remote cabin - well

L3650 · Oct 23, 2004

Every year at this time I get tired of carrying in water to the hunting shack. Has anyone installed a sand point or other type of well where a hand pump will be used. This is in northern Wisconsin, so freezing is a concern. So is cost and capacity. Any comments or suggestions are appreciated.

MarkLeininger · Oct 23, 2004

We have friends who live off the grid in a small peace community in a town called Luck in Wisconsin. Pretty close to the twin cities. I know they put in all their own wells themselves. A lot of pounding was involved because they talked about being exhausted. I could ask how they did it if you don't have any other replies.

KennyV · Oct 24, 2004

You can drive a well and use a ‘pitcher pump’ (small hand pump) very common, and handy self priming pump. BUT you must be within 20 feet or less from the water for a sand point well to work.

If your water is deeper then that you will need to case the well and put either a cistern bail type pump, or pump cylinder in the water… like a windmill uses, you could then put a hand pump lever on that. KennyV

slydog · Oct 24, 2004

My uncle lives in Crowder, Ms. He drove his own well using a point and several sections of pipe that screwed together. He did it with a sledge hammer, and said he would drive awhile every afternoon and it took him about a week to hit water. He attached a large old well pump to it. Since then, I noticed that Home Depot carried drive points, as well as the sections of well pipe that you can purchase. Also, I was leaving Harbor Frieght the other day, and noticed thru the window as I was walking to my truck, that they also sell the old style well pumps that stand about 4 feet tall. I looked, but couldn't see the price from where I was outside.

Ken

JJT · Oct 24, 2004

Well points can be driven with a steel fence post driver. Much easier on the body then swinging a sledge hammer while standing on a step ladder.

Egon · Oct 24, 2004

Have you considered using a manually operated post hole diger. You will get down much faster than pounding a well point. Just have to keep adding pipe sections. A tripod with block and tackle would help lift the auger out.

Egon

thcri · Oct 24, 2004

I took an old concrete culvert and layed it open top/bottom. This is buried 6 ft in the ground and that is where I started my sand point. I had to go another 16 feet to hit good water. I also had a top made for the culvert and in the winter I lay leaves over the top and for the most part now the ground temperature keeps the pump and pipes from freezing up. I wished I had pictures for you but I don't. I may be up there this afternoon and could take finished pictures for you.

murph

slydog · Oct 24, 2004

I've have a question, that may be really stupid, but if you dig a well of this type and build a cistern for it, which I am assuming is just some type of inground holding tank, is this water safe to drink without treating it, or do you use it mainly for washing, irrigating, etc..... Just seems to me a brick/concrete lined tank in the ground for holding water is gonna be covered with slime, mold, bugs, slugs etc. I wouldn't want to drink water out of something like this untreated unless I dying of thirst. Whats the scoop on that?

Ken

SPIKER · Oct 24, 2004

KEN:

you can make a cistern using block and then concrete or buy one premade out of poly or concrete: lots of options, and yes you should not drink the ater without treating it... a good filteration and booiling is needed bare minimum...

You can collect rain water in a cistern too which is easier if you PLAN on a cistern, no need to drive the well point, and when you do drive it there is no garentee you will hit water... usually not hard to hit it but getting enough is the key.

markm

thcri · Oct 24, 2004

My grandma's farm had a cistern made out of shale. We drank from it all the time. To me it was always the best tasting water around. As far as slim and other junk, your probably right as we should have not been drinking it. But many years ago that is the way it was done.

Attached is a picture of my well pit made out out of a concrete culvert. This is for my cabin. The pit is about 8 feet deep. As far as freezing I have very little trouble. I usuallly put a electric heater down there on a thermostat. If the pump is used on a daily basis it won't freeze even without the heater.

murph

L3650 · Oct 24, 2004

I have a pipe driver, its a bit heavier than a post driver. After the sand point has been installed, I am wondering about the hand pump. Should I build a small pump shed to help prevent freezing? There is no electricity at this site, so I cannot put a light bulb or other heat source near the casing. Sometimes we head up there in Jan, Feb, March for snow shoeing or varmint hunting. It would really be nice to have water without thawing snow. Are some of the freeze proof water pumps good? Does anyone have first hand experience? I am wondering if they are good or so-so.

KennyV · Oct 24, 2004

A pipe driver needs to be heavy…also when you get your pipe & sand point get ‘driving’ couplings, they are heavier and will not fail like schedule 40 couplings can.

This is only going to work if you have water within 20 feet of the pump… with the best pump you might get water at 25ft.

AFTER driving your pipe put a ‘T’ with a side plug… when you are finished with your water need. Loosen the plug, this will allow air into pipe under the pump, water will fall back into well, no water = nothing to freeze. Next time you need water tighten plug and pump… this type pump is self priming /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif.

This works because the check valve is in the pump.

(HOW DEEP is it to YOUR WATER?) /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gifThis is only important to determine if you can use a driven well. KennyV.

PhilNH5 · Oct 25, 2004

L3650,
Lehmans nonelectric catolog has a good deal of info and parts for what you want to do.

Phil

Egon · Oct 25, 2004

The old hand pumps that I recall had the pump down hole attached to rods that worked it up and down. The tubing would have a small pin hole below frost line to let the water in the pump drain out.

Just keep your tounge off of the pump handle when its real cold out!! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Egon

slowrev · Oct 25, 2004

Ken,
The tall pumps at Harbor freight say for decorative use only or some such on them, must not work.

Ben

ByronBob · Oct 25, 2004

A polypropylene tank in the ground 4 feet or so should hold 1000 gallons of rainwater from your roof. You wouldn't need a well that way. Or another thing I've seen is 55 gallon plastic drums on a tower tied into the gutter with valves into the cabin for water. Before winter you need to open them up though.
Wasn't sure if your needs were based on year round or seasonal

TBAR · Oct 25, 2004

CountrySide Magazine had a good article a year or so ago about drilling your own well using a sump pump and pvc pipe. Basically the pump pumps water down the pvc pipe and the hydraulic action drills the hole for you. The water and dirt is caught in two small depressions dug into the ground next to the well sight. The first catches the dirt and lets it settle out and the second is used to recycle the water back down the pvc pipe.

TBAR

penokee · Oct 25, 2004

L3650

I have a well/hand pump ay my camp in northern mich. and use it year around. Have a weep hole drilled in the drop pipe, down about 5' so water will drain out and not freeze.

had this one drilled, not driven per your interest, attaching a picture of my "Hand Pump/Well Helper".

penokee /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif