Driving a shallow well with a sandpoint. FAIL! LEARN FROM MY MISTAKES!
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- čas přidán 12. 07. 2023
- Driving a shallow sandpoint well. It was supposed to be easy. Start in the morning and be pumping water by nightfall.
Well, as usual things didn't go so smoothly at the off grid tiny cabin. I guess I'll have to hold off on calling this the weekend homesteading tip of the week. On second thought, here is a video of some of the things that can go wrong while trying to install your own well. Maybe someone can learn something from the things that went wrong for me.
Here is a summary of things to consider that no one is talking about.
Use slow setting pipe thread compound on all coupling connections. Even the on the coupling used to drive the pipe. I had two couplings that I could not remove when it was time to add more pipe.
Retighten the well pipe every so often. I found that the well pipe can unloosen from the coupling below while driving the next section of pipe. Every so often I would put a wrench on the pipe below the drive pipe and it would need some retighting.
Dig as deep as you can with a post hole digger before trying to drive your sandpoint. This should help get you through the surface rocks that are 2-4 feet below the surface.
If your pipe start to run crooked, put a strap on it and give it some tension while you are driving.
Be CAREFUL if using a DRIVE CAP. They are not as deep as a drive coupler and with fewer threads to absorb the impact, I found it deformed the pipe threads and caused issues when connecting the next section of pipe.
I spent 2.5 days hand pounding with a fence post driver. I could have rented a jack hammer with a well driver for $45 from the rental store and drove it so much quicker and easier.
There is no guarantee you will hit water even if you do everything right.
Good luck!
At age 78, I've done thousands of projects ....some worked, some didn't. We've all been discouraged at times, but kept going....that's the message. I must admit, there were times during this video you made me laugh....reminded me of my frustrations. You're a trooper.....keep trudging along.
I kept my swears off camera! Thanks for hanging out with us! Frustrations and all!
They will come apart without dope you just need bigger wrenches or cheater pipes for extra leverage to get them apart. Anytime you screw fittings together it will always take a lot more torque to unscrew them. Someone mentioned heating the coupler with a torch, you can do the same thing with 2 hammers. Hold 1 hammer against the side of the coupler and hit the opposite side with the other. In the oilfield we called it warming up the connection, actually works pretty good when you don't have a torch handy.
Definitely bigger wrenches would have helped
When attaching coupler to pipe, you never will fully bottom out all threads. Pipe threads are not straight inline with the pipe - they are angled so they pull up tighter. Also, when threadded connections are so tight they won't come apart - heating the outer part (Coupler) with a torch will expand it slightly to help it release from the pipe.
Thank you for this info!! That makes sense
I didn't know that about not fully bottoming out the threads!
Hey Terry,
I haven't commented in a while.
This is why we love you because most CZcamsrs wouldn't even upload a video like this.
I don't think I've ever seen you so defeated, it made me sad.
I love your heart,your determination and even when you crush your balls you're still pleasant.
You really are a special person and I know we're just subscribers to you but I do think of you as a friend.
If I ever win the lottery I'm going to give you money so you can put a well in professionally.
Thank you for your content and thank you for your generosity of spirit.
Shawn
Dude!!! I’ve been worried about you! You dropped off the earth. I was hoping you were doing okay and not in a rough patch! Glad to see you’re still breathing!!
@@TRERUNSWILDI didn't want to email you because I tend to overshare and be too chatty it's the autism.
I'm still kicking. Lol
I watch all the videos. I'm doing okay I just don't want you to think I'm weird so I was quiet.
You're my favorite person in the whole world.
It's hot dude. Like ridiculously hot and I'm over it. Lol
I'll talk to you later I still have your email and still have your address.
I want to do something nice for you I just haven't decided what.
I want to send you all things from Maine but I want to wait a little closer to fall what are you going to do with maple syrup now?
Shawn
@@SScott-nr9vl hoping to make pancakes with fresh wild blueberries and syrup all from the land!
Terry, one thing is for certain. You are not a quitter. Your determination is admirable. Best of luck moving forward. Your camp is a great example of your hard work. That’s a lot to be proud of.
Thank you Mike!
Gotta love the intestinal fortitude you display my friend. Makes me appreciate my rain catchment system and 12v pump setup for running water in the cabin.
I should have been collecting rain water all spring.now of course it’s the driest time of the year
That is why I like your videos , you show mistakes and let people learn from them. Cheers
Thanks! If I never showed my mistakes, I'd never have any video to put out!!
