Drilling For Water

[Ohlin]

I want to help my girlfriend to get water, she live in NONGRAKANG near Sanom, Surin. Someone know a good combany or some people in the neighbourhood who I can get in touch with.

Thanks

[chaiyapoon]

Ask around, talk to people with new houses.Most drilling outfits in Isaan are local Thai set ups often just built on to an old pickup chassis with a second engine driving the drill. Due to the nature of the equipment ( lack of long distance road worthiness)They don't usually travell too far from home.

Make sure you get a guarantee as it is quiet common for the well to dry up /silt up

and you will need them back.I got a three year guarantee and needed it.

[roiet]

I want to help my girlfriend to get water, she live in NONGRAKANG near Sanom, Surin. Someone know a good combany or some people in the neighbourhood who I can get in touch with.

Thanks

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Local water drillers you can find anywhere around in Isaan.

Some of the local water drillers make 2-3 tests holes something like 6-8 meters down and then use the best location for water supply. In some Isaan regions the water level can drop by 5 meters in dry season , so a bit more down and you are on the safe side. Some of these locals will ask for 3000 bt and insist 8 meters down is sufficient. I payd 5000 bt for the 15 m hole and have a steady 8000 liter daily water supply.

[jayenram]

It is not the water level that dictates the best depth for the hole. You cannot "suck" more than about 9 metres anyway. Going deeper gives access to slightly less poluted ground water. 16 to 20 metres is normally sufficient.

[aletta]

Well done Ohlin,i was just going to start a forum on wells and you saved me the trouble.

Could someone possibly tell me the diameter of the average well as the wife is worried children and cats might climb in.

[Ohlin]

It is not the water level that dictates the best depth for the hole. You cannot "suck" more than about 9 metres anyway. Going deeper gives access to slightly less poluted ground water. 16 to 20 metres is normally sufficient.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hi and thanks for y answer.

It must be better to drill and use a pipe and lower a water-pump, what do y thing?

[roiet]

Well done Ohlin,i was just going to start a forum on wells and you saved me the trouble.

Could someone possibly tell me the diameter of the average well as the wife is worried children and cats might climb in.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The average diameter of wells I have seen is about 1.5 meter. You will find many different opinions about wells. Loking at the wells here in Roi et and the problems about getting clean water I decided to do it the chinese-thai way. They install sometimes huge cement water tanks above ground to make the water debris settle slowly . I pump up the water from 15 meters down with a 1 hp above ground pump and let it settle in a 3 meter high cement water tank filled with 1.5 m gravel. The gravel is 2cm diameter and acts as a natural filter. I add a little leaves of wintergreen in the first tank. This green like Menthol smelling liquid is used here to kill bacteria in the water. The sand and clay leftover and sediments and copper etc settle at the bottom and can be taken out easily opening the valve at the bottom. Because I need 8000 liter water per day for my swimming pool and bungalows I added an other cement tank 3 meters high and installed a stainless steel carbon/manganese filter and finally a 2000 l stainless steel tank. This carbon/manganese filter is 30 cm diameter and 1.5 m high. It is very efffective and produces very clean water. It has the same backwash(cleaning) facility like swimming pool filters. I am very happy about this filter and the sparkling water I can obtain now.

[jayenram]

Hi and thanks for y answer.

It must be better to drill and use a pipe and lower a water-pump, what do y thing?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I guess that you are talking of a submersible pump. A decent one will provide water from 35 to 40 metres down. However, you'll need a "well" of at least 300 mm diameter in order to lower the pump down. A suction pump only needs a casing of, say 100 mm, diameter to accommodate the suction pipe (25 - 35 mm).

[RamdomChances]

Hi and thanks for y answer.

It must be better to drill and use a pipe and lower a water-pump, what do y thing?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I guess that you are talking of a submersible pump. A decent one will provide water from 35 to 40 metres down. However, you'll need a "well" of at least 300 mm diameter in order to lower the pump down. A suction pump only needs a casing of, say 100 mm, diameter to accommodate the suction pipe (25 - 35 mm).

