With a plethora of water well drills available, deciding which features of reliable water well drilling rigs feels like a needle in haystack. While looking for water well drilling rigs, focus on the ones that give the greatest return on investment. Why is that? To save you from frustrations and time loss due to equipment breakdowns, inadequate parts supply, bad support and early failure.
If you put quality over cost, you’re in for a rollercoaster ride. A way to safeguard your drilling rig tools and equipment is to search for certain features that suggest the drill will be efficient and reliable for many years to come.
This blog provides you with all the necessary information needed so you can make budget-friendly decisions and get the best results.
What is a Water Well Drilling Rig?
Water well drilling rig is the most common water well drilling rig in the market. Water well drilling rigs are preferred by most homeowners to use when they require drilling their own household water wells. A water well drilling rig utilizes modern equipment and instruments to drill and drill deep into the ground for water. There are several kinds of water well drilling rigs nowadays. Choosing the best water well drilling rig for your project saves you energy, money, and time.
Types of Water Well Drilling Rigs
There are various water well drilling rigs available. Each drilling rig comes with its own capabilities, features, and limitations. Some of the most popular types are listed below:
- Trailer Mounted Drilling Rigs
These are light and portable drilling rigs mounted on a trailer for easy transportation. They are ideal for small water well drilling operations and can drill shallow aquifers.
- Truck Water Well Drilling Rigs
These are more powerful and heavier truck-mounted drilling rigs. They are more powerful than trailer-mounted rigs and can drill deeper wells. They can be transported on rough ground.
- Crawler Mounted Water Well Drilling Rigs
These are track-mounted rigs, which are most appropriate for sloping ground and rough ground. They can drill deep wells and are most appropriate for geothermal wells and borehole drilling.
- Portable Water Well Drilling Rigs
They are light and short drilling rigs and are transportable from one location to another quite easily. They are ideal for small-scale drilling of water wells.
- Bore Well Drilling Units
They are versatile drilling rigs used in water wells, boreholes, and geothermal wells. They are capable of drilling deep holes and also find their optimal applications in hard and soft rock formations.
Top Features to Look for in Reliable Water Well Drilling Rigs
- Drilling Depth Capability
This is the depth at which the rig can drill. Rigs are shallow or can drill up to hundreds of meters.
2. Power Source (Hydraulic, Pneumatic, Diesel, Electric)
The rig needs to be powered in order to work and can be powered by various power sources. Hydraulic and pneumatic rigs are powered by fluid or air pressure, and diesel and electric rigs are powered by fuel or electricity.
3. Drilling Method (Rotary, DTH, Percussion, Auger)
Some of the drilling methods used in drilling the earth are diverse. Rotary uses a rotary of a drill bit to drill rocks and soils, DTH (Down-the-Hole) uses hammering to break the rocks, percussion uses hammering repeatedly, and auger uses a screw type drill to drill out the soil.
4. Mud Pump System
For pumping drilling fluid (mud) to cool the drill bit, remove debris, and support hole stability when drilling.
5. Air Drilling Compressor Capacity
When you air drill, you require a high-capacity air compressor in a bid to eject debris and cool the drill bit. The larger the capacity, the larger the performance.
6. Automatic Rod Handling System
It is an automatic connection and transfer of drilling rods system that minimizes the use of human labor, optimizing efficiency.
7 . Rig Mobility (Truck-mounted, Trailer-mounted, Skid-mounted)
There are mobile rigs truck-mounted for convenience in movement, trailer-mounted, and skid-mounted for stability during inclement weather.
8. Anchoring and Stability System
Exploration drilling is carried out on a stable rig. Rig stability is ensured by anchoring systems in a way that it is neither vibrated nor shifted during operation.
9. Control System (Manual, Semi-Automatic, Fully Automated)
Certain rigs need to be operated manually (manual), whereas other rigs possess automatic controls which drill at a higher speed without any effort. Full-automatic rigs require less manpower.
10. Strength of Materials and Construction
As drilling rigs operate under challenging conditions, they must be constructed using good and robust materials that can endure long periods and harsh terrain.
11. Accessibility of Spare Parts and Ease of Maintenance
The rig must be simple to maintain, and the spare parts must be accessible so as not to cause downtime for repairs.
12. Safety Features (Emergency Stop, Guarding, Anti-Slip Platforms)
Safety is the top priority. Guarding, anti-slip platforms, and emergency stop buttons are a few of the safety features that provide protection against accidents during drilling.
13. Versatility to Various Soil and Rock Conditions
The rig has to be versatile enough to move on all forms of ground, from soft ground to hard rock, without being less efficient.
14. Real-Time Monitoring and Logging
Some of the newer exploration drill rigs are also equipped with sensors and computer programs to monitor drilling progress, ground status, and performance and assist the operators in making the right decisions.
15. Water Circulation and Cooling System
For avoiding overheating, drilling rigs have a cooling system whereby water is circulated in the drill bit and other equipment to make them run smoothly.
Benefits of Choosing the Right Water Well Drilling Rig
Operational Cost
Depending on the material, the number of components, and the design complexity, operational cost can vary substantially for a water well drilling rig. Of course, less expensive water well drilling rigs contain fewer components, simpler materials, and fewer complex designs, thereby reducing operational costs.
However, the higher the requirement for a particular water well drilling rig, the more costly the running will be. This is especially so with water well drilling rigs that are to be used in heavy duty.
Drilling Efficiency
There are soft rock water well drilling rigs, hard rock drilling rigs, and drilling down into the ground using explosives. The efficiency of drilling depends on the design of the water well drilling rig and the water well drilling rig material.
If the water well drilling rig is effective in drilling hard rocks, it will be very ineffective in drilling soft. Moreover, drilling efficiency is the proportion of a wellbore volume to the volume of the hole drilled. The higher the efficiency, the better, as it requires less drilling time and thus it makes the well more profitable.
Service After Market
All the water well drilling rigs are under warranty. Service centers can easily repair a damaged water well drilling rig for free or for a very low charge. This is the easiest means of having your water well drilling rig fixed if it becomes damaged.
Availability of Spare Part
In the majority of water well drilling rigs, spare parts are easily accessible. This implies that in the event a part gets damaged, you can choose to repair it at the nearest service center rather than replacing it all together. This is time-consuming and cost-effective. Or, in the event that you wish to repair a part yourself, you can choose to save money by doing it yourself.
You can also check about: Compact Geotechnical Rigs for Tough Soil
Conclusion
Water well drilling rigs are of any size or shape, e.g., big water well drilling rigs or small water well drilling rigs, and the purpose on which you will be using them is of any form as well. Hence, while you are choosing the water well drilling rig that suits your purpose, you have to remember the above factors. By doing so, you will be able to choose the water well drilling rigs that will give you the greatest value for your money.