Putting In Our Well Off Grid! Well Drilling

Getting our well installed on our new homestead in Idaho. We were not prepared for what happened!! This is the next step towards our debt free build. It was really fascinating to see how to drill a well, and well pump installation.
To follow our off grid Idaho build please subscribe! Much more to come!
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About us: We are a family of 6 relocating from our 1 acre permaculture homestead to our new 20 acre piece of raw land in North Idaho. We grow our own food, raise our own meat, homeschool, and our building our new homestead from the ground up debt free!!

[@nancymattix4599]

I found your site yesterday and have been binge-watching ever since. I don't know how I ended up with you guys but I can't begin to tell you how amazing this series of vlogs are. This is so fascinating. What an amazing family you have. You both are beyond impressive.

[@GoodSimpleLiving]

Welcome aboard! Thank you so much!!

[@deecooper1567]

Yep, same here only I can’t binge watch😫. A little at a time 😉. I love when young people move forward 👵🏻👩‍🌾❣️

[@larrycarman91399]

A water well that productive is phenomenal. You hit an underground river. Congratulations!!

[@JeremyHoodDaniel]

Think of it, you drilled through basically 140+' of dirt, sitting on top of a layer of bedrock, and now have a water table of 60' deep. So the land is basically a tank of waterlogged dirt and soil, not a river

[@wendyeskelin8765]

I know this is super personal and maybe you don't want to share which I totally understand, but it would be nice to have a rough cost of things as you go... It's hard to know what you could do budget wise with no idea in mind the cost of some big items. Like the barn, the well, the road etc. Loving your video's. Love to see the whole family helping and coming together. Best wishes to your new life, it's going to be amazing I am sure !!!

[@hannahmanager7646]

They have a financial video they did which is helpful. I havent found the info on how much the property was, then the well, then the foundation, and he driveway. Will come bck and update if I find it.

[@charliebrown3082]

I'm not even "Out doorsey" the scenic beauty can't be denied

[@LaidBackLiving]

Man that’s awesome! We had a little different experience with our well. Scott was great though and really helped us out. We’re actually just down the valley from you guys I think!

[@jclgaines]

Your Homestead site is just so beautiful! I am super happy for you all!

[@GoodSimpleLiving]

Thank you so much!!

[@geraldallen8230]

Nothing more rewarding than having lots of water!!

[@anthonygreen9844]

Congratulations. Very happy for you guys. When your mainline gets installed make sure you have T-offs to every location on the property that you want water at. That way you don’t have to cut into the mainline later.

[@GoodSimpleLiving]

Awesome, thank you, we will!!

[@carylfontaine3640]

I'm SO happy you got water! Nothing like clean fresh water from the rivers underground!!

[@stevenshelley9345]

You have water ,that's great you're on your way to be self sufficient, live long and prosper 😀👍

[@missyfarleigh]

I just recently found your channel and so happy I did!! Our journey is similar to yours. We bought 10 acres in Tennessee in 2020 on top of a mountain while living in Florida. I remember thinking “cha-ching” $$ every time they added another drill pipe 😮Ours ended up being 225 ft deep. Then we put up a 1200 sq ft garage and built a 600 sq ft tiny home inside. Due to unexpected circumstances we ended up having to move onto the property 2 years before we had planned to. We’ve now been here a year and absolutely love our place. We’ve decided for now this is perfect for just us (our kids are grown) We’re in our early 50’s and living our best life! Excited to start planting our garden this weekend! Thanks for sharing your journey! ❤

[@GoodSimpleLiving]

Amazing ❤️

[@GoodSimpleLiving]

So I must ask.... what do you all think of my new camera? I feel like it's much better than my old video quality!

[@erink4783]

Quality was great!

[@GoodSimpleLiving]

@@erink4783 awesome, my old videos were with a great point and shoot, but terrible video camera. I finally caved and got a new camera for videos!

[@petrponomarv9790]

I think 1080p camera would be better. It's a bit blurry for me. Great job on the videos. If you don't mind, can you tell me what county the land is at. I live close by idaho and would like to go camping around that area. It's very beautiful.

[@GoodSimpleLiving]

@@petrponomarv9790 thanks for the feedback. Its Boundary County

[@shelleyturner8991]

What camera are you using?

