Smart guy, our family relied on one of these for all of our water needs which included drinking, bathing, laundry, etc. We had a family of 10 and I can only remember our well going dry once. Bathroom was an outhouse, how things have changed.
As a kid we had one of these to water our animals. We had a square galvanized tub to hold water. In the summer I would go dump the tub and fill with cold well water and get in the tub. Man that was fun.
Now THIS was the vid I have been waiting for! Thanks for doing this vid...we have 3 wells, one has an old hand pump that doesn't work, one has a pump and bladder tank for the house and one is for irrigation. We have no idea about the old well with the hand pump, but the original house on the property (that we burned down a couple of years ago) was built in 1921...I saved the well pump. Now I have to dig around it and see it there is a casing down there somewhere.
I drilled 30 ft. With a pressure washer, cased the hole with 3" PVC, with perforations in the bottom 10ft. It took a while to clean up, but like you said, "it will keep my family alive" if need be.
This is a great video....smart guy....humble guy....funny guy....the people who gave 29 negative reviews (to date) need to seriously introspectively reevaluate their life's priorities.
@@MrSmith-no5pg real original. Sometimes people don't like stuff. Maybe they thought the title was misleading or something. Not who i was talking to.....
Great informative video! Tne only thing that I would add to your setup would be to tie a length of 1/4" nylon rope to the bottom section of pipe and then knot/tie it to each subsequent section above until you reach the top. You could leave it dangle out under your well cap or tie it to the pipe just under the cap. Should your PVC pipe break or become separated you can still lift all of the pipe up out of the casing.
use polypropylene made for well safety rope, better use stanless multi strand cable, Nylon is not permanent water proof long term, also dry rots over time. I use aircraft safty stainless wire run between to stakes longer than need cable the connect one end in drill and make my wire rope/cable
Nice job. Glad I watched bcuz I forgot about the vacuum limitation. My well is 300 feet down and I wasn't sure how I'd get my water in a shtf scenario.
Good information....I'm doing a shallow well for the first time...I'm having trouble pulling water up from the WellPoint. My point is 17' to the bottom. I had to put my garden hose down to the point to flush it out....when I did this, the water came up the pipe and was muddy for a minute or so, then fairly clean. Then I would raise my garden hose up and as I did this the water would not stay in the pipe. At this time I figure the WellPoint is all clean as I cannot keep the water in the pipe. I drop a string with a weight down to about 11' and hit the top of the water. Then drop it down to the bottom witch is another 6'. (When I bring the string up it is wet from the bottom up to 6'). I hook up a 1.5 hp flotec pump, prime the pump, but it won't pull the water up. I tried the pump several times but no luck. Any thoughts or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
+dave cantone A well will take what it will give so if your water is coming out over the top with a garden hose then you are not producing much water when you put the well in did you use teflon tape and as liquid thread compound and tighten it up good with a couple stilson wrenches?
Thanks for posting this, I have a question these work great in warmer weather but we live in Northern Idaho where it can get really cold with lots of snow, Do you have any suggestions about keeping these from freezing? Again thanks much
+Eileen Simpson the best and most efficient way is to unthread your pitcher pump in the winter and take it inside if you need to use it thread it back on pump it up use it and take it back in when done! If you leave water in a pitcher pump... even a little in the pump it will freeze and crack . I've seen it happen way to many times to count . Or set it up in a heated barn or something like that !
RJ Actually, your supposed to flip the seal. This lets the water drain back into the well after every use. You have to reprime when you use the pump but at least it doesn't freeze.
Do not use a foot valve.... The pump has a built in leathet check valve to hold the prime.... Raising the handle all the way will open the check valve and allow the water to go back down the well an prevent freezing.. Pump must be primed and released each time you use it in the cold weather...
Prime to use. Remove prime when done. When I was a kid we had one at Gramma's. To remove prime, you lift the handle all the way up, like to pump, then down about 4 inches, then back up - repeat several times. This allows the water to drop, and removes the prime. I do not know if Gramma's had the check valve on the very bottom like this does, or not. I DO know that if you don't let the prime down, it will freeze, damaging the pump, . . . not to mention what Gramma will do to ya!
The video is great. You should tell them about flipping the seal in winter to let the water drain back down the pump. It means you have to prime every day but your pump don't freeze up because the water drains back into the well.
With the foot valve installed it still wouldn’t drain unless you go down below the frost line and drill about an 1/8” weep hole in the side of the pipe.
Old timer story here. I remember these as the primary source of water back in the day with two wells drilled, one outside for yard & agricultural usage/feeding livestock & one inside mounted above the kitchen sink on the counter. There would always be a bucket of water close by with a ladle for dipping to get you a drink & the rest to re-prime the pitcher pump with. Having to pump your own water actually gave people character not having every essential at their fingertips & having to work the land for sustenance. Reflecting back on that lifestyle, this is why I have issues with the whiners of today wanting everything for nothing & instant gratification. I didn't grow up necessarily this hard but we knew hard times & when my generation is gone, the next will have no idea what it actually takes to survive in stressful times. I wish this foo-foo new age era the best of luck,, they're gonna need it.
+Ro'ber Harpane' We still use them everyday in Plymouth Ma. One thing to keep in mind every time you buy a pitcher pump from Lowes or Home depot you are buying one made in china it is best to buy ones made in America not only are they made 100% better they last for years and.... well "no pun" they are made here!