There's another vid of the "Naked Gardener" where they didn't use a nipple to connect the drive cap. So there is a coupler just attached to the nipple to the drive cap - and then you remove that bottom coupler each time, attached to the nipple - and add another section of 5 foot.... oh wait I see the nipple - maybe it wasn't long enough? It should be over a foot long.
Thank you for being real! I bought all my sandpoint well stuff in 2021 and am now trying to learn how to install it as thinking with all the weird weather and other things I need to get an alternate way to get water in an emergency as we have a deep well powered by electricity as our water source. I love that you shared all the problems and some of the things you have learned. You are a blessing. Gonna try it but if I fail ....well what you said is true. If I don't try I for sure won't hit water.
Good luck!!
Love your determination Terry. It's motivating as well as comforting to know I'm not the only one!!!
And I was so confident!!!! That’ll teach me!
I LOVED this video!
Insanely intriguing to watch. So realistic! It’s tapping into my inner soul. Reflects the daily struggles of all men out there. Starts with how he bought these a while ago and didn’t get to kick off the project for like 2 years 😂
Then continues with big hopes, and a reasonable hypothesis why it should have water.. and then kicks off and keeps refining and adjusting towards the goal. So many trips to the hardware store.
The doubts, the fear, the struggles… So realistic man! Felt like I was there cleaning the pipe threads, torquing, and even trying to get the wrench out, and having some of the bbq.
Great video!
LOL! Glad you liked it!
The struggle is real. APPRECIATE your determination, been there many times myself. Think we can just power through the obstacle facing us.
Not sure why I chose the hottest month to do this! 🤔
I fully understand your frustration! Every project I do is a comedy of errors. My most recent was yesterday. A project that should have taken 15 minutes took all day. I've just accepted the fact that it's always gonna be like this. I think the devil is messing with me.
I love this!!! lol! Laughing with you not at you of course!
I feel your frustration bud. I’m at my cabin at Vermilion now and seriously felt like running over to try to lend a hand or at least some support. Learning is often painful but sometimes it’s worth it. Thanks for posting such an honest video Terry !!!
If I never posted my failures I have no videos to post!! Ha! I know now the table is not as high as I thought. I guess it’s rainwater for now
One other note: After you get the sand point driven into the ground (1st section) you then backfill around the pipe, before driving it further. That way if you drop things (Like a wrench) it only lands on the ground. Also, it helps keep the pipe steady so it's not wobbling around while being driven.
I wondered about that. It probably would have helped keep me straight. You probably noticed the ratchet strap in the last part. I was thinking it would cause more friction and be harder to drive. Which now doesn’t make sense since the hole was 4’ and I had 20 feet in the ground!
still what gauge wire was that? Awesome!
Thanks for sharing your experience. I am planning to install one myself. And I have some more researching to do!
Glad it was helpful!
Suggestions: Chain Wrench for the Couplings. It will distribute the force around the coupler without "egging" the coupler and seizing it up. Use Aluminum Rigid 3' pipewrench 18 or so inches away from the coupler to hold the pipe. Rent a demolition hammer or gas powered fence driver to drive the pipe.
Good tips! I think you are the first to mention a chain wrench!
Just think how thankful and proud to have gotten your own water.
I know! I’m down but not beat yet!!
Great tips ! I’m going to do one this summer and I will be thinking of your video! Thanks for sharing
Glad it was helpful! Good luck!
You did a good job ,even if just for learning...Don't give up! Thank for letting us watch
I appreciate that!
Im glad im not alone on these projects! But persistence always wins!! Good job!
I appreciate that!
Thank you for keeping it real. Trial and error builds new skills. I haven't decided how I'm going to do water. I've found old homesites nearby that have the remnants of hand dug wells. I'm pretty sure that the water table is pretty high, but it's going to be a gamble to get a sandpoint to work for me
At least I know. I'd hate to spend 5-10K for a deep well if I could have water for a couple hundred bucks. I might try again in a different spot this summer. Apparently I'm a slow learner!
"One day, easy project..." You are clearly not related to me! Thanks for the 3 gotchas, extremely valuable!
Glad it was helpful!
Well you have a great week see you on next video love your videos here from Ontario Canada ❤️❤️❤️❤️🇨🇦🇨🇦😎
Thanks again Mike!
I really appreciate your effort. Projects that go this way can be very frustrating.
I appreciate that!
So the other day i had one of those days.. blew a trailer tire out on a 8 lane hwy.. no spare, but clise to store, drop trailer get spare tire, get back to trailer, jack up trailer, trailer falls right on the new spare popping it....❤❤😅😅 and so on....
OH NO!!!! I bet that had your blood boiling!
