DIY concrete ring well repair

In detail: do-it-yourself repair of a well from concrete rings from a real master for the site my.housecope.com.

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Many owners of private houses repeatedly ask themselves the question of how to repair a well built of concrete rings with their own hands?

Before answering this question, it is worth finding out what is the reason for the contamination of a concrete well.

On a note: Repair should only be started after you have the results of the water analysis on your hands (that is, it will indicate what is contributing to the contamination of the fluid).

If the water has acquired an unpleasant odor and becomes cloudy, there are several explanations for this.

  1. The bottom is silted up. The structure on quicksand is especially tightened by silt.
  2. The bottom can also rise due to pumping out of water.
  3. If plants / animals get inside.
  4. Oil ingress from the pump also helps to raise the bottom.
  5. If the structure of the clay castle is broken, then the clay soil can penetrate inside.
  6. Also, the quality of the water can deteriorate due to the fact that the seams were not plastered correctly during the construction phase.
  7. Contributes to the deterioration of water quality and contamination of the filtration device, which is located on the very bottom.

Attention: First of all, it is worth noting that the repair work and the cleaning of the well are interconnected. After carrying out repair work, the structure must be cleaned without fail.

In most cases, during cleaning, flaws and cracks are found that need to be repaired. Before you repair a well made of concrete rings, it is worth finding out in what cases this is necessary.

Repair of the well, for the construction of which concrete rings were used, is carried out if it was found:

Video (click to play).
  1. Creation of gaps between links.
  2. Link offset.
  3. That the water level went down.
  4. When the water disappeared altogether.

Repair work includes several stages:

  1. Sealing seams and cracks.
  2. Strengthening links.
  3. Water level rise.
  4. Installation of the filtration device.

Let's take a closer look at each stage.

The links can be displaced (slightly) with the arrival of melt water, as well as due to the use of low-quality concrete. Over time, if the holes are not repaired in time, cracks will increase, earth, sand and other solid particles will penetrate inside. If the rings have completely moved, then in this case, a major overhaul is required.

An important detail: Small gaps are sealed with waterproof substances. Most do not use modern methods of covering, but traditional ones - using concrete mixture.

Before you begin to seal the seams, you need to clean the surface from dirt. If the cracks are large, then the sealing is carried out outside. To do this, they dig a trench around the structure from the place where there is significant damage. The seams are covered up. After everything is dry, the trench is filled up.

Strengthening and sealing links

How to repair a well constructed using concrete rings to increase the structural strength?

Strength index increase process:

  1. Dig a trench around the water source until a damaged area appears.
  2. The displaced ring is slid into place.
  3. The joints are fastened using staples.
  4. The sealing process. All seams and cracks are covered with a sealant or a mixture (PVA glue + cement). They cover the seams not only inside, but also outside.
  5. A clay castle can be made for extra strength.

It is possible not only to return the water level to what it was before, but if desired, it can be increased / increased. This is done by deepening the structure.

If the well was erected recently (not even 6 months have passed), then in this case it is enough to dig out the ground from under the lower link. As a result, the ring will settle. A new link is installed on top of the structure.

In order to prevent the water from becoming cloudy, a filtration device - crushed stone - is lowered on the bottom. In case water is extracted using a pump, a filter is required. This is because solid particles such as sand / sludge can cause pumping equipment to malfunction.

The filtration layer must be more than ten centimeters thick. If the bottom is viscous / mobile, then the thickness of the minerals should be more than fifty centimeters.

Advice: The condition of the well must be monitored. To do this, you should periodically clean the structure. As mentioned above, the repair and cleaning of the well are interrelated. Consider the cleaning technology.

First of all, it should be noted that the structure needs cleaning at least once every two years.

  1. The liquid from the well is pumped out using a pump or manually.
  2. The walls are cleaned from dirt. During use, mucus and other organisms may form on the walls. For cleaning, a person plunges into the structure. Remove dirt using special products that can be purchased at any hardware store. A metal brush will not be superfluous.
  3. Cleaning the bottom from accumulated sludge. At this stage, it is best to pump out the water using buckets, as this will clean the bottom faster and more efficiently. Of course, the pump can also be used ("Kid").
  4. Cleaning the filtration device. There is a layer of gravel / crushed stone on the bottom, which also needs to be washed. I either clean the filter material with water or replace it with a new one.
  5. Sealing all existing slots.
  6. Disinfection process. For this, they mainly use bleach.
  1. The walls of the structure are wiped with bleach.
  2. After the well is filled with water, a concentrated composition is added. There are two hundred milligrams of bleach per liter of water.
  3. Stir the liquid using a pole.
  4. After twelve hours, a new solution is added.
  5. All liquid is pumped out.
  6. The process is repeated over and over again until the mustiness disappears.

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For houses of the private sector or located in rural areas, timely and competent repair of the well with your own hands remains relevant. The well, in this case, is often the only available source of water supply in the absence of a centralized system. Therefore, keeping it in good working order, ensuring the flow of clean water are prerequisites for comfort.

Quite often, in a well recently regularly supplying clean water, the liquid acquires an unpleasant taste and smell, it develops a color, indicating the presence of impurities. You cannot use such water for drinking and culinary purposes. In addition, the increased amount of impurities can spoil plumbing fixtures, household appliances, and quickly render filter cartridges unusable. Do you need to repair wells in the country with your own hands - in each case, you can decide after careful inspection of the structure, but cleaning and eliminating the causes of pollution are always required. There can be several reasons for the appearance of dirt.

