Drill Your Own Water Well Series - Part 1

[@tonypointer7026]

Wow 12 years ago you made this I just found it oct 12 22. Thank you I will try it next spring

[@dawmlw]

Good luck!

[@elcomandante9299]

I hand dug my well here in South Texas. Wat a delight to water my lawn any day I want.

[@dawmlw]

Super!! Congratulations!

[@johnnysalazar1552]

If your poor like me can make you a genius like this young man here. I LOVE IT GREAT VIDEO

[@dawmlw]

Thanks!

[@jeff29902]

I washed a 4" well down about 50' with a fire truck. I think you could probably do the same thing with a trash pump and ditch water. Thanks for putting up these videos, it must have taken quite awhile.

[@BeachBow]

I remember doing something like this years ago at a friend of the familys house close to the beach in NC. We used iron(?) pipe and he had a flywheel from a car that he bounced and turned the pipe with. Don't remember any of the specs, but we did get water. Sulfer smelling stuff, but you could drink it after bubbling and such. Good vid...

[@hagartyman]

Thank you! This has been the most informative and best put together series I have come across! I really appreciate your time and effort providing this information.

[@dawmlw]

Yes, exactly. This is covered in considerable detail on the website but the short version is it works in soil, sand, clay, and even hard clay. It will not drill through rock. Thanks for looking at the video!

[@dawmlw]

Ryan, Thanks. Therein lies the whole issue. This technique is all about doing it with only the water pressure that the average person has at their disposal. I recommend that anyone who can buy a mud pump, do it. A tri cone bit is a bit expensive but sounds interesting.

[@dawmlw]

Yes, I covered this multiple times in detail on the website referenced above as well as in the comments below. It works well in dirt, sand, clay, and will even drill through hardpan clay. It will not drill through rock.

[@dawmlw]

You are right! Thanks for watching!

[@Coloradocop]

This is really neat… doubt it will work for the wells we need out here in the Rocky Mountains, but I'm still impressed!

[@dawmlw]

I'm glad you liked the video! Sorry, but I have no idea how to find hot water in a well. I think it only occurs in very limited areas.

[@dawmlw]

Yes, it is for irrigation of gardens and lawns. When there is water underground it tends to be in huge pools that you can't miss. (if it is there!) If you live in a flat area this technique is worth a try.

[@greghall554]

Thanks, I should have check there. Hope to start drilling soon with a 3" PVC system, so I will be all over your website again and again. Keep your fingers crossed that I do it right and hit a god GPM flow. Thanks, Greg

[@dawmlw]

Hi Maria and Bradley! The house (and retirement) are great! Roll Tide!

[@buff52gon]

Were it Calif. in the Central Valley hardpan, bout 200 ft to hit water today with drought conditions. You folks are lucky to be have water. lol

[@dawmlw]

Very likely. It is worth a try. Check local statutes before you start. It is very likely you will be able to drill below the water table, especially if you are close to the river.

[@dawmlw]

I used to think the same thing. After doing a few of them, I have discoverd it is best to start the hole with exactly what you are going to drill/wash the hole. It is counterproductive if the top of the hole isn't excatly the diameter of the hole below.

[@thundercloud47]

It amazes me that you'd find sufficent water at 35 feet. On my dad's farm we had to go 400 feet to get water and this was in SouthEast MO where there is a lot of underground water.

[@darlenebrooks8233]

Here also have to dig 3-400 feet to hit water??

[@ballsie79618]

There's water well before 400 feet. I'm in missouri also. They just make you drill to the shales at that depth for cleaner water. They test each shale.

[@dawmlw]

That is certainly an improvement over the two hose technique but the objective is to have something that the average person can do and I fear that exceeds their capabilities and/or available equipment. Thanks for the suggestion! It is absolutely a more effective technique for those who have the equipment.

[@dawmlw]

@JonO387 It does use some up front water! You can save the water bill by using a mud pump and a re-circulating system. It is demonstrated on the website. Thanks for looking at the video!

[@dawmlw]

@Icriedtoday Good question! You have to have a source of water - two hoses worth. This technique is primarily for people who have city water service but need or want a source of water for irrigation. These types of wells are generally too shallow to trust for potable water.

[@dawmlw]

The only way I know of for sure is to drill. You can get excellent estimates from neighbors with wells. Sometimes the county agent is a good source for this information as well. Thanks for looking at the website and videos!

