Shallow well

[Michele Leonard Tatro]

We have a shallow well started. Well point and then 2in pipe, trying to reach code of 25 feet. Ground is all sand. We are using a sledge hammer to drive the point and pipe,but is taking forever an about 4 feet in 2 hours. I still have another 10 feet to go for sure..any suggestions on drive this puppy a little easier or is this normal and my expectations of it sliding in like butter to high?
Thanks Michele

 

[Valveman]

If the ground is hard, it will be hard to drive. In soft sand they go much easier. A hammer is not a good tool. You need a driver like for a T post to keep from messing up the couplings.

 

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[Gritres]

sledge hammer is far from ideal. you want something heavier especially for 2 inch. progress is progress though. hopefully you not only dug as deep as you could manually with an auger or something before you started driving but you also kept the walls from collapsing in. sand friction is the killer.
more importantly you have to be realistic about your water production... a 2 inch dia 3 foot metal screen wellpoint will give a max of 6 GPM in good sand in my experience... not enough to power anymore than what a single municipal hose bib could.

 

[LLigetfa]

How about washout drilling and chase a casing? The water can help lubricate and the casing hold back the sand.

 

[Masterpumpman]

Many wells in Michigan are shallow driven wells. Many drillers in Michigan wash the sand point and 1-1/4" or 2" casing down with a pump. They circulate the same water throug a pump down the casing and the return water and soil coming out goes into a put dug in the ground where the sand and soil settles and the muddy water returns through the pump and back into the well casing again. You can setup to do it the same way. Driving a well with a sledge hammer is very hard. Like valveman said a fence post driver is much safer and easier.