Do-it-yourself well cleaning: an overview of the best preventive and capital methods

Causes of pollution

One of the main causes of water pollution in the well is the irregular use of the structure, as a result of which it simply silts up.

Silting often occurs if no one lives on a suburban area, and the well is used only from time to time

For the same reason, during a break in the use of a structure, it is recommended to remove filters and submersible pumping equipment from it so that they do not fail ahead of time.

It is especially important to perform these actions in winter.

A number of other problems can also be the cause of deteriorating water quality. Let's look at each in detail.

Poorly closing building cover

The well should be opened only at the moment when water is extracted from it. The rest of the time, its neck should be tightly covered with a lid. Otherwise, dust and dirt in the air will certainly fall into the mine and "do their dirty work."

A tightly closed lid protects the contents of the tank from direct sunlight, because ultraviolet promotes the rapid growth of algae.

Incorrectly made shutter from melt water

It should be a permanent waterproof "layer" around the upper casing ring. The thickness of the clay castle should be at least 50-100 cm.

If this condition is not met, perched water will penetrate into the tank, which, along with it, carries garbage, waste products and eroded pieces of soil.

Rupture of seams

No matter how well the seams in the well are sealed, with the annual freezing of the soil, cracks can form in them.

Through poorly sealed seams, surface groundwater seeps into the mine, which contains fertilizers and domestic sewage. You can correct the situation by closing the cracks with mortar with the addition of liquid glass.

Structural Ring Offset

The shift of structural elements is possible for various reasons, among them - improper installation and natural factors.

Ring offset options:

1. In the lower part of the trunk - occurs due to the impact of quicksand. We'll have to cover the separation points with cement mortar
2. Pushing out the upper rings - occurs due to freezing of the soil. It is necessary to tighten the sheared rings with pins with thick wire.

For sealing large joints, it is better to use "tension" cement of the brand NTs-80 or 87.The material, characterized by increased elasticity, is used in the construction of subways and underground tunnels.

The duration of the uninterrupted operation of the structure largely depends on how correctly the well is cleaned.

In order to unconditionally get rid of pollution and eliminate design defects, it is necessary to decide in advance how best to clean the well and, if necessary, repair the tank.

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Clean water in a clean well

Rules for maintaining cleanliness in the well

All wells need periodic cleaning.

Popular methods of cleaning sewer wells.

If the well is completely flooded, and there is no access to the opposite end of the outlet pipe, then the first step is to pump out the liquid from the well. The ilosos will do an excellent job with this task. It is considered the most convenient cleaning of wells with the use of a sludge pump, since it was invented specifically for sewer-type work. The classic sludge pump consists of a tank and a powerful vacuum-type pump, with which you can not only pump out dirty liquid, but also clean the bottom of the well from silt. Ilosos is also used to prevent blockages in sewers, sumps, septic tanks. Experts advise ordering vacuum pumping regularly to prevent clogging of the well.

Hydrodynamic well cleaning - more expensive and most effective way to clean the sewer. With the help of a powerful pressure of water, you can clean the inner walls of the well, and special nozzles will eliminate blockages in the pipes between the wells. Allows you to easily eliminate blockages, even of inorganic origin.

Chemical flush - This method is effective for organic blockages.Chemical softeners and dissolve organic deposits. During the cleaning process, a foamed chemical composition is introduced into the well, which will cost the customer quite a lot. Professional cleaning of this type is quite safe.

Manual cleaning of sewer wells it is used in case of collapse of the walls of the well (bricks, fragments of asphalt or concrete), as well as in the presence of a large amount of household waste (for example, plastic and glass bottles). The specialist descends into the well and manually collects large debris.

During the construction of a country cottage, its owner has a choice of three types of sewerage. Regardless of the modification, all three options are based on the construction and arrangement of storage wells, which will have to be cleaned from time to time.

The rational choice of the location of the storage well in a private house is an integral part of the functionality of the structure. When designing sewage wells, cesspools, septic tanks, it is necessary to observe not only the regulatory rules governing the remoteness of sewage facilities from sources of drinking water, but also the requirements of common sense.

The septic tank should be located near the driveway, near the fence by the road; next to it, a maneuvering platform should be equipped, free from valuable varieties of shrubs and trees. Sewer wells are pumped out using automotive equipment, so it is necessary to foresee in advance the possibility of a three-axle sewage truck. Works on pumping out wells, depending on the urgency, are divided into planned and emergency.

In the first case, sewer wells are cleaned according to a certain schedule: once every six months or when the septic tank is filled with wastewater by ¾ of the volume. Periodic pumping at a given interval is the key to long-term operation of sewer wells and a drainage system in a private house.

To limit the throughput of pipes and the storage capacity of wells, not only the overflow of the system with sewage leads, but also deposits that accumulate on the elements of the drainage system for a long time.

