Common sense tip for installing heavy well pump on roll pipe

This might be elementary to most here but I thought it worth mentioning.

Roll pipe usally comes sealed on the ends to keep contaminations out. When installing a 50 lb pump in a well, don't cut to opposite end or trim the pipe to expected size before floating it down the well. The air trapped in the pipe will make the descent of the heavy pump nearly effortless at a certain point. If you're reinstalling one or using a pipe already open on the end... seal it up before lowering the unit.

Simple trick but sometimes simple is overlooked when you're wrapped up in a project.

John

Indeed when using poly pipe air in the line makes the drop very easy. But I think most everyone does indeed cut the pipe to length and install the cap [seal] and bring the wires and rope thru so that at the end of the drop all is finished. Thus it would be a cap or valve on the outlet pipe that would be needed.

However I have dropped 250' of assembly by hand without problems and without the ends sealed. However, if it was 200 feet to water with 250' of assembly one would need a real gorilla. Typically 30 to 80 feet to static water makes the hand work possible. The air trick does not help until one hits water.

I'm not real sure how well these caps stay in the pipe as the air pressure builds up in the pipe. I wouldn't want to be standing in front of the cap when it decides to let go.

And nobody in the business who knows anything at all about installing submersible pumps uses ROPE!

bob...

(usually) No caps or plugs, the ends of the roll are crimped shut with heat at the factory.

I wouldn't take the time to plug or otherwise make an air tight seal simply to get any benefit from the trapped air. If the plug, tape etc. let go while putting the pipe down the well by hand, the weight change may cause you to drop everything down the well. And if you try to sink something that has a lot of buoyancy in it, its harder than letting something sink that is under water.

I wouldn't want to have to hold the drop pipe from falling down the well while I did my pitless insert fitting and clamps either. I install them and screw my tee handle into it to prevent everything from being able to fall down the well.

I've done a number of pump replacements (on PE pipe) by hand, and with a pump pulling machine, and the hard part of doing it by hand is pulling the stuff out and being able to stop to rest without dropping 'it' down the well, not putting it back, especially when and because there's no water in the pipe then.

Actually the weight helps get things back down the well quicker than pushing it down.

And nobody in the business who knows anything at all about installing submersible pumps uses ROPE!

Around here at the other end of the usa, all the drillers use rope. Maybe they just want to sell it.

Yes it turns to soup after some years, but when the pipe fails in the first few years or days, it is quite a lifesaver rather than pulling on the wire. I have seen a few pumps saved by the rope.

For me, rope means 1/8" stainless steel cable. If we are talking deep drops and hard pipe, then of course one uses nothing.

To each his own. Like you said it turns to mush and makes for a really good Chinese Handcuff when it falls down around the pump. Cable does the same thing. If you ever got a pump stuck in a well from lasting too long and getting welded to the casing, you would know that all the pulling in the world would not budge the pump. And if it did, the Poly Pipe has more pulling strength than the 1/8" cable. Why introduce more junk in a well when it's not needed?

Years ago I pulled a pump that someone had installed on poly with galvanized cable taped to the pipe every 10/15 feet. There would be sections that were completely missing, then another piece of cable several feet further down. A lot of good that did.

bob...

speedbump said:

it turns to mush ...

Click to expand...

What kind of rope are you guys using?

Rancher

The only rope I have seen used is Polypropeline (spelling?)

bob...

Well...(pun intended), that's what I'm currently using down my well, it's used in swimming pools all the time, and you got to think the chlorine can't be good for it. Polypropylene is the correct spelling, but I cheated and ran it thru the spell checker.

Rancher

Just make sure you don't let go of it when pulling the pump. The wire either.

I guess I could have used my spell checker, but I was too lazy. I could have sworn there was one here. But I can't find it anymore. Either that or I'm looking right at it and just cant see it.

bob...

Rope or cable, all they do is give a warm'n fuzzy false sense of security and the guys selling them more income.