# Deep well how do I get water out with no elec



## Louie55

We live in the mountains and have a VERY deep well. 550 feet down. Does any one have any ideas about getting the water out if the electric goes and no generator?? Thanks!


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## HarleyRider

Possibly a VERY long straw? 

Seriously, though, about the only thing I can think of is a hand-pump. :hmmm:


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## JayJay

I'd be getting all the water I could get, storing in barrells, 2 liters, gallon jugs or 5 gallon buckets...purify with calcium hypochlorite(pool shock)..if it was me!!

Water has an indefinite shelf life---how do I know this??

I had to research after my idiot neighbor from California(retired water dept) told me I'd die if I drank it after 1 and 1/2 half years stored!!!:dunno:


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## UncleJoe

Look around this site. Bison Hand Water Pumps They have hand pumps that will work on almost any well but I'm not sure about 550'. That's a long way for any pump.

Be warned though. They are $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$


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## Tirediron

You can pump that distance with a hand pump, but it would be a custom sized plunger assembly and the flow would be low but you could pump water. prolly the best thing to do would be to Email bison & some other hand pump manufacturers for a quote


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## GroovyMike

While a hand pump is an option in Montana you probably have other water sources within a fairly short distance. Let alone from the sky. Storage is certainly something to look into.


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## Louie55

Thanks for all the advice! I thought I read an article on a PVC pipe pump some where and now I can't remember where.  But yall gave me some great ideas. Thank you!!


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## Woody

I looked into those hand pumps for my 100’ deep well. Almost a thousand dollars as I recall, a bit too much for me plus the cost and/or trouble of installing it when needed. I instead bought a Honda generator and two 5 gallon gas cans. Also purchased supplies to run a line from the breaker box to outside, where the generator would run. If the need arises I open the breaker panel, disconnect the pump breaker, connect an extension wire to the pump wire, run it outside and put a plug on the end to connect to the generator. I forget my calculations but seems it was only like 15 minutes to fill two 30 gallon barrels. The generator ran 8 hours at load on a tank… the 10 gallons plus what is in the vehicles would last me a while. I have no reason to run the generator for anything else, only for a backup water supply.

Yes, I could also go right to the well head and connect there but then the generator would be way out front. This way I can have it running behind the house and conceal the noise a bit better. It is also closer to where it will be stored so not as far to drag it.


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## BillM

*You need*

A pully rigged over the well 
A bucket that will fit down the shaft
550 feet of cable attached to a drum with a hand crank
and a woman to turn the crank!

:lolsmash:


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## backlash

BillM said:


> A pully rigged over the well
> A bucket that will fit down the shaft
> 550 feet of cable attached to a drum with a hand crank
> and a woman to turn the crank! :lolsmash:


This should be in the thread titled

Then the fight started.


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## Nadja

You could buy a generator, or you could buy a couple of solar panels and an inverter and go that route. Either way will be expensive. Don't even consider a really small gennie as they will not carry the amount of amps much less deliver it to the pump.


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## Tirediron

Louie55 said:


> Thanks for all the advice! I thought I read an article on a PVC pipe pump some where and now I can't remember where.  But yall gave me some great ideas. Thank you!!


The cheapest manual pump method for that deep of an application, would be to put a brass foot valve on lengths of 1/2'' galivized water pipe, and build a lever to move it up and down, this depth is going to create a lot of weight due to the water column and the lengths of pipe. the pvc pump you mentioned wouldn't have the required strength for that depth. 
If you are using your submersible pump to pressurize your system, you may want to consider adding a holding tank and jet pump to remove the strain on the sub pump. At 500 ft the water column pressure is 216 psi. http://www.onlineconversion.com/pressure.htm
The existing sub pump must be a pretty powerful unit and would be expensive to replace so use extreme caution if planning to use a generator.


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## dunappy

My well is almost 700 Ft deep. I'm looking at two or three different wind powered pumps. One of them is a hand pump that can also be attached to a wind mill for deeper wells.


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## adkpete

You should measure the water level in your well. It may very well be considerably less then your well depth. It might make a difference it which hand pump you could use.


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## Centraltn

A well bucket.. 4" or 6" whichever is needed and ALOT of rope. Worth every penny. A tripod with a pulley over the well certainly would make things easier


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## Emerald

It seems that Lehmans had those well buckets and they had a one way valve on the bottom that lets the water in but when you pull the bucket up it didn't leak out.


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## ar15bob

Hitzer makers of great coal stoves I know I own one no power no problem.They make hand well pumps the builder will talk to you and tell you what you need and build it for you great company all american made go to there web page Hitzer.com great company to do business answer any and all questions


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## desertfox

*Woman to turn the crank*

I showed this to my woman, and she said, And how often would you want me to wash my bottom". I replied, "I will turn the crank"/



BillM said:


> A pully rigged over the well
> A bucket that will fit down the shaft
> 550 feet of cable attached to a drum with a hand crank
> and a woman to turn the crank!
> 
> :lolsmash:


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## desertfox

*Deep wells*

I had the same question, but my well is about 200 feet deep. I will check out the possibilities I read here.

Remember: We all know a little, but together we know a lot!


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## HELIXX

This is what I will need. http://www.hitzer.com/products/pump/ Thanks for the heads up.


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## Centraltn

one solar panel- a dc waterpump and a good deep cell battery


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