Replace a Driven Well

Twice now, we have replaced our sandpoint driven well at our Northern Wisconsin cabin. I helped my father both times when I was 12 and again at 30. Well, I am now 51, my father is gone and I was hoping someone could help refresh my memory. I have pictures that I will attach. It is either a 1 1/2 or 2 inch pipe. From what I remember we only drove a single pipe down the well but as you can see in the pics, there appears to be two pipes going down the well. This is the part that confuses me.

My reasons for the replacement are: Excessive rust every spring when we need to re-prime for the new season, water pressure only gets to 30 lbs versus the 50 it use to get to, and more sand is getting into the cabin… I assumed because of a worn out sandpoint. And, the pump motor is at least 35 years old. (FYI: Does anyone make a plastic lined pipe to reduce the rust factor?)

If, I'm pulling the pipe to replace the sandpoint, I would like to replace the entire system: pipe, sandpoint, pump, pressure tank…. I know it might be over kill.

Dave

My Search Continues

I have done several more searches for the type of cap that is on our existing well to no avail. I am almost certain that we only drove the 1 pipe but, can't figure out why the picture appears to have 2 going into the well. I live 6 hours away from the cabin and my retired neighbor was kind enough to take the pictures that are attached.

Does anyone have any idea why it looks like two pipes go into the well?

The red thing with the two pipes looks like a jet assembly. I think it is only one pipe below that.

Jet Assembly

Thanks for your response... my hope is to do this project over July 4th and I want to get all the materials before I go north.

My understanding is that a jet assembly pushes water back down a seperate pipe to give more lift pressure. If, there is only one driven pipe what would the return pipe be doing?

More Pic's

Sounds like I will need to make a trip north this weekend. I don't remember putting the smaller pipe down the other but, it was a long time ago. I do want to replace the sandpoint so pulling the well is not an issue. Your reply of a PVC pipe intruges me. Is that allowed and how does it hold up where freezing happens?

Thanks for your response!

In Michigan all the two inch wells I drilled (hundreds) had 1-1/4" screens put down out the bottom of the two inch pipe. About 1' of 1-1/4" pipe screwed to the top of the screen stuck up into the two inch pipe. Then on top of that pipe was a bremer check that sealed off the two inch and the 1-1/4". You can't just go down there and pull that bremer and screen even if you had the special tools to do so. When you pull the screen, you pull a heave of sand and gravel up into the two inch pipe as far as ten feet. This has to be drilled back out before the new screen can be put in. This requires a lot of equipment that most homeowners don't have. It also requires a lot of experience to handle the job.

If this is a driven two inch well with an actual two inch screen on the bottom, you could pull the whole thing if you had the tools, but you would probably want to put in all new pipe since that old pipe is probably badly pitted now.

As Sammy said, pulling a two inch jet is a real job. I have seen many that most drillers couldn't even pull with their rigs because they didn't have the right rig or tools. Again as Sammy said, the 30 lbs means a plugged jet not a worn out pump.

What your attempting to do, will most definitely end in a lot of frustration and sweat with bad results. The well is just too old to be resurrected in my opinion.

The word everyone is looking for is Casing Adaptor. That is the red thing on top of the two inch well. It seals the droppipe and casing together so the two inch becomes the return pipe to the jet and the 1-1/4" is the suction.

More Info

Again, thanks for the replies... Well I drove North and back yesterday and spent 11 hours in the car. There is a 1 1/4" pipe down inside a 2" pipe. I attached a weight to some fishing line and lowered it down the inside of the 1 1/4 pipe. It went down 32 feet before it hit bottom. I guess if the idea is to replace all anyhow, the next question is what design would someone rcommend as a replacement. Copy the old design or is there a better one?

Location and Cost

There are two reasons we are looking at doing this ourselves one is cost. But more importantly, where the current pumphouse is, is not accessable to a well drilling machine. in the 40 years since the first well was driven, many trees have grown to maturity. We don't want to relocate the well because then we would need to also trench new lines to the cabin.

Unless some has a better design then the original, we guess we will just duplicate it. I have tried over the weekend to find what speedbump calls a bremer check. Are these still made and if so, where can I find a new one that fits a 2" id and allows a 1 1/4 id pipe? Next, I believe the 2" pipe needs to be metal but, is there any reason to not make the 1 1/4 PVC? Finally, I've seen stainless and galvinized pipes advertised which is better?

Thanks everyone for their help!

Sheeza might be able to get you a Bremer Check. I know the supply companies in Michigan used to sell them cause I bought thousands of them back in the day. Two inch wells are all pretty much non existent now so they might not be as easy to find.

This is what they look like and the 1-1/4" is what they sit on. They go down the well after the screen and tailpipe which is attached to the top of the screen with a coupling on top. Then the Bremer is hit on the top to seat it. If you look above the rubber you can see how the brass gets bigger and resembles a barbed fitting. When the Bremer is smacked on the top, the rubber is pushed up and out so it can seal off the two inch pipe. The bottom of the Bremer is leather. This sits on top of the 1-1/4" coupling.

Shoot, I don't even need one,but I want one now. Upper