How to drill a simple shallow well yourself

In this video I demonstrate and explain how to dig a basic shallow well using a PVC pipe.

0:00 - Intro
0:48 - Tools and Materials
2:59 - Digging with Auger
5:40 - Found Water!
6:59 - Well Screen
7:50 - Foot Valve
8:26 - Water Pump
9:41 - Grout
11:30 - Details

[j.r.f]

Nice job and great video! I have dug 3 wells on my farm using a similar method. A few suggestions. You should not put the end cap on until the screen is cut, as fine shavings will get in there and contaminate the water and/or end up in the well pump when purging the well. Also try not try to draw too much water too quickly or the screen will eventually get clogged (for instance, a deep well hand-pump) — I learned my lesson and my well just about stopped percolating because it took too much water too quickly. To prevent this on my other well, I dug a bit deeper and made a longer screen. Having a longer water column means you can draw significantly more water more quickly. Also, sediment will settle at the bottom of the pipe where the end cap is and eventually it can get up to the screen where it clogs it from the inside.

[JC-slgz]

For those who haven't noticed, at 11:39, it is possible to see a bag of gravel that he placed before the grout to prevent clogging. Note that at 11:45, the bag of stones is no longer there, and there are some stones near the entrance of the hole."

[jaysethi]

This is excellent video to learn how to do a shallow well. He makes it very simple and educative.

[sagetime]

Only part I did differently was to cut the filter slots before capping the pipe. Didn’t want all the PVC cuttings contaminating the water. Great dyi video. 👍

[howardrewald]

I put in a bore by hand some years ago, I hammered steel casing down to about 20 feet. I fabricated a point to fit on the bottom. My steel casing was in sections about 3ft long as it is driven down I would weld on a new piece. When I got to the bottom of my hole I lowered down a stainless steel screen attached to 1 inch PVC. The process is called a spear. After spear was installed I used pea gravel to cover the spear then with drew the steel casing leaving the spear behind. It worked perfectly.

[mohammadhussaini]

We were using this kind of well before, and after a few years, water level was going down and we had to remove all casing assembly and dig deeper to get water, it was very nice and helpful video, thank you

[collen]

Hello, thank you so much, really liked how you took your time to go through the steps. Great video. 👍

[apsarasor]

I happy to found your video. I live in Newport News, VA and I want to install a backyard well too.

[TheFalconJetDriver]

I use to live in Chesapeake off Kempsville RD in the early 80’s I jetted down my well using domestic water pressure and worked fine! I used for irrigation of course.😁🛫

[joequillun]

I just finished watching 3 or 4 of your well videos, and applaud you for your efforts. Will also leave a comment on each one. I've done similar shallow wells over the years in my yard (Easy digging, all sand...like yours), and have tried a couple others. There is no conclusion to this style, and I'll speculate why.

But 1st will say, you left out the part about filling the 4" casing hole with "trap-rock" around the casing screen, to allow the water to penetrate. We're sure you did that, right? You did show the bags, but only showed the mortar filling the hole.


And next, you didn't elaborate what you did to the 4" casing, when your digger hit the mud. If you want the 1' plastic well point to be a couple feet below the water table, and you plugged off the bottom of the 4" casing, how did you drive it 2' (or more) into the mud? Your posthole digger won't make a deep enuff hole, because it will keep filling with mud. I know, cause it happened to me. No getting around it. I'm just guessing that you didn't get your 1" PVC pipe in deep enuff water, to supply your needs. Maybe that's why your next video, (only a month later) shows new 1 1/4" black pipe, with a driven sand point.

[Favored]

It’s amazing to see the water 💦 come out.

[johnm.harper]

You still have a lot to learn about well drilling, thanks for sharing!

[jaywatts]

i like that FILTER CLOTH you put on the bottom of that casing pipe !!!

[howardrewald]

This presentation was well presented any one should be able to do this in there back yard

[slonecapone]

I have a question. if the big pipe has the holes in it for the water to get in, doesn't the grout stopped the water. I really want to understand this process.

[Blurko]

I have a question: The cement, that you poured to protect the outer PVC pipe, didn´t it seal the slits which you did on that pipe ?

[thomasg]

*I have never, nor ever will, asked permission to take MY water out of MY ground.* #MyWaterNotShared

[gerrymcquagge]

Post hole diggers will get you down 4-5 feet for a good quick start.

[Tacoma-KIM]

I watched your video very well. Thank you for the good information.. Is it difficult to get permission? How much does it cost?

[gage_turner]

So the mud would get into the water and turn it brown but grout wont? Wont the grout get in the water?