The use of a safety rope in a water well seems to be highly controversial. Some pump manufacturers and well drillers recommend one, while other experts such as Valveman here argue that they aren't needed and can fall into the casing, forming a wedge that prevents removal of the pump. Leaving aside the question of necessity, could the risk of the rope falling be eliminated by taping, tying, or hose-clamping it to the drop pipe every 10 or 20 feet? Hose clamps could be padded to keep them from cutting into the rope. For PVC drop pipe, tying just above each coupling would keep the rope from slipping downward. For poly drop pipe, tape-covered hose clamps could provide a bulge similar to a coupling if not used to clamp the rope directly to the pipe. The pump would still be removed by removing the drop pipe; the rope would just keep the pump from separating from the pipe.
Eliminating the main downside to safety ropes for submersible well pumps
- Thread starter Garn
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RetiredInGueydan
Active Member
From previous experience, a 1/8 inch stainless steel cable would be the only tether that I would use. A drop pipe failure just above the pump would likely generate enough heat to do the same to the poly rope. Attachment as proposed would all but eliminate the chance of forming a wedge at the pump.
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Interesting consideration; thank you. I had the impression that if poly pipe heats up enough to drop the pump, it softens enough to let the barbs slip.. I wonder whether there would be enough heat to soften a polypropylene rope enough that the pump would tear through the knot. Polypropylene melts at around 160 degrees C, 60 above the boiling point of water. Would tying or clamping a stainless steel cable to the pipe create any risk of the cable gradually wearing into the pipe?
RetiredInGueydan
Active Member
All that I can tell you, a pump can generate enough heat to melt a PVC drop pipe and collapse the PVC casing around the pump. The S.S. tether would be the only practical way for a DIYer to retrieve a detached pump. Some say that a pump can be pulled by the wire, but I would rather not take that chance. Electrical tape and cable ties may be enough to attach the tether onto the drop pipe opposite of the wire. With this installation along with the use of a CSV to limit pump cycling, I doubt there would be issues with chafing.
If you use the correct materials for the job/depth, losing a pump to other than really old rusted galvanized, or collapsed well is a non issue. Unless there are other unnecessary items, like safety rope/cable, centering rings, torque arrestors, trapped pumps don’t happen.
That's hotter than I would have expected. Thank you for several good points.
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