Drive coupling are not made to strike, that's what the drive cap is for. When I sell a driven well set up, I always include 3-4 short pieces of 8-10" pipe. If using a drive cap they would be threaded on both ends. If using a jack hammer attachment, then they are threaded on one end only. Those short pieces take the impact and are disposable. We rent a pipe driver attachment for a jackhammer that fits inside a 2" pipe and takes a lot of the work out of driving a well.
You will never get the pipe all the way onto the threads. They are tapered, and the way the pipe thread cutter works, there will always be some threads showing and are too "fat" to fit into the coupling.
Thanks for posting so we can all learn from your experience. Every well driving job is different.
Thanks for sharing your experience!
Drive thru the clay level. It's your pump that is limited to about 25' if you get into water bearing soil it'll push water up the pipe. Doesn't matter how deep your pipe is in the ground, what matters is the distance to the water.
I'm Sorry to see that I was not the only one struggling with this same project.......Hope we both can figure things out. Best wishes Bud
Hey man! I feel ya! I saw we were both taking this on at the same time. I give up. Threw an extra 5 footer on just for fun. Still dry. Bummer. Dang Dave, made it look so simple.
"and then I dropped the wrench down the hole."
Man, this sounds like one of my projects already.
LOL!
Watching this in preparation. Wish me luck. Thanks for all the pointers. I chuckled a lot as it's all too familiar with my 1 day projects around here.
I hope you get water! In theory the process is simple........if you have a high water table. Good luck!
We got water!!!
@QuillMeNowCreations AWESOME!!! So happy for you guys!!!
I've wanted to put in a sand point for watering my garden at our remote cabin but when I dug the outhouse hole there were a lot of rocks in the 4-6' section. It seems that digging another hole to get through that was too much work. Of course I dug the outhouse hole about 30 years ago so maybe it's time for a new hole, anyway. LOL. Very good video.
Ooh that doesn't sound like much fun. Pretty good lifespan on that outhouse!
Yikes! Im cheering for you. A sandpoint is a wonderful thing!
If I can get it out I’ll try another spot.
My father did the same thing. He tried to place a well next to a building. On the high and dry sections of land, the water flows towards the low areas. The water table changes almost opposite of the topography. You may even get some water from your well, but not enough to draw up. Your best bet is to try in one of the low points you describe early in the video. My father eventually used the first well he drove and buried pipe some 50 ft to supply the building.
yeah, I think I will need to do that. It's been so dry this winter that if I can hit water it should always be good.
Great video..thank u for sharing 😊
Thanks for watching!
Terry, i remember at age of 12, my father used two wires to find water, one in each hand and when the water is located the wires cross, this method is called water dowsing, we only found water in the middle of our drive way, its not always where we want it but we did find it and punched a 600ft well and had lots of water. Best of luck from Appalachia.
Me and a buddy played around with that. We had a couple of marks but I didn’t trust it so dug where I wanted the well. I might have to take another look at those spots…..🤔
I recently bought the pitcher pump and the well drive point piece. I called a well company and they weren't any help. Our neighbor said the old well dried up a long time ago but that was a deep well. We live on a large pond so there has to be water under the ground. I want to be able to water my garden and my chickens, we also catch rain water in barrels but I am getting ready to do this so thank you for the tips, I've watched a lot of videos and people usually hit water, now I'm nervous after watching you, I hope and pray I hit water!
Good luck! Hopefully the pond is a good sign that the water level is shallow.
I think your best bet like a lot of off gridders, is to invest in a rain water catchment system. The 275-300 gal totes are fairly cheap and you just gave to put a gutter or gutters on your cabin and plumb it in. In fact the $ you put into a sand point well would have covered it.
Agree , storing rain water was a game changer.
I suppose I should do that. I hate the look though.
@@TRERUNSWILD you could do an under ground cistern for your water catchment with an electric pump, would help keep from freezing in the winter months.
A lot of digging though 😆
@@TRERUNSWILD Put it on the backside of the cabin. Who's gonna see it
Here in Southern Ontario where I live the ground is very sandy and sand points are very common, instead of driving them in we jet them in by attaching a pressurized water source and put the pipe down with little pounding, sometimes the pipe just slides down with hand guidance.
That would be AWESOME!!
This was me last summer.
Failed at my first sandpoint well like you.
Smash cap seized to the pipe.
Went about 15 feet down and had to pull it.
Used a farm jack and broke 2 wrenches getting it up.
Very sandy soil so it was a challenge and had to dig down 10 feet to get enough leverage to salvage the sandpoint.
Going to retry this year at a new spot downhill.
Sounds familiar. This all seems so easy on paper! Couple hours work and water by nightfall.........HA!