[@MrAzrancher]

Great video...this works well in midwestern area's where the water table if fairly close to the surface....I put in a well at my sisters place in Missouri like this years ago..water was at 35 feet. Saves hiring a drill crew. Sadly I cant use this in Arizona where water is past 100 feet.

[@dawmlw]

@dupton369 Normally when water starts disappearing like that it is because you have hit water bearing sand, but not at that shallow depth!. Try this - Attach your water supply to a 1.25 inch drillpipe. Put it inside a two inch pipe and use the smaller pipe to wash out a space below the bottom of the larger pipe as you work the larger pipe down.

[@dawmlw]

@theninjadabber yes, the water supply in the video is two hoses connected to faucets.

[@guitarista1987]

very true! I just found it amusing to see the crocs. Very informational video! Thanx for posting it.

[@dawmlw]

Yes. water is supplied by the hoses and it goes down through the pipe to the bottom where cuttings are then washed up around the outside of the pipe to the surface

[@dawmlw]

Yes, I usually use a 1 1/4 inch well point, three feet long. I get them at Home Depot or Lowes.

[@dawmlw]

@eyeswideopennimrod Excellent technique. There are several pictures of something similar posted on the website.

[@dawmlw]

Interesting. Thanks for watching!

[@dawmlw]

I'm glad you liked it!

[@dawmlw]

@sortafly Correct. This works in hard clay and sand.

[@dawmlw]

You are correct. As I detail on the website listed above, this method is good for drilling shallow wells in dirt, sand, and clay - including hardpan clay. It will not work in rock. Thanks for looking at the video!

[@dawmlw]

This is covered in considerable detail on the website but the short version is it works in soil, sand, clay, and even hard clay. It will not drill through rock. Thanks for looking at the video!

[@dariomendoza6892]

thanks for the video im in the process of buying some land and digging my own water well

[@dawmlw]

Good luck!

[@dawmlw]

@decoysk The reason for using two water hoses is to get as much water flow as possible. 10 water hoses would not be too much.

[@dawmlw]

I'm glad you like it!

[@dawmlw]

@skruzloose You already figured it out. You need more water. Get your hands on a mud pump and set up a recirculating system. Add the bentonite slowly.

[@dawmlw]

@parrott15 Yes. Sometimes hardpan feels like rock at first but you will get through it. A metal bit instead of a PVC bit will require less sharpening. Use a two inch pipe nipple.

[@dawmlw]

Good point and I cover that in multiple places on the website. Please check out the website listed above if you have time. In most places, it is OK for a homeowner to drill a well himself but contractors are required to have licenses. In some places homeowners are required to get permits for the project. Every locale has its own rules so it is a good idea to check with local authorities to determine what local requirements are. Thanks for watching the video!

[@jpsinacola]

Just finished this in SE Michigan on Nov. 6th. I am in an area that is basically a giant salt mine, so my well water is very salty, not adequate for garden, chickens, nor human consumption. My experience was interesting. 1' topsoil, then 3' gray clay, then 3' sand, 5' more of near solid clay, then finally water bearing sand. However, I did hit water as I expected around 5'. First sand layer was too near the surface. It was tough going, took 9 hours to get 16' in good sand. In and works great. Would have been much faster with two hoses or trash pump. No more trying to keep rain barrels thawed in 0F temps.

[@dawmlw]

Depends on where you are. Near the coast where I live, there is groundwater everywhere about 12 feet down. There are obviously exceptions but generally speaking, when groundwater is down there, it is very, very, spread out.

[@Just1Spark]

Very interesting! I get steel pipe sections from old oil wells. That would be perfect I think. The extra weight pushing down I would think.

[@dawmlw]

Interesting application! Good luck!

[@dawmlw]

Well dern. I hoped I had shown that in the video! Water goes down through the pipe and then back up (carrying cuttings) in the annular space around the pipe. Please refer to the website listed just below the video for more details.

[@dawmlw]

@jeff29902 It sure would have been faster with a fire truck! Glad you liked the videos!

[@dawmlw]

Almost all are Schedule 40. It would work fine with Schedule 80. Don't use less that Schedule 40 for the drill bit or the drill pipe because you need the strength. Thanks for looking at the video and website!

[@dawmlw]

@doinworksonnnnn Just start drilling where you want your well to be. Most of the time, if there is water down there, it will be so big you can't miss.

[@mrfixit7047]

chuck norris came by and we did one 3500' deep. we pull the pipe up and down just like in the video and we had to hook up to a fire truck pump. we used the tailgate of a monster truck though. We used a fish tank pump to sent the water to the surface.

