How to Drill With a Sand Point
Most people hire a well drilling company to drill into the soil until the drill reaches water. Water enters the pipe and a pump lifts the water out of the pipe. The United States Army invented a new way of reaching water in the early 1900s, however, that is suitable for depths up to 75 feet. A pointed pipe with holes and a screen is driven into the ground with sledgehammers to allow troops to quickly reach water located in the ground. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Shovel
- 2-inch drivepoint
- Teflon tape
- 2-inch galvanized couplings
- Pipe wrenches
- 2-inch galvanized pipe, 5-feet long
- Post level
- 2-inch pipe caps
- Post driver
- 2-by-4 lumber
- Concrete
- Silicon caulk
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Instructions
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1
Dig a hole -- five to eight feet deep and six feet in diameter. Fill the hole with water and let it soak into the soil to soften it. This step is optional, but makes driving the sand point into the ground easier. If you intend to use a well pump with a pit-less adapter, you'll have to dig the hole anyway, along with a trench to the basement or crawlspace of your home.
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Place the 2-by-12 planks over the hole to give yourself a platform to work on. Wrap the Teflon tape clockwise around the threaded end of the drivepoint four to six times. Screw a coupling onto the drivepoint and tighten it with the pipe wrenches. Wrap the end of a pipe with Teflon tape and screw it onto the coupling. Tighten the pipe and coupling with the wrenches. Screw a pipe cap onto the end of the pipe. The cap protects the pipe threads and does not require Teflon tape.
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3
Stand the pipe and drivepoint up vertically in the hole. Push the drivepoint as far into the loosened soil as possible by hand. Hold the post level against the pipe and move the pipe until both vials in the level are centered. Place the post driver over the end of the pipe. Have a helper hold the pipe vertical using the post level as a guide.
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Lift the post driver about 12 inches and allow it to fall back onto the pipe cap. Guide the post driver so it hits the pipe cap evenly, but don't add additional force. Have the helper check the level continuously and make adjustments as you drive the pipe.
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Continue to drive the pipe and drivepoint until the coupling is three to four feet into the hole. Unscrew the pipe cap and wrap the pipe threads with Teflon tape. Wrap the end of another pipe with Teflon tape. Screw another coupling onto the pipe and screw the new pipe onto the coupling. Tighten the pipes and coupling with the wrenches. Place the cap on the top pipe.
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Remove the cap when it cracks and discard it. Install a new cap to continue driving the point. Continue adding pipe and driving the point deeper until the water table is reached, then drive the point an additional 10 feet. Add an additional pipe and coupling to set the top of the pipe about 1 to 3 feet above the ground. Minimum depth for a point is 25 feet. (Page 7 ref)
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7
Fill in the hole around the pipe with the dirt that was removed from it. Build a 3-foot square form of 2-by-4 lumber around the pipe and fill it with concrete. Smooth the top of the concrete with a scrap 2-by-4. Seal the pipe to the concrete with silicon caulk after the concrete cures for seven days.
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Install your pump and pump the muddy water out of the point. You may need to pump water intermittently for several days before it clears.
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Tips & Warnings
Drop a weighted string into the pipe and let it fall all the way down, then withdraw it. When the string comes out wet, you've reached the water table.
You can use longer lengths of pipe, but you may need a ladder to operate the post driver.
At some point, the post hole driver won't drive the point without additional force. Add force as needed, but keep it to a minimum to prevent damage to the pipe threads.
Check with the governing authorities for your area to determine permits and regulations. Sand points are not allowed in all areas, and local regulations vary.