[@SCHNEKM483BK]

Water is OUR friend, even makes FOOD!

[@anaguerrero3346]

Mother Earth blessings

[@darlenedouglas5148]

Like the clarity and crispness of the video! Well digging is one of the most stressful things of starting a homestead. Here in AZ where my parents started a home on 4acres in 1954 well drilling was unsuccessful on 3 attempts. After talking to a few of the people in the area they all got together and drilled a neighborhood well! It was a great success but with many more ppl moving into the area the older home owners were outvoted and the well was sold to the city. 10 - 15yrs later the price of the water tripled in cost resulting in the majority of the original ppl moving away. I bought & sold my 4acres near my parents as the water that was running about $15 - $20 a month for a family of 7, livestock, orchard, 150 rose bushes and even a small grassy yard next to the large garden jumped up to $150 plus a month. My dad raised Appaloosa horses and had a swimming pool that my CP brother could get exercise and my dad had a broken back from WWII and would take his huge leather brace off to strengthen his back muscles. His water bill would run close to $300 a month. Having your own well (in my lifetime I have had 3) is one of the biggest savings that you could ever have!!! Thanks for sharing

[@GrowWhereYouArePlanted]

Wow! What a scenic location.

[@GoodSimpleLiving]

We love that piece of land

[@williamwarren5269]

Great....looks likes an awesome well. Which is very important.

[@tessjones5987]

WOW Really enjoyed watching a well being drilled. Never saw anything like that before. Thanks for sharing.

[@GoodSimpleLiving]

So glad it was interesting, we had never seen it either!

[@darlaballenger2357]

I need to watch that one again.... I'm still confused

[@ljmike5519]

Congrats on your new well. I was holding my breath and cheering for a good outcome. Yes 👍you have water. Blessings.

[@michaelsteal9128]

Happy for your family ! You got out and on with your life just in time. Best of luck to you and family in all your future plans

[@beverlyt.5526]

I've been following Your Family around a year and a half (ever since I found you). Now I'm going back and watching ALL the AMAZING Videos I've Missed!!! INCREDIBLE how You Two Started With A Blank Slate!!!! God Bless You Two and The Kids 🙏💕!!! You DESERVE THAT HOT TUB!!!!! Western Upstate New York here

[@GoodSimpleLiving]

Thank you so much 💓

[@TravelingGranny]

So very happy for you all!! 👍😘🇬🇧

[@GoodSimpleLiving]

Thank you so much!!

[@lovenotes5299]

That is a blessing, there have been places in our state where 3-4 different wells were dug 400-600 and no water.On existing small family farms no water in alabama and georgia on land where there used to be water.

[@JerryGDawg56]

Sooo wonderful!!! I’ve been praying for you! GOD is sooo good!!! 😊🙏🏼

[@GoodSimpleLiving]

Thank you so much!! Those prayers were felt! We were really blessed!

[@deecooper1567]

And you have WATER 💦 LOTS OF WATER 😮. Happy happy for you 👵🏻👩‍🌾❣️

[@CanterburyTrailsFarm]

We have an old well we're fixing to put a hand pump on. Beautiful photos!

[@GoodSimpleLiving]

Awesome! I was so tempted to do a hand pump, but had to stay on budget.

[@EYALAVRAHAMI]

I've watched it and i was sooooo excited and happy for you, i literally had tears of excitement in my eyes!

[@lindacupps6980]

My grandfather did well drilling around Garfield Bay. Many years ago. 🤗

[@davidbradley3074]

You are living in an alluvial fan area and you will get pure water at about 45' to 120' . Use a zinc primer on the steel pipe, then some epoxy paint, then insulate with at least 2" of foam insulation and plastic wrap the insulation to the above ground connection. maybe even heat trace from connection to about underground connection, then cover with foam and wrap.

[@suzeewills1249]

Great video. Second time watching, commercials too. God bless your family.

[@GoodSimpleLiving]

Anyone here have a well drilled on their own property? How deep was it? I am really interested now in hearing about other's well drilling experiences. This was fascinating to me!

