DIY well drilling / trench digging for GSHP

[jdrimm]

Thanks, AC! Your comment about the advanced search helped immensely. For some reason, the Chrome browser on my tablet won't let me use the "Search This Thread" box' but I can hit the advanced search link, and it works well.

I did find your posts on the Baptist drill, I think I may be able to put together a capstan type winch to help with the missing village. Of course, all this is theoretical for a few more months, Uncle Sam still owns my days.

[marke]

grout pump I made. see the link for the install of pipe just view the prev pics [IMG][/IMG]

[Geo NR Gee]

Marke,
Can you give more details on how you made the grout pump? Do you just put the mixed grout into the red container and the hydraulic pump forces it down the pipe with a couple of one way valves?

[marke]

the green thing is a old hyd cyl I had, I cut the shaft off 10" and put a 1 1/4 pipe
in the end. the red thing is a air tank. below the tank is 1 1/4 brass 1/4 turn valve
and on the end of the cyl is 1 1/4 to 3/4 bell reducer and a 3/4 t with a psi gage
then a check valve. I put the 1/4 turn valve on it for better flow in to it. the tank was
25$ and the 1 1/4 valve was 18$ the rest I had. it pumped 80 psi. the bad thing with it is to much psi for the fittings. so you need to keep the psi below that. you turn the valve on and off to fill it. thanks to all for the help

[Geo NR Gee]

We need a grout pump also and didn't think of using the hydraulic ram like you did. What if you place a one- way check valve at the tank and one at the injection pipe? That way it would suck the grout on the return stroke.

[marke]

if you had a big one it would work good, I made this one to jack cement up to and the mix is very thick and the check valve I had would not flow right but the 1/4 turn one will

[Northern Diver]

Opps sorry, wrong thread, deleted message.

[Arihuttu_Fin]

Greetings from Finland

I found you'r great story and I need to ask few questions.

Is there anything that you would do differen on that platform if you'r ground is something like here

about 16feet medium hard soil with big rocks and after that solid bedrock and drilling depht 490-650 ft

Avarage well depht is about 580 ft in this area.

Is you'r system up and runnin?

Best regards
AriHuttu
Finland

[AC_Hacker]

Originally Posted by Arihuttu_Fin

...Is there anything that you would do different on that platform if you'r ground is something like here, about 16 feet medium hard soil with big rocks and after that solid bedrock and drilling depth 490-650 ft.

Avarage well depht is about 580 ft in this area...

Greetings Arihuttu_Fin,

I hope you fnd the information you are seeking here, on this thread. We also have an EcoRenovator member named Vlad, who also built a very robust drilling rig, and who may be able to offer some useful advice. You may want to search EcoRenovator for his posts.

I can tell you that the soil conditions and well depth you have cited indicates that what you are trying to accomplish is very challenging, and will require substantial equipment and power, to put it mildly.

I certainly do not want to discourage you, but you will need to think big, very big.

By the way, what would be the cost to you if you payed a well driller who is local to your area to put in such a geothermal well? And how much heat could you expect from such a hole?

Best,

-AC_Hacker

[jhwelder]

Just lost a bit 28' down after drilling through 15" of solid rock. Guess my son and I shouldnt have been standing on the drill to make it cut faster! Well its off to the shop to make a new one and try again.