Drillers have installed wells using PVC materials for decades. Companies make PVC casing and fittings, and even PVC screen &#; the components of the whole well system. However, advancements over time have meant that PVC in the field today outperforms the materials contractors had access to when HDPE gained widespread use in the s.
tongshun Product Page
Broadly, the &#;recipes&#; companies use to make polyvinyl chloride, better known as PVC, have gone through subtle changes. Contractors may not know from just looking at the finished product, but today&#;s PVCs tend to have more corrosion resistance and durability than earlier generations. That makes it a cost-effective option for well installations, even in harsh environments.
Modern PVC pipe can also provide more flexibility. &#;Flexible&#; PVC is a type of PVC designed to install in wells located in difficult-to-access areas. Flexible PVC is also more resistant to breakage, which can help to prevent leaks in such wells.
Finally, there have been advancements in the methods used to join PVC pipe. Traditional methods of joining PVC pipe, such as solvent cementing, can prove time-consuming for contractors and difficult correctly execute. Newer methods of joining PVC pipe, such as mechanical joining, are faster and easier to do. Mechanical joining also provides a stronger and more reliable joint than traditional methods.
The advantages of using PVC materials in water well construction include:
-
Strength and durability: PVC pipe can withstand the harsh conditions found in many wells. It resists corrosion over time.
-
Environmental friendliness: PVC pipe does not contain any harmful chemicals that can leach into groundwater. PVC materials can also be recycled at the end of their life.
-
Ease of installation: PVC pipe is relatively easy to install, which can save time and money on the well construction project.
-
Cost-effectiveness: PVC materials are a cost-effective choice for water well contractors versus other materials.
-
Long life: PVC materials offer a long life, and they can help to ensure a long and trouble-free life for your well.
Of course, every material can have trade-offs. PVC is no different and contractors should consider these factors in sourcing decisions. PVC is:
-
Strong, but not as strong as steel: PVC may not be a good option for applications with very high water pressure or the potential for a lot of ground movement.
-
Not as chemical resistant: PVC is susceptible to damage from chlorine and ammonia. The former can make PVC brittle and the latter can cause it to swell or deform.
-
Not as easy to repair: A leak in a PVC well may prove more difficult or expensive to repair versus other materials.
PVC pipe, casing and fittings have proven popular for contractors (and their customers) for many years. Their popularity only grows as companies develop advances in their products. Drillers have materials options when it comes to well installation. PVC has improved over time and contractors should give it another look if they haven&#;t in a while. It could be just the thing you need to offer your customers a trouble-free water well that lasts a lifetime.
It&#;s not surprising that water well drilling is an ancient undertaking. About 8,000 years ago, the first water wells were hand dug to supply a safe, clean and reliable water source for the earliest civilizations. Our need for water has not changed, but well drilling technology has come a long way since then.
In some areas of the world, manually digging a water well is still the cheapest and most practical way to improve water accessibility, especially for one-off wells. However, for contractors and groups looking to add or expand their water well drilling capabilities long term, mechanical drilling can offer a faster, more efficient option.
There are two things to keep in mind when choosing water well drilling equipment: 1) The method must match the geology. 2) Consider the costs, both short term and long term. For a single well, manual techniques might not cost much, but can hand drilling methods handle soil conditions on your site? And how does the overall cost play out for digging multiple wells? On the other hand, mechanical well drilling options might be able to complete the job quickly but might not fit within the budget for an operation that is only looking at a few wells annually.
Let&#;s take a closer look at the pros and cons of some popular manual and mechanical drilling techniques to determine which might be the best option for your operation.
Manual Techniques
For many, digging a water well brings to mind an individual in a deep, muddy hole, passing up buckets of earth, and with good reason. Hand-digging is probably the oldest and most frequently used manual method for gaining access to ground water and it&#;s a labor-intensive, dirty job.
Like other manual techniques &#; including sludging, manual percussion drilling, drive point and hand auguring &#; hand-digging requires only simple tools and a lot of hard work, which is why individuals and communities have been using these techniques effectively for so long. As the saying goes, &#;if it&#;s not broke, don&#;t fix it.&#; And for areas with limited access to heavy equipment or fuel, these techniques are still a viable option.
Pros:
- Requires simple tools that are locally accessible
- Can reach depths of 230 feet (70 meters) or deeper depending on method and geology
- Work can be completed quickly with large crews
Cons:
If you are looking for more details, kindly visit Water Well Drill Pipe.
- High risk of surface contamination
- Difficult or impossible to drill through rock or dense soil
- Most methods become unstable at less than 33 feet (10 meters)
- Most methods require a high water table
Perhaps the biggest drawback to manually digging water wells is how inefficient the process is for multiple wells. Installing up to half a dozen wells in a single area might not break the bank, but repeatedly hiring large crews can add up quickly. Additionally, the geological impediments and the risk of contamination with manual techniques make them less attractive to contractors and groups looking to produce sustainable wells in multiple regions.