[@celsopdacunha000]

A few weeks ago I found on youtube a couple who has been homesteading for a while and documenting on youtube every step of their journey and they are also in your county and they found water not deep in the soil. Perhaps you know them because they are popular with more than 400k subscribers, "Pure Living for life". I have been following them since I found out their channel and still didn't catch up with all their videos and besides this channel I follow a few other ones who's doing homestead in Idaho and other areas in USA. Here it's their video about the well drilling: kzbin.info/www/bejne/eIa0dGlooNifd9U P.s. I found your channel today on facebook when you posted about you moving to Idaho on Off Grid Living For Beginners and I just have finished watching all your videos in Idaho and I am already waiting for the next one (-: I live in Brazil and I also have a farm here, however I have been renting it out since I can't afford living in it now. Good luck and may our God and savior Jesus Christ blesses you all.

[@GoodSimpleLiving]

@@celsopdacunha000 Thank you so much, and may God bless your journey as well! I do know of that other couple. They aren't really homesteaders, more business folks building a fancy house. I applaud them for what they have built, but they aren't very friendly haha.

[@celsopdacunha000]

@@GoodSimpleLiving - i think you are right. Hahaha. It's the Stardom syndrome

[@GoodSimpleLiving]

@@celsopdacunha000 They say folks don't like them because they are successful, but the truth is folks don't like them because of how they treat others.

[@celsopdacunha000]

@@GoodSimpleLiving - Another day, I found a post, I think on Reddit, where people were stoning them so bad. Unfortunately, fame spoils a lot people. So, what's your next project?

[@chrisnicula6256]

Just noticed you guys are in Idaho, I spent a couple years in the New Meadows, Riggins, and the McCall area. Idaho has some of the last true wilderness areas in the lower 48, so jealous, but I can't hack the winters so I'm in the Northwest Georgia mountains now.

[@GoodSimpleLiving]

We go between WA and ID, but hope to be fulltime in ID. Yeah winters are brutal, but the liberty is worth it!

[@armidaperez5360]

Now you can brew your own drink. Of choice...lol i love rewatching all old video's....

[@firewalkerg11]

Agree I found you by accident. Great content . Thanks for sharing 😊

[@lynnbarnes1184]

We had a well-drilled last year in February of all times. We had gone a month without water because of the temperatures. Thank God our neighbor next door let us use his spigot to water the animals. We ended up drilling 860, we still have trouble with settlement coming in and turning everything black. Having to drain the hot water tank is a pain.

[@GoodSimpleLiving]

Oh my goodness! Where about are you?

[@lynnbarnes1184]

Where in northern Michigan, yeah I just about had a heart attack when they kept drilling.

[@Susan.I]

Yahoo, water!! Congratulations you have a blessed amount of water!!

[@barbarastalick5621]

Very educational. I've never seen a well dig before. Thanks for sharing, and explaining.

[@terrycampbell141]

amazing backdrop

[@leswayne7031]

At 120 foot I caught myself praying and I'm laying here with my fingers crossed😁👍

[@robertboyd650]

Congratulations

[@robinharris4247]

Gorgeous setting. I don't live off grid but we live in rural ozark mountain area near the lake of the ozarks but we spend time outside of Chicago as well due to my husbands work and I hate it there. I don't know why anyone wants to live in the city. When. look out my windows in the mountains I am at peace and happy.

[@nevets7152]

We are lucky we have 3 wells , got water at 30 feet in clay soil , we have a 3 kw pump on them and good strong flow for our sprinkler systems. Steve in Thailand

[@lindajwilson9848]

It's July 2022 as I am watching the beginning of your adventure!! So heartwarming because I know how far you've come to this date and it is all wonderful. I missed this and other first videos, coming in about the time you started your tiny home build. So I need to uncover the garage (?) build to catch up to my beginning. I can honestly say that in the three years I've been watching, you are without a doubt my favorite. I have now chosen only five channels that I am truly interested in. You are tops!

[@warny835]

100 gpm is incredible.My well is 365' and I'm getting 3 1/2 gpm.

[@GoodSimpleLiving]

Yeah it was an amazing blessing!

[@jessiroobear2906]

That's fantastic. Your family is very blessed! You're going to need that water for everything you do!

[@GoodSimpleLiving]

Yes! Water was top priority!!

[@michaelmclarry1409]

Your lucky, in Colorado at the cabin we. Built 25 yrs ago, 400 feet for 5 gal. A min! Not cheap, but like u said, gotta have water!

[@pnwRC.]

