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SPEARPOINT STREAM CLEANER DESIGN FOR BACTERIAL IRON [CRENAFEX]
GIVE AWAY KNOWLEDGE - DESIGNS OF SIMPLE TECHNOLOGY TO ASSIST FARMERS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM
Not designed for Soluble Iron Stream problem.
Presented to the farmers as a helpful gift of self taught knowledge after a life time of work, study & testing in learning as self teachers to build a designs between Keith Symington's experimenting that was successful in his work life at Denman Dapkos, and myself, Terry OíHara, with my own results in testing spearpoints at Barlow's Farm on the Goulburn River of many years of mistake making combined with Keith's synchronised ideas that coincide with mine of the problem of blocked spearpoints.
We both agree because of our age only, not to loose our personal learning in our life time to be able to pass on the answer to future farmers with the same problem as to understand the real problem of the blockage, or maybe fix them themselves, or be in the situation to improve our technique of treatment as value adding to advance our simple technology.
NOTE -- Wells installed and pumping in iron bacteria stream do not have any type of blockage at all, it is designed of a larger diameter then spearpoint in collection of water with a slow movement of water in the stream around the well to give nil blockage of water.
"WATER PROBLEMS"
In Stream Blockage:
- To produce a balanced set of spearpoints at any stage of age with blockage.
- To reproduce that high production as a new set just installed to operate a contented pump at a normal vacuum pressure with a wider area of collection.
- To create a perfect equal lift of the water at each individual spearpoint on the suction side of any pump that has bacterial iron water in their irrigation systems that grows in the underground streams that blocks the stream around the spearpoint restricting flow.
This blockage of stream has been the main problem that Keith & I have been aware of for a very long time. Modern way of acid & detergent chemical in the spearpoint to settle on the bottom then pump out only cleans the inside the spear, not the blocked stream which is the major problem.
Back flushing with water helps after serious blockage but easy access of escape becomes the ruling factor as the cleaner spearpoint become cleaner and the block one stay blocked to produce a very unbalance system if heading towards a dry time as I found out the hard way you will have a lot less water when you require water and the more you flush the cleaner the cleaner one get.
Keith & I both agree the badly block spearpoints in the system are your best spears as they have the worst blockage in the underground stream as there has been more movement of water in the past to grow more bacterial iron to create excessive blockage in the stream around these spears.
So with flush back, it helps but you only fix your inferior spearpoints after you have had a blockage.
If you flush back after every shift at the start of installing a brand new set it will stay a lot cleaner in the stream as it washers the bacterial iron off the gravel and sand as it tumbles outwards from the back flush water that has just started to feed to grow excessively fast from the fast flow of the moving water in the stream around the spearpoint that was created by the pumping.
THEORY OF PROBLEM FROM COMBINED THOUGHTS ONLY
Bacterial iron live and grows in some streams in rivers and creeks that are of a required PH that compatible to their requirements.
In a normal state of underground water in a the stream, water flow rate is the controlling factor to produce the bacterial iron to live, reproduce, grows, then dies to form a small scale on the gravel or sand particles with nil harm as gravity is the controlling energy that moves the flow of water in the underground stream.
When pumping starts on a set of spearpoints flow rate increases a million times a minute as the pump sucks the water out of the sand to become a abnormal flow of water in the underground steam.
The water moves faster in a circle like fashion around the spearpoint as the water moves towards the centre of the circle to enter at the outside the spearpoint as it is moving at a tremendous speed created by supplying water to the pump from the pump drawing or sucking the water into the spearpoint through the gravel and sand in the stream.
But in my mind as thinking like mother nature this is still a natural flow rate as living there to the bacterial iron that in the water flow as its food source to control production that has increased maybe a million times faster then the pull of gravity in a normal flow where the water wants to enter the spear in pumping.
This flow rate has created a type of obesity in the bacterial iron's life style as over eating & growing from excessive amount of food delivered in the water which creates the problem of when it dies to form a scale on the sand or gravel particle as being too many death it form a solid like rocky substance glued together to correct the problem of nature as a flow rate out of control in their underground stream world.
