Replace galvanized with Pex

MasterElect · Oct 10, 2009

I am going to replace my 1.5hp deep well pump, set at 270'. It has 1" galv. pipe and been in for 15 years, can I reuse it or should it be replaced with new pipe or Pex? The well is an artesian that is 292' and blows water out the top of the pipe if the cap is off, so the pipe is always under water.
Thanks

Waterwelldude · Oct 10, 2009

If the pipe does not have anything wrong with it or has holes in it. Just put it back.
If its not broke dont fix it.

Travis

Sponsor · 2022-01-29T12:20:58-0800

NHmaster · Oct 10, 2009

I don't believe I've ever heard of anyone using pex for a pipe drop.

JohnjH2o1 · Oct 10, 2009

nhmaster said:
I don't believe I've ever heard of anyone using pex for a pipe drop.

I was thinking the same thing. I also hope he has something to pull 270' of pipe & 1.5 hp pump.

John

Gary Slusser · Oct 10, 2009

MasterElect said:
I am going to replace my 1.5hp deep well pump, set at 270'. It has 1" galv. pipe and been in for 15 years, can I reuse it or should it be replaced with new pipe or Pex? The well is an artesian that is 292' and blows water out the top of the pipe if the cap is off, so the pipe is always under water.
Thanks

I don't like galvanized because it can cause water quality problems like iron and it can block up with rust fairly easily and, it is very difficult to impossible for a DIYer to work with.

I like PE (polyethylene) pipe, that is not PEX and PEX should not be used because it is CTS (copper tubing size) and PE is IPS (iron pipe size ) which means the ID is larger than CTS. It also is not pressure rated as high as PE. I would use 160 or 200 PSI rated PE with extended length barb insert fittings and 3 opposed hose clamps per fitting correctly torqued.

MasterElect · Oct 12, 2009

To Gary Slussman

It makes a lot of sense in what you are saying, I do have high iron in the water. The drillers have a rope tied to the pump when they put it in. I have a retired well driller friend that was going to use his drill rig to hoist it out for me. If I put PE back in, the rope to the pump holds the weight of the pipe and water in it to the pitless adapter, right? since there would not be any galvanized pipe there?
Thanks

NHmaster · Oct 12, 2009

No, the rope is only there as a safety. It's usually nylon and will stretch. PE is still a good choice though. Use at least 160, 200 would be better if you can find it and be sure to use stainless or galvanized adaptors.

Gary Slusser · Oct 12, 2009

MasterElect said:
It makes a lot of sense in what you are saying, I do have high iron in the water. The drillers have a rope tied to the pump when they put it in. I have a retired well driller friend that was going to use his drill rig to hoist it out for me. If I put PE back in, the rope to the pump holds the weight of the pipe and water in it to the pitless adapter, right? since there would not be any galvanized pipe there?
Thanks

I would not use any type of rope. They usually break if needed and fall down the well on top the pump and prevent getting the pump out in most cases. Most rope today is polypropylene and it deteriorates over time.

I would use extended length barb SS or brass fittings, no galvanized to rust rust.

Waterwelldude · Oct 13, 2009

One other thing you may want to think about.
If you have hire someone to pull the pump now or in the future.
You may want to check around and see if there are pump co. in your area that are set up to pull the black poly pipe.
If, you decide to go that route.
It sometimes can be pulled by hand, but if there not set up for it, being that deep, it could cost you more in the long run.
There are some parts of the country that do not use that type of pipe.

May be something to think about.

Travis

NHmaster · Oct 13, 2009

270' by hand uggggggggg.....

MasterElect · Oct 14, 2009

If I use the PE pipe, whats to keep the hose clamps from rusting and allowing the pump to drop out of the pipe?

JohnjH2o1 · Oct 14, 2009

MasterElect said:
If I use the PE pipe, whats to keep the hose clamps from rusting and allowing the pump to drop out of the pipe?

Use SS clamps.

John

Gary Slusser · Oct 14, 2009

MasterElect said:
If I use the PE pipe, whats to keep the hose clamps from rusting and allowing the pump to drop out of the pipe?

You use marine grade SS clamps, they don't rust and, PE pipe doesn't come off insert barbed fittings very easily, you have to cut it off.

As to pulling PE pipe, IIRC you have water to the top of the casing, which would make the pipe and pump fairly light weight and although it would take some time, a couple guys could pull the pump by hand if needed. And any driller/pump guy with a pump hoist truck should be able to figure out how to use it to pull PE pipe, although they may not want to. The fact is water damages galvanized and that causes water quality problems. So those guys should want to serve their customers the best they can, and that means PE because it is the best choice and it has a 60+ year history. They could also buy a pump pulling machine and use a pickup or van to haul it to a job instead of their expensive hoist truck. And any that did would be ahead of their competition until they too bought a machine.

Waterwelldude · Oct 14, 2009

There used to be quite a few wells around here with the poly pipe in them. But they would only last about 6 to 10 years, then it would start to fatigue and become brittle. After about the eight year mark it would start to split or crack, do to the torque of the pump over time.

Most have went to steel or sch 80 pvc.
The steel does not cause water problems.
The water already has a problem, most of the time it is very hard water or has a hi iron content.

In some parts of the country poly or pvc is all that can be used, because of the quality of the water. It can destroy any steel in the water system.

Where the quality of the water is good, steel can last over forty years.

Travis

NHmaster · Oct 14, 2009

We do just about everything with PE up here.

Waterwelldude · Oct 14, 2009

Peter Griffin said:
We do just about everything with PE up here.

Liven where you do, I can see why. The water can't be very good there..

Yes, I can believe it, There are parts of the country where most don't have a choice on water or the pipe used to get it out of the ground.

Here along the coast, we are very lucky, the only thing the water is, is wet.

Travis

NHmaster · Oct 14, 2009

High iron is the most common water problem we deal with along with hardness. but then you would expect high iron content in the bowels of hell

Gary Slusser · Oct 14, 2009

Waterwelldude said:
There used to be quite a few wells around here with the poly pipe in them. But they would only last about 6 to 10 years, then it would start to fatigue and become brittle. After about the eight year mark it would start to split or crack, do to the torque of the pump over time.

That sounds like the first ever plastic IPS black pipe which was ABS, a thin walled rigid plastic that got brittle and split along the length of pipe. It was phased out in the 1960s and replaced with PE. The last I pulled with a submersible pump on it was in about 1999 or so. Many old two line jet pump systems had it.

I have never seen brittle PE and I've taken it out many times after being in a well for 30-35 years. Actually there is next to nothing found in water that can harm PE except IIRC, petroleum products.

Waterwelldude said:
The steel does not cause water problems.
The water already has a problem, most of the time it is very hard water or has a hi iron content.

Hardness and iron do not harm galvanized or any other type of pipe. They can reduce flow but not damage the pipe. Seriously acidic water can damage galvanized anything.

I talk to many people all over the US and have been for 13 yrs now. I have also tested water at thousands of residences and many businesses over 18 yrs. Galvanized steel pipe and nipples and other fittings all rust eventually and that causes soluble ferrous iron to be added to the water.

Replace galvanized with Pex

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