How to clean a well from silt and sand with your own hands
Well cleaning methods include various methods using laborious manual techniques or using submersible electric pumps. The cleaning problem is complicated by the fact that drainage electric pumps specially designed for working with dirty liquids, due to their overall dimensions, cannot be used in deep wells. With their help, it is possible to pump out contaminated water from an artesian well or a source with a very large casing diameter, which no one mounts.
Bailer
The bailer is a mechanical device for cleaning wells from contamination. Structurally, it is made in the form of a piece of steel pipe with a locking device at the end, which can be made in the form of a damper or a ball. During operation, the pipe, suspended by a cable, smoothly sinks to the bottom, then rises to a distance of about 50 cm and is released.
When falling, the ball or flap that locks in the lower part of the pipe rises, and contaminated liquid enters the bailer, which contains clay and sand.
Figure 6. Lifting clay rock and sand particles with a bailer
When the steel pipe is started to be raised again, the ball or flap closes the lower hole, preventing the collected dirt from flowing back into the well.
During operation, the pipe is thrown to the bottom several times, the bailer is then removed to the surface, the procedure is repeated until the silt deposits are completely removed from the bottom of the source.
Cleaning the well with a vibration pump
Cleaning the well with a vibration pump is the most effective method if water with clay and sand comes from the well. This is due to the principle of operation of vibration devices, in which water is taken in by suction with a rubber valve that performs reciprocating movements.
Rice. 7 Electric pump of vibration type for cleaning wells and wells
This allows the vibration pump, unlike centrifugal types of submersible electric pumps, to work in an environment with a high content of sand and clay impurities.
During operation, the vibration pump sinks to the bottom, then rises by 20 cm and turns on, to simplify the work, you can make an addition by tying a steel bar to the body, which will rest against the bottom during operation, preventing the pump from falling below a predetermined level.
If there is a second electric pump (for example, one that was removed from the source), it can also be connected to work, supplying the liquid raised to the surface after settling in a large container through a hose back into the borehole. The water going to the bottom from the surface will effectively raise the particles of clay and sand, after which the vibrating pump will push the dirt to the surface.
Fig. 8 Method for cleaning the source with a vibration electric pump
Cleaning a well with a deep electric pump
Centrifugal electric pumps used for water intake are not designed to work with dirty turbid liquids - their use for these purposes can lead to failure of pumping equipment. The pump, which is more suitable for working with sand and clay rock, is a screw (screw), with its help it is possible to pump out dirty liquid without harmful consequences.
The problem is solved by using an additional electric pump, as in the example above, or using a special mechanical loosener, which is suspended by a nylon cord and plunged to the well bottom, loosening the bottom sediments.
Rice. 9 Downhole pump for pumping fine impurities
There are many reasons why muddy water comes out of the well, sometimes it is not possible to solve the problem (industrial enterprises, expiration of the service life) and the well has to be closed and a new one installed in another place, in other situations you can cope with the task yourself. The main cause of pollution is silting - the problem is effectively solved by one's own hands using mechanical methods or electric pumping devices to lift and pump out mud from the bottom of the source.
Why does water from a well even artesian smell?
From childhood, we hear about tasty and clean icy water from a spring or well, which restores strength to heroes. Therefore, we expect that in life the groundwater will be just as refreshing and almost sterile. But a thick layer of earth above water is not a sealant. And through it all the same, all kinds of impurities slowly penetrate into the water from above: metals, gases, microorganisms, nitrates and everything else. Iron and other metals oxidize, organic matter, such as algae residues, rots, and everyone knows how, for example, ammonia smells.
If the water began to smell unpleasant, you should, first of all, find out the cause. In the case of artificial origin, the issue is resolved by contacting the relevant services. If the cause is natural, you need to choose an accompanying cleaning method.
Sand pulls through a layer of gravel backfill
The most common cause of sanding is a faulty filter.
If the well is made in accordance with all the rules, then its bottom is a tightly welded end. The old regulations stated that the weld end could be replaced with a conical point oak chop. However, at present, in the vast majority of cases, instead of brewing, gravel is simply poured into the pipe, similar to how it is done when arranging wells. However, the problem is that water flows into a well and a well at completely different speeds.
The grid of any well becomes clogged after some time. Its resistance begins to exceed the resistance provided by the gravel backfill. Water arrives through the backfill and brings sand into the well. At the same time, grains of sand can have completely different sizes - from the smallest to very large.
In addition, if such a well is equipped with a high power pump, during its operation, the gravel plug may have less resistance than even a clean filter grid. Under such circumstances, the sand begins to flow very quickly into the well through the gravel pack. And it can be pulled up to the level of the pump, i.e. pretty high.
