You Can Drive Your Own Well

Of three basic wellpoint types, one has three sets of holes; round holes or slots in the pipe, a metal screen over the pipe and a jacket with holes over the screen. The second has screen inserts behind holes in the pipe. I chose the third type; a nonclogging point of continuous V-shaped slot design. In addition to being nonclogging, its maker (U.O.P. Johnson Div., 315 N. Pierce St., St. Paul, Minn. 55104) claims it provides four times more open area than other points. The design is available under the Red Head brand name through hardware dealers or by order from Montgomery Ward.

Since it is of double galvanized steel you will not have to worry about galvanic corrosion when it is used with galvanized steel pipe.

Which wellpoint-size opening to use is determined by the sand in which it will operate. Screen-type wellpoints use 60-gauze for coarse sand, 80-gauze for medium and 100-gauze for fine sand. With a nonclog, V-slot wellpoint, use No. 10 slot for all conditions except where the sand is so fine it is practically quicksand; in that event use a No. 6 slot.

Pipe sections five to six ft. long are generally used in driven wells. Make certain you use galvanized pipe and couplings with good clean threads free of defects. Couplings should be of the reamed and drifted (R & D) variety.

These couplings will provide tight joints since they have more threads than conventional couplings. The additional threads help prevent the coupling from becoming loose during driving. They also have a recessed design feature which aids in preventing corrosion of the male pipe threads. The drive shown in the sketch is easiest to construct. Basically, it consists of a length of capped pipe with an inside diameter just large enough to slip over the capped riser pipe. The driver is partially filled with enough lead (lead wool can be used) so that it can be handled by one or, two men.