WOWZERS! 150 foot seems deep to me. Wells in my area are usually between 110 to 115 foot deep.

[@jimeckert607]

Wow, 156ft! Cool beans!

[@Emma-3010]

So happy for y'all! Congrats on the new well!

[@GoodSimpleLiving]

Thank you!!

[@markwaldner8725]

Ive drilled a lot of water wells. Looks good

[@pdiane8299]

Black Rifle coffee is wonderful ☕☕☕ I don't think you'll ever regret making this move.

[@bighammer587]

Really happy for you guys! My buddy had a well drilled and at 1000’ they hit dust. Sad, but sometimes it happens that way. It’s Soo stressful to watch and wait and hope... Congratulations!

[@GoodSimpleLiving]

Oh man, I can not imagine that!! Poor guy! Yeah I started getting stressed, but thankfully we hit great water way more shallow than we expected!

[@matthewr2361]

Wow what a tragedy to dig that far and get nothing! What state was this in? That's almost unheard of in the northwest!

[@bighammer587]

Matthew R: Right here in the Northwest! In fact it was in Oregon, about 1/4 mile from the Tillamook Bay, so right at sea level. He had a backup plan, which was a spring water source. That dry well cost him $10k 🥴

[@nuttjeffable]

I just found your Channel a few minutes ago. I'm so excited to watch your Idaho homestead take shape. Liked and subscribed.

[@GoodSimpleLiving]

Thank you so much!! Lots more to come!

[@g.d.7525]

@@GoodSimpleLiving I wish! My family thinks I'm crazy when i talk about living off grid...my wife is for it, but not across the country..ca native here

[@mikejarvis7701]

This was one of the videos I missed. I watched today and you have a great water well. I'm glad you had great luck.

[@lindacupps6980]

Oh yes my grandmother did the witching. Have you heard of that?

[@marshalllaw4116]

I met a man at work who is a 3rd generation well driller,we were talking and he told me he finds water by witching/divining and I didn't believe him so he came to my property and took a forked stick and walked around a bit and said there's water here as he laid his hat on the ground to mark the spot. I still didn't believe him so he handed me the stick and showed me how to use them and when I walked across the spot the stick pointed to the ground,as the stick was pulled to the ground I tried to keep it from doing so by twisting it up towards the sky,the force was so great that it literally twisted the stick and separated the fibers in my hand. I don't expect you to believe me any more than I believed him when he told me he could do it.

[@magaisacult2023]

You are a wack job.

[@djohnson2194]

I believe you brother, I' ve done this myself. I've also found lost rings this way.

[@cherimonteith7068]

My Dad could witch. Good old days.

[@deborahamy1225]

Congratulations on your dreams and goals becoming reality, so happy for your blessings!! I was curious on how you chose where to drill? Is there some guidance on where to find it, or the best way to go about it. I understand it is always 50/50 chance, but wondered if the were any “tricks of the trade”, for a lack of better term. God bless!!😊

[@nadiakalakeche3171]

Wishing you all the best for today 🙏🙏

[@GoodSimpleLiving]

Thank you!!

[@elizabethbrooks4849]

Very impressive. Good water source. Happy for you all

[@sabburahsuhail]

So so sick. Love this video

[@lilbitatatime3763]

Ha, had to laugh when you asked if DH needed whiskey in his coffee. I can imagine you were both on pins and needles waiting for the news of water. Congrats!

[@GoodSimpleLiving]

Haha yeah it was a bit of a nerve wracking time, but very exciting!

[@JeremyHoodDaniel]

Thats quick! Wow. Percussion wells to 160' would sometimes take 3 months, out here, drilling 8, 10 hours a day

[@swissredneck5764]

I know that nervous feeling, but we wasn't lucky as you. We drilled 500 feet and still just 1 gal/min. We had to well fracking (did by my self) and finaly we got enough water

[@swissredneck5764]

@Derek Stairs Greed is the worse enemy of the planet, not the CO2. Simple life as this homestead is the cure!

[@smileystevens3060]

Thar she blows....lol....I bet you where really glad to see that water coming out of that pipe....good job....

[@erink4783]

Congrats on the well! Have you taken your kids to the pile of rocks and clay they pulled up? When we had our well dug, there was different types of rocks and tons of neat little fossils in the piles. Very fun and educational to look through.

