Some people might be living in a home that was built a very long time ago and that property had an old well. A well was used many years ago as a source of getting water, whether it was used as drinking water or for irrigation. But after so many years, most homeowners stopped using the wells and the next generation that lived in these properties didn’t use them either. Having an old well in your yard can be a great opportunity for you to do numerous useful things
Read on to learn more about the different ways to make use of your old well in the backyard.
Using It for Irrigation Purposes
You can use your old well for irrigation purposes. Every homeowner has several effective ways to water their backyard, lawn, and garden, and one of those excellent ways is by using the water in the old well that you don’t use. You can install a hand pump that has a lever for you to get the water up to use it. You could also invest in an automatic water pump that does the job for you. You will need to properly attach several irrigation hoses or lines to water all your plants in the garden and your lawn efficiently. Also, you can install a spot watering system if you have the budget for it. It will work conveniently if you just connect your well with any hose, line, or watering system with the main pump. This can be an excellent way to keep your garden plants properly irrigated.
An Excellent Water Source for Your Home
Believe it or not, your old well can be an excellent source of water for your home even after so many years of not being used. You just need to install the proper water pumps and connect it with the main water entry that allows you to use water in your house easily. However, most old well waters have a tremendous amount of iron in the water supply. You will need to figure out which filter is best for well water before you can start using it inside the house. You need to check the condition of the water, the color, the smell, and the level of iron it has. Even though iron isn’t harmful to us, the smell can be quite unappealing and your clothes will get stained so easily with water full of iron. Once you install the water pump, the connecting line/pipe, and the filter system that will be outside your house, you can safely use the water whenever you want at home.
Landscaping Purposes
If you can’t find any use for your well, then you can think of several landscaping purposes for it that can make your backyard look nice. You can use different ideas that can match with your old well. You just have to be creative. You can turn it into a medieval wishing well. If you have the budget for it, you can build a stone circle or a wooden one around your well to add that dramatic effect. But if you want to save some money, then you can get 3 or 4 big truck tires and then spray paint them to look like stone or wood. This will work very well and it would still give the illusion of a nice medieval wishing well.
You could try and make it look like the old-school wells that you used to see in movies or books. This is where you get a top wooden cover for the well, a rope, and a bucket to place on the side. Also, you can make it work by adding other extensions like old plant vines. Surrounding it with vines and spray painting some effects on the wood can make it look like an abandoned well. This idea is perfect for Halloween when you want to decorate your backyard to make it look spooky! Just remember to get a contractor and a permit to properly seal the well for safety reasons.
Who would have thought that having an old well can still be useful in today’s modern era? You can expect great things to happen if you managed to make your old well work again. You just need to have specific permits and proper maintenance to ensure that it stays working for you properly. Try to contact former owners or talk to your extended family members to know the location of these old wells if you can’t find it. Remember to do some research on how you can restore an old well, especially if it’s been out of commission for so many years.