Sorry it didn't work out Terry. But at least you learned some valuable info if you decide to try again in the future. Got to hand it to you buddy, you showed a lot of determination and put in a lot of hard work. Thanks for sharing it with us.
Thanks Ron. I’m pretty disappointed but I’m glad I gave it a shot
I love ur channel so when I give un founded comments or suggestions I don't mean to sound all knowing or negative. I just have a problem with regurgitation. I see something my mouth just goes. Lol ur a smart determined man u'll figure it out!!
I've never taken your comments as such. Even if something did ever sound off I know where your heart is. You are a friend of the channel and I appreciate ya!
If you keep your wrenches closer together on the pipe and coupling (one just below the threads on the threads on the pipe and the other on the bottom half of the coupling) while keeping your wrench closer in angle (you were 90 degrees apart - try 15 degrees so you are squeezing the two handles together versus pulling on handles) it will be more effective. I would try pouring some clean water down the pipe when you return to see if the point is simply plugged from the clay. Good luck!
Thanks for the tips! As someone with zero building experience it always surprises me how much technique is involved in things that seem so simple. But, ya don't know know what ya don't know! I'm thankful to have people who will teach and guide me along the way!
I've used a pump like that MANY times. My brother has a camp on a riverside piece of land, and the river is our water source. I wish you luck on getting your projects just the way you want them to be.
Thanks Deb
Hi Terry, you need BIGGER wrenches and a lot of heat. Not propane, maybe map gas will heat it up enough, but oky/act will give you enough heat. Also,tie cords on your wrenches so you can pull them out of the holes. Hope you hit water!
Lucky for me the other wrench doesn’t have a hole. I’d never have gotten that one out!!!! Maybe a big magnet though….🤔
I wish I was living in USA , You Guys are so cool
Thanks!
I just started one of these yesterday. Ran out of time & had to head back, im only down about 6 feet lol next time I'm bringing a gas powered driver
I found out after the fact the nearest town rents jack hammers with a well driver. Ugh...
Thank for the info
You bet
I thought it was funny when the 🔧 wrench fell down the well the great retrieve
Lol! Trust me, I wasn’t laughing at the time!!!
I'm learning! I'm learning! 😊
No kidding right!!! Learn from my mistakes!! We’ll catch that beer one of these days!
Great job Tre, just keep at it. Better than not doing anything or just sitting around bored. Not you😀keep livin and diggin ❤😊
No boredom here! Thanks for hanging out with us!
First thing to do is ask your neighbors!! If they have lived there a while, they'll know or know somebody that does have a shallow well. (or if it's not worth the effort). That person can probably tell you a lot about the ground.
Sometimes you can hit water lower than 25 feet and still make it work with an electric pump. If you have to pull 25 feet with a pitcher pump, a couple gallons will be a workout!!
Sometimes when you punch through a clay layer "cap" water will come up into the pipe.
Plan on "developing the well". pumping water up followed by pumping water down. By cleaning out fine clay and silt, the pump should produce better.
But if you don't have electric, I'd suggest getting aa generator. You'll want one eventually and that can open up some options for sinking your well. I suggest 3000 to 4000 watt continuous. That will allow for some heavy duty power tools. I'd also suggest getting an electric transfer/watering pump, hoses, fittings etc.
I'd also pick up a poly sprayer tank arout 100 gallons or so something that will fit in the back of a pick up truck. I guarantee that you'll find uses for it later. If your well ends up some distance away, it will be handy for hauling water to your cabin. I have one I keep on a small trailer with a small gas 2 stroke pump and 50 feet of fire hose. This can be handy for a lot of things including fire control! Alternatively, you can find used poly tote tanks quite a bit cheaper. Standard size is 275 gallon. Keep in mind, that will be close to 2500 lbs full. They make god storage tanks at your cabin. Put some bleach in it to keep it fresh, but this would be water for washing, showers, etc. For drinking water use a smaller 5 gallon water tank for that purpose.
But what these things buy you for your well are several things Putting water down into your starting hole makes driving easier. You might also use it to "jet" a well. Plenty of videos on that subject. You can usually use PVC pipe for this which is cheaper. For the 1-1/4 drive points you can rent an electric jack hammer pretty cheap and they make bits for driving pipes,. I've driven steel well point wells this way and it is the way to go!! They make gas versions too but almost all rental places have the electric ones.
Always have a couple "cheater" pipes 4-5 foot long!!! If you salvage parts of your failed attempts, you'll at least have cheater pipes! I'd hesitate to try reusing unless you rethreaded, used new drive couplings etc. You can buy a HF hand threader in 1-1/4 inch fairly cheap. Use it to dress or slightly lengthen pipe threads before you start. Think along the lines of buying tools like this with other future uses.
