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Cleaning an old stone well of sediment

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  • 30-05-2012 11:41am
    #1
    CamperMan
    Registered Users Posts: 1,835 ✭✭✭


    how can I do this?

    we have an old stone well that has not been used for decades, we want to start using it for watering the garden, but it's full of thick black sludge and I want to get all this sludge out to give us some water..

    Thanks


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    #2
    bbam
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,410 ✭✭✭bbam


    How deep is it?
    Lots if these were only two/three feet deep. You could scoop out most of it by hand with a small container. If you use anything too aggressive you could damage the structure.


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    #3
    Degsy
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 16,397 ✭✭✭✭Degsy


    CamperMan wrote: »
    how can I do this?

    we have an old stone well that has not been used for decades, we want to start using it for watering the garden, but it's full of thick black sludge and I want to get all this sludge out to give us some water..

    Thanks

    I'd love to see some pics!


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    #4
    CamperMan
    Registered Users Posts: 1,835 ✭✭✭CamperMan


    Degsy wrote: »
    I'd love to see some pics!



    OK, let me find one


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    #5
    CamperMan
    Registered Users Posts: 1,835 ✭✭✭CamperMan


    bbam wrote: »
    How deep is it?
    Lots if these were only two/three feet deep. You could scoop out most of it by hand with a small container. If you use anything too aggressive you could damage the structure.

    the water table is at about 2.2 metres down, so, if I shove a very long stick done there, the water is at 2.2 metres, but a couple of inches below the water surface, there is a thick layer of black stinky sludge, if I shove the stick in further, it will go into the sludge with ease for another metre...


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    #6
    Degsy
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 16,397 ✭✭✭✭Degsy


    CamperMan wrote: »
    the water table is at about 2.2 metres down, so, if I shove a very long stick done there, the water is at 2.2 metres, but a couple of inches below the water surface, there is a thick layer of black stinky sludge, if I shove the stick in further, it will go into the sludge with ease for another metre...


    Hmm..you might need a pump of some sort but first it might be better to pump water down the well to liquify the sludge and gunge so the pump can suck it out better.


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    #7
    CamperMan
    Registered Users Posts: 1,835 ✭✭✭CamperMan


    Degsy wrote: »
    Hmm..you might need a pump of some sort but first it might be better to pump water down the well to liquify the sludge and gunge so the pump can suck it out better.

    the sludge is already liquified as it's below the water, it's just slop... you pull some up with a bucket and it looks like someone had a bad curry the night before


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    #8
    ponddigger
    Registered Users Posts: 406 ✭✭ponddigger


    hi cm is this well in ireland or germany:Dponddigger:D any photos of the well


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    #9
    CamperMan
    Registered Users Posts: 1,835 ✭✭✭CamperMan


    ponddigger wrote: »
    hi cm is this well in ireland or germany:Dponddigger:D any photos of the well

    It's in Germany.. no pics yet, will have one up by the weekend, not much to see..

    it's an old stone built one about a metre wide and no idea how deep it goes.. it's located in the garage.. ye, weird, but the well would have been built many many years ago, the house is from 1840, and they built the garage over it in the 50's or 60's


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    #10
    Thunderbird2
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,250 ✭✭✭Thunderbird2


    Try a wet dry vacuum . They suck all the nasty out of the pond


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    #11
    CamperMan
    Registered Users Posts: 1,835 ✭✭✭CamperMan


    a pic here of the old well.

    this photo was taken after a very heavy thunderstorm

    SNB11527small.JPG


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    #12
    ponddigger
    Registered Users Posts: 406 ✭✭ponddigger


    hi cm .bucket and rope job:Dponddigger:D


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    #13
    CamperMan
    Registered Users Posts: 1,835 ✭✭✭CamperMan


    no way am I climbing down there


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    #14
    kollegeknight
    Registered Users Posts: 3,294 ✭✭✭kollegeknight


    from my limited experience. when I was a kid my father would clean out a surface well from inside. He used a bucket on a rope, and a saucepan when it got too shallow for the bucket. Always worked a treat.

    If you won;t go into the well, maybe a neighbour will.
    best of luck with it.


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