In sewer pipes and household wells, blockages can form, caused by deposits from acid residues of magnesium, calcium, and iron. The longer the system is operated without preventive flushing, the thicker the salt deposits on the walls of the structure.

Another reason for the violation of the fluidity of wastewater is fatty deposits. Fats in solutions, suspensions enter the sewer system continuously: these substances are found in food waste, in water flowing down after bath procedures, from washing dishes. Fat suspensions, mixing with other compounds, settle on the walls of pipes, fittings, wells. At some point, a complete blockage of the system occurs, provoking an emergency.

An important point that allows minimizing the possible deposition of fat emulsions is the technically competent design of water pipes in a private house: observing a slope of 1% when laying the sewer system ensures its long-term trouble-free operation.

Do-it-yourself well cleaning

To reduce the cost of work, it must be done independently. This will require one assistant.Wells are cleaned as follows:

• the entire contents of the liquid is pumped out;
• to increase access to the inside of the mine, the head of the structure is removed;
• pumping equipment is dismantled;
• after that, you should go down inside and carefully examine the technical condition of the reinforced concrete rings and their joints;
• if dirt, green plaque is found, it must be removed;
• all flaws and cracks should be cleaned and treated with a sealed solution;
• after that, it is necessary to go down to the bottom and raise all the garbage out;
• then all the sand, crushed stone and wooden shield, which were used as a bottom filter, are taken out;
• if side filters are installed, they must be disassembled and cleaned;
• with the help of special solutions, the mine structure itself is processed;
• it is thoroughly washed several times until clean;
• filters and pumping equipment are being reinstalled.

After completing all the work during the day, you can not use water, then it should be boiled for a week. With the correct performance of all work, and compliance with the necessary requirements for the use of this source of water supply, it can be used flawlessly for ten years.

Mandatory Precautions

For safety reasons, at least 3 people must be present during the work, one of which will go down into the mine, and two will insure on the surface. Due to the large accumulation of gases and lack of oxygen at depth, a person can lose consciousness - one insurer will not be able to raise him to the surface.

Observe the necessary precautions when cleaning the well

It is forbidden to start cleaning work without a safety rope.It is desirable to protect the head with a helmet, put high wader boots on your feet. All work on cleaning the well bottom and disinfecting must be carried out in a respirator. It is also necessary to check the well for the presence of gas, for this they lower a lit candle and if it goes out, then the well is gassed, ventilation must be carried out.

People who have diseases of the cardiovascular system or problems with the lungs should not undertake this type of work on their own - it is better to invite specialists.

Technology of repair of well structures

There are many recommendations on how to repair a well yourself. In order to navigate them, you need to understand that the methods of conducting work depend on the method of manufacturing the structure.

concrete well

In such structures, the most common reasons for repair work are the displacement of rings or the appearance of cracks. This result leads to the use of low-quality cement in the construction of a well or soil features around the structure. It happens that spring flood waters oversaturate the soil with moisture and blur the seams between the rings.

The cracks formed on the surface are sealed with mastic

The complexity of repair work depends on the degree of destruction of the sealing coating. With timely noticed minor damage, the resulting gaps can be sealed from the inside. Before processing, the crack is tapped, all loose pieces of concrete are removed. The defect is carefully covered with waterproof mastic for concrete. It should be ensured that it is safe for humans, as it will come into contact with drinking water.

More serious damage will have to be repaired not only from the inside of the well, but also from the outside.A ditch is dug along the perimeter of the structure, it should reach a defect in the structure. The width of the trench is assumed to be such that repairs can be carried out in it. Having reached the crack, it is thoroughly cleaned of dirt and sealed with mastic for concrete. It is advisable to treat the seam with a waterproofing compound on top of the composition, which will prevent the material from being washed out.

When the concrete rings are displaced, partial dismantling of the structure will be required

Even more labor-intensive repair is to be done when the concrete well rings are displaced. In this case, you will have to dig out and dismantle the entire damaged area. Then reassemble it by installing additional connecting brackets on the rings. All seams are carefully sealed, then the well is sealed and a new blind area is mounted.

Wooden structure

Most often, to repair a wooden well, it will be necessary to replace rotten logs. This is a very labor intensive operation. To carry it out, they knock down the platform from which the work will be carried out from thick boards. With the help of a cable, it is fixed on a structure made of beams installed above the mouth of the well. The platform is lowered down with the help of a gate or manually.