With this situation created by the bacterial iron's in control of its problem as it is alive no matter how small with natural conditions of nature on its side has restricts the flow of water to a healthy slow flow as a normal running underground stream.
This is the problem of our spearpoint blockage of the stream, blocked on the outside of the spear with a solid rocky type substance of iron bacteria in the colour of a blackish brown light weight material.
This growing material can be pumped out if you can break it up small enough in the form to a size like sand particles as it lets the water back in at the same time as you pump it out.
The main problem of spearpoints is that it creates this travel in the stream is that the pumping system sucks the water through the stream at a speed faster the any gravity feed movement of water.
Aim --- to build & develop a useful device with pneumatic principles of high pressured air that's installed with small pipes as jet holes in a selected position as mixing with the water to break the restricting barrier on the outside of the spearpoint into small particles to be pump out at the same time by the pumping system with the blockage to study the instant improvements of water quantity.
In searching for answer in experiments
Looking for these results from testing:
- To save in running cost after stopping the hard suction that creates the same as a extremely high lift as being a silent thief of energy that operates all the time the sprays are irrigating.
- As the stream around each individual spearpont being in a healthy clean condition in a very bad dry time or drought will be more balanced in the lift over a wider area to feed the pump a lot more water at a higher level in the underground stream.
- This is a lot better to run cheaper in energy plus pump a lot more water then lifting at one point like a well or with a pipe strainer installation when pumping in a drought.
- This technique is a environmental friendly way of cleaning with nil acids or chemicals in the underground stream only air pressured operated tools installed near the spearpoint to break up the blockage in the underground stream.
- These air tool that clean the stream can be built & installed on the outside of the spearpoint at the time of installation to be ready to clean the stream. I would strongly recommend this at the start in iron bacteria streams to save money to install when there is a blockage.
- My dream in finding the answer to the problem of blockage is some day in the future that my old iron bacteria set of spearpoint will be still be pumping strong in a future drought to be the last set of spearpoints to get into trouble with shortage of water on the Goulburn River system.
- I am very aware that iron bacteria streams are the best stream in quantity not quality but quantity is what you want in a drought. so I TEST & PLAY with them all the time.
When one of my set of spearpoints were first installed in the late 60's,with nil water in the river, a pump test was setup with a 6 in flood pump on a high speed tractor belt drive for 24 hr with the river dry as a bone, it filled a 44 or 205 lt drum in 3 seconds at any stage of pumping, to make the river run for a short distance, and that a lot of water to have in a dry time on any farm.
SMYO'S SELF TAUGHT CLEANING METHOD
To break up the solid mass on the out side the spearpoint not to clean the inside the spear at all just pump as he breaks it up to remove the particles.
This is achieved by setting up a blow pipe of water along side the spearpoint and jetting down on two sides with the pump running as a type of recycle system to break up the wall of bacteria into small particles to let the water into the spearpoint.
As Symo's move to the next spearpoint to setup again, he let the pump run on the open pipe at the nearest outlet to remove the bacteria iron particles that was broken up in the underground stream around the last spearpoint that was treated.
Symo's quoted you can tell the water is improving all the time by the pressure of the hose plus a increase flow from the pump as jetting in the blow pipe.
This technique is ideal to fix all the spearpoints but it is not a permanent treatment over time the bacteria will grow back to block the system up again.
Symo quoted -- He has seen this type of breaking up the wall of blockage on the outside the spearpoint last a long time before they are in trouble again maybe 3 or 4 years, but it would start growing instantly with excessively fast flow of water in the stream as pumping.
MY TREATMENT OF SPEARPOINT BLOCKAGE
I use a very simple blowback system Symo installed for me as new spearpoint system after loosing my old set in a bad flood in the early 70's with all my testing setup destroyed.
This blowback has a effect on fixing the problem but it is a on going thing to always be treating as much as you can a least once a day after pumping a spray line at the end of it's shift ready to start the pump up straight away as changing the spray line over to a new position.
Symo placed me in a bypass pipe with a gatevalve installed in the pipe line to isolate water flow on my pump set up system, hooked in from the top side of the pump on the delivery pipe to the bottom side of the checkvalue on the suction line at the tee piece on the spearpoints that connect the header pipes together connected to all the spearpoint system.