After considering the pros and cons, if manual drilling appears to be the best option for your project, manual percussion drilling is probably the most effective and widely used technique. The process consists of repeatedly dropping a heavy drill bit connected to a rope or cable in a hole partially filled with water to loosen soil and chip off pieces of rock. A sharpened drill bit and one-way valve at the bottom of the drill pipe can be added to create a hybrid percussion-sludging technique for increased efficiency. Manual percussion drilling is faster than other manual methods, capable of penetrating rock (very slowly) and is easily sealed to prevent contamination. However, mechanical percussion drilling &#; which mechanized the manual down-the-hole method &#; is a much more efficient option for operations looking for a long-term solution.
Mechanical Methods
Where manual drilling methods rely on simple tools, large work crews, hard work and patience to get the job done, mechanical drilling methods use motors, gears and fuel to power through rock and tough soils. These techniques can dig faster and deeper than manual methods and are ideal for contractors and groups looking for efficient, highly maneuverable easy-to-use equipment. For drilling a single well, they might not be cost efficient, but for operations looking to add water well drilling to their services, investing in the right water well drilling rig for your operation can offer fast ROI and open up new possibilities.
There are several popular methods, each with its own pros and cons, so consider your needs and the geology of your area of operation before committing to a mechanical drill rig.
Jetting: With this method, a pump forces water down a drill pipe and out a narrow nozzle to make a jet of water that loosens the sediment. Water outside the drill pipe carries cuttings up to the surface and into a settling pit, dug next to the borehole. The pump then returns the water back down the pipe. The drill pipe is suspended from a tripod and rotated by hand to keep the hole straight. In fine sand, this method can reach depths of 197 feet (60 meters).
Pros:
- Only requires two people
- Only tools are pump that can generate sufficient pressure and pipe
Cons:
- Only works in soft, fine-grained sediments
- Difficult to install sanitary seal to protect from surface contamination
Cable Tool: This is a mechanized version of manual percussion drilling. A heavy drill bit is attached to a steel cable and raised and dropped down the borehole. Cuttings are still manually removed with a bailer and several meters of water must be maintained in the borehole to keep the cuttings suspended. Equipment ranges from a basic skid-mounted winch with a tripod to a complex set of pulleys and drums with a large mast. Large cable tool rigs are mounted on a trailer or the bed of a truck and use hydraulic motors to raise and lower the mast and rotate the drums of the cable. These larger units are capable of drilling hundreds of feet deep through virtually any geological conditions.
Pros:
- Uses least amount of fuel
Cons:
- Slowest mechanical method
- Steel casing required to keep hole from collapsing when working in loose sediment
- Can require extra equipment like arc welder and cutting torch for drive casing
Mud Rotary: The basic concept behind the mud rotary drill rig is similar to jetting. Add a large cutting bit, lengths of steel drill pipe with threaded joints, a motor to turn and lift the drill pipe and a sturdy mast to support the pipe and you are ready for rotary well drilling. Mud rotary drilling also mixes bentonite clay or other materials in the jetting water to improve its ability to lift cuttings. This fluid is called &#;drilling mud&#; and is the &#;mud&#; referenced in the method&#;s name.
The two basic categories of mud rotary drilling are: table drive, where a rotating mechanism near the base of the rig turns the drill pipe, and top-head drive, where a motor attached to the upper end of the pipe turns it. In both cases, the upper end of the pipe is attached to a lifting mechanism that moves it along the mast. Both types of mud rotary rigs also have a swivel attached to the upper end of the pipe, allowing drilling mud to be pumped down the pipe while it is rotating.
Depending on size, a mud rotary rig can drill up to 3,281 feet (1,000 meters). The LS100 and LS200 drill rigs are mud rotary rigs at the small end of drill rig sizes, but even these smaller machines can drill an 8-inch (20-centimeter) borehole to a depth of 197 feet (60 meters). For more power in challenging soils, Lone Star developed the Hydraulic Series. The LS300H+ is capable of drilling a 6-inch (15-centimeter) borehole up to 300 feet (91.4 meters).
Pros:
- Drilling mud keeps borehole open eliminating need for drive casings
- Faster than cable tool and jetting methods
Cons:
- Drilling through rock only possible with larger rigs
- Multiple motors consume more fuel per hour than cable tool rig
- Large rigs require support vehicles to haul water and drill pipe
Air Rotary: The mechanical elements of an air rotary drill rig are similar to a mud rotary rig, including an option of table drive or top-head drive for rotating pipe. The principal difference is the use of compressed air to remove cuttings rather than drilling mud. The air rotary rig uses the same type of drill bits as the mud rig, but it can also drill with a down-the-hole hammer. It uses compressed air to break up rock and can drill very fast. A large air rotary rig can drill more than feet (500 meters) in the right geological conditions.
Pros:
- Fastest drilling method
- Quicker setup than other methods
Cons:
- Most expensive method
- Consumes the most fuel per hour
- Requires support vehicles and large air compressor
As you can see, there are lots of options for drilling water wells. The drilling method that works best for you, depends on your geology, your brawn and your budget.
Are you interested in learning more about Heavy Weight Drill Pipe? Contact us today to secure an expert consultation!
Comments
0