Driving standpoint well with a jackhammer - I hit pressurized groundwater

I hit a bubbling spring of water! This is the test run well for my parents house. It will be used for watering plants (and in case the supply chain collapses haha). I'm driving one next week at my cabin build!
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IG Will.MagnerFitness
#sandpoint #sandpointwell #drivingsandpoint #offgrid #homestead #cabinbuild #cabinbuildseries

[@harrykrumpacker871]

Helpful tip: Dig down as far as you can with a hand auger before using jackhammer. This saves wear and tear on pipe assembly. Also, After 3 shallow wells with 1 1/4" pipe and sand point, I switched to a 3" pipe and sand point. Result is greatly increased flow and quicker charging of pressure tank.

[@professorg8383]

#1 Get rid of the stupid drive cap!! That's for using a sledge hammer and it will probably still bugger up the threads! Just cut the threads off of the sacrificial nipple and put the bit right over that. If it's really hard ground, might have a spare nipple handy. #2 use teflon thread paste. Better than the tape. #3 make sure you use "drive couplings" not standard ones and tighten with a pipe wrench. Every few feet, tighten again to make sure the threads are seating correctly. Tighten as you go. #4 It's easier to work off the bed of a pick up truck. And safer than balancing on the ladders. #5 Back flush the well with a garden hose if at all possible. You want to try to drive the fines away from the point. Usually, there's a clay layer above the water bearing sands. If you try to pump out of that, your point will get plugged. You can kinda feel the difference as punching through the clay layer will be a bit harder and get a little easier when you get through it. Note that as long as you are below the water table, you can put the point lower to get in the sand. The water will come up in the pipe. Do check water level with a weighted string or even a tape measure. #6 You really want to back flush the well for best production. A garden hose works best, but you can make a "plunger stick" with a good rag wired to the stick. Drill a hole through the stick and wire through the rag and the hole. You want to avoid losing the rag down the pipe although you can probably fish it out with stiff wire. Fill the pipe and use a plunging action to try to force water backwards through the point. My guess is that the point is in the clay layer and not sand and the point got plugged with fines. You might be able ta add a section and back flush it clean. When you buy the point, they come in different mesh sizes. If you get a fine mesh, it will tend to plug easier. I advise talking to neighbors with shallow wells and try to get a good idea of what the ground and water table look like in the area, A local hardware store might know the area too and have the best advice. The people at the big box stores won't have a clue! Really best to research it before you start. As for clearing out the plugged point, there are various methods. A power washer adapted to the pipe or with a hose down in the pipe can sometimes work. If you get it below the water table, the pulses can sometimes blast it clear. There's an old time trick called "shooting a well" It involves firing a shotgun shell down the pipe. Just be careful trying it, and ideally, cut the end off the shell and remove the shot and plastic shot cup. You then replace the plastic wad with cardboard or paper packed tightly. The old timers would just put the barrel down the pipe and let it rip!! But if you are creative, you can make an "adapter". I've seen one that an old timer made that screwed right on the pipe and did the job nicely!! I will avoid too much detail and point out that you should only try this at your own risk!! But I've seen it work! You might also try citric acid. It works good against a lot of iron. You can buy it in granular for, food grade. It's pretty safe to use. Pour some in and let it sit a few days. A small amount of muriatic acid can work too, but use with caution!! No matter what you try, flush it adequately afterwards!! and use common sense caution!! First thing to try are the garden hose or plunging. But if indeed you are in a clay layer, you need to get past that. You can always try pulling it up too. Some chain wrapped around the pipe and a mechanical "farm jack" can work. You need a good stable base like heavy plywood Putting in a shallow well sand point sounds easy, but there can be more to it than meets the eye. You've made a great move though by using the jack hammer! Easiest method by far to drive one!! Good luck!!

