Well Point restore

[pcmeiners]

My friend has a 2" well pipe down 40' from 60 years ago. Couple weeks back the flow was down to about 4-5 gallons /minute, but he uses 100' of hose for watering, so it was just about useless.
In his area the well is the only one within 1/2 a mile. First I used sulfamic acid, about 2 pounds, let it work for 24 hours. Improved the output somewhat but not notably. Then I used 2 pounds of oxalic acid, let it work for 18 hours and neutralized it with sodium bicarbonate. This again appeared to only help slightly initially. Three days later after he ran/flushed the well for a few hours, and watered his lawn for about 4 hours, the well output increased at least 5-6 times the pre cleaning output. Was surprised as I was only hoping for twice the output, as I figured the well point would only cleanup to a small degree. Mind you it is important to stay within state regs, and to neutralize any chemicals used for well cleaning, both chemical were purchased off Ebay for a total cost of roughly $12, both chemicals were purchased at the lowest price per pound. Both acids are in powder form, both require some care in handling, basically I had both on my kitchen counter, but did not add them to my lunch/supper nor add any to kids drinks, or rub the powder in my eyes.

 

[spudley]

I watched a couple old timers shoot a 22 down a 2" pipe about 35'. One guy held the gun and the other leveled it. When they got it where they thought it was plumb, bang. I think they fired three times.

I couldn't believe what I saw but it improved the flow.

 

[nadogail]

Thanks for the information.

 

[pcmeiners]

"I watched a couple old timers shoot a 22 down a 2" pipe about 35'."

I have no idea who came up with this but it makes no sense; who dreams this stuff up. First, the bullet looses all momentum in 3 feet of water or less, secondly the concussion from the report is minimal since it is fired in an open pipe so it creates a tiny shock wave, not enough to loosen any deposit on the screen .
Now if you were to throw an m-80 down the pipe, it might clear some screen area, it also might damage the pipe and clog the pump impeller. Dynamite is used on wells which have no screens with mixed results depending on the geology below.

 

[Jinks]

I watched a couple old timers shoot a 22 down a 2" pipe about 35'. One guy held the gun and the other leveled it. When they got it where they thought it was plumb, bang. I think they fired three times.

I couldn't believe what I saw but it improved the flow.

Uh, Yeah, but the well point screening was "shot".....

 

[bbbarracuda]

I watched a couple old timers shoot a 22 down a 2" pipe about 35'. One guy held the gun and the other leveled it. When they got it where they thought it was plumb, bang. I think they fired three times.

I couldn't believe what I saw but it improved the flow.

I was told, again by another “ old timer”, blanks worked for that. The bullet did nothing, all the effect was from the shockwave.

 

[Sportsman762]

I help a friend out who is a driller on jobs. We always use compressed air to clean a screen out. First we pull all equipment out of the well then run 1" black poly pipe down to the bottom. If its a really nasty well we apply just enough air to get the water flowing slowly out of the top. Using air to pump the water is called air lifting. We will air lift it until the water begins to clear up and the well starts producing. This gets the slime and the sediment out of the inside of the casing. Then we will let the well refill and hit it with quick blasts of air to push the sediment and slime out of the screen. If you hit the well with a sharp burst immediately without the slow pump it can cause the slime to cake the screen sealing the well off.

If the well is older it could have a galvanized screen in it. The acid will eat the screen causing sediment issues with the well. It increases flow in the short term, however in the long term it is detrimental to the well health.

Once the well is cleaned out we sanitize it. First we put the submersible pump back in and then pour in chlorine. Use liquid chlorine as solid could bridge in the well or fail to dissolve. Then we run the pump and circulate the water back down the well for 20 or so minutes. After that we pump the water overboard until it tastes good. Then we wash down the casing with the water it is critical to get the whole casing cleaned off as chlorine will eat the casing away. Then we pump overboard again until the water runs clear and tastes good. Now the well is ready for reassembly.

The whole shooting a .22LR down a well sounds like a recipe for a breached casing.

Some well remediation techniques help well drillers stay employed. Failure to properly clean a well casing off after putting chlorine down it for example is a superb way of casing a casing failure or other damn expensive repairs. I have replaced several pitless adapters after folks dump chlorine down them and size the unit up so the well cannot be pulled for a pump replacement. My parents caused premature failure of their well by dumping chlorine down and not cleaning off the casing. It breached right at a coal / clay seam were there is bad electrolysis. Would have lasted a few more decades if they had not done it.

 

[Bretny]

Shooting down the casing is to make a shock wave to clean off the sand point screen. You did that with chemicals. It can be done with compressed air too.

Also your not breaching any type of steel pipe with a .22lr it would be a glancing blow and by the time it his the sand point it's just tumbling and lost all velocity. I would not use this technique in a potable water well..but most people arnt drinking from a sand point.

 

[Showkey]

Shooting down the casing is to make a shock wave to clean off the sand point screen. You did that with chemicals. It can be done with compressed air too.

Also your not breaching any type of steel pipe with a .22lr it would be a glancing blow and by the time it his the sand point it's just tumbling and lost all velocity. I would not use this technique in a potable water well..but most people arnt drinking from a sand point.

In many parts of the country that’s not a valid assumption or conclusion

 

[bbbarracuda]

In my area, Central illinois, near the Illinois river, there are a lot of sand points. I've been using one for 30 years for all my potable water. 40' down all the water you can use. There is a huge underground aquifer running parallel to the river that feeds the area. this area uses a lot of sand points.

 

[pcmeiners]

"Also your not breaching any type of steel pipe with a .22lr it would be a glancing blow and by the time it his the sand point it's just tumbling and lost all velocity."

A .22 will loose it's velocity in 3 feet of water, basically after 3 feet it is as fast as a pebble dropped down the pipe. Shooting a .22 down a casing is not going to produce any sizable shock wave, unless the pipe is 1/2". For a decent shock wave, the explosion would need to originate near the well point under water.

Agree compressed air is one of the better ways to restore a well. If I was drilling wells again, I would rig a high pressure spinning water jetting device up or use very high pressure air directed in the well as Sportsman's method.

 

[matt_i]

I was told, again by another “ old timer”, blanks worked for that. The bullet did nothing, all the effect was from the shockwave.

Might as well use the blanks to avoid all of the lead (Pb) piled up in the water source....

 

[marinusdees]

If you can cap the well, throw some dry ice down the well, cap it. Blows the crud out. Do it more than once if you need to.
In spite of the scoffers, shooting a gun down the well does work. Not a long term solution, but helps for a while. I don't think that a 22 bullet would introduce a sufficient amount of lead to worry about.
We used to pull sand points (using a pry pole) and clean the point with muriatic acid and a brush. Then the hardware store in town (Michigan) had somebody make a collar with set screws to attach to the pipe, then a couple of hydraulic jacks. Easier than a pry pole. Sometimes slower, but...
If you pull the point and the screen is in good shape, drive it back down after cleaning.