[@dawmlw]

Thanks! and thanks for watching. Sounds like you may be way more than a hundred feet from groundwater there from what I hear. Never tried it....

[@dawmlw]

@videosdelaschiquis Yes, absolutely! See the website for specifics in drilling in all sand.

[@filolalaki2061]

Excellent video. Unfortunately I live in a very rocky area so can't drill down.

[@ottiliehambelelenikovalova1435]

Thank you Sir for this informative video.

[@dawmlw]

Greg, I made it out of a piece of solid oak - 6 by material. Detailed photographs are on the website under comments and questions page 2

[@dawmlw]

You can certainly try another spot, but if you are in a rocky area it would be better to try another technique. Check out the videos about the Baptist method

[@dawmlw]

Yes, coastal areas are perfect for this technique.

[@dawmlw]

It varies radically depending on what you are drilling through. Usually each hose supplies about five or six GPM and twenty feet usually takes about five hours. So, just a guess!!! but - 3000 - 3500 gallons is ballpark. You can save a bunch of water with a mud pump if you can get one and set up a recirculating system as demonstrated on the website.

[@dawmlw]

Please refer to the drillyourownwell website listed above for detailed instructions. You have to set the well screen significantly under the standing water leve. The water came from two common outside household water spigots.

[@bowtie3963]

You would need clamps the size of the unions/couplings,not the pipe,or just saw the threads off to the nuts after it's on the pipe to save time unbolting to move past the joint.The property I bought has 2 wells.They have both been unused for at least a decade and stopped up/dead.I'm going to try your method with a smaller pipe to see if I can clear them.If not,I definately now know how to dig a new one.Thanks!

[@dawmlw]

@wesleytarbuck You just hope. As your neighbors who have wells how deep they had to drill is the best way.

[@dawmlw]

@yllibotiv I don't. I just dig a hole and hope. Generally if you are on flat land near a larger body of water you will hit water but it is just a chance you have to take.

[@dawmlw]

@armystrong9997 Not without getting it tested. The water is so shallow it has not had the filtering that deeper wells enjoy. It is great for irrigation though!

[@dawmlw]

@Twisted86 It is unlikely it will work but it is very cheap to try! Ask neighbors with wells to find out how deep you have to go to get water. Good luck!

[@trahtrebor]

Very interesting. I helped to sink a well using a bottom trap-door bailer that you would raise and drop to trap the cuttings. You then had to pull it from the hole to dump it. This is much better. As for using a lot of water. A derrick rig would typically also arrive on sight with a water truck holding as much as 1000 - 2000 gallons of water. This looks like the cheapest and the least amount of water usage that I've seen yet.

[@dawmlw]

I made it. Detailed pictures are on the website listed just under the video.

[@dawmlw]

Thanks for looking at the video. There has been no change in the water table where I'm at...

[@dawmlw]

more detailed instructions are on the website, generally try to put the 2 inch drillpipe down 25 or 30 feet. Then put a 1.25 inch wellscreen down through it and pull the drillpipe out..

[@dawmlw]

David, this technique will work for shallow wells but certainly not 200 meters! Thanks for looking at the video!

[@cesarhmtz88]

how about 200 feet

[@dawmlw]

In most places, homeowners can drill their own well but it is a good idea to check local statutes before beginning.

[@tomconnelly5494]

Always get your grandfather to do the actual work while you film.

[@dawmlw]

touche'

[@lickitysplit3867]

LOL

[@jamesdoe7951]

Union worker

[@michaelcbradford3491]

Granddaddy , he no good at filming

[@evanolivella6213]

And don’t forget the crocs. Proper PPE is important

[@nicolareddwooddforest4481]

Thank you for the information. Are you in New Zealand? Very interesting history. And it is so much more important to have geothermally heated homes than the tourist attraction. Whatever saves electricity is good for us all. They also heat homes in Iceland. I love that geothermal lake in Iceland, that must be so nice to swim in it. I wished my parents had taken us there when we were kids.

[@evenmore2212]

I think this would be a great idea under the right circumstances.Dont think it would work in rocky or gravely ground.Ive worked on a few job sites that did similar work but on a much larger scale...they use air,water and a vibrating tip.The bit on the end came to a point and had air and water jets.And with the vibration it just pushes its way throu bringing upsome sentient..

[@dawmlw]

@artizun Yes, you need water to drill. Most folks who use this method have city water and are looking for an inexpensive way to drill a well for irrigation water.

