dry well installation

[Samvil]

We are installing a dry well (flow well) and all we hit is shale. The hole we have dug is full of water, no percolating down. Do we keep digging down to get pass the shale, or figure out another solution?

[cgland]

Usually shale is an excellent drainer. You must have some clay in there somewhere

[Samvil]

yes there is some clay, my guys said that they had a jack hammer out there, going inch by inch. three downspouts and a sump pump is draining to our dry well.

[greenstone]

We put earth right in our dry wells not sure if that really works as well as it says it does to break up the clay, but we still use it. We also make a larger gravel pit with all the that stuff going into it.

[CMSStoneworks]

how many "flow wells" are you using to handle the water from 3 downspouts and a sump pump?

[Samvil]

We used one with perforated pipe coming into it. We actually did not use the flow-well, dug the hole larger filled with clean stone, soil, then sod.

[HRLand]

I could never understand the idea of filling a dry well with stone. Doesn't it make more sense to use a flow-well or something similar?

[Right Touch]

flow well has worked best for us. Filling with clean stone is basically undoing the hole you just dug, even if you get 3-5" clean stone. somewhere along the line someone said this was a good idea but never really thought it through. We use the flow well and a hole saw to drill our own 3 or 4" (whatever size pvc we are using) hole. we knock out some of the knock outs, sink it into a hole lined with 3oz fabric, and fill in the void between the flow well and fabric with clean stone. this gives a container for the water, holes for seepage, and stone for drainage before you hit soil. We then wrap the fabric on top of the clean stone and top as the plan calls for. This seems to be the best way that ive done at least.

[CMSStoneworks]

I'll find the name of the product im installing on a job in the next 3 weeks and see if i can post up some pics/info. Much more durable then the NDS Flo-wells and a much higher capacity for larger jobs. So far im impressed with it, i'll also take some pics of the install. But yes, you guys are correct....all your doing by filling that void with clean stone is essentially lowering the capacity

[Samvil]

So you leave the flow well empty - no stone on the inside?

[HRLand]

no stone inside. Just fill in around the flow well. We usually put 6" on the bottom of the hole also.

[Samvil]

ok thanks, good to know