# Any plans for an attractive well pump structure?



## MountainKing (Jul 26, 2012)

Our house is on city water, but way out of the city (great combo). Fortunately the previous owners retained the septic system (yay!). The well that the house used to be hooked up to sits in a small brick well housing maybe 3 x 3' square and 3' tall with a removable wood shingle cover on it.

I called the previous owner and she said the well pump had been "acting up" prior to them switching over to city water. I'm torn on whether I should refurbish the electric pump so I can use the well water for watering the garden, or if I should just go ahead and install a deep well hand pump (I still need to ascertain the depth - but I think it is pretty deep). Or the final option is to perhaps just set it up to use a bailer bucket (great concept that one).

Anyway - I would love to actually make a nice well structure to sit over it that looks nice, but still retains the functionality. I'd love to see a modern take on the old wishing well look. Ideally it would have the ability to use a hand pump and some sort of winch/pulley/crank system that would allow me to crank up the bailer bucket too.

Has anyone run across something that looks good and is functional? I'd be interested to hear opinions on it..

Regards,
MK


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## Well_Driller (Jun 3, 2012)

So what's under the well cover?? Is it a drilled well? Is there a 5" or 6" pipe sticking up in the bottom of the well pit or is it a 3' hole all the way down to the water?


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## MountainKing (Jul 26, 2012)

It is a 5" pipe coming out of the concrete pad. It has a top on it with the down pipe or whatever it is called plus the wires going down to the submersible pump. Also an accumulator or pressure vessel/regulator under the cover. The previous owners sniped the wires to the pump and disconnected the fitting or collar that would connect the outflow from the well pipe to the house. If I reconnect the power (I've already tested the circuit and it is on a breaker into the house) and assuming the well pump is still good is that all there is to getting water out of it? There is a light switch type power box through which the power travels..but I assume there has to be some sort of on demand pressure switch in the system too. Since I plan to only use it for watering our garden I wonder if I can somehow bypass that regulator.

MK


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## Bobbb (Jan 7, 2012)

Some city governments have passed laws which make it illegal to use well water within the water-district boundaries. You may want to check into that.

I've read reporting on bylaw officers driving through neighborhoods where there was a watering restriction and citing homeowners who were watering their lawns and gardens with well water. It didn't matter to them - the water restriction was in place not just for people connected to the water system but for everyone, for if a precedent was set which allowed people to bypass city water during watering restrictions, then more people would have wells dug and this would undercut the business model of the water district.

I'm not saying Do or Do Not, I'm just putting this information out there for you to consider or to look into in your city.


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## MountainKing (Jul 26, 2012)

Good point. I believe our water system is voluntary since my neighbor is still on his well. I think the city annexed our area about five years ago and offered the couple dozen houses out our way city water. Some took them up on it, some didn't. Whatever the case, the thing I like about this area is it is a bit of a "live and let live" area. People have chickens and livestock even though it may not be to the letter of the law.

I think I'll just go with "beg for forgiveness instead of permission.." <g> Thanks for the heads up though. It is an important consideration!

MK


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## Well_Driller (Jun 3, 2012)

MountainKing said:


> It is a 5" pipe coming out of the concrete pad. It has a top on it with the down pipe or whatever it is called plus the wires going down to the submersible pump. Also an accumulator or pressure vessel/regulator under the cover. The previous owners sniped the wires to the pump and disconnected the fitting or collar that would connect the outflow from the well pipe to the house. If I reconnect the power (I've already tested the circuit and it is on a breaker into the house) and assuming the well pump is still good is that all there is to getting water out of it? There is a light switch type power box through which the power travels..but I assume there has to be some sort of on demand pressure switch in the system too. Since I plan to only use it for watering our garden I wonder if I can somehow bypass that regulator.
> 
> MK


A typical well system with a submersible pump consists of the pump, pressure tank, and a pressure switch. The tank is a bladder tank and stores water under pressure. The pressure switch is normally connected at the tank. The switch will control the pump to maintain the set pressure in the tank. You should keep the tank hooked up. You can't dead head a submersible pump or it will not last long. If you follow the pump wire coming out of the well it should lead you to the pressure switch, and it will have a fitting connecting it to the water line. It will be a small box, and underneath the cover there will be a set of contacts. If all that is intact you can simply put a hose bibb on the pressure tank manifold, or come off the manifold and put in a frostless hydrant.


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## MountainKing (Jul 26, 2012)

Yeah, my box is intact. It has a solenoid thing that appears to be under some sort of spring type pressure. I assume that it can be manipulated to provide the proper pressure for pump activation. So it appears they left everything intact and only sniped the wires and disconnected the outlet from the pressure tank to the house supply. I'll rewire everything (carefully) and see what the pump is capable of outputting. It hasn't run in probably 4 or more years (we've lived here 2) so I'll be interested if it will run at all. If not, that makes my decision easy..I'll just pull the pump and replace it with a deep well hand pump. <g>

Thanks for the input - very helpful!

