When Should You Drill A Well With A Larger Diameter Than Normal?

When you're drilling a well, you'll need to choose how large the diameter of the well casing will be. Drilling a large-diameter well (for example, an 8" well instead of the 6" or 4" well often found in residential applications) is more expensive due to the fact that it requires larger drilling equipment. However, a well with a larger diameter has a number of benefits that can make it the right choice despite the added cost. To learn about when you may need a well with a larger casing diameter than usual, read on.

You Need a Large Well Pump for Sprinklers

The biggest advantage of drilling a large-diameter well is that you'll be able to fit a more powerful well pump in the casing. Large well pumps move water more quickly, which makes them necessary if you need a high flow rate from your well. This is most often the case if you're using your well to supply water for a sprinkler system used to irrigate a small-scale farm. Sprinkler systems use a much larger volume of water than the plumbing in your home, so you'll need a more powerful well pump in order to keep up with a sprinkler system's water demands.

Your Well Needs to Hold a Large Amount of Water

Drilling a large-diameter well increases the volume of water that can be stored in the well, so it will take longer to run dry. This is a big benefit if you're drilling a well in a location where you don't think water will flow into it very quickly. The well will slowly fill with water while it's not in use during the night, leaving you with an ample amount of water to use the next day. It's also a big benefit if you're digging a shallow well for irrigation, since they're not capable of holding very much water due to their short well casing — increasing the diameter of the well casing holds more water for your irrigation system to use.

You're Drilling a Well Through a Bedrock Formation

Finally, a large-diameter well is sometimes required when you're drilling a well into a large bedrock formation. Wells drilled into bedrock can sometimes run into issues with production. Water migrates through a maze of cracks in the bedrock, and increasing the surface area of the well opens up access to more of these cracks. A large-diameter casing helps make a well drilled into bedrock more productive, allowing it to be used without having to constantly wait for it to refill with water.

Large-diameter wells are perfect if you need to store large amounts of water or need a powerful pump that can provide water to an irrigation system, and they also help make wells in bedrock more productive. If you're considering drilling a well on your property and think that a larger diameter would suit your needs better than a smaller one, contact an 8" well drilling service in your area such as Gunter Well Drilling LLC and have them survey your land. Based on county records about other wells in your area and the layout of your property, they'll help you decide if a large-diameter well is right for you.


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