Manual well pump.

receo · Mar 2, 2012

While cruising the web I stumbled across this well pump. This thing is begging for some hillbilly reverse engineering..
http://www.flojak.com/

moose · Mar 3, 2012

That kit looks like $400 worth of plastic pipe and a foot valve.

Go old school for about $50. Cast iron and lasts forever.

slingshot1943 · Mar 3, 2012

moose said:
That kit looks like $400 worth of plastic pipe and a foot valve.

Go old school for about $50. Cast iron and lasts forever.

These pitcher pumps are shallow well pumps.

moose · Mar 3, 2012

slingshot1943 said:
These pitcher pumps are shallow well pumps.

So is any manual pump.

Consider the following. The area of a 1 inch pipe is .7853 inches (pi * .5 * .5), a lift of 150 feet is 1800 inches. The volume of the pipe would then be 1413.5 cubic inches. Water weighs 0.036127 pounds per cubic inch so the weight of the water column is about 51 pounds. Further, you have to lift that 51 pounds 27 35 inches to get a gallon of water.

I hope you ate your wheaties.

sadiesassy · Mar 3, 2012

MOst the wells in our area are about 1300 ft

slingshot1943 · Mar 3, 2012

By shallow well I mean somewhere around 25'

Ownerus · Mar 3, 2012

Related topic, does anyone know of a mechanical down-hole pump? One that could pump from 400+ feet, even a a slow flow rate?

moose · Mar 3, 2012

Ownerus said:
Related topic, does anyone know of a mechanical down-hole pump? One that could pump from 400+ feet, even a a slow flow rate?

This would probably be your best bet, again, old school. You could also come up with a solar solution as well.

If you are pumping water out of a river, you can use something like a hydraulic ram pump (or as the old miners called them, a clapper pump). It basically uses the kinetic energy of a lot of water moving down hill to pump a little water up hill.

Ownerus · Mar 3, 2012

Yup, I've thought about a rod pump like that. It's just that when I googled around for it, I didn't come up with anything. Maybe I didn't ask the right question. I've considered building one but wanted to look for something to buy first if possible. Would like a small backup pump to drop down the well casing alongside the electric pump.

Colt Carbine · Mar 3, 2012

moose said:
So is any manual pump.

Here is a manual deep well pump that will lift water 200'.

<broken link removed>

This one will pump from as deep as 350'

http://sunshineworks.com/deep-well-hand-pump.htm

Ownerus · Mar 3, 2012

Thanks. I'd seen those or ones like them. My problem is they don't go quite deep enough. My pump is at 400'. I don't know exactly what the static level is but considering I had to drill 80' deeper a few years ago tells me that a 350' reach doesn't give me much room for the water level dropping. I suppose it would be worth an inquiry to them to see how much margin there is on those pumps, maybe at reduced output.

dsimonl · Mar 3, 2012

I have one of the Bison pumps. Great product. Our well water static level is at 140'. It is a LOT of work pulling water from that depth. I'm not in the best of shape, but is a real chore to get 5 gallons pumped. Consider a windmill or solar pump for anything deeper.

Colt Carbine · Mar 4, 2012

Ownerus said:
Would like a small backup pump to drop down the well casing alongside the electric pump.

Ownerus said:
I don't know exactly what the static level is but considering I had to drill 80' deeper a few years ago tells me that a 350' reach doesn't give me much room for the water level dropping. I suppose it would be worth an inquiry to them to see how much margin there is on those pumps, maybe at reduced output.

To the best of my knowledge you will be lucky to find a AC or DC powered back up pump for that level, without actually converting your existing pump. You could get a generator but that is a temporary solution for short term, then you have to get one that will power your pump. Submersible water pump suck a lot of juice to operate.

If you look at the Grundfos DC powered submersible pumps at the posting below this, there is no easy answer or solution. Electricity and water is a wonderful thing until the power goes out.

A manual pump will not draw down the well as fast as a submersible pump. A manual pump is not easy but it is better than having no water at all. You will get a workout.

Do you have any of the well data from who installed your last pump? Look at the sheet and see what the pump level is and how much distance is between the static level and pump level, this is the draw down level.

Might not be a bad idea to acquire the largest storage tank you can afford and elevatrew it, if possible.

Here's a couple of articles and an illustration for you to read and help me from writing a lengthy posting.

<broken link removed>

<broken link removed>

Typical water well construction and terms

Colt Carbine · Mar 4, 2012

dsimonl said:
I have one of the Bison pumps. Great product. Our well water static level is at 140'. It is a LOT of work pulling water from that depth. I'm not in the best of shape, but is a real chore to get 5 gallons pumped. Consider a windmill or solar pump for anything deeper.

Converting over to a DC powered submersible pump, will not be a cheap venture. An AC pump is even more to operate solar wise. More than likely his existing pump will not operate without a huge investment on solar equipment, if at all.

Here is a little info on AC and DC powered submersible pumps. Water Pumps

Water Pumping

mjbskwim · Mar 4, 2012

moose said:
So is any manual pump.

Consider the following. The area of a 1 inch pipe is .7853 inches (pi * .5 * .5), a lift of 150 feet is 1800 inches. The volume of the pipe would then be 1413.5 cubic inches. Water weighs 0.036127 pounds per cubic inch so the weight of the water column is about 51 pounds. Further, you have to lift that 51 pounds 27 35 inches to get a gallon of water.

I hope you ate your wheaties.

Could you say that a little slower,please?

"Manual" is relevant to you physical condition.With enough leverage you can lift anything.
Like you said,eat your wheaties.

Now is the outlying areas in California,they make you have a 1000 gal water tank for fire control.The fire districts,well everyone knows they won't get to every house when the Santa Annas blow.
Some use this as emergency water too.Feeding the house off of it to cycle the water through the tank.Seems like a way to go if the power goes out in your area

I think the wind mill idea is the best.Water and electricity. They must make one some place.

Sodbuster · Mar 4, 2012

Okay -- quick google search...

http://www.windmills.net/index.shtm -- American Windmills

And here is Ironman Windmills who claim to pump up to 1200 ft. WATER PUMPING WINDMILLS AND WINDMILL PUMPS - the best choice for wind powered pumps

I haven't used any of these and have only lived on a farm where we had a windmill pumping for the cows (many moon ago -- kemosabe). So grain of salt necessary.

There are a LOT more listed on Google. Go for it.

Sodbuster

chemist · Mar 4, 2012

Man, you guys sure have to work to access your water. My pump is at 80' depth, but the static level is only 15' in the Fall, and it's only 10' down in the Spring!

The problem with pitcher pumps is that they don't isolate very well, so you risk contaminating the ground water. Not an issue of all you're doing is irrigating, but here in Washington County they're mighty particular about who pokes holes into their aquifer. My well has to have an 18'-deep seal around the casing to prevent surface-water ingress, plus it has to use an approved pump design that doesn't allow backflow contamination.

dsimonl · Mar 4, 2012

Solar can work very well. One of my out-of-state wells (380' depth) uses a Grundfos SQ flex pump. It runs on any power source....AC or DC from 30V-250V -- wind, solar, generator, grid power etc. Plug any power into the controller and it pumps water. It is not cheap, but I like the versatility.

I bought four small 75W solar panels on Craigs List and put them on a pole next to the pump. The panels power the Grundfos and pumps water uphill to a 3000gal cistern whenever there is sunlight. When I need the water, it flows downhill by gravity....no pump needed.

You get 1 psi for every 2.4' of elevation gain. So a storage tank at 30' supplies 12.5 psi -- plenty for emergency needs.