Ro'ber Harpane' I'm just 20 but I understand what you're saying. I grew up without all those "great" things. We use everything for it's worth. Then modified it to work for something else. Kept doing that till most times it was completely useless. One house we lived in was an older one and you could watch the window blinds blow around. It took a week's worth of news paper but I was warm then. 10 years later and still working great too!
Thanks for the great video! A foot valve though that holds the water in the pipe between pumpings is not recommended for cold climates. If the water freezes in the upper part of the pipe it won't work, plus it could burst the pipe.
I think you gotta put some kind of steady base around the tubing on the ground to keep it steady and support it so it will pump out the water more steadily and constantly .....we had this back home in the Philippines And its super and we still have them to this day..... you just got to boil the water at times when you think it's not safe to drink like during the times of extreme flooding from a storm and during hurricanes....otherwise we use for everything abundantly..
Take your grinder and grind down each side of the water slide, so you can place the metal handle of the bucket and set the handle into the slots you grinded so the bucket is locked in the slots and won't fall off the water slide.
What would you suggest for a deeper well? At my parents house they had to drill down through the 100' of hill and then some to the water table. I very much desire to have a manual opperation attached in case of an extended power outage. Is there a manual option available?
Scott, I liked the way you break down all the parts needed. Please do this with the simple lever arm pump. Do you have both the pitcher pump and the simple pump at the house. I am new at this and need a parts break down with the simple pump. Also where did you buy the metal cap in this video.
I am sorry for asking a dumb question, just a question about can you just dig a new hole 30’ deep in your yard? Is what you showing us how to use your Existing well, from your house well?
thanks for the video, enjoyed it, informative. I have a question, I have property with a pitcher pump on it that my Dad put in back in the 60's. The property went through hurricane Katrina and was wrecked and I just had to walk away and let nature do her thing. I went back recently and the property is pretty again. I found a running spring and I found the old pitcher pump in the woods. The depth is 14 feet. Back then people weren't using PVC pipe so the pipe is galvanized. I want to refurbish the pump and get it going again. I can use the property for hunting and camping and it would be great to have water. As old as it is I was wondering if I should replace the seals like it is or rather, maybe put a pvc pipe down inside the old galvanized pipe with a new pitcher pump. The water would be rusty and nasty tasting if I were to continue to use the old pipe. Try to pull the old pipe out? Any suggestions on how I should bring it back to life? Thanks
very good video! but what do you ask for when you want someone to drill your well for you? do you just say I want to put in a hand pump on the well? thank you for your answer
Im in northern Michigan. Im putting in galvinize pipe cause I already have a 5 ft sand point. This is mainly for garden. my house is all set. I am on edge of swamp, and near a spring stream that dries up late summer. I hit standing water 3ft below surface but plan to go down 12 to 15 ft total. I was told to put chk valve up by pump with a drain plug installed just belowe to let water out for winter. Also told (by someone else) to put it just above sandpoint and for winter just displace the water with a 1 1/2 inch pvc with a cap. Stick it in to chk valve or the 12 to 15 ft Im thinkin on goin with pipe. Which do you think is best option? Also Do I really need it seeing Im only down at most 15 ft. If not at which depth would you suggest a check valve? Thanks Nice vid.
If you use a foot valve it will freeze so you would have to take precautions against that. I think they make a manual release dump valve that you could install inline with the PVC several feet below grade that would work.
Whell pitcher pumps are generally made of cast metal’s and the pump cylinder’s are not machined to a great polish it’s advisable to run an automotive piston honing stone in your pump to give it a smother surface for the cup & gasket to operate on to prolong the life of them.
probably been said before, but you could weld a small horn to the pump so the bucket doesn't slide off. bit of paint to touch up. could make the risk of wasting water that little bit less
For the life of me i cant get my new pitcher pump to work. The old one waa a antique. Anyways. I tested it b4 installing it by using a scrap 3 foot pipe in a bucket of water. It worked great. Once i install it in pipe in ground it wont draw at all. Primed it. Even filled water pipe full of water. Still no go. It gets super tight? I used a piece of twine with metal weight and pipe goes down 21 feet to bottom.
Hello, I really enjoy your videos. One question on this one: do you think I can install a pitcher pump on the same line as my home well? the home well terminates in the basement to a pump, but I also have about 2 feet of pipe extending outside from the ground. That is where I would ideally install the pitcher pump. Would that interfere with anything?
I have a question or two if you don't mind.....like 50 years ago my grandfather buried a 1" pipe, no casing, reached water, went ten feet below, capped it off at the ground, walked away from it, and could never find it again. I found it 10 years ago. The water table is at 18'. My question is, with the aid of a reducer can I use this make shift well with a hand pump going from 1 1/4 inch from the pump down to 1 inch to the exposed cap?
Thanks! We have an old well that appears to be a clay pipe. In addition, the pipe is a little below ground level (6”). How would I extend the pipe up to above ground level to set the lid? Thank you!
it looks like a longer handle would indeed be nice, but also a longer spout so the base of the pump isnt pushing the bucket off its own bucket handle catch. you might could find a led pipe or some similar length of tube that'd fit over your handle.
So my regular well is 130 feet deep. If the electric goes out, I need to be able to give my horses water. So how close/where do you put this in the ground and what if the ground is really hard?
