As it is sung in the well-known song of the water carrier from the film "Volga-Volga": "without water, neither there nor here," therefore, the provision of water for sanitary needs and cooking becomes an obligatory event in the arrangement of places for both permanent and temporary stay of people. The problem is solved simply if there is a centralized water supply, when it is enough to conclude an agreement with a water supply organization. But what if there is no centralized water supply?

Help is here various fixtures with varying degrees of automation, allowing you to get water from aquifers. The Abyssinian well is one of the inexpensive devices that allow you to extract water from a depth of about 8-10 m, it is quite simple to manufacture and does not require much time and money for its construction. That is why this type of equipment is very popular for shallow deposits. ground water.

The Abyssinian well, invented according to some sources by the American engineer Norton, and according to others by the German inventor Schitz, got its name and further widespread after the Abyssinian operation carried out by the British royal troops in 1867-1868. Operating on the territory of present-day Ethiopia, the British utterly defeated the troops of Emperor Theodoros II and subjugated numerous tribes.

The success of the campaign was largely ensured by the use of special devices that allowed short time to equip water sources for the British Expeditionary Force in the desert regions of Ethiopia, where the struggle unfolded not only for flowering oases, but also for every well with potable water. The equipment transported on one wagon, served by only two soldiers, made it possible to quickly hammer holes in sandy soil that reach aquifers and obtain a sufficient amount of water raised to the surface by a hand pump, and no well casing was required and no pipes were used. large diameter.

The huge popularity of these simple fixtures did not go unnoticed in Russia, where these devices appeared already in 1869. Having passed successful tests, such wells were recommended for the device and have since been widely used on soft soils with shallow aquifers.

Video what is better to choose, an Abyssinian well or a well

Abyssinian well device

The concept of a traditional Russian well with rings of a sufficiently large diameter and a house located on top is absolutely not suitable for its Abyssinian counterpart. The Abyssinian well is a failure of a well of small pipes, 45-76 mm in diameter, equipped with perforation and a strainer. At the end of the pipe is installed a special conical tip made of durable metal, the maximum diameter of which is slightly larger than the diameter of the main pipe. The thickening is done to prevent the drill from jamming in the rock. This form of the drill resembles a spear, which is why sometimes such a well is called a “needle well”. With the help of a simple device, the needle is driven into the ground until it reaches the aquifer, and a vacuum hand or vacuum is placed on top. electric pump.

The required pipe length is obtained by twisting pipe sections 1-2 meters long using a standard pipe thread and couplings with mandatory sealing of the joint with tow and oil paint to ensure tightness. The resulting well, after installing the pump and pumping out dirty water, is completely ready for operation and is capable of delivering 1-1.5 m 3 of water per hour, which is quite enough not only for sanitary needs, but also for irrigating a small area. The productivity of such a well is limited only by the throughput of the filter.

Drilling Features

For the device of the Abyssinian well in its original form, traditional well drilling with the installation of a casing pipe is not required. In fact, the device is a drill string driven directly into the ground. Currently, in order to more accurately enter the aquifers, a well is drilled with small-diameter augers, checking the type of soil and the presence of water, and then the pipe with a tip and a filter is directly clogged.

Choosing a drilling site

To get water using abyssinian well, its drilling is carried out in places where groundwater occurs, the piezometric level of which does not exceed 8 meters and is located in a layer of coarse sand. The limitation of the piezometric water level is due to the fact that this design uses vacuum pumps located at the top to raise the water, although the well itself can go deeper depending on the thickness of the aquifer. Therefore, before starting work, it is necessary to familiarize yourself with the geological features of the site, the level of groundwater occurrence and, if possible, find out their quality indicators using SES data or the experience of neighbors who have one or another type of well.

Do not be upset if the water reservoir is at a depth of more than 8 m. If the water mirror is a little deeper than this mark, you should bury the pumping equipment in a specially equipped pit and bring the supply pipe into the house below the freezing depth of the soil.

Considering small size equipment, a water intake and a pump can be located directly inside the house, which will provide water supply in summer and winter, as well as additional protection wells from getting surface melt water, debris and other contaminants.

Video how to choose a drilling site

Abyssinian well drilling technology

The Abyssinian well can be drilled using the driven method, as implemented in original version device, or bored technology, which is increasingly used today.

