# Sand Point Well..anyone done one?



## MSG Rude (Oct 6, 2003)

I am looking into doing a sand point well at my lake place now that I have lodging there.

Has anyone done one and if so: where, how, and how much about?

I have the general info from the web but I am looking for some first hand knowledge.


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## buckseye (Dec 8, 2003)

I've done many, I have a sandpoint well. You will need a shallow well pump $200-300, pressure tank $80, well pipe $50, sandpoint $100. (Disclaimer) These are not exact prices.

Shallow well pumps will only pull about 22 ft max. If your water table is deeper than that you will need to dig a pit. A covered pit will also be a place to heat to keep the pump from freezing.

I borrow the well auger from SCS. You need to drive the tip of the sandpoint into the clay or shale under the water table to be sure you are in as far as you can be.


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## taddy1340 (Dec 10, 2004)

buckseye said:


> I've done many, I have a sandpoint well. You will need a shallow well pump $200-300, pressure tank $80, well pipe $50, sandpoint $100. (Disclaimer) These are not exact prices.
> 
> Shallow well pumps will only pull about 22 ft max. If your water table is deeper than that you will need to dig a pit. A covered pit will also be a place to heat to keep the pump from freezing.
> 
> I borrow the well auger from SCS. You need to drive the tip of the sandpoint into the clay or shale under the water table to be sure you are in as far as you can be.


Pretty much the same experience as Buckseye. My one caution...spend the extra cash for good pipe. We bought cheap from Menards and it didn't hold up when I had to do some cutting/threading.

Mike


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## MSG Rude (Oct 6, 2003)

I went to Fleet Farm and the Department Head guy was the one I asked. He was freaking excellent! Almost litterally took me by the hand and showed me piece by piece every single thing I needed and how it all works.

I have your PM Buckseye and will if needed!

Thanks a lot guys!

David


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## huntin1 (Nov 14, 2003)

The guys at Fleet Farm are pretty good, just make sure they get you the right pump, and that you get drive pipe and drive couplings if you are going to drive it in by hand. They sold me a sprinkler pump the first time and I had to take it back and trade it for a shallow well pump.

Did you go 1 1/2" or 2" pipe?

I used 1 1/2" on my first well, drove it in by hand. Had to pull it out because there was not enough water to charge the well. Don't be fooled into thinking you are good to go because you have water in the pipe. I drove mine down 23' and had 6' of water in the pipe.

A tip, once you have a good showing of water in your drive pipe run an air hose down to the bottom, hook it to an air compressor and force the water out the top of the pipe. If water keeps coming as long as you are putting air down there, you have a well. If the water stops coming and you get air, you probably don't have a well that charges fast enough to pump water out of, and you'll have a mess, like I did last summer. I am now trying to save enough to go deep well.

Good luck!

huntin1


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## oldfireguy (Jun 23, 2005)

If planning on using during freezing weather, make sure you keep your line to the cabin below frostline.
If hand driving the well, you risk damaging threads with a cap and sledge hammer method. Old timer showed me a trick when I did mine. Take a length of smaller diameter pipe (fits inside your well pipe) and put a cap on one end. Drop the smaller diameter inside your well pipe. It will strike the point and work to "drive" the well from the inside. All you have to do is lift the small pipe as high as you can, and let it's weight work as the driver. Faster, safer, less effort than swinging a sledge.
Hey, let us know how the job turns out.


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## Barry (Mar 11, 2006)

I used a fence post driver when I installed mine. After about 5 hits on the drive cap, check to make sure the drive cap hasn't loosened then continue. 
I used 5' sections of pipe so I wouldn't have to drive pipe from a ladder. When I got into the water vein, I put on a pitcher pump (hand pump) to see what I had for volume. 
Once satisfied with volume, I put on the check valve and raised the pump to the needed heighth then connected.
I built an insulated pump house to protect from weather and used a 100 watt light bulb for heat to keep from freezing. The light bulb seemed to burn out on the coldest days and I would come home from a day of unthawing pipes (plumber by trade) to thawing out my own pump/pipes.

If you are using it for a seasonal cabin, I would install a tee with a ball valve below the check valve to drain down for winterizing and make sure you drain out the pump as well.
Good luck.
Barry


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## MSG Rude (Oct 6, 2003)

Thanks everybody for all the tips! I am making notes on all this. I am going out probably this weekend to give it a go and see what happens.

It is going to be seasonal. After making sure I have good water supply and refill time, I was told to put the check valve on, then the pump and tank and then to the trailer. The guy told me that when I got to winterize it to take everything off from the pipe up and store inside. He said to take the check valve and pump off and put it inside my house (at home) and to just put a cap on the well pipe for the winter. As water seeks its own level, I would assume that the water would go back down 20+ feet and the pipe would be empty. Sound right?