This blowback pipe allows me to stop the pump and open the gatevalve instantly with the pressure of the sprays still in the underground mains This allows a large volume of high pressure water to return as a blowback in the spears back out into the blocked stream to break up the iron bacteria that stopping the water coming into the spear to be pumped.
I AM STILL USING THIS SAME SETUP TODAY YEAR 2002
WARNING ---- If you have PVC main you will need to have a check valve at the top of the mains on the end to allow the air of large quantity into the line as it returns down the underground main, as you can collapse your main in as they are only made for pressure not vacuum and that's what happens if the water can not get out at the blowback pipe. It will suck them all in like a drinking straw from the weight of the water trying to run out at a lower point from the speed of the moving water with air trying to go back up the pipe, as it falls from a higher level.
Even if you have undulation gullies and hills you may need more then one checkvalve to let air into the main.
With my system as being fibro it will not hurt but it restrict volume of flow in the pipe so I open the gatevalve at the end of the main about 1 1/2 kms away to let all the air out that lock in the top and fill all the main up with water with the pump still running then when I flushback into the spears the air can feed back in at the top to keep the water at it's full volume in the main as it returns.
I am planning to install a 4 in checkvalve with a little air valve together, to place on the top of the mains.on the end at the last outlet.
The air valve will slowly let the water go to the top of the mains as the sprays are running.
Then the 4 in checkvalve will open itself to let air in as I backflush the spears, then shut itself when I start the pump up to run the sprays to fill up again ready for the next flush back.
I also find it a advantage with the spray line hydrant open down lower in the main to let small amount of air in to mix with the water as the water rusher past to help rattle the spearpoint and wall of iron bacteria in breaking the barrier up to be pump out.
This method of treatment has worked for me for many years but when there is a dry time I am in trouble as my spears are not balanced in supply of water from the stream as easy access is the controller of the flush back water.
The clean spears get cleaner and the block ones stay block.
This type of flushback of water I have also used as a easy starter to prime the spearpoints, I hooked the pressure system into the fibro to fill to the top over night , then turn my bypass valve on to flushback the spears for 90 seconds or more then turn it off leaving the spears fully primed ready to start up. This also helps with cleaning as the air in the header pipes is forced out into the underground steam to bubble out through the blockage as high air pressure at the bottom of the spears created from the weight of the water in the mains under high pressure slowly built up by the pressure pump over night.
TO FIX VERY BAD SPEARPOINTS THAT HAVE BEEN BLOCK FOR A LONG TIME WITH MY FLUSHBACK SYSTEM
At different time in the past my flushback pipe has needed repair to operate, but I have still irrigated for a period of time with my water slowly becoming weaker, I have had the vacuum gauge on the suction pipe up to 21 or more pumping a small of amount of water finding it hard to cover with the sprays.
When I repair my problem my best results have always been to treat first with 3 flushbacks in one go, where to fill the 1& 1/2 KM of 8 to 6 in fibro up with the top open, to let the water out and air in, then turn the pump off, open the bypass valve and let the whole system empty into the spearpoints.
I would prime the pump back up to do this 3 times before I removed this solid blockage with the vacuum gauge down to 10 or 11 with the pump very easy to start again with pressure back in the sprays.
Note - My best results would be with water still running in the river as having a high water level in the stream as a weight of water is a major advantage to break up the solid mass in the stream, I found this out the hard way when the river dried up.
I have had badly block spearpoints in dry times and my results were not as good as easy access becomes a larger factor to clean the clean spears cleaner to give a unbalanced lift over the area in pumping to pump less water as the pump would pump out on the cleaner spears.
MEASURE IN BLOCKAGE
I learnt this from a experiment I call a blockage test on each individual spearpoint.
I cut the top off each bend at the top of my 8 spearpoints where they hooks into the header pipes and welded in a flange to seal a hole looking inline down the spearpoint .
This allowed me to test each spear separately in a unusual way.
I hired myself a self priming petrol motor pump to test with, but I wasn't after a big amount of water from each one I was after a measurement in height of the pump out level per same flow rate of water at each spear.