You COULD tee off before your main pump, and use the existing pipe and footvalve. I would also think about securing the base so you're not flexing the standpipe.
In order Why did you multiply the atmospheric pressure (14.696 psi) by 2.31 in order to figure out the maximum pomp power suction ? What does 2.31 represent ? Thanks for information .
great vid. it filled in a lot of holes after watching a lot of other videos. can you go into detail on sealing the casing to keep ground water out? i think you mentioned clay in another video, but i don't know where to get that or know what it is sold as. i was actually thinking about gravel to about a foot or two from the surface and then pouring cement as a seal, but i haven't seen this issue addressed, so i don't know if that would be good. thanks for the videos
The house I just moved in to has a well I do not know how deep it is is the water level always at the 33 ft I guess what I'm asking is will this work on all wells thanks for all your help.
I have a 4 inch PVC casing in a shallow well. Where can I buy a well cap like the one you used in the demonstration. I prefer the side mounted set screws and a cap which will accommodate 1 1/4 inch pipe? Thanks!
I have not read all the comments but here is my question: I am thinking of installing one of these on a dug well. I live in NE Canada and wonder how to "winterize" this kind of set-up. I am assuming just remove the pump and store for the winter??? Thanks.
Is the cap used strictly for mounting or is it necessary to create a sort of air lock? I have an ancient "open" well probably 3 ft diameter; planning to mount the the hand pump on a piece of wood spanning the opening, so there will be open space around it. Top of water level is only about 14 feet down, so I won't need much PVC. BTW, Harbor frieght had a few pumps in my local store at about $25, don't even know if it works yet (have found many times they have "faulty" products). Great info!
Hello, do you know if I can use Pitcher pumps if I put a 10-20ft pipe into the ground, I am in Brooklyn NY, zip 11214. Not for drinking, just for car wash and pool. I don't know if I can access the water table within 20ft? Thank you Sir!
Hello Engr775 - can a picture pump be setup on an original 4" casing if a new well has to be drilled to not have to fill it in? My see water level is 5' in the dry season and the current well pump-static level is at 40' but I suspect the water table level sits higher than that. Problem is the current well is sucking up sand which dilutes when flushing the well but doesnt completely clear out enough for a filter. Any thoughts?
If I put 100ft of pvc down with a foot valve at the bottom but the water level is at 15ft would the pump consider the water level at 15ft? I pulled an electric pump up from a ridiculous distance but I would like to have the water from that lower footage.
Great Info! Thank you for sharing. I am also curious about freezing in the winter with the foot valve. It was mentioned below about a manual release dump valve below grade - would this keep the pump mostly primed down to the dump valve?
+Stephen Warren a tiny paint flake can plug your diffuser on a shallow well 7 I've seen 2 pipe jet systems get p[lugged this same way 60 feet down a well the venturi was plugged with a tiny paint chip and the pump wouldn't make over 25 lbs pressure The best way to keep a pump from rusting up is to use it often !
Someone wasn't paying attention in physics class. You can't suck water from more than 34 feet below the pump, because the pump creates a vacuum, and air pressure actually pushes the water up to the pump to fill the vacuum. You can however, push the water as far ABOVE the pump as the design allows. That's why modern deep water wells have the pump, WAY down in the ground, usually at the bottom of the well, or close to it. Because you cannot beat a law of physics. You have to work with/around them.
I'm wondering if I really need a well casing/ drop pipe for a hand drilled well where my water table is less than 15 feet below. I've seen a 2" steel pipe well system with a sharp bit and screen that remains and that you just hammer drive into the ground and never pull back up. Also wondering if even need to jet to get it through Florida dirt.
When evaluated by a well service company, our water was 18 feet below the ground level where we were standing. They determined that the bottom of the well was 100 feet, so 82 feet of water. You said that the hand pump can pump from 33 feet depth or less. So, here is my question, maybe a dumb question. Would the 18 feet of space (from surface to water) be included in the 33 feet? Then the pipe would drop up to 12 or so feet below the current water level?
Yes, that would work just fine! As long as you’re below the water level is all that matters if it’s 34’ or less. So you’re being 12’ below would be great.
@@engineer775 I have a well 140 ft deep the static water level is 28 ft from ground level and I have all the info if you need more info. Question, can I install something like this will it work with my well? I looked into simple pump and its 1800 and bison pump is like twice that price so I can't afford that.
Im in south central texas and my well has been inactive for over 10 years. Its fairly deep 2500 feet last I remember BUT it needs to go deeper to get to the good clear water. we got iron and sulpher when it was operational. My question is, can I set up a well pump to push the water up and into a shallow holding tank buried in the ground then when necessary be able to pump from that tank? There are no shallow wells around this area less than a thousand feet.
TheKYnyts & otis991000, For a deep well you need a SUBMERSIBLE pump, it goes down IN the well casing itself. Engineer 775 said you can't SUCK water farther than 34', deeper than that you need to PUSH the water up the pipe. Our family was in the electric motor/pump rewinding & repair business since 1960. You're right about the pump being much more expensive, as it takes a highly specialized motor to fit into the casing and still have enough power to push the weight of the water up the pipe.