[@YouCanCallMeDaddy11587]

Turn the ladders opposite of the way you have them and put a 2x10 in between at the desired height on ladder rungs/ steps or just back a truck up with the tailgate down.. other than that good job 👍

[@bobgregory680]

I have driven about 50 of these wells in my life down Harrison Ohio and 1 key critical step you're leaving out of your process (you cannot do this with a single man and a jackhammer method , but if you listen you will understand why ) is when you connect your pipe to the last piece of pipe that was driven that you take your drive cap off , YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE that you have a man turning that pipe with a pipe wrench in the direction so which continually TIGHTENING that pipe... I don't know how many Wells I seen guys drive , that did not have a man down there continually tightening that pipe as another man was striking it and the well fails... It's because when you are continually beating that pipe from the top , you are crushing in the threads of all those couplers underneath the ground because they are not tight enough to hold... I do not care what kind of cheater bar you put on your pipe or how big a pipe wrench you have , it will not tighten them couplers up like when you are continuously turning that when someone is hitting it! But you have a great post with that jackhammer trick , I never thought of that, just make sure next time you got a volunteer that'll turn that pipe for you... it's not hard to turn it , but it makes all the difference in the world , and you're well will not fail !!!

[@WillMagnerFitness]

Powerful advice! Thank you!

[@ArcherCanobra]

DUDE! That is NOT a well. It is an Artisan Well. Relatively rare, super cool

[@DickWeed999]

Artesian

[@Imwright720]

That was hard to watch. With some simple changes that method is amazing for driving pipe. 😊

[@WillMagnerFitness]

Hindsight 20/20!

[@ReinQuest]

For drinking water I’m not sure the weld flag would be an issue because a filter should catch it. But defiantly great advice to clean it all because I never thought of the mfg oils and such.

[@WillMagnerFitness]

Yea and keep the pipe joint compound two theads from the end of the pipe to keep the taste out.

[@onecrazywheel]

Did you need a Check Valve to keep water primed?

[@JETablet_]

Why steel pipe and jackhammer? We used to do them with PVC by water-jetting: Connect a hose, using a sandpoint designed for that purpose, watch it sink. Isn't that cheaper and easier for such a shallow well?

[@IkeCoblentz]

Then you need a supply of pressurized water

[@bryanswift10]

I’ve been looking into options for an irrigation well, would something like this supply enough water to fill a huge tank?

[@ClickPro87]

There are a ton of variables but yes it’s possible. If you irrigate 2-3 times a week you can fill a large tank over few days.

[@huggybeartv2030]

If you take off that drive cap would the jack hammer fit over the "sacrificial nipple"? I've been thinking about putting one of these in on my hilltop but I'm worried it might be a waste of time. I have a spring that flows 24/7/365 but it's probably 100 lower in elevation so what are the odds I hit water before that? That's alot of hammering lol.

[@WillMagnerFitness]

Not sure about the coupling.. and the hammer was a rental so she's gone!! The water table probably sits at the level of the spring and these sandpoints generally don't go deeper than 30. You can hit 50 and deeper but that pushing the limits I believe. Or if you really want maybe try some witching sticks and see if they move up on the hill, maybe there is an underground vein you can hit.

[@joecruz2469]

It's not a jackhammer, it's an electric hammer

[@TSnydz24]

use a spare coupler for the driver cap instead of that driver cap. your post driver and jackhammer wouldve slide over it perfectly. also after that well cleared up you shouldve done one more 5ft pipe to get it seated in the vein.

[@ArcherCanobra]

You might want to put an expander on the top of your rig so to accept the end of the jackhammer

[@joecruz2469]

It's not a jackhammer, it's an electric hammer.

[@robertdelano9504]

Slide a section of 2 3/8 galvanized over the bit and it should keep the driving head from sliding out from under it?

[@WillMagnerFitness]

Honestly that’s a good/ easy idea.

[@bearjags]

should of set the pipe deeper.

[@dukekraus4362]

Great video - I am 71 years old and can't beat 20ft of pipe into the ground. So your jack hammer sounds great. What bit did you find to drive the pipe with the jack? Did it come with it?