There was a large variation in height the first one would not even run the pump, the second one it pump out at 10 ft lifting on the suction pipe before it sucked air. The third 8.ft6in .On the down side where I though most of my water was it would just run the pump or 6 inch up to 18 inch &12 inch There was none of them identical at all, just bad and good.
This meant to me the problem that easy access of flush back water is cleaning the clean ones cleaner with the block ones staying blocked.
This also proved to me that I have a very unbalanced water level in the stream as I pump to give me less water when I need it in a dry time.
Anybody with this unusual blockage problem of iron bacteria I strongly recommend that you place a vacuum gauge on the suction side of the pump to monitor a reading in a pump diary with number of sprays going.
It is also nice to have a pipe in the sand down to the bottom of the underground stream to measure depth of water compared to actual lift on the vacuum gauge to measure the blockage as extra lift that's not normal.
14.7 vac = 1 atmosphere 10m of lift to where the gauge is installed into the suction pipe.
Plus it also helps with a pressure gauge on the delivery to watch the vacuum lift go up as the pressure go down on the delivery against the different number of sprays that you are running.
This is your energy eater that you cannot see, hard lift out of the spearpoints to the pump instead of pumping water.
A PROVEN FACT
In a irrigation plant on a iron bacteria stream other then a spearpoint system as gravity feed movement of water to only run in to be pumped out like a well or a bore with a submersible pump as being open to the air at the top. The stream will not block, because the water is not sucked out of the stream to create that extra fast movement of a abnormal flow rate in the stream itself.
This is the start of the problem in iron bacteria streams to grow a blockage by sucking in water , with the water moving around at gravity controlled speed this will not occur.
HISTORY OF MY PROBLEMS
For many years in testing and installing my own spearpoints since 1964 as at the start learning from Michael & Johnny Gibbs from Baerame Creek with their help to install my first set of spearpoints on the Goulburn River was my start of my unknown problem at that time BACTERIAL IRON called CRENAFEX a living underground stream organism.
It took me a long time to realise it was blocking the stream more then the spearpoint in restriction of water flow in the stream just outside spearpoint.
SUGGESTED DESIGNS OF NEW SPEARPOINT INSTALLATION
Install a orifice [ flow restructure ] at the top of every spearpoint just as it hooks in to the header pipe to slow the draw to the normal flow of gravity in the stream of water around the spearpoint as to create a even draw from each individual spear when all hooked together as pumping --- maybe 5,000 gals per hour or less instead 15,000 or more.
Symo has the experience in this field to decide the amount to restrict, by pump testing himself as all streams are different in all situations.
Symo also stated he could also make a slight variation in orifice size between the centre spears to the outside spears as the closest draw more being nearer to the pump, this measurement needs a lot of trial & error to perfect as a major advantage in a drought.
MAIN PROBLEM TO CONTROL AT THE START
This controls the problem as new spearpoints of the closest spears supplying most of the water to the pump to block up the stream first, then the next closest becomes the main supply till it blocks, then the next, and so on till the system of flow in the stream is slowly all block up.
MISTAKE MAKING IN THE PAST AS LEARNING THIS PROBLEM
In the past in the 60 's when I first installed my spearpoints, at the very start of running out of water because of blockage that I was unaware of at that time. I would add another two spearpoints on the end as a extension to help and I would have all the water I wanted for 3 month then I would start to get short, so I would add another two to fix it the same for a little while.
But now you can see all the water was coming from the new ones till they block up the stream like the rest, as I am aware now.
At that time in the past Michael Gibbs was keen to find the answer to my problem and his theory was they were not in the correct underground stream.
So Mike divined the whole set out different as not being in a straight line, some we move 6 ft over one way and 10 ft out the other side and so on till we moved the whole system in a new spot.
This move give me all the water I wanted thinking we fix the problem for a while but I slowly went back to shortage of water this is when I started the technique of blowback to help clean them as we taught it was fine sand particles in the spear holes stopping the water coming in at that time, but as I know today from other testing or mistake making in my life time it is bacterial iron growing out of control blocking the underground stream caused from excessive fast flow of the water.
