I tried to use this to drill a well some years ago on the west coast of Florida near the ocean. Worked great through the sand about 20 feet. Then we hit a shale deposit. There was no getting through it. Some pro well drillers came and couldn't make it through either. The neighbor drilled his own well a couple years prior and told us the secret. Blasting caps. We gave up.
How to drill your own water well
11–20 of 233 posts
Re: How to drill your own water well
#12I don't think it would be worthwhile to make your own hydraulic drill if there are rental alternatives.
More specifically, around 1981 my Dad rented a drilling rig to supply the irrigation pump for our yard in Miami.
See, the city was phasing out septic systems, and had installed sewers to our neighborhood. They charged for sewer based on water consumed. By drilling a well he could avoid paying sewage fees for irrigation water.
I think he hit water at 8 feet, and put the well down to 12. This was Miami.
It also drilled through some limestone.
Re: How to drill your own water well
#13This guide is great. Before reading it I was always chipping my water. Now I know how to do it!
Re: How to drill your own water well
#14This ignores the most difficult part...getting a permit
Re: How to drill your own water well
#15I tried to use this to drill a well some years ago on the west coast of Florida near the ocean. Worked great through the sand about 20 feet. Then we hit a shale deposit. There was no getting through it. Some pro well drillers came and couldn't make it through either. The neighbor drilled his own well a couple years prior and told us the secret. Blasting caps. We gave up.
Blasting cap on the drill bit?
Re: How to drill your own water well
#16This ignores the most difficult part...getting a permit
I think the idea behind doing it yourself is that you don’t need a permit. In the USA, while permits are technically required for a lot of things, the law is widely ignored, and enforcement is lax to nonexistent. Hell most of the licensed contractors I hire (electric, plumbing, etc) don’t bother to pull permits, even for new work.
Re: How to drill your own water well
#17Probably want to read this first, particularly if you live in a western USA state: https://waterfilterguru.com/is-it-legal-to-drill-your-own-we... Shrinking aquifers and neighbors drilling wells just a bit deeper than their neighbor's wells have contributed to a long-standing conflict over water access, see Cadillac Desert by Marc Reisner for the historical origins of conflicts. "Whiskey is for drinking, water is for…
If you live in a dry, western state, there’s a 100% chance this won’t work. I live in the Southwest, and outside of some exceptions wells go down a thousand feet or more. You ain’t doing that without heavy equipment.
Re: How to drill your own water well
#18It is nice to get that many details on a single drilling method. But keep in mind - there are many more techniques for making your own well. Some might be better suited depending on the conditions.
There are hand operated drills, 150mm diameter with extension rods up to 10-15m long. If it works for your soil, then this is less messy.
I went with digging and a different type of dug well "Schachtbrunnen". I laid a pre-fabricated concrete ring on the ground and started digging inside until it sank into the ground. When it was level, I put the next ring on top. No special tool needed, a shovel, a bucket, some rope, patience and certainly a permit.
Re: How to drill your own water well
#19Probably want to read this first, particularly if you live in a western USA state: https://waterfilterguru.com/is-it-legal-to-drill-your-own-we... Shrinking aquifers and neighbors drilling wells just a bit deeper than their neighbor's wells have contributed to a long-standing conflict over water access, see Cadillac Desert by Marc Reisner for the historical origins of conflicts. "Whiskey is for drinking, water is for…
If you live in a dry, western state, there’s a 100% chance this won’t work. I live in the Southwest, and outside of some exceptions wells go down a thousand feet or more. You ain’t doing that without heavy equipment.
USGS has maps of water well depths. 250 feet at my house, definitely would be "ambitious" to diy that depth.
Re: How to drill your own water well
#20This ignores the most difficult part...getting a permit
I think the idea behind doing it yourself is that you don’t need a permit. In the USA, while permits are technically required for a lot of things, the law is widely ignored, and enforcement is lax to nonexistent. Hell most of the licensed contractors I hire (electric, plumbing, etc) don’t bother to pull permits, even for new work.
You will likely have issues if you ever try to sell property with an unpermitted well. FHA loans have restrictions on the well as do many local jurisdictions that may refuse to convey the property if the well isn’t up to code. My local jurisdiction won’t block the sale but will write an alarming letter to the seller. In the case of a new build or major remodel, you will not be able to get a certificate of occupancy without a state and county verified well here.
> Hell most of the licensed contractors I hire (electric, plumbing, etc) don’t bother to pull permits, even for new work.
Yeah, it’s your responsibility as a homeowner to get the permit (either get it yourself or see that the contractor does). Even if you don’t think the permit inspectors are doing anything in terms of quality control, the permit helps you to pass inspections as part of the sale process and will limit your insurance exposure if there’s ever an issue. There’s probably fine print in your insurance contract saying that all work shall be permitted as required.