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I've got a submersible pump, we had to go down about 50-60 meters, as I'm on a bit of a hill, I'm sure its fits down a 4 inch pipe. Mines a 2 hp pump and the water comes out very clean, and supplies the farm, house and shop. You could probably drink it with no problem (I dont) but we do use it for cooking/coffe ect. I've got a 16,000 liter header tank, which with the farm is only enough for about 2-3 days if I have a problem, but I can switch back to gov water if I need to. I can pump about 4000 liters an hour, but it cost the best part of 100,000 with everything (drilling, pump, tank ect). Oh its always best to drill in the dryest part of the year as the water table is at its lowest.

[roiet]

Hi and thanks for y answer.

It must be better to drill and use a pipe and lower a water-pump, what do y thing?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I guess that you are talking of a submersible pump. A decent one will provide water from 35 to 40 metres down. However, you'll need a "well" of at least 300 mm diameter in order to lower the pump down. A suction pump only needs a casing of, say 100 mm, diameter to accommodate the suction pipe (25 - 35 mm).

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I've got a submersible pump, we had to go down about 50-60 meters, as I'm on a bit of a hill, I'm sure its fits down a 4 inch pipe. Mines a 2 hp pump and the water comes out very clean, and supplies the farm, house and shop. You could probably drink it with no problem (I dont) but we do use it for cooking/coffe ect. I've got a 16,000 liter header tank, which with the farm is only enough for about 2-3 days if I have a problem, but I can switch back to gov water if I need to. I can pump about 4000 liters an hour, but it cost the best part of 100,000 with everything (drilling, pump, tank ect). Oh its always best to drill in the dryest part of the year as the water table is at its lowest.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Is this 16,000 liter header tank made of cement and how big is it, I would like to know. Thanks for your info.

[jayenram]

Is this 16,000 liter header tank made of cement and how big is it, I would like to know. Thanks for your info.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I don't know what it's made of but I'd hazard a guess that it's 16 cubic metres!

[davidmmurin]

Looks like we're finally around to an old topic. Well here we go with my little tid bit of Drilling for Water. Last year during the month of April we hired a driller and crew 3 people from around Roiet..they were in the Ban Thaen Chaiyaphum area . They came to the proposed site and spudded down with a protective 4 inch pipe approximately1-2 joints then drilled out to TD~125 feet . Checked the cuttings and looked good ..We were there good drinkabe water. They set two 1 inch strands with ballvalves. For 14000 bath and three days work they furnished a half horsepower surface pump and set the pipe while we set the electric poles and power supply. We now have adequate water through the dry season but don't have a holding tank as of yet and need pressure tank setup for sprinkler or drip system to the orchard. Was also thinking about a wind mill (pat loam) cause I have one here in Texas but haven't met anyone whom I can pin point into making them. Just some x students from Chaing Mai.

[ray23]

Looks like we're finally around to an old topic.  Well here we go with my little tid bit of Drilling for Water.  Last year during the month of April we hired a driller and crew 3 people from around Roiet..they were in the Ban Thaen Chaiyaphum area .  They came to the proposed site and spudded down with a protective 4 inch pipe approximately1-2 joints then drilled out to TD~125 feet .  Checked the cuttings and looked good ..We were there good drinkabe water.  They set two 1 inch strands with ballvalves.  For 14000 bath and three days work they furnished a half horsepower surface pump and set the pipe while we set the electric poles and power supply.  We now have adequate water through the dry season but don't have a holding tank as of yet and need pressure tank setup for sprinkler or drip system to the orchard.  Was also thinking about a wind mill (pat loam) cause I have one here in Texas but haven't met anyone whom I can pin point into making them.  Just some x students from Chaing Mai.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Just a thought for making a wind mill, get the specs off the internet hopefully in form of a diagram, take it to a Thai welding shop they can make it. Believe it or not I did the same thing with a tortilla press, they thought I was nuts they had no idea what it was, but it worked perfectly.

Has anyone had any experience with the tech schools, a good high school welding class could make this type of thing as a class project and put the care in it that a profit making business could not.

Another source could be the Royal Projects, they use them with success, so someone had to make them.

I ahad seen them all over the south west including the Central Valley of California for watering cattle and they worked great. I think it would be a very smart way to keep a tank full in a farming operation and keep costs low, through less usage of electicity.

Eventually I hope to sit up a small farm operation and would love to know how your project goes.

