FAQ

Questions

 

Q1- What is a Sand spear point bore?

Q2- How does a Sandspears work?

Q3- Can I install this myself?

Q4- What other names is a Sandspear called?

Q5- What sizes do they come in?

Q6- What materials are they made from?

Q7- Do I need a License to install my sand spear?

Q8- What size sand spears are available?

Q9- What Installations methods are there?

Q10- What’s the best Sandspear?

Q11- Will they remove salt?

Q12- How do I install my Sand spear?

Q13- Difference between PVC Sandspear and the Stainless sand spear?

Q14- Do I need a license to drill a Sandspear?

Q15- How much water can I pump from a sand spear?

Q16- How much do they cost?

Q17- Do my Sandspears come with a guarantee?

Q18- How to I get the water out of the screen?

Q19- Can I drink the water?

Q20- Where do I connect my pump to my Sandspear?

Q21- How deep do I set my sand spear?

Q22- Why do I need to develop a bore?

Q23- How do I develop my bore?

Q24- Have you sold many Sandspears?

Q25- What materials are Sandspears made from?

Q26- What accessories do you sell?

Q27- What accessories do I need for my Sandspear installation?

Q28- Can I buy my Sandspear online?

Q29- Do Sandspears and installation tools come in a kit

Q30- Do you deliver and where?

Q31- Where do I get help on my Sandspear issues?

Q32- Can I access water from a beach?

Q33- Is there a situation where a Sandspear cannot be installed?

Q34- Is there any other costs with having a sand spear bore?

Q35- What are the benefits of having a Sand spear installation?

Q36- Do I have to pay for the water I use from my Sand spear bore?

Q37- What else can I use this water for?

Q38- Can I get any help if I have any problems?

 

 

 

Answers & Questions

 

 

Q1- What is a Sand spear point bore?

Answer- It is a device that is sunk into a sand aquifer below the water table, allowing water to be extracted and pumped to the surface. Installation is usually shallow, and the water is typically of low volume, not for irrigation, mainly used for watering gardens in a house block.

 

Q2- How does a Sandspear work?

Answer – The spear point  has slots or an open aperture of approximately 0.25mm wide this is to stop any sand from coming into the spear or screen and allow clean water to enter the inside diameter, clean water can then be pumped up to where you need it.

 

Q3- Can I install this myself?

Answer- Yes over the last 10 years we have had a large number of people who have purchased a Sandspear from us and installed us themselves. The majority of sales have been private purchases not by professional drillers and installers.

Check the rules, in most situations you can only drill to 3m or you then have to get a license and a licensed driller or Installer

 

Q4- What other names is a Sandspear called?

Answer- Sand screens, spear points, piezometers, water spear, drive point, water screen, drive points, well screens, spear, sand blocker screens, and wash down screen

 

Q5- What sizes do they come in?

Answer- Sand spears come in sizes from 25mm 1” to 200mm diameter, and lengths from 300mm to 3000mm. The most common size is 50mm diameter by 600mm long with an open width of 0.25mm to let the water in.

 

 

Q6- What materials are they made from?

Answer-   The ultimate sand screen is made from stainless wedge wire; the next level down is made from a PVC wedge wire screen extruded and the budget is made from UPVC pipe with fine slots cut into it. Other materials used are steel pipe and stainless mesh are used in the manufacturing of sand spears.

 

Q7- Do I need a License to Install my sand spear?

Answer- Every state has their own rules and regulations, even some parts in a state will have their own regional rules, places such as Fraser Island in Australia. Many states allow you to install a bore to a maximum of 3m before a bore license is needed and to be drilled by a licensed driller. So, before you start check your local water authority that control ground water licenses.

Q8- What sizes Sandspears are available?

Answer- The standard size Sandspear is 50nb this is has a diameter of 60mm

 

They do come in sizes from 25mm to 100mm NB dia.

Note: The maximum dia. Of a stock and bore water bore is 125nb upvc pipe (140mm)

 

 

Q9- What Installations methods are there?

Answer- There are three main types

  • Bail
  • Drive
  • Wash In

 

Q10- What’s the best Sandspear?

Answer- The stainless-steel wedge wire screen is the definitely one of the best, due to its construction method and using stainless, it is much stronger than PVC and will take more impact. Specially if you are using the drive-in method of installation, it also has a finer aperture, keeping more sand out of the bore and not getting through into your pump and piping systems.

 

 

Q11- Will they remove salt?

Answer- No. You will need a desalination unit for this.

 

Q12- How do I install my Sand spear?

Answer- There are three methods for installing sand spears Jetting, Bailing and Driving for more information on these methods see www.sandspears.com

 

Q13- Difference between PVC Sandspear and the Stainless sand spear?

Answer- The strength and impact force are much greater with the stainless sand spear, it also has a finer aperture to ensure the smaller particles of sand do not enter the screen, they cost more money than the Pvc. The advantage of the Pvc sand spear is the price and as it has a slightly larger aperture of 0.25mm, were the stainless has 0.15mm, more water can pass through the screen.

 

Q14- Do I need a license to drill a Sandspear?

Answer- No

You should check what the rules are in your state with your water board or which ever looks after the groundwater, the standard is as long as you don’t go over 3m

Victoria DELPW.vic.gov.au

 

Q15 – How much water can I pump from a sand spear?

Answer- A standard system can give you a minimum of 6 L/M

Depending on the size of the bore

E.g.  The maximum dia. Of a stock and bore water bore is 125nb Pvc pipe (140mm)

It also depends on the ground conditions where your sand spear in installed, On a beach such as Fraser island you could extract as much as 44 Liters per hr. In some installation 88 liters or 1200 gph have been achieved.

