40 yrs ago, family had a water to air heat pump that used a 500 ft well for water. The well hasn’t been used in decades.
Now, increasing the size of the garden and would like to get the well going to irrigate.
Any experience/ expertise in this area regarding how to restart this thing. I can make the pump work. More worried about the condition of the bore hole. Is it likely that it has silted in at the bottom. Should we try to back flush it some? Or, just fire up the output and see what happens? Idk.
I wish I had some info to help. Can’t wait to hear how it goes, though. Hope it’s not silted in either, but seems like a chance you’ll have to take. Wire it up and fire it up! Need an electrician?
Fishing Nerd
“No bar, no pinball machines, no bowling alleys, just pool… nothing else.”
500 feet? I’m guessing you are nowhere in site of any of the steeples in the holy city.
There is no reasonable way to backflush a well pump. Yes, start by turning it on and see what happens. If it works it will spit silt and sand, but then run clear. Lucky you.
When you say you can get the pump to run what exactly do you mean? (if you have water at the wellhead spigot you have a good pump) if the pump is running the water should flow. If not, you probably need a new pump or it is silted in.
If you are worried about the well lining being silted in, well, thats a distinct possibility but an easy fix. Just go to the wellhead and raise the pump a few feet. Its not that hard, just disconnect the power from the power panel and then unbolt the top of the wellhead and pull the 10/3 electric cable and water pipe up a few feet. The pump is attached to nothing but the electric cable running down to power it and the waterline coming out. There are several ways they fasten, but use common sense here. Pull the wire up, shorten the pipe, and then fasten the connection back down to the top of the wellhead.
I suck at explaining, but that should get you started. If you have to have a new pump (which I am betting you will) you simply grab the wire and pull the pump out while laying the cable and water line all around the yard. at the end of the water pipe you will find the pump. Simple rewire and reverse the process. If it is really 500 feet you will need a well pump puller. Google it, you simply aren’t strong enough to lift that much weight out of the casing without one.
Also, youtube is your friend. Feel free to ask any specific questions, I have fixed several in my daze.
Curious. above ground pump or submersible? The older deep wells like my parents had above ground, if so I would look to converting it. My well and my Parents are over 500’ I have my pump down 120’ and my parents are only down 40’. They actually were just shy of having a flowing well when first dug.
EF had good advice. Crank her up and hope for the best. Depending on who dug the well, your casing should go at least 120’. on the silting in, that was usually only a problem with shallow wells. I’ve never heard of a deep well in my area silting in, just water level drops forcing a drop in pump head.
The well has an above ground pump in the corner of a garage about 60yds from the top of the well. I think I’ll pull the pump apart to see if there are any aged or worn parts. Check the motor for dirt dauber nests and such. Then, power it up and see what happens.
Also, thinking that if I can get the main pump working and producing, 'may put a ‘T’ in the top of the well with a couple of ball valves and put a pitcher pump on top of it. That way, if electricity goes out, still have the hand pump. Remembering back a long time, but, I believe I remember that the water coming up from that deep was suitable for drinking. Parents had it tested when the well was put in.
And, EF, if it weren’t for the trees, we could see the steeples. This well was drilled for a water-to-air heat pump in the 1970s, way before it was a popular HVAC trick. Long time ago, but if memory serves, it was that deep to get to the correct ground water temperature. I think the more modern water-to-air heat pumps use closed loops that are buried a lot shallower. This early version just went deep enough to get enough water to run constantly.
Thanks for all the info. Will update when I get around to working on it.
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17' Henry O Hornet w/ Yamaha 115
26' Palmer Scott project hull
14' Bentz-Craft w/ Yamaha 25
Hope well work is working well don’t mean to sidetrack your thread but need recommendations for a whole house water filter system for a shallow well (60’) drilled about 1500’ back from the marsh in sand. Thinking sand and iron will be biggest issue to filter any helpful input appreciated. Thanks!
I can’t help you on that Bay, but I heard a fellow in Beaufort talking about that same thing. I believe some of those systems can be quit costly… ? Good Luck!! If I hear anything I’ll pass it on.
don’t mean to sidetrack your thread but need recommendations for a whole house water filter system for a shallow well (60’) drilled about 1500’ back from the marsh in sand. Thinking sand and iron will be biggest issue to filter any helpful input appreciated. Thanks!