Anyone have advice to suck out mud & sand from 17 foot dug well? The well is at least 100 years old, very nicely done. I’d rather do it myself but will hire a vacuum truck if I have to. 14 feet to top of muck about 3+ feet muck I appreciate any help, Tm
I would think the vacuum truck would be the safest method.
17' is no problem, get a nice sewage pump on 20' of 1 1/2" pvc (new pump if you want to use the well for drinking eventually). drop it in there and hold it above the muck, then slowly lower it in. I'd use a cable and windlass, just a pipe or shaft or even a 4x4", at the surface with the cable wrapped around it, to make it easier to lower with control. Might work fine to slowly lower it to the bottom and let it run there. Once the water is no longer chunky, agitate the muck. Depends on how deep the water is above the muck on how you would agitate it. Could put a tee and nozzle out the side of the pipe for agitation, or just drill a hole. if there's enough water in the well, a regular sump pump will pump it out, 10-15' if you have a sump pump already to try.
I’d like to use the water for horses & garden eventually You think a sump pump would remove the mud if I stirred it up some? Although it’d be hard to get leverage that deep in a 4 1/2 foot wide hole
You’re probably right I’m an older guy hoping to do as much myself before I’m no longer capable
Maybe zip tie a pressure washer to the pvc and deactivate the safety so you could use the pressure washer to agitate as you pump down
let the sump pump do the agitation. A sump pump makes a little swirling underneath it as it pumps. If the muck and sand is to firm, then drill a hole in the side of the pipe for agitation. or use an up down "potato masher" type action with another tool. A bailing tool with a valve in the bottom is easy to fabricate, but not needed for this big and shallow a dug well. A sump pump will easily handle some sand, once loosened.
Any businesses in your area who pump septic tanks? If there are get them to do it so you can concentrate on the other tasks you may have.
X3 on the vacuum truck. How much do they charge in your area to pump a septic tank out? Here it runs $400-500 depending on size. I think you will have close to that amount purchasing items to cobble together that you will wrestle with all day without any quick progress.
One BIG concern is that you stir up Hydrogen Sulfide, accumulates as dead things rot in such places, at a bad moment could overwhelm you, do the Suction Truck and Flush the well with clean water.
Probably have to get an actual vacon not a septic truck, none of our septic guys want much in the way of dirt/muck/gravel. Personally if it was me at less then 20' I'd grab one of my electric trash pumps and crane it in there to try it while I beat the muck up with a washdown nozzle lol.
If you have enough water to start with, you can tee your pressure line from your sump pump and recirculate part of the discharge water to stir the sludge.
Appreciate the replies.. I have a couple sump pumps, might try that before spending bucks