[ray23]

Looks like we're finally around to an old topic.  Well here we go with my little tid bit of Drilling for Water.  Last year during the month of April we hired a driller and crew 3 people from around Roiet..they were in the Ban Thaen Chaiyaphum area .  They came to the proposed site and spudded down with a protective 4 inch pipe approximately1-2 joints then drilled out to TD~125 feet .  Checked the cuttings and looked good ..We were there good drinkabe water.  They set two 1 inch strands with ballvalves.  For 14000 bath and three days work they furnished a half horsepower surface pump and set the pipe while we set the electric poles and power supply.  We now have adequate water through the dry season but don't have a holding tank as of yet and need pressure tank setup for sprinkler or drip system to the orchard.  Was also thinking about a wind mill (pat loam) cause I have one here in Texas but haven't met anyone whom I can pin point into making them.  Just some x students from Chaing Mai.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[aletta]

How much are we talking for a small wind pump?

Was thinking the other day about a solar pump,is there such a pump and how many square feet of panel per horsepower?

[ray23]

How much are we talking for a small wind pump?

Was thinking the other day about a solar pump,is there such a pump and how many square feet of panel per horsepower?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

A good question I found a site the other day with an operation in Thailand that manufactored wind genearators and water pumps but I didn't notice anyhting about pricing.

I don't knw about solar powered pumps, I found it by looking under Windmills Thailand.

[ray23]

How much are we talking for a small wind pump?

Was thinking the other day about a solar pump,is there such a pump and how many square feet of panel per horsepower?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

A good question I found a site the other day with an operation in Thailand that manufactored wind genearators and water pumps but I didn't notice anyhting about pricing.

I don't knw about solar powered pumps, I found it by looking under Windmills Thailand.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Doing what I do best this morning laying in bed drinking cofffee and watching T.V. I was tuned into the Royal Developments broadcast. They have done extensive research and development in both solar energy and wind power, for water pumps.

I would really like to check out these places as the majority of them were created to help farmers. Does anyone know where they are located in Issan?

[aletta]

Hi Ray

I was under the impression that the Royal Development Projects were related to the hill tribes of the North.

Next cool season take a ride up to Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai.

Edited May 13, 2005 by aletta

[ray23]

Hi Ray

I was under the impression that the Royal Development Projects were related to the hill tribes of the North.

Next cool season take a ride up to Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

That is true but there are about six of them spread out, one is at the Police Training School un Sukonakorn ( no idea on spelling) But I think that is restricted to solar energy only.

The king has several model farms, set up for soil controls, water controls and crop development. I get the impression that he has turned around such things a acid soil, through a program of essentially washing the soil. Made the land productive through crop rotation, if nothing else it would be interesting to see.

[Bikkel]

>Was thinking the other day about a solar pump,is there such a pump and how many >square feet of panel per horsepower?

Grundfos has solar driven DC deep well pumps:

http://www.grundfos.com/web/hometh.nsf

Look under renewable energy.

Solar panels from BP, Sharp, Sanyo can deliver 160~180 Watts max/panel. The highest yield panels I found are from RWE with max 310 watts / panel. Keep in mind though that the average yield is 75% of the max power rating or less. Dimensions of a NE-Q5E2U-sharp 165 Watt panel are 62.01"x32.52"x1.81".

Be prepared to cough up to $1400 for each panel, ex shipping, import tax and inverter. Since the solar pump stops working at night you need a intermediate storage tank or a set of deep-cycle batteries and a charger.

Complete off-grid power stations can be found at http://www.sunwize.com/

On Thai Global Network TV I saw that the schools in Changmai or Changrai have solar panel power stations, founded by a Royal program. Any dealers of solar panels/power stations in Thailand with a website?

[chaiyapoon]

Noticed that a small rubber plantation well off the main road had a solar panel on a stand near their house.On enquiring about the instalation it seems they were offered it by the government at 50b a month.It ran from a battery storage set up and they were able to run a light and a small tv from it.Only three homes were able to try this locally and only fitted three months ago so not able to say if it worked long term yet.

[aletta]

Solar water pump does not seem economically viable at all,would need two $400 solar panels from what i've read for a maximum 16 cubic metres per day.That's before the cost of the pump.

[Bikkel]

Blast , the answer was there on another unrelated topic in this forum.

Solar power in thailand:

www.solarsolutions.co.th