Cleaning of drinking wells: a review of best practices

The well has long ceased to be the main source of water supply in country houses and in the countryside, but the owners are in no hurry to part with it. After the summer there is a large fluid flow for watering the garden, and if you connect a hose to a Central water supply, the water bills will increase significantly. And in the well water is free and always spot on. However, periodic use of the wells leads to a deterioration of the water, and at one point the owners find that to drink it is simply impossible. Exit two: either to leave things as they are and use this source only for economic purposes, or to perform «General cleaning» mine. Consider, how is the cleaning of the well with their hands, depending on the causes of pollution.

The contents

Signs of pollution and possible causes

Before you clean the well in the country, you need to understand what caused water pollution. This will help to eliminate the problem exactly where it originated, and not to act blindly. That could become a reason of bad water, judged by the characteristics: color, odor, presence of impurities in up from the bottom of the liquid.

In the sediments of clay and sand on the bottom of the well to blame leaking joints between the rings, leaking into the mine Bank with dirt

Floating leaves and debris on the water surface indicate that the owners do not care too much about the conditions in the mine, forgetting to close the door of the house

The most common are the following types of pollution:

• The water loses its transparency and looks muddy. The seams between the rings depressurized, and the interior began to penetrate perched. It carries fine particles of earth and clay, which is deposited at the bottom of the mine, interfering with the bottom of the filter. The second reason – poor-quality filtration of the aquifer. And this is the fault of bottom filter.
• Water is present in large debris, leaves or fallen neighbor’s cat. Reason – free access to the mine from the top. If a warped door, or no, the wind will cause a lot of dust and debris in the water, and the quality gradually deteriorates.
• Darkening of the water. Dark shades – a direct proof that the owners use well rarely. The water is not stagnant and is updated. It beginning to breed bacteria.
• Greening. Green color indicates the presence in water of small algae. And to blame the owners, who leave the mine open. Penetrating sunlight causes rapid growth of microorganisms on the inner walls, making a well in the swamp.
• The red color of the water. Yellow-red shades in the liquid talking about the excess in the well value of iron. If such water be poured into a container and allow it to settle, the walls will be visible rust. The reason – poor quality aquifer that the well cleaning will not eliminate. Need to put a filtering system on the water inlet to the house, and if the pipeline is not created, then use a special homemade filters.
• Sewer smell and unpleasant taste. If the water stinks, and if you drink felt off-flavors, then the problem is in the depressurization shaft. It somehow fall into the sewers. By the way, the same signs will be if the water fell a animal, which you had no idea.

Routine cleaning of the well

The main owners have become annual routine cleaning of the mine after the winter. Even if the water looks quite decent, it should be protonirovanie. To buy normal potassium permanganate (potassium permanganate), dissolved in a bucket of water and poured directly into the mine. One tablespoon is enough. After 2-3 hours conduct a full water pumping. By the way, it is possible to pour out directly into the garden. At the same time and the ground cleans.

Full cleaning mine: possible options

The removal of clogging of the bottom filter without completely pumping water

If the water does not suit you due to sandy or clay-like sludge that coated the bottom of the filter and interfere with his work, and the quality and taste level, so you can purge the well drain pump.

The working scheme is as follows:

1. Buy or borrow from friends water pump type «Brook», and drainage, designed for pumping dirty cold water.
2. Brook will play the role «Screwtape». It is lowered to the bottom by screwing the short pipe (up to half a meter). It needs to create intense movement of liquid to raise from the bottom as much sand and debris.
3. The drain pump is hung on a rope or winch to the bottom of it did not reach 30 centimeters. It the hose has to go beyond the well where you plan to drain the dirty water.
4. Include first «Brook», so that muddied the waters, and after 5 minutes start drenant.
5. As pumped water, you will see how it has become cleaner. Usually a 10-cm layer of sand is removed for 2 hours of work pumps.

If you do not want dirt from the bottom I filled your plot with a layer of viscous clay, route the hose away from lawns and beds

If after cleaning, the sand still appears, so will have to do the General cleaning with simultaneous repair of the mine itself, through the cracks where the sand and into the water.

Capital cleaning and repair mine

If the water in the well became unusable due to the propagation of algae, depressurization of the seams or getting some organic matter, will have to pump out the mine, because to clean a well filled with water, impossible (unless you are a diver!).

So as to wash the walls and the filter will need manual cleaning, one should prepare a series of tools:

1. Water pump for pumping fluid.
2. Tethers for someone who will go down into the mine.
3. The ladder longer. If this is not there, build a swing from the rope tied to him by the Board. On the blackboard cleaner will stand feet.
4. Rubber boots.
5. A bucket and soft brush for metal.

Wells with deep mines needs to be cleaned, the three of us down in turn, as the depth there is a shortage of oxygen and a long time for one person to work hard

Cleaning starts with the immersion pump. Run it and wait for vicecersa the first ring. Then you can go and start mechanical cleaning of an empty ring while the pump will slowly pump out the next one. If the person has one (which is extremely dangerous!), it is best to deflate the shaft completely and only then dive inside. However, until the beginning of the descent need to make sure on the bottom you can breathe normally. It happens that there is accumulating emerging from the ground unsafe gases. The easiest way to check the quality of the air is lowered in the vessel a lighted candle. If it won’t extinguish, then the oxygen at the bottom enough for breathing.

Cleaning the walls is done with a brush of moderate stiffness so as not to damage the concrete. If in the course of cleaning loops are mentioned cracks in the rings and seams, they immediately cover with liquid glass mixed with cement.

After the reorganization and renovation of the rings begin to clean the bottom. Mud, silt and sand deposits, who scored a bottom filter, choose a shovel in the bucket and lift out the winch. Preferably at the bottom working in a construction helmet because God forbid a bucket on the rise fall! The material is laid out as a filter, washed, and if he collapsed, then get up and produce a full replacement.

When lifting sediment from the bottom of the well can fly dirt drops, so that the head cleaner should be protected with construction helmet

When layering, and the slime cleaned, you must destroy all of the invisible parasites. To do this, the pit walls and the bottom chlorine-free. Bleach diluted in water and rubbed into walls with a stiff brush. Certainly work in a respirator, otherwise you may get poisoned chlorine volatile compounds. Remains of the drug was poured onto the bottom, and the mine covered with plastic wrap so that the bleach does not escape. In this state, the well shall be idle for two days. After the due date has been entirely pumped 2-3 times. Even after such washing the smell of chlorine will be present for about a month, so before he disappeared, the water used for drinking and cooking.

If such a long period of disinfection does not suit you – treat the walls with a solution of potassium permanganate and leave for the day. After pump out twice – and you can use it. But in this case, the level of disinfection will be weaker, so it is recommended to throw in the bottom of the mesh with silicon. It is a natural disinfecting. Six months later, the silicon change in the fresh.

As you can see, to put in order restore the well difficult, if not to act alone and with observance of all security measures.

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