Well question

whiskeylivewire · #1 08/26/10, 04:28 PM

I didn't know how to phrase the title and I hope I get what I'm wanting across in the message! We just got a place out in the country with a new well. It's great and all but we were thinking about what to do if/when the power goes, even if it's just for a few days. I know a lot of you are experts at this stuff but my DH and I were wondering how you go about hooking up a hand pump to the well? Is it pretty simple? We don't have much money at so it would have to be an affordable way as well. Thanks in advance!

arabian knight · #2 08/26/10, 04:38 PM

Depends on how deep the well is, you have to say.
If it is a submersible, how deep, etc. What type of new well are we talking about?
And if it is pretty deep no way to put a hand pump on it. A generator yes but not by hand operating pumping water out unless it is pretty shallow.

oneokie · #3 08/26/10, 05:39 PM

What is the static water level in the well? If not very far down, a rope and bucket on a pulley would suffice for emergency use. You would have to pull the existing pump out of the well.

agmantoo · #4 08/26/10, 07:40 PM

Put a cistern in and fill the cistern when the well is operational. Install a cheap hand pump on the cistern or go extravagant and put the hand pump in the kitchen. This will work and anyone can repair the cistern setup. The well and the pump are not compromised by tampering.

Ramblin Wreck · #5 08/26/10, 07:48 PM

I have a generator for long outages. I wish I had what we had at the home where I grew up: The pump was to the side in its own house with a windless and a bucket over the well itself for drawing water whenever you wanted. My pump sits in the well, so dropping any size bucket passed it and into the water is problematic.

watcher · #6 08/26/10, 07:56 PM

If the water level is less than 20 feet (or there abouts) you can just put a hand pump on it and get water. If its below that you really can't use an old suction type pitcher pump.

Science alert. When you pump water with a pitcher pump you aren't really pulling the water up. You are creating a vacuum and the air pressure pushes the water up. Once the weight of the water column is greater than the air pressure the air can't push the water up. In theory at "standard" pressure you can get water from 33 feet. But in real life you'd have to be lucky to get it from a depth of 25 feet.

busybee870 · #7 08/26/10, 07:57 PM

we had a 1500 gallon tank, you can get a sure flo pump, and put clamps on the wires and run it with a battery, just hook a garden hose to it and run it to your house.

whiskeylivewire · #8 08/26/10, 09:03 PM

Thanks everyone for the information. I'm unsure of depth and type etc...I'll find out though and repost, but you've given me some things to think about. I know a generator is out for now, that's a bit pricey for us at the current time.

Michael W. Smith · #9 08/26/10, 09:19 PM

Luckily our well isn't very deep - a hand dug well dug over a hundred years ago - and it only goes dry in the very dry weather - when we use too much. Let it "rest" overnight and it has water back in it.

Being out in the country and hooked up to an electric company that wasn't very dependable (they are much better now) can cause problems. We usually store several 5 gallon containers of water - not so much for drinking but so we can flush the toilet.

One way to have some water would be to have a small water tank in your basement. However, you would still need a pump for it, unless it had a faucet on the side that you could draw water from.

Ideally, if I ever remodel (or if you would have room in the attic), having a small water tank (100 gallons or so) would be nice to have it hooked up to your water system where the pump pumps it up there. Having everything then connected to that tank would then let the water flow by gravity when there was an no electric.

I would like to do that someday. Not sure if the floor would have to be reinforced with that much weight on it though.

Witterbound · #10 08/26/10, 09:23 PM

If its only for a few days, get a hose and use the water from your hot water heater.

Windy in Kansas · #11 08/26/10, 09:38 PM

Along a different line---why don't you call the power company and explain your concern and then ask the number of power outages, duration, etc. that have occurred for your immediate area within the last several years for which you decide to ask about.

They may be so infrequent and of such short duration (NORMALLY) that the only provision needed may be a few jugs of stored water. Granted that isn't the two week supply that is recommended for a minimum, but it might ease your mind for now.

Remember that a water heater had a fair amount of water in it and can be accessed through the drain when needed. If it isn't an on demand tankless system. If electric, make sure to turn off the breakers providing electricity when the power comes back on so that the heating elements won't overheat and burn out from being in air after water is removed.

CocalicoSprings · #12 08/26/10, 09:42 PM

How far away from a spring do you live? Maybe you shouldn't be concerned about the water source.

CrashTestRanch · #13 08/26/10, 10:16 PM

get one of those 275+ gallon containers on Craigslist, a battery and a 12v RV water pump, fill when normal well is running, and use the former for emergency use.

beaglebiz · #14 08/27/10, 07:47 AM

we have one of these
http://www.lehmans.com/store/Water__...__550202?Args=

well bucket. it works well. For flushing toilets, in summer we scoop water out of the pool or the creek, in winter we bring in buckets of snow to melt by the woodburner if the power is out.

watcher · #15 08/27/10, 08:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Witterbound

If its only for a few days, get a hose and use the water from your hot water heater.

If its an electric heater be sure to throw the breaker first. If you don't the odds are when the power comes back on you'll burn up your heating element(s) because it will take a while for the pump to refill the tank. That means your element(s) will not be in the water and that's bad.

Txrider · #16 08/27/10, 10:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by whiskeylivewire

Thanks everyone for the information. I'm unsure of depth and type etc...I'll find out though and repost, but you've given me some things to think about. I know a generator is out for now, that's a bit pricey for us at the current time.

Yeah you need to know well and pump type, depth etc. no way to say for sure without that info..

Or just buy a generator to run it if power goes out.