[@MachOverspeedsPlace]

4th gen Texas oil & gas biz here Suggested Improvement: Increase water flow to drill faster and/or deeper From pilot hole, use sharpshooter shovel to dig 3ft trench, 1/2 shovel blade wide, and 1/2 shovel blade deep, to 3ft x 3ft x 2ft pit. Dig another 3x3x2 pit, 3ft from 1st one, and connect with 2nd trench Pilot hole>trench>pit>trench>pit Put suction of gas powered pump in 2nd pit, opposite trench. Fill pits with water. Connect pump to hoses Water recirculates. Cuttings fall out in 1st pit

[@dawmlw]

This is for folks who are getting very high water bills for watering the lawn and irrigating their garden. This technique can save a lot of money for those folks. Thanks for looking at the video!

[@dawmlw]

@hagartyman I'm glad you liked it!

[@dawmlw]

@msm96wolf Study the pages on the site referenced in the description above. It should work if the well is just filled in. make sure you have plenty of water flow for your "drill." Two waters hoses running full force should do it. Don't get in a hurry.

[@grubeci]

never thought of the water addition. good idea

[@adreanlinerusher]

Nicely done Willis, hope you are enjoying the house. Roll Tide

[@dawmlw]

@racerxxx34 This method will not drill through rock. It works in sand and clay, even hard clay, but not rock

[@dawmlw]

Maybe but I'd have to try it. I don't really see how it would be effective. If you try it, please let me know.

[@dawmlw]

I've tried them and they won't go over the pipe joints when you add a stick of pipe. Thanks though!

[@dawmlw]

Sorry, but I'm not a pump guy. Post a question on the forum at pumpsandtanks and you'll get excellent advice from Bob Tabor over there. I'm glad you liked the videos and site!

[@dawmlw]

@ZoiMutante It is possible but certainly not with this technique! Water tends to be in layers. Commercial drillers can drill past a layer of water. With this technique you are just trying to get to some sand that is below the water table.

[@badlandskid]

The two pit system even without the pump would be an improvement by removing the mess from where you are trying to stand while working.

[@dawmlw]

Have you reviewed the website? I posted several pages on just how to make it.

[@TheKnightOfTheGrey]

This amazes me so much.

[@dawmlw]

We have a high water table near the coast. About 10 to 13 feet.

[@kokovenegasmusic]

My father lives in Rosamond Ca was wanting to build a water well for him he cannot afford it so I came across your video! Do u have absolute instructions of what is needed ? Step by step I’ve never done this before thank you 🙏

[@dawmlw]

Have you looked at the website? I posted 85 web pages and 52 videos on how to drill your own well.

[@dawmlw]

When using two hoses for drilling fluid, it generally runs about $150 plus water.

[@joshlemons2210]

until you hit rock. Then it is a wasted $150 worth of pipe + water, replanning the project, that plan failing, & then having to rent a machine or pay someone lol

[@dawmlw]

@@joshlemons2210 Do you not think it is worth $150 to see if it would work considering that hiring a rig costs $3k to $4k?

[@dillapearl]

Love your videos. I'm a retired teacher and think you are a great teacher. Thanks for taking the time. Do you know of anyone who has dug a well like this around the Kansas City area? I have 5 acres and would love to have a well to water plants, garden and fill the pool. Our water pressure is really bad here. What is the final cost to putting in a well like this with a well pump? Thanks

[@dawmlw]

This technique will get through hardpan. Please check out the website for detailed instructions. You'll want to use a metal drill bit instead of PVC for hardpan. PVC will get through it but you will have to re-sharpen it several times.

[@dawmlw]

It will not work in a rocky area. It is possible, however, that in valleys and at the foot of mountains that over the years soil has built up and it certainly will make it through soil and clay. This may or may not be your situation but it is something to consider. Thanks for watching!

[@dawmlw]

@hawkdlb06 I missed the smoke! I have no idea how to find where the water is. Where I live you can't miss it. Best thing to do is ask your neighbors with wells how deep they had to go to get water.

[@PCFithian]

This rules, thanks! Love your web site

[@dawmlw]

Thanks!

[@dawmlw]

Put a 1 1/4 inch well screen at the bottom after you have drilled a two inch hole. Then raise the two inch pipe up to expose the well screen at the bottom.

[@dawmlw]

These type wells are primarily for irrigation of gardens and lawnwatering. It saves big money on the city water bill.

[@dawmlw]

@floridagrandpa I doubt it but it is cheap to try!

[@dawmlw]

Something like that but it is important that you review all the info on the website before starting. There is a very specific order that steps in the process must be undertaken. Thanks for watching!