 

Q16- How much do they cost?

Answer- They range from $75 to approx. $400 each, plus GST and delivery, if you buy the complete kit and pump then this will be a lot more expensive.

 

Q17- Do my Sandspears come with a guarantee?

Answer- Yes

If you are not 100% happy we our product send it back and we will refund your money and pay for the freight. I have never had one return in over 10 years.

Q18- How to I get the water out of the screen?

Answer – To remove water from the screen there can be a few different methods some of these are the following.
1: Use a small bailer.
2: use a hand pump.
3: Connect a Std. small House hold pump..
4: A 12 volt submersible pump that fits inside the spear.

5: Use a Vortex Pump

 

Q19- Can I drink the water?

Answer- Before drinking you should have the water checked by a qualified tester, but if a distance away from this, then use a small taste test and smell test. Check to make sure there is no septic or toilet systems close by that could contaminant the water, look around in the close proximity and see if there are any unusual effects on the habitat around.

As sand is a perfect natural filter for water and sea water, there is only a small possibility that it is unfit for human usage.

Please have it tested for your family and yourself safety.

 

Q20- Where do I connect my pump to my Sandspear?

Answer- there are a number of methods, my best choice is not to connect your pump to the Sandspear, it is better to have a riser pipe to the surface which connects to the sand spear and then place a suction line down inside the riser with a non-return valve on the bottom, to keep pump primed.

 

Q21- How deep do I set my sand spear?

AnswerThis depends on what depth the water table is but usually the idea is to set the bottom of the spear to 2-3M from the surface, ensuring the top of the screen is covered by a minimum of 400mm of water above it.

Take into consideration of water table variations caused by tides, drought conditions or water table draw down

 

Q22- Why do I need to develop my bore?

Answer- You don’t have to, the reason is that when a sand bore is drilled or a sand spear is installed, the sand aquifer has many size particles of sand, these go from very fine to larger, the screen is designed to go into a certain size of sand, and keep this out from entering inside the screen, often there is fine particles of sand between the larger ones this can enter the screen and sometimes block the flow of water entering the screen, by developing this at the very start all the fines are removed and the bore or installation can be pumped at its maximum efficiency.

 

Q23- How do I develop a bore?

Answer There are a number of ways, one is to use an air line and high volumes of air to blow the sand to the top and this will clean out the fines.

As this needs a lot of mechanical equipment, the manual way is to use a plunger valve block and manually lift the plunger up and down sucking in the fine sands and pumping it to the surface. This leaves the water now coming in free from fine sands.

 

Q24- Have you sold many Sandspears?

Answer I have been selling these for well over 10 years, in that time we have sold hundreds of sand spears, for home use and professional drillers. In that time, we have not had a failure, only the wrong installation method has caused an issue.

 

Q25- What materials are Sandspears made from?

Answer- the 3 main groups are as follows

  • Upvc 50mm cl18
  • Upvc Wedge wire
  • Stainless Steel wedge wire
  • PVC and stainless wire wrapped

 

 

Q26- What accessories do you sell?

Answer if you go to our buy online at this link you will see all the accessories we sell, like Pvc Fittings, bore casing, caps, etc.-

https://order-online.sandspears.com.au/product-category/accessories-for-sandspears/

 

 

Q27- What accessories do I need for my Sandspear installation?

Answer The main items you need are

  • Sandspear (to suit installation method)
  • Riser, connection to the surface
  • Pvc pipe, short piece to case dirt away.
  • Pump
  • Suction hose with non-return valve

 

Q28- Can I buy my Sandspear online?

Answer Yes go to this link below or click on the buy online button on our page

https://order-online.sandspears.com.au/shop/

 

Q29- Do Sandspears and installation tools come in a kit?

Answer Yes

We sell a Kit that comes with, casing and the spear, with pump if needed, this also comes with a bottom internal cap and venturi jet to install casing.

 

Q30- Do you deliver and where?

AnswerAnywhere in Australia and Overseas

 

Q31- Where do I get help on my Sandspear issues?

Answer You can go to our web page here  https://order-online.sandspears.com.au/learn-about-sandspears/

Or feel free to contact us on info@sandspears.com and ask any question that will help you.

Q32- Can I access water from a beach?

 

Answer Yes you can, first you must check that it is legal and within the law to do so, as it is banned in some areas.

 

Q33- Is there a situation where a Sandspear cannot be installed?

Answer- Sandspears are used in sand (unconfirmed aquifer), if you have Dirt, Shale, Rocky, Sandy Loom or Clay, these will not work.

 

Q34- Is there any other costs with having a sand spear bore?

Answer- There are no fees, permits or licenses required.

 

Q35- What are the benefits of having a Sand spear installation?

Answer- There are no fees, permits or licenses required.

Free water

No more fines for watering your gardens during restrictions in drought times.

Keep your garden alive after doing all the hard work to making it look beautiful.

No water bills

 

Q36- Do I have to pay for the water I use from my Sand spear bore?

Answer- No, at this point in time the water authorities are not subjecting water extraction from a sand spear with any costs. All water is free!

 

Q37- What else can I use the water for?

Answer- drinking if clean and safe

Watering the garden and lawns

Topping up and filling your swimming pools

Water for all your animals (horses as we know they drink a lot)

Filling up your water tank

Washing cars, trucks, boats, and equipment.

 

Q38- Can I get any help if I have any problems?

AnswerIf You do not have your question answered here, please feel free to contact us

And ask your question

Email – info@order-online.sandspears.com.au