  • Natural silt deposits on the walls and bottom of the canal, which are a mixture of unicellular algae, microparticles of organic matter, bacteria, etc. that have got into the water. Like any organic matter, such a mixture begins to decompose, giving the water an unpleasant smell and taste.
  • Large contaminants that accidentally fall into the well - leaves brought in by the wind through an uncovered upper part, a small animal that has fallen and drowned, etc.
  • Particles of soil and organic matter from the soil falling through the walls in case of violation of their tightness.

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Deposits on the walls of the well must be cleaned regularly

If in the first two cases you can limit yourself to cleaning and sanitizing the structure, in the latter you will have to think about how to repair the well.

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For renovation work, you will most likely need a rope ladder for the well. Read how to make it yourself in our separate article.

You will also need a drainage pump for the dirty water to pump it out. We described how to choose it in another article.

Regular cleaning of the well is the key to its long functioning and the presence of water in it without impurities and pollution. How to carry it out, there is information here.

1. Before proceeding to any other work, the mine will need to be freed from water. Since it is impossible to stop the arrival of the liquid during cleaning or repairs, it will be necessary to pump out (using a pump) several times:

  • completely as preparation for examination and further operations,
  • as needed - during repair or cleaning to ensure ease of use,
  • after completing all the necessary activities.

2. By cleaning the walls, you not only eliminate water polluting organic matter (deposits removed from the surface with a brush should be removed from the mine), but also prepare the surfaces for inspection.

3. The cleaned walls are carefully examined: the integrity of the structure itself, the coating, the joints of the elements is checked (often do-it-yourself repair of a well from concrete rings is required when they are displaced relative to each other and cracks form). The detected violations are eliminated.

4. Bottom cleaning most often consists in removing deposits and replacing the filter layer. The easiest way is to use a bucket on a rope and a shovel. More experienced homeowners often use a grapple for this purpose.

How the repair of wells with your own hands will be carried out depends on the design of the structure and, first of all, on the material from which it is made.

Important: All repair work is carried out in special clothing, with insurance and a partner.

Do-it-yourself wooden well repair can without exaggeration be attributed to the most difficult. He will require the device and use of auxiliary facilities:

  • a securely attached working platform (in the manner of a construction "cradle"),
  • a structure that will fix and hold the rims of the well over the repaired area so that the entire wall does not collapse, losing its support.

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When carrying out repair work, it is necessary to fix part of the structure above the repaired area.

The main reason for the repair of wooden structures is the putrefactive processes that occur in wood under the influence of water. In this case, organic pollution is not the organic matter brought into the well from the outside, but its own walls. There is only one way to eliminate this phenomenon - replace rotting logs with new ones.

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Wooden well made of logs

The procedure is performed in a specific sequence.

  1. The constructed working platform is secured with reliable cables on beams that are installed above the well. It is important that the platform can move up and down safely.
  2. Moving in such a site along the wall (assistants will be required, it is almost impossible to cope with such a task alone), they accurately determine the boundaries of the damage zone.
  3. Logs higher than those to be replaced are secured on both sides, eliminating the possibility of collapse.
  4. The area on which the logs have rotted is disassembled. All damaged elements rise to the surface.
  5. Elements for replacement are selected (you should take care of the availability of the necessary building materials in advance).
  6. The selected whole logs are installed in place of the removed ones, driven in. The achieved strength is checked.
  7. Self-repair of a wooden well ends with disassembly and removal of auxiliary structures from the well shaft.
  8. The mine is being cleaned.

In order to decide how to repair the well with your own hands in this case, you should assess the degree of damage.

The main problems of concrete wells are:

  • violations of the surface layer (plaster, sealant),
  • the formation of cracks in the structure,
  • depressurization of seams,
  • offset of elements.

The reasons for the destruction of concrete wells can be:

  • materials (primarily concrete) of poor quality,
  • soil mobility,
  • activity of ground or flood waters that destroy the seams.

After draining the concrete well, the degree of destruction is assessed.

    If only the surface layer is damaged, it can be restored from the inside of the mine. In preparation for work, it will be necessary to remove any coating that does not hold well, leaving only guaranteed reliable areas intact. To do this, a crack in the coating or at the place of the seam is carefully tapped. After removing the old coating, it is replaced with a new waterproofing layer.

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Well joints sealing
  • If the crack is through, you will have to work from the outside, for which the concrete structure is dug in around the perimeter, forming a shaft in which a person can fit and move relatively freely while performing repairs. The rest of the repair technology is almost the same. The wall is cleaned of soil and dirt, the crack is sealed with mastic or cement and covered with waterproofing for greater reliability.
  • How to repair a well of concrete rings when they are displaced? In this case, it is impossible to do without lifting equipment - the structure will have to be partially dismantled and reassembled according to all the rules, restoring the geometry, ensuring the strength of the seams and the tightness of the mine as a whole.

    Important: To avoid re-displacement, the rings are fastened together with special brackets.

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    Bonding rings with staples

    Repair of brick wells is technically simpler than the rest. When cracks appear in the brick or erosion of the joints by groundwater, a brick of the damaged area is selected, and a new one is laid in its place using mortar. After the joints have hardened, the plaster layer and waterproofing are restored.

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    Brick well

    Insufficient water levels can make it difficult for fluid to rise to the surface, whether it is done manually or with pumping equipment. There are two reasons for the decline in levels:

    • wrong location of the source,
    • insufficient depth of the mine.

    In the first case, most likely, the error will be noticeable immediately, and the only way out is to move the well to a new location.

    Before moving the well, you can try to increase its depth.

    • If the age of the structure is not more than six months, you can lower the structure by sampling soil from under the bottom of the structure. Excavation work should be carried out until a sufficient number of keys appear. After the well settles, its upper part is increased to the required height.
    • DIY repair of an old well when the water level drops, it is performed in a similar way, but it is necessary to narrow the structure (use concrete rings of a smaller diameter, change the parameters of brickwork, etc.).