Water supply at a summer cottage is an integral part of its arrangement. There are many different options for organizing, including the familiar well. It allows you to autonomously obtain water suitable not only for irrigation, but also for drinking. It is worth noting that its creation includes many stages, while many site owners have a question about whether a bottom filter is needed in the well. You can determine its need after inspecting the bottom and identifying the type of soil in its basis. It is also worth paying attention to the direction of the aquifer. Research is possible both during the cleaning process and when digging a well.
Features
After the device of this type of water supply is not always possible to be content with clean and tasty water, often a muddy unsightly liquid can be found instead. If it is poured into a container, after some time a precipitate forms with a characteristic unpleasant odor.
Specialized water purification equipment is quite expensive. The way out of the situation is the installation of a bottom filter in a well, which consists of natural materials.
It can have a direct and reverse principle of operation. The latter is suitable for wells characterized by a measured flow and a sandy bottom. Fine-grained material is used for laying out the bottom. The need for a direct filter arises when installing a wood board and in the case of a quicksand or a loose clay layer. In this case, coarse-grained material spills out to the bottom.
The installation of a special shield is necessary if there is a likelihood of a swimmer appearing. For its manufacture, wood is used, characterized by a long preservation of the initial characteristics in water. The most common are aspen and oak. The product is knocked down from boards previously cut to the dimensions of the well shaft. In the shield itself, it is necessary to make several holes with a diameter of 1 cm.
What you need to know
You can also make a bottom filter for a well from a stainless steel. For this, a stainless mesh is fixed between two steel circles of suitable diameter. In this case, the cell size should be within 1-3 mm. But shields of this type are quite thin and require frequent replacement due to the fact that they quickly get stuck in the sand.
To prevent the filter from being lifted by water, it is covered with large stones, on top of which pebbles or gravel are laid. Their total thickness should be at least 15 cm. In the presence of a strong quicksand, a systematic installation of a new shield will be required, since the old one will be absorbed into the soil.
Direct and reverse principle
A direct bottom filter for a well with a loose clay surface provides water purification and at the same time prevents soil erosion. First, dirt and sludge are removed from the bottom. Large crushed stone acts as the first layer. Further, smaller crushed stone is laid. Fine-grained river pebbles are covered with the last layer. The thickness of the filter should ultimately be at least half a meter.
When using the reverse design, sand particles will remain in place regardless of the impact. It also forms a protection against debris that can get outside. Its arrangement is as follows:
- river, previously washed sand is covered with the first layer;
- further - river pebbles or finely ground shungite;
- the last layer is crushed stone or stone of medium fraction.
Optional filter
In case of weak water flow or other circumstances, due to which the installation of a bottom filter in the well is not feasible, it is possible to equip the wall with an additional option. In this case, the well will be filled through the holes in the wall, they should be in the lower part, have a horizontal and V-shaped.
For installation, a construction based on coarse concrete is used. It consists of cement and gravel, while there is no sand in the composition. The components are diluted with water until a consistency similar to sour cream is obtained. Gravel is poured into the resulting mass and thoroughly mixed with it. Each stone must acquire a shell from a solution. Pre-made holes are filled with mass and left to harden. It should be noted that the choice of gravel is carried out depending on the existing conditions, while the composition should prevent sand from entering.
Care and maintenance
A bottom filter for a well, the price of which is in the range of 3,000 rubles, is eventually contaminated by silt, clay deposits and sand. Accordingly, it must be cleaned regularly. To do this, all material is removed and thoroughly washed under running water. If sand is used, it must be replaced with a new one. Then the stones come back in the same sequence.
To make a bottom filter for a well with your own hands, special skills and expenses are not required. At the same time, a simple and low-cost device allows you to get water suitable for both drinking and domestic needs. But the use of fluid is possible only after it is tested at a local SES. In addition to water purification, the functions of such devices include preventing siltation of the bottom and the development of pathogenic microorganisms. They also provide longer pump life.
Soil type
The water from the well, which is based on a dense clay layer with springs, is always clean, since the rock forming the bottom is not subject to dissolution. In this case, there is no need to install the filter, on the contrary, its use will be harmful, since it can block the output of the sources. As a coarse cleaning device, a special filter can be used that traps large particles in the water and is installed in the intake system.
When do I need a filter
If the well has a bottom made of soft clay, characterized by slight blurring, then the water in its lower part will be quite muddy. Installation of the filter is optional if water from the top layer is used and a high level of liquid is present. In this case, it is desirable to fill the bottom with gravel to reduce the likelihood of its erosion.
The sandy bottom is characterized by the presence of keys. Water in this case seeps out gradually and uniformly. A bottom filter for an aspen well is necessary because of the possibility of erosion of the surface even under light exposure. Without its use, the operation of pumping equipment is impossible, since the devices will fail due to a clogged system.
Some wells are characterized by the presence of quicksand, which is a sandy base, supersaturated with ground water. They have a fluid structure and contribute to the appearance of systematic emissions at the bottom and muddy streams of liquid. In this case, it will not work out to be limited to one filter, since protection against erosion in the form of a shield made of wood will be required.
Well bottom filter: material selection
River pebbles have a neutral chemical composition and is a rounded stone of various sizes and colors. It can be found on the river banks, and before use it is necessary to rinse under running water.
Gravel is a loose porous rock with a grain size within 2 cm. Filter material should not contain clay or sand impurities.
Shungite has become widespread in purification systems due to the effective elimination of organic pollutants, oil products and metal compounds. This material is the best option for a well with a shallow depth, which is close to the road, as it disinfects water.
Quartz sand has a transparent structure, characterized by the presence of dark inclusions. Before making a bottom filter for a well using sand, it must be cleaned by pouring into a mold and adding water. The liquid is mixed and drained after 40-60 seconds. This is necessary so that large grains of sand are at the bottom, and the particles of silt and clay are in suspension. If necessary, the procedure can be performed several times until clean water is obtained.
Crushed stone is a mixture of stones of various shapes. Its extraction is carried out mainly by a mechanical method. The basis of the material may be minerals of various kinds. But the do-it-yourself bottom filter for the well can not be made from any type of rubble. For example, the granite version is distinguished by a high radiation background, and the construction one, due to its limestone base, can contaminate the liquid. Also, it is susceptible to blur during prolonged exposure to water. The best option is a material that has a neutral base with high cleaning abilities.
Reviews
According to many owners, the water in the well became cleaner after installing an aspen shield with a seal in the form of river stones.
Also, some are of the opinion that it is better to leave the well in its original form, and use only a filling of sand and stones, such as shungite and pebbles, as other types are not able to provide proper cleaning, while their safety for health is in doubt.
Reviews of stainless steel bottom filters are mostly positive. The main advantage over wood is the absence of rot.