If i want to go over 34 feet like 40 or 50 will it still work at all. Im worried that as we dry up my deep 160 ft well and i get water at 15 foot it will go lower as less water is out there. If my water level goes to 40 + i want to be able to get water
I live on an old farm with a hand dug well, its deep and stone lined. It has an old existing hand pump which I’m not sure is repairable and the iron piping corroded. I’ve seen videos driving pipe into the ground. Of course I don’t have to drive pipe, I already have a well full of water. Could I use the same piping and pitcher pump for my well? I’m assuming so. Do I need the drive point? Or could I use a drive point with its built in filter, attach sections with couplers, attach the pump and I’m in business with a water source on the old farm? Or is there something else I can install instead of a drive point at the end of the pipe? A filter that fits on the end of the pipe? I’m not 100% how to install plumbing into an already hand dug, stone lined well. Thanks. Oh: the pump I have is the original pump on the farm dating 1898. A 98 year old lady stopped by who was born in my house said it’s the same hand pump she used as little girl. It’s a. FE Myers & Bro. Pump. I’m still researching info on how to refurbish it.
What is the distance from the ground to the top of the water in the well that is the key to determining whether or not you can use a pitcher pump. If it's over 25 ft you cannot you need to use a lift pump. We use simple pumps on all these hand dug wells.
@@engineer775 thanks for the info. I’ll have to measure the depth and see. When I pulled the old pump out the well, it did have a separate pump connected to the piping and a very long piston rod inside the pipe connected to the hand pump. I never seen that before. I wasn’t sure what the contraption was but assumed it was a separate pump and the original piston and flappers were missing in the hand pump. Interesting stuff. Thanks again for the info.
Hi Great video, Just wondering. I am installing a 1 1/2 Hp pump to my shallow well for sprinklers. I plan on building a wood box to hide the pump and thought it would be nice to have a pitcher pump on top. Is this possible to do off the 2"pvc? I was thinking I could T off the intake side of the pump after the check valve with a on off valve to protect the pitcher pump from the electric pump pressure when not in use. Would this work? thanks for any input
ED Beardsley It is always a very bad idea to create any more connections than absolutely necessary on the suction side of a well pump chances are it will suck air through the check valve as there is much movement when operating a pitcher pump that would inevitably weaken your glued PVC fittings.. It can be done just not very advisable on a PVC set up and it would have to be set up pre check valve on your pump
What size foot valve are you using? At Home Depot they had 1" and 1 1/2" foot valves. The larger one increases the overall diameter and I didn't know if the 1" would cause problems when using the 1 1/4" pvc. Does the above ground portion of you system count for lifting height? You have 30' of pvc and a couple of galvanized above, plus pump height...are you close to the 33-34' max for pumping?
I want to put a no freeze hand pump on my existing 200’ well over the cap as a back up to my electric well pump that runs in to the house how would I do that? Can I do that?
i want to rill a shallow well at my cabin. how do you deal with freezing issues? it gets below -22c sometimes at my cabin. can you recommend any solutions? thanks for the great video. :)
alzathoth I drain & then take my pump inside and break suction via loosening a 1"1/4 threaded we'll cap on the top of my well...so the water seeks it's own level back down the well !
couldn't you reduce the pipe at the pump to 3/4 and achieve a deeper level if needed? the reason im asking is because i have 3 wells one is older and less deep but i have yet to check the depth of it, on my other two wells are at 110' deep, but im sure the water is much higher? im in Florida and you hit water pretty fast here,, the deep well hand pumps are a bit expensive, the one i just priced was $1,400 im wondering if you reduce the pipe like im saying do you think i could achieve 50' ?
No doesn't matter if the riser pipe is the size of a coffee stirrer or 10 feet in diameter, I'ts impossible to suck or pull water up for than about 30 feet. You can push water up as high as you want though, so you just have to put pump down in the well instead of on top of the well.
Alright I know this is an old video but asking here because there seems to be a lot of smart people in the comments section (crazy, I know) I have a pitcher pump, that is outside with foot valve but winter is coming. Could I drill a weep hole just below the frost line, and leave the handle in the up position to let water drain out the weep hole in the winter, and out of the pump? Also will the pump keep it's prime in the summer if the handle is left down, even with the weep hole. Had I been less ignorant I wouldn't have use a foot valve at all but at this point it would be a pain to remove. A weep hole just below the frost line would that be that hard though.
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Smart guy, our family relied on one of these for all of our water needs which included drinking, bathing, laundry, etc. We had a family of 10 and I can only remember our well going dry once. Bathroom was an outhouse, how things have changed.
excellent video. short and sweet, just enough talking and just enough showing how things are done. good job, thanks
As a kid we had one of these to water our animals. We had a square galvanized tub to hold water. In the summer I would go dump the tub and fill with cold well water and get in the tub. Man that was fun.
Now THIS was the vid I have been waiting for! Thanks for doing this vid...we have 3 wells, one has an old hand pump that doesn't work, one has a pump and bladder tank for the house and one is for irrigation. We have no idea about the old well with the hand pump, but the original house on the property (that we burned down a couple of years ago) was built in 1921...I saved the well pump. Now I have to dig around it and see it there is a casing down there somewhere.
I drilled 30 ft. With a pressure washer, cased the hole with 3" PVC, with perforations in the bottom 10ft. It took a while to clean up, but like you said, "it will keep my family alive" if need be.