Driving "drilling" is the direct indentation or driving of a needle into the ground until it reaches the aquifer. Although the method is simple to implement, it has some disadvantages: there is a high probability of deformation of the pipe itself, violation of the tightness of the joints and destruction of the strainer. Then no pump will be able to raise water to the surface, and all work will have to be started all over again.

Driven drilling is characterized by driving a hole with small-diameter drills until reaching aquifers or soft soil layers, and then lowering the needle down into the resulting hole with much less effort. This reduces the requirements for both soil density and well materials, allowing the use of polymer pipes instead of metal ones, which increases the tightness and reliability of the system.

Quantity and quality of water

Whereas the Abyssinian well draws water from the upper aquifer, the most various types pollution, well drilling must be carried out in places farthest from septic tanks, places of accumulation chemical compounds flowing down from nearby fields, and other pollutants of natural and man-made nature. If water is to be used for drinking and cooking, it is worthwhile to conduct chemical and bacteriological analysis of samples from a nearby source. If there is a large amount of pollution, the device of the Abyssinian well should be abandoned and the drilling of a well equipped with a submersible pump for supplying water from deeper sandy or limestone horizons should be organized.

Of great importance is the saturation of the aquifer, on which not only the productivity of the well depends, but also its service life, which, under favorable conditions, is about 30 years. Starting drilling a well, you should definitely ask about the amount of water in nearby wells, listen to the reviews of their owners about the behavior of the water table during intensive water intake.

Equipment types

Standard Abyssinian wells in their original form are equipped with manual vacuum pump small productivity, allowing to supply 1.25 liters of water in one stroke. Such equipment is sufficient to provide minimal amenities and cooking. With large volumes of pumped water, it is advisable to install an electric pump combined with a hydraulic accumulator, which ensures continuous water supply in sufficiently large volumes.

Video about the device and the principle of operation of the pump for the Abyssinian well

Performance pumping equipment selected a little less bandwidth well filter to avoid dry running. Looking at user reviews, we can make an unambiguous conclusion that pumps installed in a buried pit or heated room provide a sufficient volume of water necessary for comfortable living and watering plants planted on the site, and with a well-made filter on the suction pipe, they serve for quite a long time.

Advantages and disadvantages of the Abyssinian well

The Abyssinian well would not have received such wide distribution if it did not have many undeniable advantages:

• The simplicity of the device without the use of expensive and bulky equipment. Within a few hours, the Abyssinian well is clogged with its own hands and immediately begins to produce usable water;
• The possibility of installation in small areas and indoors, which allows you to use the water intake even in winter;
• High performance when pumping water with an electric pump;
• Easy to maintain, clean and long service life;
• High quality water.

But, as you know, no barrel of honey is complete without a small fly in the ointment. Abyssinian wells, along with their advantages, also have some disadvantages:

• Restriction on the density of passable soils, when a “puncture” can only be performed in soils of category VIIa-IX according to the Protodyakonov scale;
• The depth of the water mirror is not more than 8-10 m;
• High demands on the quality of workmanship and filter material.

Despite some shortcomings, Abyssinian wells are used quite a large number of people and, as evidenced by the reviews, for a long time receives a sufficient amount of high quality water.

Alexey: We have been using the Abyssinian well for five years in the country. There are no complaints, the water is clean and in sufficient quantity. The only drawback: after the winter, you have to clean the filter, but the procedure is simple, it only requires removing the pump. The neighbors have had such a well for 15 years already. In the spring they only sort out the pump and the whole summer with water without problems. Viktor: Comfortable and simple thing. Water only with a slight aftertaste, unlike city water. The pump was installed electric, now there are no problems with bathing and watering. We use the second year, I don’t know how long it will last, but after the first winter everything remained the same.

Anatoly: I made an Abyssinian-type well myself. Fully satisfied. There is enough water, the quality is drinkable, the SES found a small amount of impurities, nothing dangerous. The pump automation pumps the battery into the tank and then distributes it to the points of analysis. There is absolutely no difference compared to an apartment, but you don’t have to pay. All pipes are stainless steel, however, non-standard, the joints had to be welded. Together with welding, it took two and a half days, but in no particular hurry. All households are happy.

