pulling a deep well pump

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a neighbor had his pump fail.the well is 750ft deep and the pump is at 600ft. the pipe is 2 inch galvanized.

wants my help but i dont have any experience with this and unless someone has a good idea im going to pass. i can see dropping the whole thing down the well.
 
I have watched a couple of well gus pull the pumps on some properties I own. The well pump is on the bottom of the pipe that brings the water to the surface . On my wells the lengths of pipe was 2' galvanized replaced with 20' plastic pipe with couplings. Is would be nice to have the crane or thing with wheels to lift and hold the pipe while the 20'is taken apar. It is a lot of work. I would rather pay the guys to do it.
 
Has he checked the pressure control switch? Voltage to the switch? Bad capacitor?

If all checks OK he will need a professional to pull and replace it.
 
My brother and I did my mom's. It sucked - big time.
Definitely pass. In hindsight, I would have gladly hired a pro.
 
I did it twice over the years in a house I owned in PA. Lightening strikes both times, so don't believe that lightening doesn't strike the same place more than once. LOL

I pulled the pump twice by hand with my father, it was down a little over 400'. We laid the hose down the length of the driveway, up and down without any sharp bends. It was a PITA but a lot cheaper than hiring someone to replace the pump. From the sound of it you have a different setup, and it's a lot deeper.
 
That's a frikken deep water well, at least for around my area (300' is common).

With the specialized clamps to hold the next section of pipe as you un-screw the topmost piece, its not really a complicated job, even with a hand-made A-frame and winch to do the lifting.

But the weight of 600' of 2" galvanized pipe is... a LOT! You'd need an electric winch (better yet a well-service truck.) I think I'd pass on that.

And yes, if there's a corroded spot in that pipe and it breaks below the coupling you're holding onto while unbolting the top section of pipe, it can go shooting back down the hole. Violently.
 
Around here a length of poly rope is tied to the pump and secured at the surface as protection from a pipe break. But, plastic pipe is used here, going back to the 70's. It's a lot lighter than iron. BTW pumps have a measurement in ohms across the power leads which will indicate the condition of the device. Worth a test with a DVM. I don't think I
would reinstall the iron pipe, plastic isn't that expensive.
 
I'm on top of mt and I did mine (270ft; 1hp Goulds). Plastic pipe tho! Was not fun. At your depth I would certainly call a pro. Even here in NY it is not that expensive...it's the pump. Usually your home owners will cover it if it's electric strike. Check the increase for an "incident" along with your deductible against the cost of a pro.

I would, as already recommended, ensure the electrics are all good.
 
Galv pipe will definitely be a [censored]. Usually there is a rope attached to the pump and strung all the way up that you pull on as well. Pull some pipe, tie off rope tight, lock off pipe, cut off above lock, rinse and repeat 70 more times in this case. Pipe or rope is always locked off. Machine or farm tractor almost a must. I'd pass if you've never done this before. Reinstall is no treat either.
 
Originally Posted By: Blueskies123
Where does he live? On the top of mountain?
he' s a little higher than me. 500+ is pretty normal for this area.the pump is dead.its 23 yrs old.

imo the neighbor has no clue. he's also very eccentric.he thinks 2 guys can pull the whole thing up by hand.how much would this setup weigh?
 
Chris, a little interwebs search shows 2" galvanized sch 40 pipe at ~365lbs per 100ft. You'd potentially be looking at 7.5x that, plus the weight of the pump! Yikes.
 
Here is the unfortunate reality.

500'x 3.68 LBS/ft = 1900lbs

That is empty no water and no resistance against well and no pump weight. Ain't happening with two guys without equipment.

Typically a truck pulls each length up and spins it while they clamp/hold the lower section and you remove it. It is very time consuming.
 
Originally Posted By: Chris142
Originally Posted By: Blueskies123
Where does he live? On the top of mountain?
he' s a little higher than me. 500+ is pretty normal for this area.the pump is dead.its 23 yrs old.

imo the neighbor has no clue. he's also very eccentric.he thinks 2 guys can pull the whole thing up by hand.how much would this setup weigh?


500 to 750' is normal in my area also. Ag wells are 1700'+ to go through a layer of Rock that starts at 750'.
 
As a teenager in Connecticut, our 160 foot deep well pump regularly took lightning strikes. Dad and I would pull it out and replace the pump. Even 160 feet was an AWFUL job.
 
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