The crowns located above the defective area are fixed on the goats with the help of boards

The preserved part of the log house, which is located above the defective area, is fixed with the help of special "goats" installed on both sides of the well. Four logs are fixed on them, to which strong boards are nailed, with the lower end securely holding the crowns of the log house. Alternatively, you can hang the crowns on ropes with hooks. In any case, after installing the retaining structure, they begin to parse the rotten logs.Details are removed to the surface and new ones are selected according to their size. The prepared elements are driven into the place of the destroyed ones and wedged tightly.

brick building

The easiest way to repair a brick structure. During the cleaning of the inner surface of the well, all defects that were previously invisible are clearly detected. The crumbling brick is removed, and a new one is installed in its place with the help of cement mortar. At the end of the work, the surface is carefully plastered.

Do-it-yourself cleaning and repair of wells is a completely feasible undertaking. Before you get down to business, you need to carefully read the recommendations of experts. Properly carried out work guarantees long-term flawless operation of the facility, which will delight its owner with consistently clean water.

Well disinfection

After any type of cleaning, as well as for prevention purposes, it is necessary to disinfect the well. The main methods of disinfection are using a solution of bleach and potassium permanganate.

Disinfection of water in the well can be carried out with potassium permanganate or bleach

If disinfection is carried out with bleach, the following steps must be followed:

• the volume of water in the well is calculated, for this the cross-sectional area is multiplied by the value of the water level to the bottom.
• water is completely pumped out; - preparing a chlorine solution - 20 grams of powder per liter of water;
• the walls of the mine are wiped or sprayed with the resulting solution;
• while the well is filling with water, another solution is being prepared - already in a proportion of 200 mg. for every litre;
• the chlorine solution is poured into the well (without sediment that forms at the bottom), mixed and left for 12 hours. At the same time, the head of the well must be well covered so that chlorine does not evaporate.

After 12 hours, the water from the well is pumped out several times until the smell of chlorine disappears.

When using potassium permanganate, the principle of action remains the same, but it is enough to pump out the water only twice. This method is rather weak and does not guarantee complete disinfection.

The process of disinfecting the well with a solution of potassium permanganate

Another important point is that it is necessary to foresee in advance where the water from the well will drain. If I drive with potassium permanganate, you can pour it into the garden, and it will even be useful, then this cannot be done with bleach. It is necessary to drain into a cesspool or take the hose away from the site.

Cleaning the well manually

So, how to clean the well in the country on your own? Obviously, buying specialized equipment is irrational. Fortunately, in most cases, to clean the well in the country, you can use the tools that are in the arsenal of every summer resident.

You can clean the well yourself

For convenience, the process of cleaning the well with your own hands in the country is divided into several steps:

1. Preliminary work.
2. Pumping water from a well.
3. Mechanical cleaning of the well shaft itself.
4. Replacing or repairing the bottom filter.
5. Repair work. For example, sometimes it becomes necessary to seal the seams of the mine.
6. Well sanitation.

preliminary stage

1. rubber high boots (the best option is fishing "bogs");
2. work overalls (the work is very dirty, so it’s better to pick up things that you don’t mind throwing away);
3. buckets;
4. safety rope and ropes;
5. stairs. Sometimes the depth and design of the shaft does not allow the use of a ladder. In this case, it is recommended to assemble a kind of swing from ropes and boards;
6. scrapers, metal brushes and large sponges.

Well cleaning begins with the preparation of the necessary tools

After checking the availability of the necessary tools, free access to the well shaft. If there is a canopy, then it will have to be dismantled. Garbage accumulated on the surface of the water is removed with buckets or by hand.

Important! Do not work at depth alone. It is dangerous to life and health

Cleaning work is carried out by at least two people, so take care of finding a partner in advance.

Water pumping

You can empty the well shaft with buckets, but with the help of a pump, cleaning work can be done much faster. A low-power pump of the "Rodnichok" type and its analogues will cope with pumping water from the mine. The price of such devices rarely exceeds 2,000 rubles. However, such a pump may well be found with friends or neighbors.

By the way, it will not work to completely drain the well, there will always be some water at the bottom.

Manual well cleaning

The walls of the shaft are cleaned with pre-prepared tools (brushes, scrapers, etc.). Dirt removed from the walls will fall down the well shaft. It's not scary, removing bottom debris, you will throw out these remnants. The walls of the shaft after cleaning must be washed several times. When cleaning the mine, check its integrity. It is possible that it needs repair.

Manual well cleaning

Well wall sealing

The integrity of the walls of the mine is broken as a result of displacement, the appearance of vegetation.For repair work, mortar is used, the only difference is the increased content of cement. However, recently special mixtures have appeared on store shelves. For better adhesion, it is recommended to clean the surface to be treated.

Bottom filter

You can clean the bottom of the well using ordinary buckets or using a special grab bucket. Such a bucket consists of two interlocking halves; it serves to lift silt. It is lowered to the bottom with a cable or winch. After lifting the bottom filter, evaluate its condition, wash or replace it if necessary. When forming the filter, large stones are placed on a loose clay bottom or bottom shield. If the bottom is sandy, it is advisable to use small stones.

