Hand pump on existing water well

wife89 · #1 09/02/13, 04:54 PM

We bought this property 2 years ago. There was a water well with a pump on it. The pump is burnt out and the water well has not been used in quite some time. We would like to get it going again. We do have city water, but would like another water source. We got an estimate to have it reworked, it was in the thousands of dollars. We looked at getting a hand pump from Lehman's. I deep well hand pump is about $700. Is it as simple as putting it on the well casing and pumping for water?? Does anyone have experience with these??

Wanda · #2 09/02/13, 05:11 PM

Depends on many factors. Are you sure that the well was viable when the pump quit? What is the casing size? What is the depth of the well and the static water level? If the pump failed it could be a simple fix that you could do with the help of a friend with some basic skills for less than what a hand pump setup would cost.

FarmboyBill · #3 09/02/13, 05:14 PM

As you say the old one was burnt out, Im assuming it was an electric. IF SO, You remove the old moter and replace it with a new one for under $200
As to hand pumps. Thts an iffy question, settled by knowing how long its been since the lines had water in it. Could be terribly rusty.
How deep is the well
How deep is the water in it.

To answer your last question. Yes its that easy. BUT, were it me, Id pull out the old pipe and replace it with 2in plastic straight pips with a plastic collar on either end of each piece, and a metal nipple that on one end fits into the collar with pipe dope, but \can be screwed into a metal collar. That way the pipe will be 10 times lighter when you pull it to replace the pump leathers, and there will be hardly no rust. At the bottom you will need a pump cylinder, and the makings that go in it. I know L sells the cylinder. Don't know if they sell the makings. The makings are the pieces that hold the leather. In some there are 2 pieces, in others 3. There very inexpensive. Maybe $50 tops. You will also need the rod that goes from the pump down to the makings in the cylinder. I think this rod fastened together in joints that matched nearly the length of the pipe as we had it down on the farm. You screw the pipe top the base of the hand pump. you fasten the rod to the piece at the top, OR the handle, and your good to go.
Soak the leathers in HOT water before installing. this causes them to swell and expand. DO NOT put them in water and put the water in the MW, and DONT ask me how I know NOT to do this lol.
Windmill pumps will have a rod sticking out the top for the pitman rod from the mill top to attach to that top rod on the pump. There made for deep well pumps. 100ft or over. Regular hand pumps have the well rod fastening to the top of the pump handle,
IF WHEN you install a hand pump, Look around for a pump jack, and a pump dog. A pump jack is an item that has a flywheel and gears that go to a couple short arms which fasten to longer arms that go up alongside the pump to the rod. The flywheel goes top a motor or engine and with it all in place you can pump water without being there.

fishhead · #4 09/02/13, 06:13 PM

Drop a weight tied on a string down the pipe to find out where your water level sits. That will determine what kind of pump you'll need.

The rust on the screen can probably be taken care of by injecting compressed air down below the water surface. If it doesn't you'll have to pour some muratic acid down the well before injecting the compressed air. That can also give you an indication on the yield of the well.

wife89 · #5 09/02/13, 08:17 PM

Thanks everyone. I have no idea how deep the well is, but will check the static water level. I should have clarified, when I say the pump burned...it literally caught fire and burned. I will get back to everyone when I find out the water level.

FarmboyBill · #6 09/02/13, 08:59 PM

Well, that couldn't have distroyed the reserve tank. It would be cheaper to rebuild from the tank up than to buy all new.

rambler · #7 09/02/13, 09:16 PM

How would a deep well pump literally burn????? It is at the bottom surrounded by water.....

I think one would need to know much more about this before making any choices?

Paul

**Shrek** · #8 09/02/13, 10:16 PM

A 2 inch diameter line pitcher hand pump will work in a shallow well up to about 35 to 40 feet if you rig a primer retention valve foot on the line. Other wise about 25 feet lift is the max you can expect.

FarmboyBill · #9 09/02/13, 10:34 PM

Rambler, If it was a sub pump, I missed seeing that. My first electric pump was a above ground one.

Old Vet · #10 09/02/13, 10:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wife89

Thanks everyone. I have no idea how deep the well is, but will check the static water level. I should have clarified, when I say the pump burned...it literally caught fire and burned. I will get back to everyone when I find out the water level.

What you describe is a pump in the open not a submersible. You can get one for less than $300 and installed it by your self. Most all pumps have a way to be either deep well or shallow well pump. If it is a shallow well pump you don't need to do anything but if it is a deep well pump you need to have two pipes going in to the well with a device in the bottom to hold water for the pump to start again. In a worst case you might have to pull the pipe and set another one. All you need to do this a way to pull it some of the way and do it until it is all out. And replace it with the same parts. If you think that the screen is blocked pour muratic acid down the well casing and wait for a while before you pump it out. If you have a air compressor run a hose down into the water and plug the pipe with a rag and let it go and it will force all the water out through the screen.

rambler · #11 09/03/13, 12:03 AM

Around here a deep well pump means submersible, a shallow well pump means above ground.

But you are right, that could just be local custom, and they have an above ground pump... At least the fire part would work out then.

Paul

fishhead · #12 09/03/13, 07:17 AM

I've seen deep well pumps that have the head that goes down the well but the motor stays above ground. They won't fit in a 2" casing. Here's a photo of one. The part on the right of the pump with the loose bolt goes down the casing. http://www.amazon.com/Red-Lion-RJC-1...d_sim_sbs_hi_8

FarmboyBill · #13 09/03/13, 08:06 AM

I forgot to explain what a pump dog is and does. It is a metal contraption that sits on a 2X 8 thereabouts and is bolted to it. The board has a round, or U notch cut in it. The pump dog has 2 jaws. Both are adjustable, but only one moves. It too has a U shape built into it at the juncture of those jaws and is mounted onto the board in line with its U notch and bolted together with carriage bolts coming up from the bottom of the board.
In operation, you slip the pump or pipe dog into/in line with the pipe and raise it while holding the movable jaw up and out of the way. (you don't have to tho). When you come to a union you want to use to separate pipe, you let the dogs jaw close down around the pipe. Then it will not fall back down into the well. You keep doing this till all the pipe is out of the well. When you come to the last piece, the piece with the cylinder on it, and you've brought the cylinder up to the bottom of the floor, spread the floors boards a bit to allow for the cylinder to pass through them, remove the dog altogether, pull the cylinder up past the floor boards, and then close them together again.