Tighten as you go when driving. Using drive caps and a hammer is a good way to mess up threads if you hit a bit off the mark. I just use drive couplings but not with a hammer! Pope dope yes! Heat on stuck couplings along with cheaters!
You learned the hard way! Most everybody does on their first one! I made a custom driver with about 3 foot of 1" rod with round steel plates welded together and a lifting bar. Looks kinda like half a barbell! Weighs around 35 lbs or so! Drove quite a few points with this until I discovered the jack hammer method. If you are going to do it right, with less labor, plan on investing a bit with things I mentioned that will save you some work and that you will find useful down the line. I see some other good hints in the comments here too!
After success or two, you'll get a feel for the ground. Usually, you'll want to punch through a dense clay layer to get to good water. You can feel it as it really slows down and then improves when you're in water bearing sand. The layering you find in the area will tend to be pretty similar in the area, but at different depths. You can get water out of a clay layer, but the point will tend to plug up before very long.
A good idea to put a check valve and ball valve up top. That will save you priming headaches. You can use tees and additional valves with a banjo fitting to quick connect a pump and put a pitcher pump on top. Use the valve to isolate each. I have a few set up this way in different locations on my property where I have stuff planted. I can quickly swap my little gas pump on the trailer to draw from the well and fill the water tank or pump directly.
My suggestion is to invest in the generator first and build from there. Having power when you need it, pays for itself quickly.
Hope all these tips help! The drive well point sounds easier than it is. Having some helpful tools ready, saves time, work and frustration.
Wow! Lot's of sound wisdom here. I wish I could pin this to the top of the comments. I will print it out for future reference. This took some effort on your part to put together for me and others reading the comments and I truly appreciate it!
I was really nervous about investing more $ into this but I do have a generator so may try again. Great tips on water storage also. Definitely some good nuggets in here for me to process.
@@TRERUNSWILD Thank you! I'm getting old, but with that I have had tons of experience in many topics. I'm an engineer, and country DIY kind of guy, so I like learning and improving, it's in my blood! I teach technical courses these days so I have learned to enjoy sharing helpful information with others. Glad to help!
I hope you stick around the channel. You have a lot to offer and I can use all the help I can get!
@@TRERUNSWILD I will look in on your posts. Many years ago I was a city boy and bought some land as a weekend retreat. There was little of anything there but the good old outdoors. But fell in love with it and 40+ years later, it became my home! I had the advantage of being an engineer, but I learned a ton from people who did it before I did. Take what you learn and adapt it to your situation! Today, I'm an "old timer" but I'm always looking for new ideas I can use. These days I teach and mentor sometimes using my students as my labor force! It's a good trade off and they all love learning! I built my shop and test lab over the years and although it could be a bit more organized, most guys I know would kill to have it!
You seem to have a good attitude, so keep working at what you want.
Still our hero buddy. Sometimes things don't work out. My guess you will sit back...refigure and overcome. Again you inspire us with each episode.
Thanks. I’ve gotten some solid ideas from the comments. I might try something else
Hello! I'm watching your video, have a nice day.❤❤❤
Thanks for stopping in to say and spending some time with the River dog and I!
Dang it! Keep going my friend!
I'm throwing in the towel on this one. On to other projects...
Like others have suggested, for those stuck couplings, I would heat them with a torch, get them to expand.
I never even thought of that.
Thanks for the video. When I got 8 ft down I stripped the threads on the red cap. Had to use a sacrificial coupler and nipple. Pounded the nipple from 6 inches to 3 but it worked (until I tried to get the coupler out!) Had to walk away for the night out of frustration. That next day, like you, I was able to free the coupler but the pipe threads are slightly bent.
Sounds so familiar!! If i can get it out i might bring them to a machine shop and recut the threads
Definitely go a few more sections if possible. Root cellar/storm shelter is a must. Good luck Tre.
I’ve got one last 5 footer. Might as well. No pun intended!
Well, (no pun intended), your shirt said "I WILL" and after watching your video's, I believe that you will figure out the water situation. Frustrating for you but so very inspiring for those of us living "off grid" through you and your adventures. Hang in there. God bless.
Thanks Donna. I guess it's on to rain barrels from here
@@TRERUNSWILDrain water.... it's the best for washing your hair!
I feel your pain, dude,,,, I had to pull out my well point after it was 13 feet down. I used a chain around the pipe and used a pry bar as a fulcrum. It was slow going but it came out. I’m starting over. The drive cap was useless. When I try again I will rent a gas powered post driver.
I tried to pull it with a chain and it pulled the coupler right off and dang near sent the chain through my van window. I gave up quickly thereafter!