Well sanitization

When disinfecting a well shaft, it is recommended to use a solution based on bleach or similar substances. The solution is diluted based on the following parameters: 1 liter of water accounts for 20 mg of lime. In order to find out the required amount of mortar, it will be necessary to multiply the diameter of the well shaft by its depth. That is, the usual formula is used, with which you can calculate the volume of any cylinder.

Special cleaning of the country well

After adding the solution to the well, close it for 5-6 hours. Water from a well treated in this way will have to be pumped out at least twice, and then boiled for a week. Such disinfection is recommended if traces of organic matter or bacteria were found in the well.

Important! After completion of all cleaning activities, it is recommended to give a sample of water from the well for analysis

Signs of pollution

Start by recognizing the signs of contamination. After all, each type of blockage has a special approach and cannot be eliminated according to a universal template.

The appearance of muddy water, even in a very small volume, almost always indicates that soil particles enter the well cavity. Their penetration there becomes possible due to the weak tightness of the wall joints, which can move or leak. It is much worse if the water acquires one color or another.

• The green tide suggests that the well has become a breeding ground for microscopic algae. And if the liquid turns black, this most often allows us to conclude that organic matter has not only got inside, but is also decomposing.
• Yellow becomes water with an excess concentration of iron; it should immediately be borne in mind that ordinary cleaning in such a situation is powerless. Purification through special filters helps to cope with excessive saturation of well water with iron. A specific taste, which appears even earlier than obvious visual signs, also helps to recognize a “strong” metal.
• In the country house and in the garden, the water raised from the well can be sweetish due to the presence of nitrogen. It gets there along with fertilizers (nitrates) and this problem cannot be dealt with until the source of these substances is blocked.
• A yellowish color is often characteristic of water that has fallen into a domestic source from a swamp; the difference from a simple iron overflow is that the coloration is comparatively weak. Green tone, except for algae, is sometimes associated with the penetration of hydrogen sulfide from secondary sources.It is easy to recognize this by the appearance of a characteristic putrid odor.

The problem is exacerbated by poor-quality construction, non-compliance with sanitary and technological standards. In any case, do not expect that pollution will be eliminated by itself after some time. But to hurry too much, using random or recommended by someone means, is not too reasonable. It is much more correct, having found the root cause of the blockage, to deal with the tools and methods that will really help with cleaning.

Sanitizing the deck

Work on the disinfection of drinking water is carried out with their own hands using disinfectants. The easiest and most accessible way for everyone is as follows:

1. In a 10-12 l bucket, dissolve 1 teaspoon of potassium permanganate or an Aquatabs tablet.
2. Poured into a well.
3. Expect 30-40 minutes.
4. They pump out dirty water and wait for the well to be filled with new and clean water.

It is extremely important to perform the pumping process correctly. During the sanitation period, water should not be completely removed.

It is necessary to leave a layer 50-60 cm high from the bottom. Otherwise, silt will rise and additional cleaning of the mine will be required. Water purification from the well is carried out 1-2 times a year.

Which pump to use

If cleaning of wells for the spring period is not planned, you should not use vibration pumps to pump water. They will inevitably raise silt and will contribute to the shedding of organic matter and clay deposits from its walls into the mine. Therefore, centrifugal pumps are the best choice. Most summer residents use "Baby" or "Brook" to provide water supply. These pumps are classified as vibration-type devices, so they are not suitable for sanitizing the well.

If there is no centrifugal pump, water is pumped out with buckets. This is the best way to ensure the long life of the water intake point.

bottom cleaning

The sediment, which is at the bottom of the mine, is taken out using various methods. One of the easiest solutions is to scoop out buckets. You can also use a grapple to clean the well. Such a device is a special bucket equipped with 2 blades. First, it is lowered to the bottom, then silt is collected and raised with a cable. The old filter is also removed. It must be thoroughly rinsed and installed in its place. If the filter loses its properties, a new layer must be poured to the bottom. First you need to lay loose clay, and on top - large stones.

Important! If the inflow is calm, and the bottom is made of sand, it is worth using fine stones

How to clean the well in the country with your own hands

As noted earlier, depending on the type of well, cleaning can be correctly carried out by such basic methods as: manually or by drainage using a pump in the case of a shaft type well; using a special device - a bailer, if the well is of a tubular type. In addition, sometimes after mechanical cleaning of the well, it is better to disinfect it, especially in the case of mixed contamination, for example, mechanical impurities combined with organic matter. At the same time, chlorine-based preparations approved for water disinfection are traditionally used as disinfectants. A chlorine-containing agent in the right amount, according to the instructions for use, is added to the well, having previously calculated the approximate volume of water in it.Then the shaft or log cabin of the well is covered with a lid or awning and left for 6-8 hours. After carrying out this kind of disinfection, it is recommended to completely pump out the water at least 2 times.