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Manual Well Driver:
for installing 2" nominal PVC size wells up to ~1.3-1. 5m deep using a sledgehammer and a team of at least 2-3 people in most sediment types This installation method worked well for us in Colorado, in cobbles, gravels, and sand alike. It can be brutally physical to install even one well alone (near impossible) or with a pair of people in cobbles, but with about 2-3 people about 2-3 wells per day can be done. Be very careful of any metal shards or rocks thrown off - so tough pants, thick gloves, and safety goggles are a must! As are ear muffs to dampen to sound. The pointed, solid inner driver fits into the hollow pipe. Then, I recommend a board or similar, which one person uses to hold the unit in place. The other person lifts and slams down the inner driver a few times to get some initial depth. Then the entire unit is hammered as deep into the ground as possible. It is useful at this point to trade off between team members often! Once the setup is at depth, remove the inner driver part. Drop in the PVC pipe (must be shorter than the handle holes). Insert your handle through the top holes above the collar. Twist a few times while pulling upwards to remove the outer driver casing. It may be necessary to have someone hold the PVC in the ground while pulling the driver casing depending on how fine the soil is. Flushing some water down the pipe to loosen clay stuck to the sides can sometimes help as well. Once the outer driver is removed, you have installed a shallow PVC well! This is usually made from steel, stainless steel, or hardened steel. Generally the setup runs $300-$1000 at a local or University welder. Other recommendation: get a solid frame pack and put a piece of wood on the bottom panel before strapping this in to carry out to the field. And bring a lot of water and snacks... |