Oh, Tré, I feel for ya, buddy. It's so frustrating. You worked so hard and thought it all through. Maybe a rain catchment system instead with water filters? I'm glad you took breaks to run and get some RD therapy. 😊 The canine doctor can work magic. Be well and stay safe. Your mate in NOLA.
Thanks bud! I think you’re right about the rainwater
Wow, you are no quitter, but you also have some tough soil there! I'm about to make my own well. Thank God I'm in FL and my property is just about all sand, not to mention that the water table is really high. Wish me luck!
Hi Anne! I hope you fare better than I did!
2 Rigid 36" pipe wrenches would have helped a lot. Take it from a Pipe-fitter there is a big difference between cheap and quality pipe wrenches.
So much $$$ though. Although in hindsight what I lost would have made up for it.!
You have them for life, they don't break. But I understand that some one that is not using them every day might not want to put up the investment. A nice and big pipe wrench is useful in a lot of situations though. @@TRERUNSWILD
Hacksaw/cutoff wheel and split the coupling. Take a screwdriver and pop it right open. Then stop using the couplings to hammer on.
Good tips! The couplings are made for that purpose. I think on the last one, it sat overnight and the pipe dope hardened. maybe?
Driving onto schedule 40 galvanized pipe is a problem. It's soft threads crush easily . Schedule 80 is considerably more expensive but a lot stronger.
Is that is the difference between the well pipe and the other stuff sold in the hardware store?
Terry, do you have any natural springs near your camp? I bought two 275 gallon ibc totes and fill one up at the spring then use a pump to transfer it to the tote next to my camp.
No springs. The nearest water is from lakes about two miles away.
Hey Terry! Sorry about the well attempt, I seem to have the same luck at the Mistress as you do some weekends. My well is sitting at about 8-10 ft waiting for me to start back up
Hope you have better luck than me!
You had me on the edge of my seat the whole video.
I felt your frustration when you didn't hit water.
There's a website in MN that tells where all the known wells are and how deep they are. It might be helpful.
Good luck.
Is that a DNR site?
@@TRERUNSWILD I don't think it's dnr. It's probably MN .state. gov.
I checked on my property for Wells on my area. I hope it gives you some idea on your area.
Use a grinder with a cutting wheel to split the coupler off
Good idea!
Hi: I tried installing a sandpoint well at my home on NC's Inner Banks. You would think I would hit water rather quickly but I was wrong! I could only get the pipe down about 8 feet when I bent the pipe! I could not get the pipe out! I felt like a failure until I watched your video. Now I don't feel all alone :-) Can't wait to see what you'll try next.
I might have one more trick up my sleeve!
Me to drove a pipe 14ft and I had a 6 nipple extension pipe on then the red drive cap . The pipe kept coming loose as I was hammering it and I would tighten it back up. Has I went. Eventually the bottom piece of the pipe I was driving broke off. Now there's just a broken pipe with only half the threads left on it 18 inches from the surface. It would have to be dug out around and re threaded or pull up some how. I wish I could just remove the last 4 foot section which is like 30 inches underground already and screw in a new piece but I don't even have room to get a pipe wrench on it it's 18 inches below the surface of the hole
@@bigmikestan I hear ya. I just tried all afternoon to remove my driven sections. No go.
Ugh, experienced all of these frustrations and mistakes, too!! In Wisconsin, you can't legally go further than 25 feet, so we get it! We struck water, but then hit a rock shortly thereafter. Exhausting. We try again next year 🫣😅
I was SO convinced it was going to be a quick and easy project. That will teach me!
@@TRERUNSWILD 😆 We literally said "but those CZcamsrs said it was easy..." 😂
I learned very fast you must go buy pipe threader preferably a electric pipe threader. Nothing worse than trying to hand thread in well hole. Get a pipe threader and save the other points
Sounds like solid advice.
i have driven a couple of these and I have learned that you should always get double or more of what you think you will need and just return what you did not have to use once the job is done.
Sounds like good advice!
The big thing is you need to have a sacrificial section of pipe at the top between your drive cap and drive coupling, it doesn't have to be long say 5 or 6". The pounding will still destroy the threads but it will be on the sacrificial pipe instead if that makes sense. Boy do I feel your pain on all of this after just installing a sandpoint myself, it was WAY more work than what I think folks initially realize. For me, I had quite a bit of clay and rock to deal with and had to abandon two holes because I could not get further than around 5'. I was finally successful at finding water but it was around 20' in my case and it took a hell of a lot of effort to get there.
I wish I could pin this comment to the top for others to read.
Hang in there Bud!!