MK


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## TopTop (Nov 11, 2011)

About water restrictions, I understand the feds now consider all water to be theirs, whether well, creek or rain. Probably urine too. Near me the local fire dept watered the little league ball field from an adjacent creek during a drought. The Mayor of the town was up on charges for illegal watering. I never heard the final disposition, but they took it pretty serious. Just so you know.

Someone may have covered this, I didn't read the entire thread. If your pump was "acting up" before they quit using it, there is a good chance you will need a pressure switch. The points get pitted/corroded & don't contact properly. I have filed them with a fingernail file & got a couple more years out of them. If you replace it get a switch with a low pressure cut out. That will protect your pump in case you ever pump the well dry.


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## MountainKing (Jul 26, 2012)

Thanks for all the help guys. I rewired everything today, tested the circuit and it was get 240 volts, but when I hit the breaker to turn it on I got nothing. Like I said, it's been down there and hasn't been run for 4 or 5 years..so there is no telling what condition it is in. I may try replacing the pressure switch, but truth be known I don't know if it is worth the hassle or not. I kind of look forward to putting a hand pump in in a sick and twisted kind of way. <g>

I'll let you guys know what/if I get the pump working.

MK


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## Well_Driller (Jun 3, 2012)

MountainKing said:


> Thanks for all the help guys. I rewired everything today, tested the circuit and it was get 240 volts, but when I hit the breaker to turn it on I got nothing. Like I said, it's been down there and hasn't been run for 4 or 5 years..so there is no telling what condition it is in. I may try replacing the pressure switch, but truth be known I don't know if it is worth the hassle or not. I kind of look forward to putting a hand pump in in a sick and twisted kind of way. <g>
> 
> I'll let you guys know what/if I get the pump working.
> 
> MK


Test the voltage on the output side of the pressure switch where the pump wires hook to. If you got 240 volts there, then it's not the pressure switch. It's either a broken wire down in the well or the pump is bad. If you get it to work you can change the pressure settings on the pressure switch. There are two springs normally. The larger spring is what adjusts the low pressure and turns the pump on. The smaller spring is what adjusts the high pressure or when the pump turns off. The tighter the spring the more pressure. If it just has one large spring then you just adjust that to where you want it. We normally set pressure switches to turn pump on at 40psi and off at 60psi. This gives good pressure. Also some pressure switches have a low cuttoff that shuts the pump down if the well run out of water. If you have one of these it will have a little lever on the side that you have to manually lift to start the pump. Make sure contact points are closed when you test the voltage on the pump side of the contacts.


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## TopTop (Nov 11, 2011)

MountainKing said:


> .........tested the circuit and it was get 240 volts,....... . I may try replacing the pressure switch, but truth be known I don't know if it is worth the hassle or not.K


Before you replace it, test the load side of the switch. You should be getting a solid 240 on both sides with the pump running. If the line side reads 240 but the load side is showing significant voltage drop then you have resistance there. Most likely either the points or the connections. You can also test the pump by just bypassing the switch. Join the wires direct with wire nuts, turn on the breaker & see if she pumps water. Monitor the pressure carefully. An exploding pressure tank can be fatal. After the test disconnect the wires *immediately* so there is zero chance of it being turned back on before it's fixed..


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## MountainKing (Jul 26, 2012)

Yeah, I was actually going to ask that (re: bypassing the switch just to see if the motor will actually run). And no worries, I don't come close to that thing with a screwdriver unless both the switch in the pump housing is off AND the breaker in the house is off (and I test it every single time I touch it). I also don't hang around the pump housing to activate it, I only activate it from the breaker box (I can see and hear the well from the breaker box in my house). So if anything gives way, I'll be far enough away. I'm not gonna lose my head over saving a few bucks a month on sprinkling my lawn with well water. <wink>

Thanks for the great input. I'm already designing in my head the replacement well top with a mind toward both functionality and making it look nice. I'll post up some pictures once I get it done.

MK


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## MountainKing (Jul 26, 2012)

OK...update.. Wired the 240 volts directly to the pump wires and hit the switch. Nothing. No big shocker there. I'm gonna pull the pump tomorrow..or at least start pulling it. I gave it a heave today and I could just barely start inching it up. I know it will get lighter as it comes up..but whoa.! I bought a couple blocks and pulleys to help though so I think I can handle it. Will also construct a wood slotted pipe clamp thing so I can collar each joining piece as it comes out of the well. I know it would be easier to do with a few other guys...but I enjoy a challenge.

I found a placard in all the muck/insulation in the well doghouse. Says the well was drilled in 1999 and the depth is 500'. No idea what the static water level is yet. Assuming I just put a simple well bucket type on it for now, with a large spool..what kind of rope should (or could) I use for the bucket? I need something that will spool around a large hand ranked drum of some sort and wouldn't want it to be too thick. Any suggestions for a spool that might need to go down several hundred feet. Might buy a hand pump assembly when I free up some money. 

Thanks..!

MK


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