Also, after I have good water and put on check valve and pump, do I need to do anything else, like "charge the pump" to get water out or just hhok up the electricity and let her rip?

Again, thanks for all the help.

David


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## buckseye (Dec 8, 2003)

Yep you do have to prime the pump. Let us know how it goes, good luck.


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## huntin1 (Nov 14, 2003)

MSG Rude said:


> Thanks everybody for all the tips! I am making notes on all this. I am going out probably this weekend to give it a go and see what happens.
> 
> It is going to be seasonal. After making sure I have good water supply and refill time, I was told to put the check valve on, then the pump and tank and then to the trailer. The guy told me that when I got to winterize it to take everything off from the pipe up and store inside. He said to take the check valve and pump off and put it inside my house (at home) and to just put a cap on the well pipe for the winter. As water seeks its own level, I would assume that the water would go back down 20+ feet and the pipe would be empty. Sound right?
> 
> ...


If you remove the check valve and pump for the winter you should be ok, the water in the pipe will go down to where ever your water table is at.

You'll have to "charge the pump" the first time you use it, and then each spring when you reattach everything. With the check valve in there you should not have to charge the pump each time you turn it on.

Like "Barry", I used a fence post driver to drive the 1 1/2" pipe in, but my driver won't work with a 2" pipe. So if you go that route make sure you check. It's alot easier driving it in with a fence post driver than with a hammer.

huntin1


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## MSG Rude (Oct 6, 2003)

I got all the stuff to do it and I started putting items together now to get a start on the project. That is when I realized I needed stuff to go from the pump to the camper. I also realized, like with washers, dryers, stoves....the power cord does not come with the pump either so another trip to Fleet Farm is coming.

I got the fence post pounder from my neighbor. I am using 1 1/4" pipe so it will fit bit I will make sure before I go out. I also got a cap for the pipe for the winter so when I take everything off for the winter I can put the cap on it to keep stuff from getting in there.

Thanks for all the help guys and I will post-up when completed!

David


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## MSG Rude (Oct 6, 2003)

20' down and not done yet. It is harder as a 1 man job. No one there but me. Will keep you posted after next weekend.


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## buckseye (Dec 8, 2003)

Do you have water at 20 ft? If not you will need to either dig a pit to reduce the distance of the pump from the water or get a jet pump.


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## MSG Rude (Oct 6, 2003)

There is 3.5' of wet string in the bottom. I am close but not there yet. It is 10 hits for 1" down.


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## buckseye (Dec 8, 2003)

How long is your sandpoint? Did you bore a hole to the water table? If not WOW!! Good luck...


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## MSG Rude (Oct 6, 2003)

The point is 3' and I used a post hole digger, old style, to go the first 5'...then is was just pounding. Wonder why I can't lift my arms today....


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## huntin1 (Nov 14, 2003)

I did the same thing, 5' with a post hole digger, then pounded it in another 20' with a post driver.

I hate to say this, but your well sounds like mine, I got my first wet string between 17 and 18 feet. I was able to drive the pipe down 1" for every 10 to 15 hits, I was in clay, never did get into gravel, which is where you need to be to get a good flow.

Oh, if you have to go deeper than 25', you will need a different type of pump, a deep well injector. If you have not bought your pump yet, get a convertable jet pump. They can be used on a shallow well, and when you add an injector, a deep well also.

Hope you have better luck than I.

huntin1


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## MSG Rude (Oct 6, 2003)

Ok....welcome to 'Sucksville'...population...ME!

I pounded down another 11 feet of pipe on Saturday...I am know 31' down and it is still 10 hits per inch or so....a friend of mine from work let me use his homemade pounder that weighs about 65 lbs so the going was easier but still I do not believe that I am down enough.

I did hook up the pump to try it but to no avail. I have about 8' of wet string down the pipe but it is kicking my butt!

Not sure what I am going to do now...


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## buckseye (Dec 8, 2003)

Have you asked any neighboring folks what they have for water supply? Don't sound good man. Good luck!


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## MSG Rude (Oct 6, 2003)

buckseye said:


> Have you asked any neighboring folks what they have for water supply? Don't sound good man. Good luck!


There are only two of us on the North side of the lake. The other guy had a well drilled by a company. He said that they said that there was water at 8 feet, which I hit at 12' on my land, and then it was clay the rest of the way until they hit 150 plus feet. When I hit the water at 12' feet it was wet sand...not a void with water in it. I never got the feeling of "the nail going through a board". Every inch was 10 hits. Also, I am not a small fellow. I am 6'2" and 245 lbs so I was really hitting that bad boy hard!

I did take a tour around the lake in the boat and looked at the wells from other folks out there. No one has a sandpoint well out there that I could see. There is an association meeting this weekend and I might go on over there and see what other folks have to say about it.

Will keep you posted.


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## buckseye (Dec 8, 2003)

The water will be in sand, that should be roughly the lake level at 8 foot.


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