subject: Essential Drilling Equipment for Water Wells [print this page] Essential Drilling Equipment for Water Wells
There are several basic items of drilling equipment necessary for drilling water wells. The basic items include a drill rig, different heads, liner or casing, and pipes. Pressured water tools are also used to loosen rocky areas that can break the drill bits.
A drill rig is an essential piece of drilling equipment. There are two types of drill rigs, rotary and cable. Cable drills pound straight into the ground. Rotary drill rigs make circular motions as they dig through the earth. They require a number of drill bits. The cutting or boring heads are what make the hole. Drill heads are made of tungsten or other hardened metals to grind through rocks. The rocks are sprayed with a solution of mud and water that is streamed into the hole to flush out any debris and keep the drill bits cool. The mud and water combination returns to the surface carrying the waste in pipes that clean the hole out while the drill is working.
Casings are used to stop cave-ins from occurring while drilling. This necessary drilling equipment also protects water pipes from the cold weather, which can cause them to freeze. They are made of plastic or steel that lines the walls of the water well. A two-inch gap, known as an annulus, is kept between the casing and the well. The annulus is packed with gravel, and the 20 feet closest to the surface is capped off with cement. The annulus exists to prevent any unwanted particulates moving to the water from the surface. Surface contaminates can destroy a water well and contaminate the aquifer.
Pressurized water tools or hydrofraction tools are important pieces of drilling equipment. They break apart hard rock areas that can impede drills by spraying pressurized water into rock fissures, which makes them expand. The pressure ranges from 500 PSI to 2,500 PSI, and they are alternated with drill bits every 500 feet. When the pressure gauges show that the pressure drops, the well opens and becomes loose because it allows more water inside. Hydrofraction tools are also implemented to make the drilling process faster when a drill bit becomes warm. Additionally, they help clean out well and increase production of older wells.
