Home Improvement

Which Things To Consider Before Water Well Drilling?

Water wells are pretty common and people use them for their daily water needs around the house. If you have a water well drilled, you can consider well pump installation after its inspection. However, if there is no water well to begin with, you should know these things before drilling.

Is There Water Underneath?

Before even having the well drilled and spending lots of money on essentially digging up a hole in the ground, you want to ensure that there’s water underneath for you to use. There just doesn’t need to be water underneath the soil, it also needs to be enough so that you can use the well for years to come. This is important because there’s not a heap of water under the ground.

There are certain areas where the subsoil water level is sufficient for you to drill a well and that is what you need to double-check before spending time and money on the drilling process. Once you know if there is water underneath and that it’s usable, then you can go ahead and get the hole drilled in the ground.

Are You Allowed To Drill?

In-house wells are common, but you can’t just decide and have the well drilled one day, because you’re feeling like it. There are a lot of permits and things that you need to clear before you can even think about digging up a centimeter in your ground.

There are different residential laws that you need to follow when you’re considering drilling a well in your home because it’s not something that’s a breeze. It takes some time and it’s noisy, so you need to ensure that you’re fulfilling all the criteria for it and acquiring a permit so that you don’t get slapped in the face with a lawsuit at the end of all of this.

Are There Any Existing Wells?

Is this your first time getting a well drilled? Were there more wells in your house before? If there was an existing well in your home before, then you need to deal with it first because you don’t want to have another well drilled in close vicinity.

There are a lot of things that can go wrong if you drill two wells that are very close to each other. The first well, if it’s not being used anymore, needs to be closed up and then you can move on and drill the next. That’s just how things go and you need to follow the rules and be careful, otherwise things can take a turn for the worse.

Is The Water Safe?

The next order of importance is to make sure that the water that is in the well is safe for use around the house. A lot of the time, well water can be fresh and that’s amazing. However, other times, the water can be very saline and hard, to the point of bitterness and it’s useless to have a well drilled, or the water is going to be downright bitter.

So, as soon as there is a sign that water is present in the well, then it needs to be tested for what minerals it has and if it’s safe for drinking. You also want to figure out what water treatment methods will be employed, so that you can make arrangements for that later on.

Cost Of Drilling

The next bit that you need to figure out is the cost of drilling a well and your budget. This is extremely important because if you don’t have a budget, then you can’t possibly figure out what’s out of reach for you. Generally, drilling a hole for a well is calculated on a per foot basis and it usually ranges from $15 to $30 per foot.

Also, if the rock formation is too hard, then the price will go up. So, calculating the depth of the well with the rate, you’ll get a rough estimate as to how much drilling a well will cost you.

Installation Of Well Pumps And Other Equipment

When thinking about drilling a well, you also need to think about the appropriate pumping equipment that you’ll need to get the water out from the well at such a depth.

This is important because based on the water quality, whether it has silt in it or not, your pumping equipment needs to be able to handle everything, otherwise it will be a waste of time and money. Moreover, you will need to maintain the pump and consider well pump repair Montgomery County if you notice issues to avoid long disruptions in water supply.

You also need to have the well cased, so that it doesn’t collapse as the years go on and that also costs a lot.

Different Types Of Water Well Drilling Processes

There are different types of drilling processes by which a well is drilled. Here are 3 of the most commonly used methods of drilling.

Geothermal Drilling

Geothermal drilling is employed when the well depth is too much. If there’s water at a great depth, then geothermal drilling is employed. It’s the most expensive type of drilling, but it’s necessary if you need water. For residential areas and new places being built, sometimes this drilling is employed to get hands on the subsoil water.

Mud Drilling

This drilling method is also used for the most part and it employs the circulation of a liquid, called mud, through the borehole, while a rotary drill continues to drill a hole deep inside the Earth. This method of drilling is amazing because it’s also self-cooling and lubricating.

It also doesn’t damage the rock formation underneath and you can find your way to a water reservoir in a much safer way. This drilling method is common in areas where the rock strata are soft and mostly sand, silt and clay make up most of the ground composition.

Rock Drilling

Rock drilling, as the name suggests, is a type of drilling technique employed when you have to drill through strata upon strata of hard rocks. In this drilling, very hard drill bits are used, usually made out of diamond carbide or strong alloys that can tear through thick rocks within seconds.

The rock strata underneath can vary, depending on where you’re drilling, so rock drilling is employed. It’s usually done in areas where there is barren land and there’s no sign of moisture or water. The ground will also be very hard and it’s also one of the most environmentally hazardous drilling techniques.

Maintenance Of The Well

You need to know about well maintenance. You just don’t want to drill a well and call it a day. There are things that you need to look out for, like checking the water levels, ensuring that the pumps and other equipment are working perfectly, whether they need any maintenance and looking over or not, etc.

You also need to check if the sand is getting suspended in water, because that can essentially clog the pump and it’s a problem in itself. So, you need to be familiar with the maintenance of wells for smooth operation.

Conclusion

Water wells might sound like something you can get done without thinking too much, but by keeping these things in mind, you’ll know that it’s anything but simple. Therefore, consult well pump service Loudoun County who can guide you through the process of water well drilling and well pump installation.

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