Pulling a submersible well from the bottom of an old pit well

[ChefBryRD]

Real Well of Souls vibe: https://ibb.co/HpR8pcc

We have this 55' deep hand-dug, field stone and mortar well on our property (don't worry it's usually capped). About 7' across at the top, tapers as it goes down. Makes you real glad you didn't live in the olden days. All the visible piping in the photo is where it also collects water from an adjacent dry well. I'd like to put both back into service for additional irrigation water, but of course pump in the bottom is dead and stuck. No movement at all.

At the bottom, they added a well casing and dropped a submersible pump in there at some point. Water is visible at the top of the casing. I dropped a lamp down there but couldn't tell how deep or the casing material. We have a cistern about 70' down in elevation from here that's at the water table, so I assume the casing is at or near water table as well.

Anyway, I need to pull the pump to measure the depth and get a fresh pump in there to check the recharge and flow. I have access to the black poly pipe and a nylon cord both attached to the pump. Any bright ideas on how to pull it before I just chain it to my front end loader and lift (and prolly break the pipe)? Thanks!

 

[Valveman]

Probably not going to break the pipe. Poly will stretch a bunch before it breaks. Just pull and see what happens. If it gets tight, pull while turning to the right. Turning left will unscrew something.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Reach4]

In a wide well, use a flow inducer. If you don't find enough info when you search, say so.

 

[LLigetfa]

In a wide well, use a flow inducer. If you don't find enough info when you search, say so.

OP did not say how wide the casing is but a flow inducer won't help to extract a stuck pump.

Anyway, it looks like a recipe for disaster with the possibility of loose rubble falling down into the casing and sticking the pump. Casing should have been brought all the way up to the top.

 

[ChefBryRD]

Probably not going to break the pipe. Poly will stretch a bunch before it breaks. Just pull and see what happens. If it gets tight, pull while turning to the right. Turning left will unscrew something.

All right thanks, we'll see how I do!

OP did not say how wide the casing is but a flow inducer won't help to extract a stuck pump.

Anyway, it looks like a recipe for disaster with the possibility of loose rubble falling down into the casing and sticking the pump. Casing should have been brought all the way up to the top.

Yea, for all I know a flow inducer is down there and that's what covered in silt. And yea, I'm not hoping for much here, but figured it was worth trying if I could use the water. Never once seen a well from the 60s or 70s around here where people bothered doing stuff right. They're all a new adventure/ disaster.

 

[Reach4]

Right. Cary suggested how to extract the old pump. I was intending to address what to do with the new pump.

I see a 7 ft diameter well, so if worst comes to worst, you ignore the relatively small old casing, and put in your new setup.

 

[LLigetfa]

ignore the relatively small old casing

The way I read it, the purpose of the casing was to deepen the well so it cannot just be ignored.

 

[RSole]

Probably not going to break the pipe. Poly will stretch a bunch before it breaks. Just pull and see what happens. If it gets tight, pull while turning to the right. Turning left will unscrew something.

You mean turn clockwise. Looking down on something that needs turning, there is no left or right. This "turn left or right" is such a non-technical, ambiguous way to describe turning, since the perimeter of the item to be turned is going in all directions, left, right, up, down and every angle in between. You'll never see motor shafts described as "turning to left or right", it's always CW or CCW.

 

[Reach4]

You mean turn clockwise. Looking down on something that needs turning, there is no left or right. This "turn left or right" is such a non-technical, ambiguous way to describe turning, since the perimeter of the item to be turned is going in all directions, left, right, up, down and every angle in between. You'll never see motor shafts described as "turning to left or right", it's always CW or CCW.

I guess you don't like "Lefty Loosy, Righty Tighty" either?

 

[Valveman]

You mean turn clockwise. Looking down on something that needs turning, there is no left or right. This "turn left or right" is such a non-technical, ambiguous way to describe turning, since the perimeter of the item to be turned is going in all directions, left, right, up, down and every angle in between. You'll never see motor shafts described as "turning to left or right", it's always CW or CCW.

Of course you are correct. But I find it funny that the younger generation doesn't understand CW or CCW because they have never seen anything but a digital clock. Lol. Also, a driller is always looking down and turning to the right. That is just what we do.

 

[Reach4]

Turn the steering wheel clockwise. :-o

 

[RSole]

Of course you are correct. But I find it funny that the younger generation doesn't understand CW or CCW because they have never seen anything but a digital clock. Lol. Also, a driller is always looking down and turning to the right. That is just what we do.

That still makes no sense. If you are looking at a ball valve on a wall with the lever pointing down, to close it you would turn to the left. If the lever was pointing up, you would turn it to the right. CW and CCW removes all ambiguity.
Now take your stuck pipe scenario.: If the person trying to remove the pipe has a wrench on the pipe and starts off with the wrench pointing towards him or her, the wrench would be turned to the left until it reaches vertical from the turner's perspective, and then the wrench would be turned to the right.
I understand where this "turn right, turn left" comes from, it's the assumption that one is only looking at the top half of a pipe, screw or whatever, and if it were placed flat on the ground, turning clockwise would make it roll to the right, hence "turn to the right".

I worked for many years in the aircraft industry and overhaul and repair manuals NEVER say to turn left or right for fasteners or shafts, axles. It's ALWAYS CW or CCW, since left/right means nothing and could be confusing.
By the way, Edmund Scientific used to sell a counterclockwise clock.

 

[RSole]

I guess you don't like "Lefty Loosy, Righty Tighty" either?

If you're referring to one's political affiliation and budgetary views, I do like it. As for rotating an object, I understand why that expression came to be. If you ignore the bottom half of a bolt, pipe, etc, from your perspective, the top half does indeed "turn to the right or left".

 

[LLigetfa]

Left hand thread and right hand thread is standard nomenclature, hence the lefty-loosey/righty-tighty being common terminology.
I don't see CW and CCW used in that regard. Since pipe threads are similar to bolt threads, they share the same nomenclature.

Left-Handed and Right-Handed Fastener Threads: Uses and Comparison

National Bolt & Nut Corporation in Illinois is a manufacturer and distributor of bolts & nuts, available in every grade of steel, stainless, brass, non-ferrous, exotics and special per print. Our products include Custom Fasteners, Custom Nuts and Custom Bolts.

www.nationalbolt.com

McMaster-Carr

McMaster-Carr is the complete source for your plant with over 595,000 products. 98% of products ordered ship from stock and deliver same or next day.

www.mcmaster.com

Screw thread - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org