The water supply of most dachas and cottages built outside the city is carried out from a well drilled on the site. V summer time there are no problems with the operation of this source. With the onset of the cold season, there is a risk of freezing of the casing and supply pipe. In order to prevent interruptions in the water supply, the owner of the house has to think about how and how to insulate the well for the winter. You can protect the building from freezing with the help of improvised materials: dry leaves, sawdust, peat, straw or hay. It is more efficient to use modern mineral wool insulation used in construction for thermal insulation of structures. The installation of a caisson, a sealed metal or plastic well, which is closed for the winter with a lid insulated with foam plastic, allows you to solve the problem once and for all. In any case, work on the insulation of the casing and pipes supplying water to the house must be carried out in advance.

What material and how best to insulate?

The choice of heat-insulating materials is made taking into account the climatic conditions of the area. At the same time, the depth of groundwater at the location of the well also plays a role. In regions with a mild climate, where the thermometer rarely drops below minus 5-15 degrees, you can get by with inexpensive natural materials: sawdust, straw, high-moor peat, dry leaves. A box is made around the wellbore and the selected material is poured into it. Protect the heat insulator from moisture ingress, so as not to reduce its heat-insulating properties.

High-moor peat, used to insulate the wellbore, is poured into a self-made box of barrels or wide diameter pipes

Industrial heaters are recommended for use in regions with a more severe climate, high level groundwater, leading in combination to significant freezing of the soil. Select materials based on specifications and cost square meter. You can stop at polystyrene, basalt wool, penoizol, glass wool, polystyrene. These heaters are also used in preparation for winter operation wells equipped with electric pumps.

It is known from the school physics course that air has the worst thermal conductivity. Therefore, it is recommended to leave an air gap 5 cm thick between the casing pipe and the thermal insulation layer. This air gap will additionally protect the well from freezing. By the way, in modern heaters the specified property of air is used. Foam materials include the smallest air bubbles, which increase their thermal insulation qualities. The thickness of the insulation layer should be at least 30-35 cm.

The well, which is actively used in summer for watering the garden and water supply to a private house, needs to be insulated with improvised materials in winter

Work on the insulation of a water well is usually carried out in the following order:

• sheathe the riser with fine-mesh metal mesh, retreating from its walls at a distance equal to 5 cm;
• then they put a metal casing on the structure, leaving the necessary space between it and the mesh to accommodate the insulation;
• backfilling of sawdust or other material selected for well insulation (backfilling material is not rammed);
• install a tin tray under the valve that extends beyond the metal casing, maintaining a slight slope to prevent moisture from entering the insulation.

For safety, you can carry out insulation using an additional heating system. A small heater is installed in the well, as well as a floating frost sensor. When a thin ice crust forms on the surface of the water in the well, the sensor is triggered and the heater is turned on, which contributes to the melting of the ice. With such an arrangement of the well, it is possible to protect it from freezing, reducing energy costs.

Insulation of the eyeliner to the house - a pipe in a pipe

It is possible to reduce the volume of earthworks when laying a route from a well to a house using horizontal directional drilling, as well as soil puncture technology. water pipe placed in a "case", the role of which is played by the pipe larger diameter. The pipe, together with the cable that feeds the pump, is placed in heat-insulating cylinders made by manufacturers of insulation from mineral wool or foam. If necessary, the damaged pipe can be easily pulled out of the "case" and replaced. To facilitate the process of removing the pipe from the protective casing, a cable can be used.

The laying of an insulated pipeline from the well to the house is carried out according to the "pipe in pipe" principle. This helps to protect the supply pipe from freezing.

Emergency option - resuscitation with boiling water

If extreme frosts or power outages caused the well to freeze, you can try to revive it with boiling water. To melt the ice plug in the well, you need to take a metal tube with a diameter of 10 mm. Then put a rubber hose on this tube, connecting a funnel to it. The tube is lowered into the well until it stops in the ice plug. Then they begin to pour boiling water into the funnel. Under influence hot water the ice will begin to melt gradually, and the tube will smoothly go down. After a few minutes, it will be possible to clear the well of the formed ice.

In the case when the well is in order, and water does not enter the house due to frozen pipes coming from the pump, then a decision is made to replace them. If the walls of the water supply system have not cracked under the influence of frozen water, then you can try to insert a heating wire directly into the pipe using a special device. In this case, a cable is selected that is allowed to be used in water supply systems.