Lol! I sure was confident at the beginning wasn’t I! Ha!!!
If you choose to try again. Get a twist post hole digger. I normally go down 15ft. and pound from there.
I think they sell them at my farm store. Might just do that.
This was like watching a train wreck. I couldn't turn it off. Sorry for your bad luck but at least you got a video out of it
Also, a check valve is what you need not a ball valve.
Yes. That makes sense. This whole experience I was so confident I 'd hit water between 10-15'. It was a lesson in humility. But I learned some things along the way and hopefully it helps out other folks like me that have no idea what they are doing! Thanks for hanging out and dropping a comment. I appreciate it!
Up here in Minnesota, a foot valve or check valve is not recommended fro shallow wells unless it will be in a heated space as it will hold the water in the pipe and then when winter time comes, it will freeze. The water must be allowed to drain back down below frost depth. ;)
Im right where you were, i am about to drive a Sandpoint well but first I'm going to weld up something to use a tripod with and my property up north is nothing but sand here in Michigan. I'm praying i hit water.
Good luck!! Go heavy on the driver
I ended up cutting the pipe end off and getting an $80 threader from harbor freight because yeah, the threads were absolutely shot using the drive cap and a sledge.
Never had smoked northern before!
I probably should have bought one. I hate buying those one and done tools though.
To bad you didn’t get water after all the work.
I had my well drilled by a company, after they drilled and 180 feet they knew water level was at 70 feet. I was told by the driller that they do that in order to have enough water and don’t run out. Three months after when they went to install the pump the well collapsed.
I had to spend $3500.00 more to install a 4” pvc liner/ screen.
I do have plenty of water, but that is to show you that even professional that drilled wells for a living can and will fail for time to time.
Great Video.
Ouch! How disappointing! In the end I’ll probably try a professional. Maybe next year
Hey Terry, Tough break on the well attempt. I have no experience with harvesting water that way so I can’t offer any advice. My property in the mountains of VA is completely different terrain that’s mostly clay & rock. I have no plans to have a well professionally dug so for now, I pump out of my creek coming off the mountain. I treat it and filter it and I’ve had no issues yet. I’ll soon be harvesting rain water but that’s only good outside of winter then I’ll be back to the creek til Spring. Take a break, try some more research and maybe you can find a workable solution. Good luck and stay safe!
Thanks Steve. If I can get it out I might try one more time closer to the lower area
Ours is at 39 feet. We had the same problems you did. Gotta go deeper my friend. We have good, useable water at 39'.
How are you drawing it up that far? Or does the pressure push it up far enough?
@@TRERUNSWILD sounds wild, but we hit the grey mud/clay at about 20 feet, and the well wouldn't draw any water. And, this is with a traditional pitcher pump. The red one. So, we tried pulling it back out 5 feet, and it was even less. So we went for broke, and drove it as far as it would go. We figure we hit bed rock. Now, even though for the first 200-300 gallons of water had lots of grit and grey in it, looking like concrete water, it produced. And it produced really well. The pump handle is very heavy and hard to push down, but boy, she does yield ice cold, great water.
Interesting!!
I hate that the project didn't go well. But does make me feel better that it's not just my luck that every project I do seems to be disasters. Especially the ones that were supposed to be "Easy" ones. Those seem to be the ones that are the largest disasters. Hoping the move of the well works for you and goes more as planned. I am planning to put one of these type of well pumps in at some land soon myself and I think I have watched every CZcams video for this type well. But I am sure I will come up with some new problem no one else has ever had. LOL!!
Failure keeps us humble, right??
Hi Teri
You tried so very hard. That's what counts!!😊
Thanks Donna.
I would have taken a small side grinder and carefully cut on both sides and used a chisel to finish getting the drive coupling off and even another try with the pipe wrench would probably break it loose after splitting it will the grinder.
Sounds like solid advice. I'll remember that if I try again next summer.
I knew an old carpenter who was a wealth of information. We worked together on a few projects for our church. There were times when he would get supremely agitated. He'd look at me with a look of disgust and say, "Davy there's just times when nothing goes right." The problem was the walls were built with cheap grade B lumber that was as crooked as a politician. We had to install kitchen cabinets. Can you say fir wedges to level a crooked wall? I knew you could. Friend, sometime you just have to cut your losses. My hats off to your determination though. Have you ever thought about a small pond, or a sistern? If you are going to use the water for your garden that would work. Hauling water for cooking and drinking is not that bad. I wish you well. Vaughn
Thanks. I’m going to check into saving rainwater. If groundwater is too deep nothing I can do about that
If anyone has ever wondered what it's like to live in Minnesota, just take a listen @28:39. That is the soundtrack to a summer here.
