Hand pump installed with well

[Joey Wahoo]

I want to install a hand pump to use to get well water when the power is out.

Can anyone recommend a source for the pump?

and if you've installed one, how difficult is it?

[big rockpile]

This might help

http://www.bisonpumps.com/

big rockpile

[Ambassador]

Good question, and good response! I've wanted to know about these kinds of solutions myself. I've always had electric, and I wonder what would we do if things ever got so bad without power, because without power = without water if using all electric solutions. It is easy to say "I can stand the heat / cold", but can you stand being without water?
lol flushing a toilet is priority enough!

[farminghandyman]

Basically all the "hand pump" does is give one a place to put a handle on it to run the sucker rod, (for any pump over 20' deep).

one could easily make one if you jsut look at one and can or get some one to weld up one a a 2" or 1 1/4" nipple and then assemble it on a tee and another 3' short pipe. and some kind of well cap.
the trick is the double pivot points, on the handle so the rod can travel up and down in a straight line.
you will probly save some where in the $500. as most new pumps cost in the $600+ range.

there are two types, a shallow and then deep well pumps,

the shallow use a different type of pump many times, they use a "pitcher pump" (any way it has the pump in the top of the unit, one unit handle and pump), and it sucks the water up to it. 20 some feet is it maxim draw,

the deep well pump has a number of pieces, the top of it, the pipe type unit with a handle, Usually called the hand pump,
then it attaches to a pipe and in the pipe is the sucker rod,
and then the sucker rod and the pipe attach to the "Cylinder" which is the real pump, unit and some times under the cylinder is a screen and foot valve, some may say that it is optional.
nearly the same as in a windmill, but instead of wind you use hand power to pump up the water. (some times you will see hand pumps under windmill), so you have a choice on the power source.

if it is an existing well, and all ready has a pump in it, the biggest problem most will have is room in the well, some may also depend on what type of pitless adaptor the existing well may or many not have.

there are some very small cylinders, but the flow from them is very small as well, (you normally size the cylinder, pump) to the depth and power you have to move the pump.
so first you will need to determine if you have room in the well to accommodate another pipe, and cylinder, and if you do then a hand pump is a possibility,
( I think the 1 11/16" cylinder is the smallest available and takes a one inch pipe)


http://www.deanbennett.com/handpumps.htm

http://www.deanbennett.com/y2kwater.htm

http://www.deanbennett.com/y2ksimplepump.htm

if it is not very deep well the Tee handle may be the simpler way to go, and your cylinder is small diameter.

read the install links at the bison site, and you will get more of a feel for what one needs to do,

Cylinders
http://www.deanbennett.com/deepwellcylinders.htm
http://www.deanbennett.com/cylinder.htm

Ellen here has some good info as well on hand pumps.
http://www.windmills.net/handpumps.shtm
more point to windmills but still good info.
http://www.windmills.net/installation.shtm

[farminghandyman]

there is a way to put a "cylinder" in a submersible well system, but it is not as easy, and needs a stuffing box, (seal at the well head) http://www.deanbennett.com/stuffingbox.htm and then since most submersible systems are inclose and pressurized, you can not hand pump a presurized system, you would need some place to have it "open" and not presurized, for hand pumping, but it is a possibility, and one would need a "specialized hand pump" to make the stuffing box work. more than like custom made to work properly,
http://www.deanbennett.com/submersib...w-windmill.htm
there is a way of making a special foot valve system that all lines up in a smaller package and will fit into most any well the pump can fit into,

one other problem is if one has a pitless adaptor, one needs a special kind that need to be modified as well for the sucker rod to come up through.
http://www.deanbennett.com/pitless-adapters.htm

[farminghandyman]

one more quick link on hand pumps, sorry I missed it before.

http://www.deanbennett.com/helpful-hints.htm

[farminghandyman]

here is a link to a discussion on "air lift" pumps

http://homesteadingtoday.com/showthr...23#post3086423

and the thought was I had since the pipe is usually very small and the power source is external if this could be a good way to "do the emergency water on a well, (some again would depend on the water level and such, but a small air pump could even be turned by hand or a small gas motor, or bicycle type stand,

a 1/2 or 3/4 Inch pipe with a small air tube in it put a hook type top on it to direct the flow of water, NO moving parts in the well, looks some what possible, and simple and cheap, the pipe could all be PVC, (plastic) light weight and jsut hook up some type of air system to it, I do not think the pressures would need to be great as your only needing to push the air the dept of the static water line in the well. (may be a bellows system for the air pump, (it would have to be a continuous stream of air, but I have seen double sided bellow that did put out a continuous air supply).

(same URL as above)
http://homesteadingtoday.com/showthr...23#post3086423

What do other people think?