[@GoodSimpleLiving]

Oh cool, no, they shot it all at that poor tree lol

[@srlsolutionsself-reliancet3247]

been watching yalls videos for about a year started about halfway through the tiny home build and decided to head back to beginning. Man your storytelling has really come far! not that these are bad but now you are network quality which is crazy because yall are operating camera while building. Kudos Melissa!

[@GoodSimpleLiving]

They are pretty bad 😆 but hey... they are were we were at that time.

[@srlsolutionsself-reliancet3247]

@@GoodSimpleLiving you grew with experience. don't look at my youtube videos because im just starting out and i'm the landscaper with a terrible yard. i work in broadcast tv as a videogrpaher... my videos embarass me. LOL take it from someone who has made a living for 30 years and traveled the world for it.... you are an amazing storyteller ESPECIALLY since you are working while taping. your VO's at end get me teary eyed half the time. that's the power of your videos. keep up the great work! you and "wild wonderful life off-grid" are my two favorite channels to watch

[@srlsolutionsself-reliancet3247]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/ioHMqnSVdtynj5Y

[@srlsolutionsself-reliancet3247]

i don't usually get access to what i shoot but this is my demo reel to add weight to my encouragement to you. keep it going GIRL!

[@margaretckamaka5552]

Hahaha nevah hear that song long time, I know it’s about over a year since your water Video just saw this be Blessed

[@lindacupps6980]

That is so great. I have seen some dry wells drilled. 😛

[@idahodad1]

Congrats on the well and it's capacity.

[@GoodSimpleLiving]

More than we could have ever imagined!!

[@MommaJessiesCraftyHomestead]

Exciting! We are hoping to be doing that this fall!

[@louispeel9919]

Am getting to see the real oldies now guys :)

[@timjustus8361]

Yeah I should be very blessed! My well took over 500 feet to drill.

[@212acres3]

Very nice! Keep up the good work!

[@linshannon4480]

I've only recently found your channel, and I've watched a number of your posts/logs/episodes (?) and so thoroughly enjoyed watching you build your self-sufficient home, and I thought it would be fascinating to go back to the beginning. It's honestly riveting. Thank you for so carefully documenting the journey. It's enlightening and inspiring.

[@GoodSimpleLiving]

Thank you so much 💓

[@Thunderchickenbr549]

Awesome!

[@F-J.]

Wow

[@poodledaddles1091]

Perfection!

[@GoodSimpleLiving]

Thank you!!

[@elbert1216]

I saw a video of yours about a year or so ago when I was researching how to care for rabbits. Your newer content recently popped into my feed a few days ago when I was looking up home building content. I had no idea you were the same channel until I finally backtracked and watched until I hit the “what to feed your rabbits” video for the second time. 😂 You’ve come a long way with the editing! I still love the old videos though. I’m learning so much from you folks and hope to live off grid one day, too! Mahalo for the inspiring, wholesome content. 💛

[@GoodSimpleLiving]

Thank you! We have really been trying to improve our content, means a lot!

[@scottmccullough4267]

“Want some whiskey in that coffee ?”were did you find this woman???

[@LindaJohnson77480]

The "Water God" was with y'all

[@Tractorhap]

Good to see y’all so happy.

[@annamaybeekman5152]

This is so exciting

[@mowilson5588]

Congrats!! 🎉🎊🎈

[@GoodSimpleLiving]

Thank you!!

[@scotth7632]

Had to watch this again. We got our well drilled last week in Kootenai county. Not as strong as yours, but I'm very pleased with 40 GPM at 280'. Hope to get the pump, control box, frost-free hydrant and 3000 gallon tank installed in the coming weeks and will also be running ours off a generator until we get our power in and well house built. I decided on including the storage tank for the benefit of dissipating any gases (sulfur) out of the water and allowing the iron or other heavy sediments to settle in the tank before it reaches the pressure tank and filter/softener system. We're heading up next month to finalize the driveway layout, build pads for the shop and house and trenching for power and water. Perc testing complete, septic permit approved and now the well is drilled. Three items down and about 150,000 more tasks to go! I can't wait to get started on each one of them! I've learned much from you guys. Keep up the great work and hope Kenji is taking it easy.

[@GoodSimpleLiving]

Congratulations, that's awesome!!!

