Need to drill deeper?
I received a great email from Nathaniel at http://www.HowToDrillAWell.com suggesting I include his technique on this site. I’m glad he contacted me because his method is sound and will work for deeper wells, which many folks need.
If you need to drill a well deeper than 30-40 feet, the jetting method I use works but it gets very difficult as you get deeper. Or if you need a larger diameter than two inches, you can do that by jetting, but again it’s very difficult. But you can still drill your own well if you use the drill from www.HowToDrillAWell.com Nathaniel’s method is somewhat similar to mine as we both use PVC, but his mounts an air-powered motor to the bottom of the 2″ PVC and uses the exhaust air to pump the water and tailings back out of the hole through the inside of the pipe. But his use of the motor at the bottom spinning a hard-surfaced steel drill bit makes it possible to drill through rock and clay, and to drill a larger hole (up to 8″) and far deeper (up to 300′).
If you can find water at less than 40 feet, you should give my two hose method a try first, as it’s a lot cheaper and if it works, you’re done. And, if you can find water at 50 to 60 feet, the mud pump method is great. But, if those techniques won’t work, or you know you have to go deeper, visit his site and see if his method will work for you.
He sells a video you can use to build your own drill using locally-available tools and materials, and your total cost for the well might be about $200. He also sells a kit that’s ready to use to drill a well for $699.95. The kit is air-powered, not electrical, so it does require a large air compressor (at least 17 CFM @ 90 PSI) which can be rented or bought-and-resold.
This is a video from Nathaniel at HowToDrillAWell, describing the various options for drilling a well, including mine and his own system. One way or another, you can get your own free source of water!