Cleaning water well points- techniques ??

[misterfact]

Isn't it possible to force air down the well to blow out sand, etc. ?

How about lowering a steel wire with a steel rod hooked to the end and with up and down motion- knocking and loosening the blockage in the point holes.

After that- hooking a hand pump and raising the water to the top- then removing the pump and allowing the falling water to push out blockage?

Ever hear of that being done?

Also- how do you remove that cast iron cap from the top of the wellhead? I've tried Liquid Wrench; heating it and loosening it with a wrench- but it won't budge. Do you have to heat it red hot? Mike [e-mail]

[Ian Stirling]

ISTM that a long pressure-washer hose, with a long wet-dry vac (or dirty water pump) would help. Fill up well (with clean water!) poke pressure-washer and water pump hose to the bottom, start the pressure washer to dislodge, and the pump can suck it up. For obvious reasons, the well needs to be kept full of clean water during this time.

[Art]

Your pipe down into the well may be too far down if you are picking up so much sand.

[Patch]

I assume you're talking about cleaning a "sand point"? If you've ever pulled an old sand point & seen how much mineral build up is on it you'd know that there's not much a guy can do to clean that stuff off. I would just replace the point if it's all gunked up with rock-hard minerals.

[SQLit]

I am a complete NEWBY on this, but my experience with pumps and sand is. Either your below the water table, which means it needs to raise. Or it is an new well and the sand is stopping the pump from turning. Then only higher currents will do the job. As for cleaning out the bottom of the casing, once in sand,,,,, I have no experience. You might try dumping a

1000 gallons of water down the hole and then see if you can get it to run. Once the pump pulls a suction the flapper on the bottom should open and then the water would flow in and the sand out.

Sorry that I do not have the answer in my back pocket.

[PJx]

CAUTION! you can easily destroy a very expensive well. So first, ask yourself if you could fix your problem with some other minimal invasion. You should assume that it about ready to cave in, so be very careful.

That should work. You may need two torches going at once, but it should come off easily when it glows a dull red.