Sand point problems.

[AcstGtr]

I've been working on drilling down a shallow well using the brady method. I had a hell of a time getting past the hardpan, but now I don't think I have a viable well.

A little info on what I wan into while drilling:
1-5 feet topsoil/sand.
5-15 hardpan/clay.
15-30 clay/sand in layers.
31 - iron, just kidding. I guess I hit limerock? or something here, I cannot get past it with PVC as the pipe refuses to go through it and it will dull my chisel end on the 3/4 pipe.

Anyways, I decided to hook my well up and try it, stuck the point so it started around 20ft. 4 ft of point. I can pump fine for hours, then the water starts to trickle and you can hear what sounds like the pump is filling with rocks. I shut it off, force water back down the pipe and I'm good to pump for another few hours, then the water starts to slow down and I get air.

I talked to a fella that said I could be in too fine of sand, and that it would get compacted as I pump and not allow water to flow around the points and into them. The sand I've hit is sort of like beach sand. It's in layers of clay/sand/clay. He said that I may not be able to use a sand point and instead may want to use a foot valve and then pack the well with pee gravel. Another guy told me I need more well point in the water, and should use 10 ft of point or so.

What do you guys suggest I do?

 

[Gary Slusser]

If you can pump for hours why keep pumping? Or, what are you planning to use the water for?

 

[Sponsor]

 

[AcstGtr]

I badly worded that. After I've pumped the water for hours, it never comes back to producing the full ammount unless I force some water back down the well. I only have to force it down with the garden hose for 30 seconds and I've got 8GPM again... I pump for 5 hours and I'm back down to 2GPM, I leave it over night and start it in the morning, 2GPM. I flush some watern down it for a minute, 8GPM again.

The water will be used for irrigation, I would say that the normal run time will be 1-3 hours, twice a week.

 

[Masterpumpman]

The fine sand eventually plugs the sand point. Forcing water down the pipe sometimes flushes the sand point (for a short time). A 10' foot well screen will cause you to lose prime quicker. The sound like gravel in the pump is called cavitation! It's caused by the high lift of the water (higher vacuum). That cavitation causes little bubbles in the water to eat on the insides of your pump eventually destroying it.

My suggestion is to drill/drive more wells (at least 10 ft. apart) and connect them together. You have to be sure you have no suction leaks. This will help to prevent each well from being over pumped which causes the sand to plug the well point screen quicker. Fine sand is always a problem.

The best solution is to drill the well, install a fine slott sand screen and place sand pack around the screen. Of course this requires a more technical method of drilling, installing a well screen and properly sand packing the well screen.