My grandmother had one of these beside the kitchen sink and a couple outdoors too. I pumped a lot of water with them.
You have very pleasant way of presenting information. I've learned alot
This is a great video....smart guy....humble guy....funny guy....the people who gave 29 negative reviews (to date) need to seriously introspectively reevaluate their life's priorities.
42 idiot's joe Rogan drowned this video.
I say, thank you for your time and effort. Sub'ed
Why do you care.....
@@talusranch990 why do you ?
@@MrSmith-no5pg real original. Sometimes people don't like stuff. Maybe they thought the title was misleading or something. Not who i was talking to.....
@@talusranch990 wasn't going for original.
I was just commenting a question to you.
If you don't like something, set a good example and move on..
Great informative video! Tne only thing that I would add to your setup would be to tie a length of 1/4" nylon rope to the bottom section of pipe and then knot/tie it to each subsequent section above until you reach the top. You could leave it dangle out under your well cap or tie it to the pipe just under the cap. Should your PVC pipe break or become separated you can still lift all of the pipe up out of the casing.
use polypropylene made for well safety rope, better use stanless multi strand cable, Nylon is not permanent water proof long term, also dry rots over time. I use aircraft safty stainless wire run between to stakes longer than need cable the connect one end in drill and make my wire rope/cable
I just bought one of these pumps two weeks ago on sale for $40. Thanks for the timely info!
Thanks so much for sharing your knowledge. I just ordered a pump exactly like this from ebay. I will go look for the extra gaskets from Lowe's.
Nice job. Glad I watched bcuz I forgot about the vacuum limitation. My well is 300 feet down and I wasn't sure how I'd get my water in a shtf scenario.
Good information....I'm doing a shallow well for the first time...I'm having trouble pulling water up from the WellPoint. My point is 17' to the bottom. I had to put my garden hose down to the point to flush it out....when I did this, the water came up the pipe and was muddy for a minute or so, then fairly clean. Then I would raise my garden hose up and as I did this the water would not stay in the pipe. At this time I figure the WellPoint is all clean as I cannot keep the water in the pipe. I drop a string with a weight down to about 11' and hit the top of the water. Then drop it down to the bottom witch is another 6'. (When I bring the string up it is wet from the bottom up to 6'). I hook up a 1.5 hp flotec pump, prime the pump, but it won't pull the water up. I tried the pump several times but no luck. Any thoughts or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
+dave cantone A well will take what it will give so if your water is coming out over the top with a garden hose then you are not producing much water when you put the well in did you use teflon tape and as liquid thread compound and tighten it up good with a couple stilson wrenches?
+Rick sounds to me like your well screen is in very tight material clay like almost !
Thanks for posting this,
I have a question these work great in warmer weather but we live in Northern Idaho where it can get really cold with lots of snow, Do you have any suggestions about keeping these from freezing?
Again thanks much
+Eileen Simpson the best and most efficient way is to unthread your pitcher pump in the winter and take it inside if you need to use it thread it back on pump it up use it and take it back in when done! If you leave water in a pitcher pump... even a little in the pump it will freeze and crack . I've seen it happen way to many times to count . Or set it up in a heated barn or something like that !
RJ Actually, your supposed to flip the seal. This lets the water drain back into the well after every use. You have to reprime when you use the pump but at least it doesn't freeze.
Do not use a foot valve....
The pump has a built in leathet check valve to hold the prime....
Raising the handle all the way will open the check valve and allow the water to go back down the well an prevent freezing..
Pump must be primed and released each time you use it in the cold weather...
Prime to use. Remove prime when done. When I was a kid we had one at Gramma's. To remove prime, you lift the handle all the way up, like to pump, then down about 4 inches, then back up - repeat several times. This allows the water to drop, and removes the prime. I do not know if Gramma's had the check valve on the very bottom like this does, or not. I DO know that if you don't let the prime down, it will freeze, damaging the pump, . . . not to mention what Gramma will do to ya!
Thanks for this tip ill keep it in mind for my pump!
The video is great. You should tell them about flipping the seal in winter to let the water drain back down the pump. It means you have to prime every day but your pump don't freeze up because the water drains back into the well.
I think the foot valve would prevent it from draining back down regardless of check valve in the pump.
With the foot valve installed it still wouldn’t drain unless you go down below the frost line and drill about an 1/8” weep hole in the side of the pipe.
I didn't see any muddy water when the pump was 1st set up. Guess the bottom was already used. Nice job.
Old timer story here. I remember these as the primary source of water back in the day with two wells drilled, one outside for yard & agricultural usage/feeding livestock & one inside mounted above the kitchen sink on the counter. There would always be a bucket of water close by with a ladle for dipping to get you a drink & the rest to re-prime the pitcher pump with. Having to pump your own water actually gave people character not having every essential at their fingertips & having to work the land for sustenance. Reflecting back on that lifestyle, this is why I have issues with the whiners of today wanting everything for nothing & instant gratification. I didn't grow up necessarily this hard but we knew hard times & when my generation is gone, the next will have no idea what it actually takes to survive in stressful times. I wish this foo-foo new age era the best of luck,, they're gonna need it.
+Ro'ber Harpane' We still use them everyday in Plymouth Ma. One thing to keep in mind every time you buy a pitcher pump from Lowes or Home depot you are buying one made in china it is best to buy ones made in America not only are they made 100% better they last for years and.... well "no pun" they are made here!