Installing an insulated box

In regions with a mild climate and slight frosts, it is not necessary to install a caisson. The head of the well, together with all the equipment, is placed in an insulated box, which is opened if necessary. The protective structure can be built of wooden building materials or lined with bricks. WITH inside walls are covered with heat-insulating material. In addition to insulation, such a design can also perform a decorative function if original ideas design.

Insulation of a well in regions with a warm climate is carried out by building a small house in which equipment and piping are hidden

Plastic caisson as the best way to insulate

Well insulation with plastic caisson installed in a dug pit around the casing to a depth of 2.5 meters

When extreme low temperatures in the caisson well, it is recommended to install an additional cover with insulation directly above the well in order to exclude the possibility of water freezing in the pipes. Installation of this element is carried out in advance, since it is undesirable to open the hatch in severe frosts.

Insulate or repair: what is more profitable?

When deciding on the need to insulate the well, remember the proverb about the sled that needs to be prepared in the summer. Therefore, do not delay the start of well construction until late autumn, when the ground is already shackled by hard frosts. Do the work yourself in the warm season, spending the minimum amount of money for this. Remember that a failed due to freezing water can be much more expensive than purchasing heaters or a caisson. You cannot cope with the work on your own, invite specialists who, upon inspection, will tell you how to insulate the well in the best way.

To dilute the series of questions and problems, I decided to write a mini-report on the successful drilling of the Abyssinian well.

The prehistory is this - at the dacha for a long time (about 30 years) a well 9 m deep, drilled into the sand, was operated. By the way, for the reference of those who scold this type of wells and vibration pumps, for all 30 years different variations have been hanging out there vibration pumps type "baby", so now the remains of these pumps, lying in the garage, you can trace the evolution of domestic pump building. But I do not rule out that we were just lucky. So, in the last couple of years, the well began to produce more and more sand, and when the amount of sand exceeded conceivable limits, it became clear that something had to be done. At first, the idea came up to reanimate the old well, with this idea, this entire forum was rummaged through and a lot of information on the Internet, but nothing worthwhile, except for lowering a pipe of a smaller diameter with a filter into an existing well, did not occur, after which it was decided to turn to professionals . Again, Alexander was found on this forum, (nickname nedrabur), to whom he was asked eternal question"what to do?". It was Alexander who suggested that instead of resuscitation of the old well, make a new one, and next to the house, where it really turned out to be more convenient - before that, such a thought had not even occurred to him. After some deliberation, we decided to do so.
And then the day X came, the weather is favorable, Alexander and his assistant (also Alexander) arrived exactly as agreed, and, in fact, they started. I won’t tell you about the process, although I was interested, for sure Alexander will be able to do it much better than me, in addition, I tried not to spin especially under my feet, in general, everyone was doing their own thing ;-) I’ll say that I liked it - firstly, a well it is being drilled under a thin pipe - it seems to me, as a non-specialist, that by lowering the production pipe into a pre-drilled well, it is much less likely to somehow damage the filter section, and besides, it is known what kind of sand is below, etc. and it is possible to choose the best aquifer. (By the way, a week before, the gas workers who connected the cylinder to gas stove, offered a driving well, but were, fortunately, ignored.); the filter section is very carefully made, it is completely made of stainless steel - a pipe and a mesh; all threaded connections on the pipe they were also assembled very carefully - on linen with a special paste; and in general all the work was done very carefully.
Probably, we were really lucky with the aquifer ;-) it goes from 5 meters and does not end at 11 (where drilling was stopped). But nevertheless, in the afternoon the machine was removed and the column was lowered. Exciting moment - connection hand pump, and the first liters of water! The first few strokes left a pile of sand, then, literally before our eyes, the water began to brighten. As a result, after a few minutes, the pumping went absolutely clear water. Hooray!
After everything had already been turned off and both Alexanders had changed, it occurred to me to consult also about the pump. As a result, Alexander also supplied me with an inexpensive pump (I want to drive an inexpensive one for the first time, until it becomes completely clear what and how) and a piping to it - a pipe, check valve etc., and helped to connect, which was not agreed in advance.