[@WillMagnerFitness]

I rented a bit end that "wasn't the right tool for the job" from a local top shop. Hindsight is 20/20, I would recommend using a gas post driver with a 3.5 to 4" opening cup. It's lighter and easier to lift, and will do the job just fine as long as you have sandy or clay-ey soil. (although this job clogged after a while, and I need to redo it, so only go for it if you have sand). But, if you want to use a jackhammer, it will work, just make sure you're prepared to lift a heavy tool, and have a cup with the correct side opening.

[@voidisyinyangvoidisyinyang885]

@@WillMagnerFitness thanks for that recommendation - I found a Gas-powered post driver for rent for the day at $130. I have a 3 hour drive to the site. The rental shop opens at 7 am. So if I leave the house at 6 am and get to the site say by 11 am - and then I have to leave at 2 pm for the four hour drive to the rental shop from the site. Wow!! Three hours - I wonder if it I could get it done. hahahaha. Otherwise the weekly rate is $382. Yeah probably better to just do a week rate since two days would be $260. I suppose I could do it in two days. Still a lot less than $1000 for a new one. Oh wait Home Despot has better rates and is closer!

[@voidisyinyangvoidisyinyang885]

@@WillMagnerFitness Someone tried a GPD and it did not work AT ALL!! hahahaha. I guess the well point is much harder than driving a empty post!! Yeah they were using the Titan GPD which was destroyed by the fence business - because the Titan didn't work at all. Still I have clay hardpan and I don't think even the bigger GPD would work compared to a jackhammer....

[@joecruz2469]

It's not a jackhammer, it's an electric hammer

[@thhillbillyinventor105]

I invented & sell a portable drill rig that you can use a hand drill & drill the hole & use pvc for the casing . A lot less work involved in it . I attempted to drive mine We have clay. Did not work .

[@williamhill9800]

How much

[@atubeviewer4942]

1 yr later and still now follow up or new well? Found the problem, THIS one is "sTand" point, the other one is a "sand" point

[@sydneydwtt]

I’ve wanted to do this for awhile, we have clay/rocky soil…guessing this wld not be an option for us.

[@WillMagnerFitness]

Yea best in sand! My soil at home was clay/silt/ mud. I broke one today in some sandy/rocky soil up north in Michigan.

[@sydneydwtt]

@@WillMagnerFitness did you use the jackhammer in the rocky area? Wondering if it’d be less likely to break if you just hand drive?

[@LandmadeFL]

Where did you purchase the pump?

[@WillMagnerFitness]

Menards has all the equipment!!

[@ralphconetta2088]

How did you pulled the pipe out?

[@andrearobinson3911]

I honestly don't know how anyone can pull the pipe. We used a tractor to try and pull ours, which was the 3 ft drive point and only 10 ft of pipe.. It's still 8n the ground. The top pipe finally just sheared the threads of the pipe below it.. So, we've decided to just hand dig a well instead. We've finally hit water at 8 ft down. It's hard work but we won't have to worry about clay clogging the drive point. It'll be better in the long run.

[@SherrickDuncan]

Can I get 200 feet deep like this?

[@prank213]

Why not drive it deeper?

[@dontheman7093]

I feel like people say "I feel like" way to much. Thansk,

[@DaveTheBigTomato]

Sandpoint

[@joecruz2469]

It's not a jackhammer, it's an electric hammer

[@sassafrasred6657]

Wow. You are recommending the wrong sealant. You dont have the correct digging tool, auger hole digging tool, and your ladders are set up weird and you admit you are working with a dangerous tool without any idea on how it works. No plumbing the pipe to true. No drive cap to save the sacrificial nipple? You sure should have made that pump higher off the ground. You also should have dug around the hole and made it so you could cap the area around the well with concrete using that as a base for your well house. The best part ive seen so far is the cleaning reminder. Why was this the top recommend video on driving a sand point?

[@davidgroff3355]

Why does everyone have those tattoos, really

[@floridanelson]

I thinks its a popular cover up