Ro'ber Harpane' I'm just 20 but I understand what you're saying. I grew up without all those "great" things. We use everything for it's worth. Then modified it to work for something else. Kept doing that till most times it was completely useless. One house we lived in was an older one and you could watch the window blinds blow around. It took a week's worth of news paper but I was warm then. 10 years later and still working great too!
EXACTLY!
Thanks for the great video! A foot valve though that holds the water in the pipe between pumpings is not recommended for cold climates. If the water freezes in the upper part of the pipe it won't work, plus it could burst the pipe.
That’s why you drill an 1/8th” weep hole in the section just below freeze line
I think you gotta put some kind of steady base around the tubing on the ground to keep it steady and support it so it will pump out the water more steadily and constantly .....we had this back home in the Philippines And its super and we still have them to this day..... you just got to boil the water at times when you think it's not safe to drink like during the times of extreme flooding from a storm and during hurricanes....otherwise we use for everything abundantly..
the bucket falling off the pump IS MY LIFE! hahaha
Take your grinder and grind down each side of the water slide, so you can place the metal handle of the bucket and set the handle into the slots you grinded so the bucket is locked in the slots and won't fall off the water slide.
What would you suggest for a deeper well? At my parents house they had to drill down through the 100' of hill and then some to the water table. I very much desire to have a manual opperation attached in case of an extended power outage. Is there a manual option available?
Very good video!!! Best I've seen on hand water pumps. Thank you!
Thank you! I didn't think there would be much of a "vacuum" under the pump, but had to ask. Learning a lot!
Gotta love that quick clamp we went through two of those in 10 years daily use!! we had an old RIGID # 25 before that!
ts733049-container.zoeysite.com/kwik-klamp $250!
Scott, I liked the way you break down all the parts needed. Please do this with the simple lever arm pump. Do you have both the pitcher pump and the simple pump at the house.
I am new at this and need a parts break down with the simple pump.
Also where did you buy the metal cap in this video.
I am sorry for asking a dumb question, just a question about can you just dig a new hole 30’ deep in your yard? Is what you showing us how to use your Existing well, from your house well?
this man knows his business. GREAT video.
If pump is sitting for months in summer how do you re-prime it? Do you have to get the weathers to swell again? Also what do you do in the winter?
thanks for the video, enjoyed it, informative. I have a question, I have property with a pitcher pump on it that my Dad put in back in the 60's. The property went through hurricane Katrina and was wrecked and I just had to walk away and let nature do her thing. I went back recently and the property is pretty again. I found a running spring and I found the old pitcher pump in the woods. The depth is 14 feet. Back then people weren't using PVC pipe so the pipe is galvanized. I want to refurbish the pump and get it going again. I can use the property for hunting and camping and it would be great to have water. As old as it is I was wondering if I should replace the seals like it is or rather, maybe put a pvc pipe down inside the old galvanized pipe with a new pitcher pump. The water would be rusty and nasty tasting if I were to continue to use the old pipe. Try to pull the old pipe out? Any suggestions on how I should bring it back to life? Thanks
very good video! but what do you ask for when you want someone to drill your well for you? do you just say I want to put in a hand pump on the well? thank you for your answer
Im in northern Michigan. Im putting in galvinize pipe cause I already have a 5 ft sand point. This is mainly for garden. my house is all set. I am on edge of swamp, and near a spring stream that dries up late summer. I hit standing water 3ft below surface but plan to go down 12 to 15 ft total. I was told to put chk valve up by pump with a drain plug installed just belowe to let water out for winter. Also told (by someone else) to put it just above sandpoint and for winter just displace the water with a 1 1/2 inch pvc with a cap. Stick it in to chk valve or the 12 to 15 ft Im thinkin on goin with pipe. Which do you think is best option? Also Do I really need it seeing Im only down at most 15 ft. If not at which depth would you suggest a check valve? Thanks Nice vid.
If you use a foot valve it will freeze so you would have to take precautions against that. I think they make a manual release dump valve that you could install inline with the PVC several feet below grade that would work.
Could you talk about pitcher pump care/maintaince in the winter? I live where it get to 0 degrees and want to know what to do with this type of pump.
Whell pitcher pumps are generally made of cast metal’s and the pump cylinder’s are not machined to a great polish it’s advisable to run an automotive piston honing stone in your pump to give it a smother surface for the cup & gasket to operate on to prolong the life of them.
probably been said before, but you could weld a small horn to the pump so the bucket doesn't slide off. bit of paint to touch up. could make the risk of wasting water that little bit less
For the life of me i cant get my new pitcher pump to work. The old one waa a antique. Anyways. I tested it b4 installing it by using a scrap 3 foot pipe in a bucket of water. It worked great. Once i install it in pipe in ground it wont draw at all. Primed it. Even filled water pipe full of water. Still no go. It gets super tight?
I used a piece of twine with metal weight and pipe goes down 21 feet to bottom.
Hello, I really enjoy your videos. One question on this one: do you think I can install a pitcher pump on the same line as my home well? the home well terminates in the basement to a pump, but I also have about 2 feet of pipe extending outside from the ground. That is where I would ideally install the pitcher pump. Would that interfere with anything?