LOL! They've gotten so much better! Dang, they were thick this year
Off grid hand pump well disaster part 2 - Girl in the Woods
Oh? I’ll check out her channel!
Bigger pipe wrenches try 24” pipe wrenches or angle grinder and split the coupler. This simple.
I find I run into the “you don’t know what ya don’t know” scenario frequently. 🤪 I need you guys on speed dial!
Hi jack. That'll pull it.
tried it. couldnt get the force right and it kept tipping the jack over
I put down a 2 inch point well 20 feet. 2" because its the smallest banks will consider as a well. I got lucky and it flows to about 24 inches. And we have some drop so can siphon out of well too. I use a 2 stroke water pump because well is at bottom of ridge. Took the pitcher pump back because didn't need. We have a couple of springs on the property and well is about 30 feet from one.
Nice! Such a valuable asset to have access to good water
Well I enjoyed the video anyway. I'm going to try auger digging first before input pipe down. The post augers that let you add sections can drill well over 20 feet but it's alot of work.
That’s what I should try. I’ve seen people pulling up those long sections and it looks horrendous!!
Man that sucks all the hard work. Don’t give up (I don’t think you will). I do o know if you do get it working you need to soak the pump get the cow hide in it wet. That’s what we have to do. Good luck with it
If I can get it out I’ll try again. If I can’t I’m cutting my losses
To pull that up you can use a piece of heavy rope and a Hi-Lift jack
I tried the Hi Lift but I couldn't get enough purchase on the smooth pipe. Then ended up ripping the cap right off the threads. I finally gave up.
@@TRERUNSWILD Ripped the cap off, man, that thing was determined not to move.
I've used cheater bars on the pipe wrenches up to 4-6' in length. Brace/wedge one stationary pipe wrench with its cheater bar against the tire of your car (pulled closer to work). Then just reef on the other pipe wrench with its long cheater bar to unscrew.
I would have never thought of using the tire! THAT is a good tip!
Get a grinder and cut the coupling long ways unto the threads
Good idea!
Bigger pipe wrenches or pipes to fit over the pipe wrench handles for more leverage is what I did. You need a come a long with a tpee to pull the pipe which I have done many times.
Good to know it’s possible. I’m not looking forward to trying it but I don’t want to leave money in the ground. I’m glad to hear it’s doable
these "off grid" sandpoint videos are always frustrating. ive only seen one sucessfully done and it took 2-3 attempts and finally moving 50-70 yards into a small valley to get water. This is were you pay a proffessional to put in a well on your property. ive learned from these youtube vids not to attempt this👍. youre not the only one that the elusive sandpoint well has stymied on youtube, dont feel bad Tre, you gave it a valiant try.
Seemed to good to be true. I gotta admit though, $300 compared to $6000 is pretty tempting
i agree. the price scares people away. but id want drinkable water at my cabin. we had well water at our proberty up north in Michigan, it was the coldest and best tasting water ive ever had from the tap👍
I know in MI theres a website where you can check your area for well drilling charts that show depths and other info related. Im sure other states do this also.
I’ll google this. Bad thing for me is there aren’t any houses in my area other than some lake cabins. But I’ll give it a google just in case
Such a simple way to get that coupler off
When you have everything there you can use
Have you ever used a snipe ?
You have 5 foot lengths of pipe to place over the pipe wrenches,
The only snipe I've heard of is the bird! Tell me more.
@@TRERUNSWILD A snipe is an extension bar or pipe to place over the tool your using
So if you pipe wench handle is only 12 inches, and with one of those pipes being 5 feet long or longer.
Place that pipe over the pipe wrench handle and you got a lot of mechanical advantage,
Ask yourself which would give you more torque on the wrench, with less force required from yourself
12 inch or 5 feet.
Oh sure! That makes sense! I've just never heard the terminology.
Not a fail you learned something…. A couple of things…when using two wrenches keep them closer together for easier tightening. Also buy some 1 1/4 gas pipe 2 feet long for each wrench as cheater bars these will slip over wrenches in effect giving you a larger wrench and lastly like mentioned threads are tapered and don’t thread butt to butt generally..I have faith in you and when you hit water if will feel like you discovered fire ! ❤🇨🇦❤ take care brother…
I had no idea about the threads being tapered! This is why I love doing this channel. i learn more form people than from experience! Thanks for the tips!
I’m sure you know already you forgot to put on or buy a pounding head cap attachment to go on your pipe.
I saw you figured it out. Man I’m not gonna do a standpoint, I have Way too much rock
Yeah would Definitely not work in a rocky area.