Pitless adapter

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lardlad

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My well has been shut down for the winter but I hope to start it up within the next week now that the chance of frost in northern Michigan is fading. I had the well driller shut it down but will be opening it myself. He sold me a long handled wrench for the pitless adapter, about 6 foot of galvanized pipe, t-handle and slot like bit welded to the other end that fits onto the pitless adapter. I guess I forgot to ask what I'm doing when I open. Am I turning clockwise to shut the adapter so water goes into my supply line or am I turning counterclockwise to open it to let water into the supply line? I don't know how the pitless adapter works. Beyond that I'm assuming I would turn power to the submersible pump and I should be back in business, just don't want to burn my new pump out trying to push water against an improperly adjusted valve.
Thanks.
Jim
 

Sammyhydro11

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He probably sold you the pipe so you could winterize the line going to the pitless yourself. If the pitless is hooked up in the well casing, you should be able to just turn the power back on and have water. The pitless adapter has no valve on it. It allows you to disconnect the connection from the drop pipe to your waterline without having to dig down 4 feet or install a well pit. Hope this helps.

Sammy
 

Gary Slusser

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He sold me a long handled wrench for the pitless adapter, about 6 foot of galvanized pipe, t-handle and slot like bit welded to the other end that fits onto the pitless adapter. I guess I forgot to ask what I'm doing when I open.
The usual pitless uses a T handle like that with a 1" MPT fitting on it used to screw into the female on top of the pitless, and that then allows you to lift the drop pipe and pump or foot valve. A slot should be to turn water on or off or... disconnect a pitless to be able to pull a pump.

So call him and find out what you are supposed to do with the handle with a slot on the end. Or, look at the pitless and see were the slot fits but... be careful, you can undo something and drop the pump with some pitless adapters that disconnect and come apart. If yours does you need something else to hold the drop pipe.

That slot may be used to open/close a drain valve in or on the pitless.
 

Masterpumpman

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Drain valve!

The handle the driller sold you is most likely to turnoff (and on) a drain valve near the pitless adapter. Remove the well cap and focus a light or using a mirror focus the sunlight into the well. You will probably see the drain valve or stop cock. Turn it off then turn on the pump to see that no water is running back into the well. Replace the well cap and you're done.
 

Speedbump

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Porky is correct, my Brother in Law has a cabin in South Branch and he has the same exact thing. The pitless is seperate from the pipe that has the valve at the bottom. The valve lets you drain and winterize your place for the winter.

bob...
 

Beamertom

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He probably sold you the pipe so you could winterize the line going to the pitless yourself. If the pitless is hooked up in the well casing, you should be able to just turn the power back on and have water. The pitless adapter has no valve on it. It allows you to disconnect the connection from the drop pipe to your waterline without having to dig down 4 feet or install a well pit. Hope this helps.

Sammy
Here in Michigan (northeast) the well drillers install 1" pvc pipe from the top of pitless to top of casing. To winterize, you have to use a t handle tool with a socket or smash the end of pipe square to fit over the stainless steel screw that pushes a lever back against the casing forcing the pitless seal against opposite side of casing to seal. To winterize you loosen the bolt which releases the preddure on the pitless and allows you to turn the pipe which disconnects the pitless from its seat and the water in the pipe running to home will flow out and back into the well leaving no water in the line to freeze.

This method is used when pressure tank is above ground remotely installed away from well. In my case I have a camper, behind camper is a shed where my pressure tank is located. I have to turn the pitless in order to get the water out of the line running underground between the casing and pressure tank above ground. Because it comes from below the frost line and up to and above ground it is a freeze issue so it has to be drained. The only way is to release and turn the pitless allowing the water to empty back into well. Then have to blow out all lines connected from output of pressure tank.
 
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Beamertom

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My well has been shut down for the winter but I hope to start it up within the next week now that the chance of frost in northern Michigan is fading. I had the well driller shut it down but will be opening it myself. He sold me a long handled wrench for the pitless adapter, about 6 foot of galvanized pipe, t-handle and slot like bit welded to the other end that fits onto the pitless adapter. I guess I forgot to ask what I'm doing when I open. Am I turning clockwise to shut the adapter so water goes into my supply line or am I turning counterclockwise to open it to let water into the supply line? I don't know how the pitless adapter works. Beyond that I'm assuming I would turn power to the submersible pump and I should be back in business, just don't want to burn my new pump out trying to push water against an improperly adjusted valve.
Thanks.
Jim
You are turning the pitless bolt counter clockwise which loosens the pressure plate that forces the pitless against the side of the well casing sealing it so water flows into the pipe going to your home.

Before loosening the bolt,, turn off power to pump,, open the valve after pressure tank,, use a permanent market to mark the cap and the well casing.. After you loosen the bolt (only enough to relieve pressure, as you can unscrew the bolt entirely causing a service call) turn the pipe you inserted the tool into. This turns the pitless getting it out of the way and water flows back into your well and that part is winterized.

In spring, turn the cap and pipe to align with the marks you made so the pitless is in the right location, tighten the bolt snuggly which is pushing down on a lever that forces the pitless against the casing wall and the seal will re-engage. Turn on your pump and your ready to go again.

There is almost no information about this on the internet. It makes me worry that the well companies here are doing things differently than other parts of the country or that this is a cheap way of installing a well at the owners detriment. No one outside of people who have these setups seem to k ow about these types of welks.
 

Reach4

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You are turning the pitless bolt counter clockwise which loosens the pressure plate that forces the pitless against the side of the well casing sealing it so water flows into the pipe going to your home.

Before loosening the bolt,, turn off power to pump,, open the valve after pressure tank,, use a permanent market to mark the cap and the well casing.. After you loosen the bolt (only enough to relieve pressure, as you can unscrew the bolt entirely causing a service call) turn the pipe you inserted the tool into. This turns the pitless getting it out of the way and water flows back into your well and that part is winterized.

In spring, turn the cap and pipe to align with the marks you made so the pitless is in the right location, tighten the bolt snuggly which is pushing down on a lever that forces the pitless against the casing wall and the seal will re-engage. Turn on your pump and your ready to go again.

There is almost no information about this on the internet. It makes me worry that the well companies here are doing things differently than other parts of the country or that this is a cheap way of installing a well at the owners detriment. No one outside of people who have these setups seem to k ow about these types of welks.
 

Beamertom

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Drain valve!

The handle the driller sold you is most likely to turnoff (and on) a drain valve near the pitless adapter. Remove the well cap and focus a light or using a mirror focus the sunlight into the well. You will probably see the drain valve or stop cock. Turn it off then turn on the pump to see that no water is running back into the well. Replace the well cap and you're done.
wells.

Not a drain valve. For some reason the well driller here use a pitless system with a bolt that operates a lever that is behind the pitless and pushes against the well casing forcing the pitless adapter and the seal against the opposite side of the casing where the hole goes through the casing and your supply pipe is attached to the other side. By loosening the cam bolt the pitless is released and you can turn it out of the way and the supply pipe water runs out of the pipe and back into the well leaving the pipe void of water so it can't freeze
 

Valveman

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Taking the pitless apart every year to winterize can cause problems and is a real pain. Just install a brass bleeder orifice a few feet below the piltess and do not use any above ground check valves. Without any check valve above ground the bleeder will stay closed until you are ready to winterize. To winterize all you have to do is turn off power to the pump and open a kitchen faucet. When the faucet drains all the water out of the tank, the pressure will drop, the bleeder will then open and drain everything from the kitchen faucet to below the pitless. To start up again just turn on power to the pump. wait for the air to stop coming out of the kitchen faucet, close all faucets and you are back in business.
 
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