LumberJake same question
I have a question or two if you don't mind.....like 50 years ago my grandfather buried a 1" pipe, no casing, reached water, went ten feet below, capped it off at the ground, walked away from it, and could never find it again. I found it 10 years ago. The water table is at 18'. My question is, with the aid of a reducer can I use this make shift well with a hand pump going from 1 1/4 inch from the pump down to 1 inch to the exposed cap?
yes.
+engineer775 Practical Preppers Great. thanks
Thanks! We have an old well that appears to be a clay pipe. In addition, the pipe is a little below ground level (6”). How would I extend the pipe up to above ground level to set the lid? Thank you!
Okay...how does the freezing temperatures affect the pump? Is there winter preparations that should be performed for freezing temperatures?
it looks like a longer handle would indeed be nice, but also a longer spout so the base of the pump isnt pushing the bucket off its own bucket handle catch. you might could find a led pipe or some similar length of tube that'd fit over your handle.
That is very nice. But what do you use if the water on your property is 140+ feet underground.
simpler the better, I've made my own gaskets cut out of rubber, I like the old time pitcher pump mounted on the kitchen sink.
So my regular well is 130 feet deep. If the electric goes out, I need to be able to give my horses water. So how close/where do you put this in the ground and what if the ground is really hard?
I have a 2” well that is 60’ in total depth. The static water level is 25’. The recovery rate is 7GPM. Do you think I can make this work?
You COULD tee off before your main pump, and use the existing pipe and footvalve. I would also think about securing the base so you're not flexing the standpipe.
In order
Why did you multiply the atmospheric pressure (14.696 psi) by 2.31 in order to figure out the maximum pomp power suction ? What does 2.31 represent ? Thanks for information .
Ill check it out. When I replaced the well pump, I think it was about 80 feet.
I have a pump just like that, it just stopped pumping water 3 days ago. Hasn't been up for a year, any idea on what's the problem?
Cool project 😎
Is there a small solar pump that could used for someone who doesn't have the strength or arthritis?
great vid. it filled in a lot of holes after watching a lot of other videos. can you go into detail on sealing the casing to keep ground water out? i think you mentioned clay in another video, but i don't know where to get that or know what it is sold as. i was actually thinking about gravel to about a foot or two from the surface and then pouring cement as a seal, but i haven't seen this issue addressed, so i don't know if that would be good. thanks for the videos
The house I just moved in to has a well I do not know how deep it is is the water level always at the 33 ft I guess what I'm asking is will this work on all wells thanks for all your help.
Also does it have a anti freeze drain so it doesnt freeze in the winter?
I have a 4 inch PVC casing in a shallow well. Where can I buy a well cap like the one you used in the demonstration. I prefer the side mounted set screws and a cap which will accommodate 1 1/4 inch pipe?
Thanks!
Is the water pure to drink ....or does it need some kind of post-pump filtration/sanitation procedure(s) ?
Great video. Can you please provide the clamp manufacturing name and where to buy it. Thank you.
I have not read all the comments but here is my question: I am thinking of installing one of these on a dug well. I live in NE Canada and wonder how to "winterize" this kind of set-up. I am assuming just remove the pump and store for the winter??? Thanks.
Thank You Engineer775 for your videos!
Is the cap used strictly for mounting or is it necessary to create a sort of air lock? I have an ancient "open" well probably 3 ft diameter; planning to mount the the hand pump on a piece of wood spanning the opening, so there will be open space around it. Top of water level is only about 14 feet down, so I won't need much PVC. BTW, Harbor frieght had a few pumps in my local store at about $25, don't even know if it works yet (have found many times they have "faulty" products). Great info!
Hello, do you know if I can use Pitcher pumps if I put a 10-20ft pipe into the ground, I am in Brooklyn NY, zip 11214. Not for drinking, just for car wash and pool. I don't know if I can access the water table within 20ft? Thank you Sir!
that pipe is good on your back... but it will freeze and burst in the winter... you could sleeve it with a 3 or 4in pipe and stuff it with insulation
Hello Engr775 - can a picture pump be setup on an original 4" casing if a new well has to be drilled to not have to fill it in? My see water level is 5' in the dry season and the current well pump-static level is at 40' but I suspect the water table level sits higher than that.
Problem is the current well is sucking up sand which dilutes when flushing the well but doesnt completely clear out enough for a filter. Any thoughts?
If I put 100ft of pvc down with a foot valve at the bottom
but the water level is at 15ft would the pump consider the water level at 15ft? I pulled an electric pump up from a ridiculous distance but I would like to have the water from that lower footage.
Great Info! Thank you for sharing. I am also curious about freezing in the winter with the foot valve. It was mentioned below about a manual release dump valve below grade - would this keep the pump mostly primed down to the dump valve?
Very helpful video. I'm cleaning up an old pump. Is painting the inside to prevent rust a bad idea?
+Stephen Warren very!!
+Stephen Warren a tiny paint flake can plug your diffuser on a shallow well 7 I've seen 2 pipe jet systems get p[lugged this same way 60 feet down a well the venturi was plugged with a tiny paint chip and the pump wouldn't make over 25 lbs pressure The best way to keep a pump from rusting up is to use it often !
just wondering where to find a WELL cap like the one you used...........and also about the possible freezing issue .......
