Water pipe in deep well

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I need some help in understanding how the water pipe is connected under the well head. Since obviously I can only see what's on top, I'm attaching a picture of that in hopes that someone can tell me what is most likely underneath. (Yes, I know that can vary, but this well was most likely installed using minimum standards.)

Here's the picture.

well2.jpg


I'm hoping to find out what kind of pipe would most likely be used to connect this 1" galvanized elbow to the pump (a 1 hp Myers Predator). The well is 420' deep with a static water level of 40'. I would also like to know if the pump is supported by something or is it just hanging by the pipe. The galvanized fitting in the photo can turn with only hand pressure. Should it be able to more? Should it have been sealed/caulked at the top of the well casing? (There is evidence of some kind of sealant on the PVC end of the elbow, but none on the bottom where the elbow intersects with the top of the casing. Also I can see a small hole in the sealant used around the electrical wires that exit the well. Should this be re-caulked?

We've considered rotating the galvanized elbow 90 degrees to make a smoother connection to our water supply line, but we need to know how all of this is put together before we start messing with it. The current set up was done as a temporary measure to allow us access to using the water from the well during construction.
 

Valveman

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There is most likely 1" PVC or 1" Galv pipe under that elbow holding up the pump. It is not a problem to rotate any direction you want. Tightening the four bolts squeezes a gasket that seals off the pipe and casing. It won't seal off the wire hole though, that is why there is silicon in there. But the silicon won't stay there either because you don't have a vent. The little 1/2" PVC cap need to be a screened vent pointed down. Otherwise you just blow out the silicon.
 

LLigetfa

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Unscrew the plastic cap from the vent and shove down a foot long insulated wire with the end stripped off. Connect one lead of a continuity tester to the wire and the other lead to the elbow. Try to touch the down pipe with the stripped end of the wire. If you have continuity, it is likely a metal drop pipe.
 
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Thanks valveman and LLigetfa. This was most helpful. I really appreciate the time you guys give to sharing information with folks like me.

About that air vent... the pipe that the 1/2" cap is attached to seems to have small horizontal slits running parallel to each other along the side of the pipe. I assumed these were for air to pass through. Do yo think we also need to put screen in the top in lieu of the cap?
 
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