The Well Drilling Equipment Your Well Service Should be Using
If you want your well drilled “well,” then you need to make sure the right well drilling equipment is being used. There are many different methods of well drilling, each with their own necessary tools, advantages, and disadvantages.
The equipment used and applied method can make all the difference in terms of the success of your well drilling project. However, we assure you that finding the right team, with the right equipment, and following the right methods, is possible. Let’s get drilling!
Manual Digging
If you’re the old-fashioned type, you may be apt to try the time-tested technique of hand-digging. Probably the oldest method of all, hand-digging requires a handful of simple tools and a lot of strenuous work. It definitely isn’t the quickest method by any means; however, with a crew by your side, you can reach depths up to 230 feet depending on the location. Is it worth it?
Probably not. Despite this depth, and the easily accessible well drilling equipment necessary, manual digging has far too many setbacks. For example, if you’re trying to bust through rock or dense soil; think again. These surfaces are impossible to drill without machinery. In addition, hand-digging presents a high risk of surface contamination which is not a good start for your well water. Efficiently drilling wells, especially when trying to drill multiple at a time, is out of the question when it comes to manual digging.
Mechanical Digging
To get things done fast and efficiently, your well service should be using mechanical well drilling equipment. Thanks to the use of motors and fuel, they will be able to drill through rock and soil with ease, not to mention even deeper. There are several methods of drilling to consider, each with their own set of tools, advantages, and disadvantages.
Jetting
This mechanical method uses a pump to force a flow of water down a drill pipe. The water comes out on the other end through a narrow nozzle, creating a jet of water that loosens the surrounding sediments before returning down the pipe.
Jetting only requires pipes and a water pump to generate sufficient pressure; however, it only suits soft sediments. That means gravel is too dense for the return water. Additionally, it’s difficult to install a proper sanitary seal due to the small borehole it creates.
Cable Tool
Using cable well drilling equipment involves raising and dropping a heavy drill bit on a steel cable. This is often seen as a mechanical version of manual percussion drilling. A bailer is used to remove the sludge at the bottoms of the borehole while hydraulic motors raise and lower a mast (connected to a tripod with pulleys) and rotate the cable drums.
In terms of advantages, cable tool drilling can be used to drill through almost anything. The machinery doesn’t require a lot of fuel either, which can prove to be very cost-effective. However, this process of drilling takes a lot of time.
Mud Rotary
The mud rotary well drilling method starts the same way as jetting. However, it requires a larger cutting bit, steel drill pipe, a motor, and a mass. These rigs usually involve a table drive or a top-head drive. Table drive includes the drill pipe being rotated by a mechanism near the base of the rig while top-head drive has the motor attached to the upper end of the pipe.
The use of mud rotary well drilling equipment keeps the borehole open, which makes drive casting unnecessary. Further, it’s a lot faster than the other methods and can drill a borehole up to 1,000 meters wide in diameter. However, mud rotary rigs use more fuel than cable tool rigs thanks to the two motors being used.
Air Rotary
Finally, air rotary rigs are used the same way as mud rotary rigs; the major difference is that air rotary rigs use compressed air to remove cuttings instead of drilling mud. With the right bit, air rotary rigs can break up rocks quickly and effectively too.
Thanks to the lack of drilling mud or settling pits, air rotary well drilling equipment can be set up at an impressive pace. They also drill quite faster than comparable rigs. However, they require large air compressors which adds to cost, maintenance time, and fuel consumption.
Case and point: if your well service is using the right rig for the job, then you’ll be saving time and money in the long run.
You Know The Tools and Methods; What About The Team?
With over four generations of experience handling well drilling equipment, A-1 Well Drilling is the right team for you. Whether you need a well installed or your water well systems serviced, our specialists will provide you with the highest quality of work at a fair price. Call us today if you are in need of a well-drilled water well.