Already in the evening, after they left, we shook the water a little, and for the test we poured a couple of bottles for settling - the next morning no sediment was found in them. The next day they still pumped water, as recommended by Alexander, the water went absolutely without problems and without interruptions. The flow was not measured - there was nothing special, and there was a lot to do - but when water was added to the septic tank, about half of the septic tank (about a cubic meter) was filled in 15-20 minutes. So on this moment everything is just fine, even much better than I expected. It remains only to hand over the water for analysis, maybe purchase filters, mount the system, and that's all ...

Alexander, thank you very much!

Sincerely, Dima.

One of the main differences between these two wells is the location of the pump.

In the Abyssinian well version, the pump is located on the surface of the earth, near the well with casing pipes the pump is submerged inside the well. You may have heard that the Abyssinian well, which has a pump at the top, can only pump from a limited depth. This is true to some extent, but total length the well does not matter, the static water level is important here.

Recall that the static level is the distance from the water surface inside the well to the surface of the earth.

The choice fell on pumping station, Abyssinian well drilled in the bathroom.

The second and main difference between these wells is the diameter of the pipes, for an Abyssinian well, the diameter is usually 32 mm, for a deep well, these are black pipes of 125 - 133 mm. Abyssinian well can give less water, 1000 liters per hour is considered a good result. While in a well with casing pipes, 2000 liters per hour or even more is considered the norm. If you plan to use well water for washing machine, water heater, shower cabin, you will need to maintain a certain water pressure in the system.

In sand or limestone wells in the Moscow region, in order to maintain pressure, in addition to submersible pump you will need a pressure switch and a hydraulic accumulator with a pressure gauge, that is, you need to make serious investments in the arrangement. In the variant of the Abyssinian well, it is sufficient to install a pumping station, this is a modified surface pump that already has a hydraulic accumulator pressure switch and a pressure gauge. A big plus of such a pump is that if any element fails, it will not be a problem to replace it. In a well with casing, if the pump fails, it will need to be pulled out of the well, which will take much more effort.

If you choose a well for a house in which you do not live permanently, but come, for example, only for the summer, then the Abyssinian well will be a good option.

If you also plan to visit occasionally in the winter, and the rest of the time the house will be cold, the Abyssinian well is definitely not the best way, since every time you have to disable surface pumps and drain water from it so that it does not freeze, and reconnect it upon arrival. In the version of the well with casing pipes, so that the system freezes more than once in winter period maximum you need to go down into the caisson and open the drain valve.

When choosing a well, a cable for heating water pipes

If you often plan to come in winter and at the same time you do not want to open and close the valve to drain the water every time, then there is an automatic drain valve that allows you to drain the water without leaving your home. If you are planning to drill a well for the house you live in, then consider drilling an Abyssinian well inside the house itself. Since if you drill an Abyssinian well on the street, you will need to insulate the pump or install it in the house so that it does not freeze in winter.

A big plus of the Abyssinian well in the Moscow region is its price, since it has a lower cost and labor costs for drilling. It is very important to calculate in advance the cost of not only the well itself, but also all the equipment necessary for the operation, because if you drill an Abyssinian well on the street and want to use it all year round, then in addition to the cost of the well itself, you will need pump insulation, excavation, concrete rings for the caisson, their installation and waterproofing, if the pumping station is located outside the house. As a result, the cost of such insulation can negate all the benefits in the price of an Abyssinian well in front of a well with casing pipes. We have already talked about where it is better to drill an Abyssinian well.

And so let's summarize, what is the best well to drill in the Moscow region?

If the water on your site lies close, you don’t have a four-story mansion, you don’t need a large water flow, and you didn’t plan to spend a very large budget on a well, then I recommend thinking about drilling an Abyssinian well. In almost all other cases, I would recommend that you drill a classic well with casing pipes.

You can order an Abyssinian well in the Moscow region

On each suburban area there must be a source of water. The easiest way to get it is to make an Abyssinian well. After only half a day of work, the owners will be able to use clean water, which will not have a counter. At the same time, the compact device of the well does not take up much space. Judging by the reviews of the owners, you can install it even in viewing hole garage. But before digging the ground, you need to familiarize yourself with all the pros and cons of this device. And you can install the equipment according to the photo or video instructions.

Abyssinian well - what is it?

