In part one of “Digging for Water”, we drilled a hole 85 feet deep, hit water, and tried to insert a 6 inch casing (pvc pipe) into the hole. When the 6 inch pipe didn’t fit, we decided to use a 4 inch casing. Although the 4 inch casing dropped much deeper than the 6 inch one, to our chagrin, it wouldn’t extend the full depth of our hard-earned hole.
With a little trial and lots of error, we eventually submerged the 4 inch casing 25 feet into the ground. Fortunately for us, we could see water trickling into the hole, not more than 10 feet below the surface. All in all, we now have a supply of 1000 gallons per day.
So, now the ground water was sitting in the hole, but how do we get it out? The fit was too tight for our 4 inch diameter submersible pump. And we couldn’t easily find a smaller size. In desperation, we turned to a hand pump. Everyone used to have hand pumps, why couldn’t we. It’s a good tool for learning to appreciate water after all.
This short clip is of our adventures in learning how to get water out of a well. Mainly, making a cylinder, a $50 project with open source plans from Hydromissions (which would have cost us several hundred dollars otherwise) and attaching the hand pump.
So, grab a glass of water, sit back, and enjoy another episode of Factor E Live!
The product “Slap Shot” Universal Deep Well Pump Cylinder could be purchased from http://www.hydromissions.com/products.htm#ram pump for 90 or constructed for free http://www.hydromissions.com/slapshotconstruction.pdf
3:47 – It gives me the heebie-jeebies when I see that hair near the drill!
Glad it worked out okay…
[…] demonstration of an air-powered water pump that Guy suggested. We will install this pump in our well, which we dug last year and which still has a manual pump handle. This will add an automatic […]