[@2bridges957]

Congrats 🎊🎉🍾

[@GoodSimpleLiving]

Thank you, we are really happy with it!

[@terrycaldwell9114]

Catching up on older vids. Loved that you were worried at 120 feet. Up here in the new hampshire we did our first home to 660 feet. We are pending our second home's drill in a couple of weeks. Homing to be under 500.

[@danielleterry180]

going to 2nd water table is better cleaner water glad these guys did that for you .

[@GoodSimpleLiving]

They were fantastic

[@JeremyHoodDaniel]

My main training was in hydraulic engineering with my dad's well drilling company, but we used percussion drilling, as Jamaica is mostly limestone

[@barbaramurphy4429]

Pretty exciting.

[@GoodSimpleLiving]

It was a huge blessing!!

[@o.o1163]

Wonderful pressure, Thankgod I'm so happy for you😊

[@GoodSimpleLiving]

Thank you, it was a massive blessing!

[@jhgt6]

That's awesome drilling for water like your radio

[@MultiTankAddiction]

I have been binge watching you guys all day just about, I live in the couve, and hope to do what you'all are doing in about 5 years.. My parents live near Lewiston so the idea has been bouncing around in our heads for a couple years now. Btw how are you posting your videos in the middle of nowhere? Keep up the great work!!

[@HanDekker]

I have a pump to pump-up ground water. it makes me feeling rich.

[@terrietanner8503]

I’ve only recently found your channel, & am enjoying watching. We are in the very early stages of building our homestead & I hope to get some ideas from y’all!

[@GoodSimpleLiving]

Welcome!

[@redbovine]

Here in NC you would not want a 100gpm well. There is iron in the water and the high gallon wells have alot of it which eats pumps not to mention the granite dust. A good well for our area it around 10gpm because the sediment is not bad. Glad yall got a good well.

[@danielwood2134]

You gettin 80-100 gallons a minute that’s great

[@pennguino9137]

Great Coffee or Die shirt. Found them while living aloha. I can't get them in Germany now. Sad face. Maybe catch you in 4 years when we make it to Norther Idaho. We visited CDA back in 2017. Was looking at Leavensworth, WA but fell in love with Idaho. Reminds us of Colorado S0prings.

[@adubbelde1]

100 GPM, I'd be thrilled with 10 GPM. Our well produces 3 GPM. We're at 5600 feet and there are many places in our county where people have to haul water, so we're happy. Our well is 340 feet so the casing holds 400 gallons with a static level of 50'. We can dry the well if we draw constantly for about 2 hours. We're sit-ing on a rock mountain, They hit rock at 2'.

[@Dingocreek]

+ - 12000 gal/hour is quite good. You should be able to push a good number of overhead sprayers in an orchard row with an average of 4000 gal/hour. Another tip is to prune your fruit at a younger age to ensure larger size in fruit with less scuff marks caused by the stems. I love your adventure. Enjoy.

[@jameskenyon9734]

The water is not "just gushing out" it is forced out by the same air pressure that is used in drilling the hole and bringing out the drill cuttings to the surface. It is a form of pumping method in any case. You won't be able to tell if its a form of Artesian well until the drilling rig stops drilling and pulls the drill pipes out. If the water continues to flow over the top after the drilling rig has stopped drilling, then you have an Artesian well or a "gusher" to use the colloquial language.

[@noneya2955]

Correct I have worked on a drill rig alot and have drilled hundreds of holes what makes for a more interesting experience is if you do it without using the diverter attached to the drill head

[@jameskenyon9734]

@@noneya2955 Having worked on rigs for years, and then my own business for a lot longer, I agree. We didn't have the double drilling set up as this was, but always had fun when we got plenty of water. It was bliss on a blistering hot day though; and that other time of the year, not so cool (oops, wrong choice of words there).

[@abm2958]

How does the diverter work, does it seal to the drill stem?

[@jameskenyon9734]

@@abm2958 Having never used this style I can only speculate that it would have to. I used different ones that were not for a double drilling system. We used them for mineral exploration, and did not rotate the casing in at the same time.

[@chrisnegoi9720]

abm2958 yes with a dual roatary drilling system, the swivel discharge diverter has an adapter that nearly completely seals to the 6” or 10” or up to whatever diameter of casing is being used. DR is the most efficient form of drilling overburden and is very versatile.