The Abyssinian well is one of the simplest devices for extracting water. England is considered its homeland, where this device was invented in the 19th century. It was brought to Russia by the famous artist Ilya Repin.

Even those who are not familiar with the basics of construction can easily install on their site. The basis of the well is a pipe that needs to be hammered into a pit. Water will rise through it.

An electric pump can be installed inside such a pipe. But more often used manually. It is in this form that the Abyssinian well has been used for many years. Even in this way, you can get up to 3 thousand liters per hour.

Abyssinian well drilling

If installed correctly, the Abyssinian well will last at least 15 years. In some cases, it can work for 30 years. The depth of such a well is not great. Water should lie at least 8 m. But it can be used all year round.

Attention! In winter, so that parts of the well do not freeze and water does not stop flowing, the device must be insulated.

Advantages and disadvantages

If the water on the site does not lie too deep, and the neighbors use wells, such a device can also be installed in your yard. It has a number of advantages that are difficult to overestimate:

• simple and cheap design, in comparison with many other methods of water extraction;
• during installation, the landscape will not be disturbed;
• the design does not require much space;
• does not require the use of complex equipment and the organization of access roads for it;
• the pump can be mounted outdoors or indoors;
• installation work will take no more than 10 hours, the time depends on the depth of water and the hardness of the soil;
• when installing a quality well in a pipe, the structure will serve for a very long time;
• the well is protected from dirty water from the surface of the earth;

The arrangement of the well will allow you to organize uninterrupted water supply

• Well water can be used for home use, and for watering the garden and vegetable garden;
• the well is easy to dismantle and install in another place.

There are not so many disadvantages of the Abyssinian well. Firstly, it can only be installed with shallow water - up to 10 m, and preferably up to 8. Secondly, it is installed only on loose soils. Theoretically, it is possible to use the technology on solid ground, but it will be much more difficult.

The quantity and quality of water in the well and well

The quality of the water in the Abyssinian well is another of its advantages. Since the water comes from a clayey aquifer, it is fresh and fairly clean. If we compare it with water from a well, well water is softer and tastier. But the water from the well is hard, as it contains a greater amount of minerals.

Advice. Despite the taste of water and apparent purity, before drinking it, you should check the water for the presence of harmful impurities and infections. To do this, a water sample can be taken to a sanitary epidemiological station or an independent laboratory.

As for the amount of water, the well loses to the well. At least for the reason that water is most often extracted from an Abyssinian well manually, and from a well - using an electric pump. About 250 liters of water can be obtained from the well per hour, which is not much for irrigation.

Abyssinian well: scheme

Rules for the construction of the Abyssinian well

Before installing the Abyssinian well, you should choose a suitable place for it on the site. It is best to find an old well and install a new one nearby. But this can only be done if the old one is no longer used, not because the water vein has dried up.

Attention! The main thing is that there are no direct sources of pollution near the well. This is about cesspools, compost heaps and locations for livestock. Otherwise, the water from the well cannot be used in the household.

If the ground is soft and the place is chosen well, the work is carried out as follows:

1. First you need to make a filter. For this, a pipe (diameter 110 cm) is taken, to which a cone-shaped tip will be welded. This is a well needle. If it is not possible to weld the part, you can simply crush the end of the pipe with a sledgehammer. After that, slits are made in the needle on both sides with the help of a grinder of 2 cm every 2.5 cm. Next, a wire and a mesh are wound onto the needle, which are fixed with clamps.
2. In the designated place, you need to make a hole with a garden drill. You need to drill until wet sand appears on the tool.
3. The well needle should be connected to other pipes using couplings and lowered into the drilled hole. Most likely, the pipe will have to be driven into the ground, since the hole for it is small in diameter.
4. Lastly, a check valve is installed, as well. The design must be completely sealed. Water should be poured into the pumping station, and the hose connected to the outlet. After that, the pump can be started.

For the first minutes, air may come out of the well or dirty water, but very quickly the pipes will be cleaned, and it will go pure water.

And a few more tips for those who want to install a well on their site. Special attention should be given to the choice of location. It should not be in a swampy area. You need to use equipment from environmentally friendly clean materials. And to carry out work better in spring or in autumn. Then clean water in any quantities will always be available on the site.

DIY Abyssinian well: video