Quite often, this phenomenon is accompanied by the fact that the clay, liquefied under the constant influence of the water flow, will no longer hold the gravel backfill. And because of this, muddy water with a clay admixture will go.
Incorrect mesh selected or installed
If the water comes with sand, then first of all you need to check the mesh. If it is initially chosen incorrectly, then the clogging of the well will occur rather slowly. It will take at least 3-4 years for the mesh to be completely clogged.
Sanding will occur at a much faster rate if the cells of the selected grid are larger than the grains of the aquifer in your area. In addition, the following may lead to this situation:
- Mesh damage during installation.
- Damage to the casing pipe from time to time.
- Lack of protection of the mouth of the source from floods, etc.
Scheme of a well with a filter.
Heavy sand particles settle to the bottom of the well. Over time, they will fill the sump, rising into the filter zone and completely filling it. Because of this, the access of water to the source will be difficult. If the horizon is not very water-bearing, the performance of the well will become less than the performance of the pump with which it is equipped, and the water will run out.If there is quite a lot of water, the sand will rise with the water and be caught by the pump. Users will receive sand-contaminated water.
Under the influence of sand, impellers begin to deteriorate, filters and pipelines become clogged, automation, expansion tanks and household plumbing fixtures suffer. And the constant pumping of sand significantly reduces the life of the well itself.
Also, the reason that the water goes with the sand may be a torn mesh. This happens quite often: if no more than 3-4 years have passed from the day the well was created to the appearance of sand in the water, and the sand “does not end” in any way, while impurities have different sizes - from the smallest grains of sand to almost pebbles, then almost 100% deal in a torn mesh.
How to get rid of the smell of water from a well
Organic smell. First of all, it is necessary to flush the well, since, most likely, organic compounds are retained in it and then rot, “flavoring” the water. In addition, you will have to spend money on appropriate filters to remove the smell.
Hydrogen sulfide is removed by various methods. The most common is the installation of an aeration column. The method is good in the absence of reagents. The disadvantages include the need to allocate free space and, most often, serious installation and maintenance costs.
Iron. Despite the fact that the smell itself quickly disappears, it usually does not happen alone. Along with it, there is a corresponding taste of water, color, turbidity, rusty sediment on heaters and many other surfaces in contact with ferruginous water.
Oil products and ammonia are removed by various filters, from coal to titanium. The well is also often flushed first.
What is iron in water
Water with iron is a common problem with water from wells or wells. Residents of cities, however, it also does not bypass. In wells, oxidized iron often predominates, which can be immediately identified by rusty water. Constant contact with oxygen, iron is easily oxidized and it is quite simple to clean it.
Dissolved iron is somewhat more difficult. It is in the well that it occurs most often and at first is almost imperceptible. Clear-looking water with dissolved iron does not always have an unpleasant odor. Often, the metal is detected after the water has been allowed to stand in air. When heated, iron also quickly oxidizes and leaves a rusty coating on expensive equipment. And if changing the kettle is not particularly difficult, then repairing or buying a new boiler or boiler is not the cheapest event.
Although the smell of iron mostly dissipates quickly, it is also unpleasant. To eliminate the smell of water from the well caused by iron, a suitable filter is installed.
There are different options, from reverse osmosis and aeration plants to reagent filters and ion exchange. The combination of cleaning efficiency, compactness and economy will be a reagent-free filter made of 100% titanium. Powdered, titanium is sintered into a tube shape with a porous structure.
All fine impurities (from 0.8 microns) are retained by the filter pores. Dissolved iron also cannot pass the titanium barrier, as the particles are oxidized upon contact with titanium dioxide. After that, the oxides also remain outside the cartridge.
In addition to iron and accompanying odor, titanium filters also remove the following impurities:
- ammonia
- manganese
- free chlorine (7 times reduction)
- oil products
- nitrates
- radon.
Purifying water from an unpleasant odor is not just an increase in comfort levels. Excessive content of impurities that cause these odors is harmful to health when in contact with such water.
Harm to health - impurities in water from a well
Hydrogen sulfide causes poisoning when inhaled: dizziness, lethargy, and a decrease in overall tone are observed.Particularly high concentrations can be lethal. The health risk is not limited - plumbing easily fails with frequent and prolonged contact with hydrogen sulfide.
An excess of iron can cause various ailments with the regular use of such water inside. We get the “necessary” iron from food, and the excess that comes with water cannot be removed entirely naturally. As a result, organs begin to accumulate it. Symptoms of iron poisoning:
- lethargy
- fatigue
- decreased immunity
- disorders of the kidneys, liver, other internal organs
- joint problems
- skin rashes, allergic reactions, itching.
