible utility pump. I put some washed stone in the bottom to keep the pump out of the muck. Works well so far, the water seems really clear and recovery is good. If it doesn't freeze this winter, it'll be a success. It sure beats hauling water from the house.
Dug a small well this weekend
- Thread starter shvl73
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VABlue
Platinum Member
I need a backhoe...
I am absolutely satisfied with mine. Good power, handy as heck. To me, it's better than renting. Renting can get you a nice little excavator that will outdig these little hoes but, when you own, its there waiting for any little job that comes up. No waiting, no rush to finish before it goes back. You'll find you use it for things you'd most likely not bother renting one for. Sure, I could make a list of all the little projects and rent one for a weekend and try to get them done, but it would never get done. Constant interruptions, other things come up. My backhoe doesn't care if I go off and do something else, it just sits and waits for me to start again. 
Slacker
Gold Member
I'd like to see some pics if you have any. How big was the pipe? Did you backfull around it? Does it fill only from the bottom or does the pipe have holes in the sides?
I'll try to remember to take some pics tonight. The culvert was a 24" x 20' that I cut to 10'. roughly 3' above ground with just a piece of plywood on top for now. No danger of something falling in and the culvert is made to be driven over so, no danger of a collapse. I didn't drill any holes in the side so, it fills from the bottom. I counted on the water find its own level. Now that its done, I'm thinking I could have excavated around the hole 1'-2' down to give the hoe some more depth and to get more reserve water but, it should work fine for what we need. If not, I'll just re-do it.
dtd24
Gold Member
Nice,
I really need to do the same thing. Really sick of water buckets.
I really need to do the same thing. Really sick of water buckets.
dtd24
Gold Member
There you go, what do you plan to do when the "W" word comes to keep from freezing?
I'm waiting to see if it does freeze. I most likely will make an insulated permanent cover. The pump doesn't have a check valve so, it drains back to the source. The hose will be open ended with no slack, so it will drain also. If it does freeze, oh well.dtd24 said:
gotcha
Gold Member
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Jimbrown
Veteran Member
Im with you I don't think it will freeze if everything drains back to the bottom. The top might freeze for 3 or 4 inches but the rest should be OK. Might just stack some of those castle blocks around the top of the culvert. Make it look pretty and ad some insulation. I just can't belive that you guys get water that shallow. Ain't no way in XXX you could dig a well around here with a backhoe. Well maybe if you started at the bottom of a mine shaft.
bucmeister
Silver Member
Jimbrown,
I was thinking the same thing about the water depth/table issue. We would not have dig as deep as those of you out in AZ, but we would not be able to dig down and find water with a backhoe or a track hoe for that matter. Wish it were not the case.
I was thinking the same thing about the water depth/table issue. We would not have dig as deep as those of you out in AZ, but we would not be able to dig down and find water with a backhoe or a track hoe for that matter. Wish it were not the case.
RichNJKubota
Gold Member
Do you get a sufficient amount of water from your well?
I was thinking about doing the same thing. Water for the chickens and some for the garden. And it would dry up the area behind the chicken coop so I could expand the garden. Could run an overflow pipe out down the hill.
I was thinking about doing the same thing. Water for the chickens and some for the garden. And it would dry up the area behind the chicken coop so I could expand the garden. Could run an overflow pipe out down the hill.
I would bet that if you mount up some dirt around the plastic where it is above ground (even if you have to cut it shorter) and leave the plywood on (maybe with some hay or grass clippings on top), you will be fine.
Here in Indiana, we had temps in the single digits for more than a week and my water meter did not freeze and it was in a gravel base tube about a foot below the surface with only a plastic cover on top. Some may point out that the water was moving, but at this location, the water was not in motion at all (no one was living there at the time)
Here in Indiana, we had temps in the single digits for more than a week and my water meter did not freeze and it was in a gravel base tube about a foot below the surface with only a plastic cover on top. Some may point out that the water was moving, but at this location, the water was not in motion at all (no one was living there at the time)
ldabe
Gold Member
shvl73 said:
I was wondering...I myself don't have the means to run electric right now.
So how do you think a hand pump would work with something like this?
Defective
Platinum Member
ldabe said:
Basically a 10' deep well...
Hand pump would be fine...darn near shallow enough to suck the water out with a straw...
