Well Patching
The definition of a patch is a piece of material used in the repair of a tear or break, to cover a hole, or to strengthen a weak area. In pipe repair a patch is usually attached by strapping or welding it to the outside over the area to be repaired. This process is not possible for water wells, so an inside patch is used. The method is to set the patch on the inside of the well by hydraulically swaging it into position. Swaging is a cold forging process that uses dies, pressure, and leverage to form or re-form metal into round pipe.
A well patch is a corrugated or wedge piece of pipe that is designed to have the same circumference as the pipe it is placed in. The result is when swaged out the two pipes are bonded together by tension pressure. This forms a stronger sealed section of pipe. The engineering principle is when two pipes of the same radius are bonded together by tension, they work as one thicker rigid section of pipe. The difference between a patch and a liner is a patch becomes part of the existing well casing, and a liner is inside pipe that is used as replacement casing.
The inside of a well is valuable real estate and a 1/8 inch patch adds ¼ inch to the inside diameter of the well. When swaged out the patch and well form one cylindrical shape, distributing the patch strength evenly through the contact area. The area of holes, cracks or missing casing is countered by the overall surface tension applied from the round rigid shape. A 16-inch 5-foot patch has 3418 square inches of added metal to hold the casing sealed and round. When sealing long areas of missing casing where large drawdown pressures exist thicker or double layered patches can be used.
Stop sand, debris, or any unwanted water
In a pumping well water converges towards openings in horizontal level planes do to static head (the weight of overlying water). Water does not rise or sink as it passes objects, it goes around them in level horizontal flow. Water only rises or sinks when inside a well as it is pulled towards pumping. Water does not flow towards blank casing unless there is a hole or leak in the casing. A patch works as blank casing by sealing off openings stopping flow in that horizontal plane. This let sand and unwanted water stay where it is at. This is the best solution to a sand or water problem because nothing at the patched elevation move towards the well. The big advantage of patching is the well still works as it was designed using the same pump and pumping rate. It also allows access below the repair area for cleaning and other repairs as they become necessary.
Recent jobs
Picture of 30 foot patched placed in Farmersville’s well.
For Well Repair or More Information on Swaging
OR CALL
Water Well Bob
Tel. 916 765-5221
Email: waterwellbob@gmail.com
Well Boy H2O
Tel. 916 799-0553
Email: wellboyh2o@gmail.com
We go anywhere in the continental USA
or Call 800 961-WELL (9355)
For over 30 years we have been building, selling and renting swage repair tools along with skilled professional swage operators to help the water well industry do well work
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