SYMO'S EXPERIENCE WITH DIFFERENT SYSTEMS OF SPEARPOINT SETUPS
There is one system that coincides with my idea of restricting the flow of water with a orifice at the top of every spear, is a setup on a set of spears that has a junction box with a series of 2 inch ploypipe connecting all the spears into the box then on to the pump as a larger suction pipe.
Symo quoted that these spearpoint are still pumping well after a long time, this is because of the set up with the 2 inch pipes acting like a restrictor to cut back on the flow in controlling the bacteria growth in the underground stream.
INSTALL A BIT BIGGER SYSTEM WITH A ORIFICE AT EVERY SPEARPOINT AS A RESTRICTOR OF WATER FLOW
This method may require more spears to be installed to gain your amount of water needed to satisfy the pumping system, but you will have a life time of water with the correct material used in making, as never blocking in the stream to gain that even balanced lift of water over a very wider area in any bad drought as a competitive advantage to other farmers that are naturally restricted by pumping out with a blocked uneven lift or a different smaller system of collection.
This orifice has to made to fit between two flanges with a extra rubber to seal also suggest to make it out of solid stainless steel or 10 mm steel that has been galvanised after cutting to the correct size to stop rust or friction changing the size over time to start drawing more water to create a blockage in the stream again.
This upsets will balance water in dry or drought times when you require that extra water on a higher lift to the pump from the underground steam.
Extra Notes on different setups
Keith Symington suggest it is a necessity to have a air breather pipe on a sealed spear point with foot valve or a submersible pump installed for pumping to stop a vacuum in the sealed spear to create a suction in the stream to over rule the natural flow of gravity controlling the water.
Keith stated you can hear the breather draw air in as the pump starts and air out as it stops, also make sure it has a gauzes strainer to stop blockage of some animal life.
Control pumping water to gravity flow movement in the underground stream is the answer to the problem in iron bacteria streams to live on in a healthy state with out any blockage to the supply of water for very large irrigation systems.
If you only want a small setup use a submersible or a foot valve down the center of the spearpoint with a air breather pipe connect in as it is sealed to allow the water to flow in a natural way then you will have no problems with blockage.
SUGGESTED EXPERIMENT TO TRY ON A BADLY BLOCK SET OF SPEARPOINTS
Use Symo's way of cleaning the whole set with a blow pipe on the outside the spear right along side the spearpoint in two positions down each side, to break up the blockage and pump it out at the same time.
Then use my idea of the orifice on top of every spear to restrict the flow in the stream to the same pumping rate as to create a normal gravity movement in the stream so the iron bacteria cannot grow back to create another blockage.
My suggestion is to talk to Symo as he has tested many types of set ups in spears, and would tell you some examples of nil blockage over a long time of pumping in smaller gravity feed systems that he has installed in the past.
ORIFICE MEASUREMENTS
Trial & Error in pump testing a spearpoint with a orifice installed is the only way to work out the diameter of the hole to restrict the flow too the correct amount, then you can set the rest of them up the same size to gain even draw of water from each spear, to create gravity flow in the whole movement of water in the underground stream.
UNFINISHED TESTING THAT LOOKED PROMISING
To add ideas to improve my backflush technique.
Over the years of listening to the pipes as water returns to the spears as the pressure drops air will mix with the water to make a lot of rattle noise that could be more valuable if a small regulated amount could be forced into water at the start of the full feedback pressure.
I installed a mix pipe, a small pipe inside the bypass pipe that aim the same direction as the water flow in the centre of the water to help gain a more equal mix of air to water. I install a small air compressor to a fitting on a tap to force air in with the water pressure.
The problem I had was not enough air storage, you need to a very large pressure tank connected to a tap to turn on the same time as the bypass tap, but needs to be perfectly regulate with the flow of air with a small hole as a restrictor between two flanges on the air line, as large amounts of air and water at the same time will explode all the spearpoints to small particle with complete destruction of the whole system.
All you need is enough air to create what I call water rattle just to shake the spears in a light way and force the small bullets of air out into the blocked stream for better break up of the mass of the iron bacteria.
