When cleaning a spike well we flush the filter with water under pressure and pump it out until the flow recovers, without pulling the spike well out of the ground. If flushing does not help, we tell you whether a repair is worth it or a new spike well is the better choice.
Why a spike well clogs
- Iron. In the filter zone, where the water flows fastest, dissolved iron precipitates, and the brown deposits stick to the screen and the sand around it. The more iron in the water, the faster this happens.
- Fine sand and silt. During pumping the water carries the finest particles with it, and they get stuck in the screen openings.
- Iron bacteria. They form slimy brown deposits that block the screen and sometimes cause a smell.
- Long periods without use. A spike well that has not been used for months often gives less water after the pause, until it is pumped out properly.
A typical sign of clogging is that the amount of water drops gradually, over months or years. The pump runs longer, the pressure drops when two taps are open, and with high consumption the pump starts drawing air.
First we make sure the fault is in the filter
If the water disappeared suddenly, the fault is usually not in the filter but in an air leak, the non-return valve or the pump. Then cleaning will not help, and we describe the causes on the page spike well not giving water.
To find out, we connect our own test pump directly to the spike well, bypassing your pump and pipes. If the spike well gives enough water with it, the problem is in the system above ground. If the flow is still low or air comes through, the problem is in the spike well, and cleaning is the right step.
How spike well cleaning is done
- Check With the test pump we measure how much water the spike well gives before cleaning.
- Disconnecting We disconnect the spike well from the pump and non-return valve, so water can be forced into the pipe from above.
- Flushing We force clean water into the spike well under pressure. This loosens the deposits in the screen and the sand around the filter. We alternate flushing with pumping out, so the loosened particles are carried out.
- Dissolving deposits, if needed If the iron deposits are hard, we use an agent intended for cleaning water boreholes, and then flush the spike well thoroughly for a long time.
- Pumping out We pump until the water is clear and the flow no longer increases, and compare it with the flow before cleaning.
- Reconnecting We reconnect the pump, check the joints and the non-return valve, and tell you what we saw.
In the first days after cleaning the water may be slightly cloudier. If you use it for drinking, it is worth doing a water test afterwards.
When cleaning will not help
- There is constantly sand in the water. This means the filter screen is torn or washed out, and you need a spike well repair with filter replacement.
- The pump draws air even at low consumption. There may be a rusted hole in the pipe above the water level.
- The water level has fallen below the pump's limit. Then the filter is not to blame, and cleaning will change nothing.
- The filter is completely clogged with iron, and after flushing the flow recovers only for a short time. Then a new spike well next to it often pays off better; see the page spike well.
How much does spike well cleaning cost?
There is no single price for spike well cleaning, because the scope of work differs in each case. The price depends on:
- what exactly has happened: a filter clogged with sand, silt or iron deposits, or else a damaged pipe, an air leak at the joints or a fault in the pump or non-return valve;
- how badly the spike well is clogged: whether one flush is enough, several rounds with dissolving of deposits are needed, or the spike well has to be pulled out after all and the filter replaced;
- the spike well's depth and location: in the garden, a basement or a shaft, and whether machinery can reach it and the water can be led away by hose;
- whether the old spike well is worth restoring at all, or it pays to install a new one next to it.
In your request, describe when the spike well was installed, how deep it is, how the flow has changed and whether there is sand in the water. A specialist then names the price for your situation, before the work starts.
How to delay the next clogging
- Do not wait until the water disappears completely: cleaning is easier while the spike well still gives water.
- If there is a lot of iron in the water, expect the spike well to need regular flushing. Water treatment protects the house from iron, but it does not protect the spike well's filter.
- Do not pump more than the spike well can give: pumping too hard draws the fine particles into the filter.
- If you do not use the spike well for months, pump it out for longer before the season.