[chrismahon]

We're trying to find the old well here because we're heading for yet another drought. There may be more than one because there may have been more than one house on this land? Seen the videos using bent wire, but does anyone have experience and advice to give?


There are folk here that dowse, but I probably can't afford them and won't understand a word they are saying anyway because the local dialect is difficult.

[Womble]

Get a couple of bent bits of wire and try it Chris. If it doesn't work for you, try your friends and family!

I can't do it at all (I couldn't detect a running hosepipe which I could actually see was there), but my friend can find water pipes and drains every time. I have no idea how it works, but it sure as hell does!

[Rupert the bear]

2 equal lengths of coat hanger thickness wire 90 degree bend in each a the ends to make a short handle.
2 short bits of tub to accommodate the handle this is to allow the wire to move freely.
hold in your hands about 300mm apart angled slightly down.
Go for a slow walk, if the wire moves as if to cross each other then you have the knack  change your angle of attack to establish if you are following or you have a single spot target.
The thing is you may be detecting water, static or flowing flowing gives more reaction, you may also detect electrical cables.
30 odd years ago I thought this was a load of old tosh, until I was shown this by the agronomist from SAC during a visit when I mentioned a lost water pipe to a field trough.
If you've "got it " after practice you can learn the differences.
Good luck

[doganjo]

We're trying to find the old well here because we're heading for yet another drought. There may be more than one because there may have been more than one house on this land? Seen the videos using bent wire, but does anyone have experience and advice to give?


There are folk here that dowse, but I probably can't afford them and won't understand a word they are saying anyway because the local dialect is difficult.

See if you can find an old map of your area online - wells and soakaways might be recorded.  and it's a great way of wasting spending research time

[doganjo]

When I was about to build my house in Aberdeenshire, I needed to prove there was enough water flow as teh well I'd hoped to share woth my old property did tend to dry up in summer.  So I found a water diviner and he found a source wwithing 10 minutes. we set to with the digger but he said to stop and tested over the spot and said it was about 30 feet down so we'd try another place - he found an underground stream on bedrock about 13 feet down out in one of my fields.  Then he said for me to have a go with the rods - I found it too (blindfolded and turned first).  I just about jumped out of my skin!
Then he cut off a couple of short branches from the nearest tree, stuck them in my hands and said to try again - bingo, it worked with them too.

Scary!!!

So try it and see

[chrismahon]

Armed with my pieces of wire i wandered about and got nothing? Then I walked over the septic tank and the rods crossed. Walking further I got a reading completely unexpectedly and realised it was the sink outflow (bit smelly) which doesn't go into the septic tank after all, which is what the previous owner said (and i didn't believe).


So I was rather puzzled as to why I hadn't found a well? Must be dry and therefore of no use whatsoever. Will try again when we finally get some rain- 4th week without at the moment and none forecast.

[Rupert the bear]

Armed with my pieces of wire i wandered about and got nothing? Then I walked over the septic tank and the rods crossed. Walking further I got a reading completely unexpectedly and realised it was the sink outflow (bit smelly) which doesn't go into the septic tank after all, which is what the previous owner said (and i didn't believe).


So I was rather puzzled as to why I hadn't found a well? Must be dry and therefore of no use whatsoever. Will try again when we finally get some rain- 4th week without at the moment and none forecast.

Well done , practice practice practice. Now you just have to interpret the reactions you get.

[Buttermilk]

My OH found all the land drains in a field that everyone swore had never been drained.  They are old clay ones and must be nigh on 100 years old.  We have got most of them running again although there are a couple we cannot find the outfall into the ditch due to the hedge.

[Steph Hen]

Yes for water devining!
For flowing water it’s tricky, you’ll get a twitch a distance from the water depending on depth.
Just keep practicing and try to visualise water.