I got my well pump pulled

[VOR.]

We had it pulled and re-wired. It was over 100 degrees out. I could almost taste that cold water.

Then I noticed that the plastic fitting that reduces the pump from 1.25" to the 1" pipe was cracked. I almost ran it back down the hole anyway, but took a break, thought things over and decided to go get another fitting. I decided I didn't want to lose a $300 pump over a $2 fitting.

It is too late to get another fitting tonight, so I'll have to wrap this project up tomorrow.


The fitting that broke is pictured above.

[plowjockey]

Doing it right, is the only way to do a well. You may not have to touch it again for many years.

Good for you!

[DaleK]

Don't have a rope on the pump "just in case?" Always seemed like cheap insurance to me. That's a lot of strain on the fittings to be pulling it just by the pipe.

[VOR.]

Thanks plowjockey. I wanted that water bad. I was real close to moving forward, then decided to cool off and think things over before doing something stupid.

Dalek,

I didn't put the last pump in and it didn't have a rope. We pulled one of my friends from over 500' and it didn't have a rope. But, now that you mention it, I might put one on before I drop it back down. The fitting didn't crack pulling it up. We over-torqued it tightening it up.

[Sawmill Jim]

Is that what that hole near the wrench jaw is for Some well supply places have a torque arrester fitting or a longer male adapter at the least . I do my own too as i am tight or broke

[VOR.]

Originally Posted by Sawmill Jim

Is that what that hole near the wrench jaw is for Some well supply places have a torque arrester fitting or a longer male adapter at the least . I do my own too as i am tight or broke

I didn't even notice that hole, but I bet it is. I am going to buy a galvanized fitting (and 150' of rope). I was surprised it didn't have a torque arrestor on it.

They charge about $2000 around here to change a pump this time of year. No way am I going to pay anyone $2000 for a few hours work. I have a friend that works on wells for a living. He offered to change it for $1000 if I bought the pump. That was still more than I would pay for a few hours of work.

[Windy in Kansas]

So what kind of rope is used on one? I've only pulled a shallow one and it didn't have a rope and I'd never heard of using one 20+ years ago.

Seems like stainless steel cable might be the best way to go. Buy it once and it would last a lifetime.

[VOR.]

Originally Posted by Windy in Kansas

So what kind of rope is used on one? I've only pulled a shallow one and it didn't have a rope and I'd never heard of using one 20+ years ago.

Seems like stainless steel cable might be the best way to go. Buy it once and it would last a lifetime.

I was thinking it over and I got a couple of old waterskiing ropes that I might use. You don't need a rope if everything goes right. But, I have it tied off and am lowering it section by section. If it got away from me at the wrong time, it could drop about 20 feet before the hoist catches it. I could see that snapping the pvc pipe. I'm not worried about it once it is done there.

[Sawmill Jim]

I've flagged down neighbors passing by to help pull mine Thousand bucks they got to be out of their mind Every one needs to make a living but not off one person .Here we got a driller that run a crew think the last one i sent to him was 750.00 new pump switch and all.

Some older people on small incomes he even lets them pay as they can . Some those ropes dry rot an powder fall off them .

[VOR.]

Originally Posted by Sawmill Jim

I've flagged down neighbors passing by to help pull mine Thousand bucks they got to be out of their mind Every one needs to make a living but not off one person .Here we got a driller that run a crew think the last one i sent to him was 750.00 new pump switch and all.

Some older people on small incomes he even lets them pay as they can . Some those ropes dry rot an powder fall off them .

The bad part is you pay up front and they get to it when they feel like it. There are three drillers within 100 miles. They are all related. I have a friend that brought in some well drillers from OK b/c he was tired of dealing with the monopoly. He said it was cheaper paying travel time from OK than to pay them.

This time of year if you don't have 10 wells on your place, they won't hardly come out. They left my 70 year old grandma without water for most of the summer about 12 years ago (after the check was cashed for the work). I haven't dealt with any of them since. I was thinking about telling people I would pull their wells for $500 or so just to mess with them.

[agmantoo]

I would use a brass reducing bushing to adapt the 1" to the 1 1/4". The pipe thread on the 1" pipe acts like a wedge since the NPT threads are tapered. This is what cracked the original. You are using schedule 80 PVC pipe aren't you? The eye on the pump is for a safety line. I know that few people use anything other than a rope but i go for overkill and use a stainless steel cable. I have seen a pump fall into a well. To prevent the wire from rubbing the casing and creating a problem I use 3M electrical tape and tape the wire every 5 feet or so to the PVC pipe. I look after 15 wells and I can pull a pump by myself since I can use the cable and not concern with it breaking like a rope may do. I have a homemade fixture that I can mount on the well casing and I use a motorcycle rim as an idler pulley and place the cable in the rim and convert the vertical pull of the pump to a horizontal direction with the cable. I can then use most any vehicle to pull the pump. PS...I failed to mention the I mount all the plumbing at the well head and bladder tank using unions. That way if I need to pull the pump everything can be readily disconnected and set aside. Once the repair is made the unions then permit the plumbing to be put back in place quickly and reused. Also, install a ball valve in the plumbing leaving the well so that the house can be isolated to aid in trouble shooting in the future. A faucet at the well will also let you run the system until the water clears without sending unsuitable water or grit to the house.

[Old Vet]

I wouldn't not use a rope but cable wrapped in plastic. You can get it at Home Depot or any good hardware store and it only cost a little more than rope and it will be their forever.They even called it wire rope.