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New to the forum, been thinking about SHTF preparedness for a while but am now finally free to do something about it.
First, a short background: I live alone on 5 acres in the Willamette Valley. Two houses (one rented out), three well (only one in use) and two creeks/irrigation ditches. I'm interested in setting up two manual pump systems, one on an unused well and one on the in-use well.
First, the unused well: It's right next to my house with the wellhead about 8-10" below ground; depth is 28' (surface water). Likely as old as the house, was hooked up to a shallow well pup in the garage. was discontinued 6 years ago due to a chronic E. Coli problem from a nearby septic system. I'd like to put in an old-timey style handpump, the kind where you move the handle up and down and the water comes out of the chute. Does anyone have experience with these? Is installation as simple as threading the pump onto the old pump supply line? I will, of course, boil/treat this water before use.
Second, the in-use well: Out in the field, supplies both houses. It's around 113' deep and is the deepest well for miles; it pulls from a different aquifer than everyone else. Even though it's deep, the static watter level is only 10', so a ground-level pump -should- work. I'd like to set up some sort of a manual pump for it too, but it uses a deep-well pump. Do these pumps have check valves equivalent to foot valve in a shallow well pump? Will manually drawing water through the pump cause damage?
I'm looking to set these systems up in case of power failure, pump failure and catastrophe.
Any thoughts?
Greg
First, a short background: I live alone on 5 acres in the Willamette Valley. Two houses (one rented out), three well (only one in use) and two creeks/irrigation ditches. I'm interested in setting up two manual pump systems, one on an unused well and one on the in-use well.
First, the unused well: It's right next to my house with the wellhead about 8-10" below ground; depth is 28' (surface water). Likely as old as the house, was hooked up to a shallow well pup in the garage. was discontinued 6 years ago due to a chronic E. Coli problem from a nearby septic system. I'd like to put in an old-timey style handpump, the kind where you move the handle up and down and the water comes out of the chute. Does anyone have experience with these? Is installation as simple as threading the pump onto the old pump supply line? I will, of course, boil/treat this water before use.
Second, the in-use well: Out in the field, supplies both houses. It's around 113' deep and is the deepest well for miles; it pulls from a different aquifer than everyone else. Even though it's deep, the static watter level is only 10', so a ground-level pump -should- work. I'd like to set up some sort of a manual pump for it too, but it uses a deep-well pump. Do these pumps have check valves equivalent to foot valve in a shallow well pump? Will manually drawing water through the pump cause damage?
I'm looking to set these systems up in case of power failure, pump failure and catastrophe.
Any thoughts?
Greg