Any body wanting to continue this type of testing start very small with the air restrictor, do not try to regulate with a tap only, study Pneumatic in restrictor applications, etc.
THINGS TO BE AWARE WITH SPEARPOINTS
Install your header pipes on top of spearpoints as low as you can I have lost 2 sets in bad floods.
To beat this problem Symo dozed down in a long trench 6 or 7 ft to remove the top sand before installing the spears to be buried to protect against the bad floods, that was 23 years ago with no problems yet and they are deeper today from moving sand.
It is better to install a spearpoint system in the driest of time, because you known in the future it will be this dry again without any shortage of water, if you install in a good season you may not have any in the dry times as that when you need it.
My deepest spears are my best spears at this time but remember they are my cleanest spear from flush back all the other ones are completely blocked, but deep is the only way to go, you cant pump water in a dry time above the water level, plus lifting jets help installed in the header pipes in the correct way under very high pressure as a equal lifting drag on all spears together to keep a balance to keep higher water level over the large collection area.
STRAINER SPEAR SYSTEM INSTALL WITH EXCAVATOR
These types of setups are value in bacteria streams as one single collection area in a large pipe with many smalls holes or slots usually about 21 ft long 10 inch or 12 inch PVC pipe buried length ways( flat in the hole ) deep into the stream with a excavator.
This will create a slower movement water in the final collection area in the underground stream to grow less or maybe nil bacteria blockage , but when the river dries up, they run out of water very quickly, because they are to shallow, plus they have a smaller collection only one position similar to a well, as my 8 spears collect water over 98 meters (336 ft).
WATER CHANGING OVER TIME
Bacterial Iron in the water that is pumped today at my spearpoints at the bottom end of the Goulburn River is a very small amount to what it was 30 years ago.
At that time it would send every thing brown especially aluminum pipes, and it would be growing all the time on the walls inside the underground pipes.
This is all changing in my position on the river because of water change of some kind.
When the river is running the surface water feeds my spearpoint system as coming from the top of the sand, this water has become very hard as drying skin out after a shower my wife and children always complain.
When the river dries up the spearpoint are fed from the underground water coming from streams from under the river flat opposite side to the river, this water has a softer quality of some kind as there is no complaints of dryness.
2003 Drought with the river dry for 12 month of pumping with 3\4 of water lost in the worst shortage of water I have ever seen on this farm in my time.
In this hard time I noticed the bacterial iron renewed it full strength, colour, stain , smell, and tastes as it was 40 years ago.
Now that the river is running again being winter with a small amount of rain the strong bacterial iron has disappeared in the underground water.
So the river water is different to 40 years ago.
FUTURE IDEAS OF SIMPLE CONTROL BACTERIAL IRON
River water drone to sunlight that has different qualities, plus moving water with a higher oxygen level that's not compatible with growing of Bacterial Iron to be used as a simple weapon of control.
Technique of treatment to install.
Pump the river water into the active bacterial iron underground streams to change the properties of the water with free energy system as it requires very little energy as the water is being pump down 7 or 8 meters from the surface to the under ground stream.
I have already installed a injection needle at the top side of my spearpoints that spreads the water out side ways in the stream with a strainer built in side the pipe to take any type of pressure from the pump, I am only waiting to afford or build my free energy because this is where I will pump all my surplus water to put it to good use.
I known this idea has a future as on the Goulburn River some farmer have nil bacterial iron in the stream at their spear with no problems with water at all.
If there is anybody wanting to try this idea you are welcome to all my testing results from the past or assist in any way to gain your fed back to beat the problem in a simple way on my farm as well as yours.
Combine Ideas of two old dry weather birds looking for the water that disappeared in a spearpoint setup in the same spot, at the same time, on the same river, that has had the same problem for a very long time, as far back as when spearpoints first started to operate larger pumping systems.
As we are both aware that it created the problem as it collects a larger amount of water to satisfy bigger pumping systems.
Best of luck in searching for your water that you lost.
We know its still there but you just cant see it.
Hope these few lines open your eyes so you see the same like us.
Regards from,
Me & My old mate Symo.