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As I mentioned in my introduction, I am very new to this whole preparedness process. I have about ten acres that I believe has a capped off well that we have yet to locate (there was a dairy barn here at one time) and an area that stays wet pretty much year around. I am thinking that there is a natural spring close to the surface in the wet area. I would like to tap into that resource (if in fact it is a spring) and build a springhouse. The problem - I do not have the faintest idea where to start. I am on a fixed income so investing a lot of money searching is not an option. If in fact it is a spring how is a spring house constructed?
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We aren't blessed with springs at my place :( But I've seen one in action up north and they have it piped to a cistern and gravity feeds several houses (downhill from the cistern).www.homesteadingandsurvival.com
www.survivalreportpodcast.com
"Don't be too proud of this technological terror you've constructed..." -
Isn't funny how much knowledge we've lost in the last generation? I know my grandparents had a spring house--I'll ask my father if he knows anything about how it was constructed. Of course, he probably wasn't around when it was built, it was just something they used when he was a child. You also might be able to find info on the internet too.Comment
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The spring houses i have seen constructed, were block (one was stone, it was older, and the stone came off the property) buildings about 8x8 with roofs. It cover the ground area around the spring, there was enough water to use submerge one gallon crocks in it to cool.
http://www.waltonfeed.com/blog/show/article_id/440 Is a decent article
http://www.youtube.com/user/JMEMantz...61/CjoyBy3KzhQ is a five part series on building a geodome out of drywall studs and plastic. Only watched part of the first one, it looks like it has promise. (someone has flagged this video fro no one under 18 to view)Comment
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I was looking through the forums, and just happened to stop here. I have been doing some research on this subject recently, because a family member that recently bought a 13 acre place, thinks that he may have a natural spring on his property, and needed some information on how to go about developing one.
We have found these helpful links.
Hope that they are of great help to you as well."It has been said that preparedness and being prepared promotes fear. This isn't true.......being UNPREPARED is what promotes fear"Comment
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I would have the spring water (actually your spring would be better classified as a seep) tested for bacteria content and arsenic before spending a whole bunch of money.
Much 'spring water' actually has a fairly heavy load of contaminants.
The good news is that if you have a nearby spring the water table on your property must be fairly close to the surface ?Comment
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To find the capped well you could try dowsing. It actually works and is free. Take two pieces of wire about the size of clothes hanger wire and bend them into L shapes. Hold the smaller sides like handles with the longer sides sticking straight out in front of you. When you pass over water close to the surface the two wires will cross in the center. Make sure to have a loose grip on the wire so that they can move freely. I was skeptical when my father showed me but I used it to find an underground water pipe about 3-4 feet underground. I would also advise trying it out somewhere that you know has water underground to make sure you have the technique down before trying to find your well. If you do a search on Google you can find further info. Hope this helps you out.Originally posted by ToOldToRun View PostIt's better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.Comment
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I'm new here so this is my first contribution. I have several of the FOXFIRE books. There is a section in FOXFIRE 4 on springs and spring houses. Here is a link to the text. These great books can be picked up at a used bookstore in my area at $10 each, which I find is reasonable based on the content.
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