Someone wasn't paying attention in physics class. You can't suck water from more than 34 feet below the pump, because the pump creates a vacuum, and air pressure actually pushes the water up to the pump to fill the vacuum. You can however, push the water as far ABOVE the pump as the design allows. That's why modern deep water wells have the pump, WAY down in the ground, usually at the bottom of the well, or close to it. Because you cannot beat a law of physics. You have to work with/around them.
I'm wondering if I really need a well casing/ drop pipe for a hand drilled well where my water table is less than 15 feet below. I've seen a 2" steel pipe well system with a sharp bit and screen that remains and that you just hammer drive into the ground and never pull back up. Also wondering if even need to jet to get it through Florida dirt.
I have a 6" well.
6' static water
70' sleeve
110' well depth
Have a deep submersible pump in there now. Can I run both pipes in the well?
When evaluated by a well service company, our water was 18 feet below the ground level where we were standing. They determined that the bottom of the well was 100 feet, so 82 feet of water. You said that the hand pump can pump from 33 feet depth or less. So, here is my question, maybe a dumb question. Would the 18 feet of space (from surface to water) be included in the 33 feet? Then the pipe would drop up to 12 or so feet below the current water level?
Yes, that would work just fine! As long as you’re below the water level is all that matters if it’s 34’ or less. So you’re being 12’ below would be great.
My down pipe is 3/4", do you think the pump will still draw water up such a small diameter pipe? Thanks in advance
anyway to keep this set up from freezing? i have a chance to but a pretty new simple pump 81 feet length or depth for 600.00 is that a good deal?
Thank you, I have a well I want to start using and this has been very informative.
What should you do to prepare for freezing weather
Thanks very informative, So your saying this type of hand pump can only work if your well has water at 30 ft?
dnhman realistically 25 ft because of losses in the pump and friction
@@engineer775 I have a well 140 ft deep the static water level is 28 ft from ground level and I have all the info if you need more info. Question, can I install something like this will it work with my well? I looked into simple pump and its 1800 and bison pump is like twice that price so I can't afford that.
Im in south central texas and my well has been inactive for over 10 years. Its fairly deep 2500 feet last I remember BUT it needs to go deeper to get to the good clear water. we got iron and sulpher when it was operational. My question is, can I set up a well pump to push the water up and into a shallow holding tank buried in the ground then when necessary be able to pump from that tank? There are no shallow wells around this area less than a thousand feet.
you can get your well water tested. but generally yes, well water is safe to drink.
Do you think these hand pumps are too difficult for young children (ages 3+) to pump? Hoping to use with a rain barrel on a natural playground.
easy enough to use but might be a pinching hazard, Iv'e seen it done though and never heard of any problems.
TheKYnyts & otis991000, For a deep well you need a SUBMERSIBLE pump, it goes down IN the well casing itself. Engineer 775 said you can't SUCK water farther than 34', deeper than that you need to PUSH the water up the pipe. Our family was in the electric motor/pump rewinding & repair business since 1960. You're right about the pump being much more expensive, as it takes a highly specialized motor to fit into the casing and still have enough power to push the weight of the water up the pipe.
What would one need to dig their own well ? Where would one start ?
If i want to go over 34 feet like 40 or 50 will it still work at all. Im worried that as we dry up my deep 160 ft well and i get water at 15 foot it will go lower as less water is out there. If my water level goes to 40 + i want to be able to get water
What 12 volt or 120 volt pump can we use to pump from a 68 ft well? Thanks.
Do you know if I can install this into my home sprinkler system that is already receiving water from the well?
Thank you! Very informative and useful.
I live on an old farm with a hand dug well, its deep and stone lined. It has an old existing hand pump which I’m not sure is repairable and the iron piping corroded. I’ve seen videos driving pipe into the ground. Of course I don’t have to drive pipe, I already have a well full of water. Could I use the same piping and pitcher pump for my well? I’m assuming so. Do I need the drive point? Or could I use a drive point with its built in filter, attach sections with couplers, attach the pump and I’m in business with a water source on the old farm? Or is there something else I can install instead of a drive point at the end of the pipe? A filter that fits on the end of the pipe? I’m not 100% how to install plumbing into an already hand dug, stone lined well. Thanks. Oh: the pump I have is the original pump on the farm dating 1898. A 98 year old lady stopped by who was born in my house said it’s the same hand pump she used as little girl. It’s a. FE Myers & Bro. Pump. I’m still researching info on how to refurbish it.
What is the distance from the ground to the top of the water in the well that is the key to determining whether or not you can use a pitcher pump. If it's over 25 ft you cannot you need to use a lift pump. We use simple pumps on all these hand dug wells.
@@engineer775 thanks for the info. I’ll have to measure the depth and see. When I pulled the old pump out the well, it did have a separate pump connected to the piping and a very long piston rod inside the pipe connected to the hand pump. I never seen that before. I wasn’t sure what the contraption was but assumed it was a separate pump and the original piston and flappers were missing in the hand pump. Interesting stuff. Thanks again for the info.
can you please do a motorised pump video?
Thanks for this, I have been wanting to put one in but a plumber wanted to charge me $1500. I certainly can do this myself.
Thanks again
Hi Great video,
Just wondering. I am installing a 1 1/2 Hp pump to my shallow well for sprinklers. I plan on building a wood box to hide the pump and thought it would be nice to have a pitcher pump on top. Is this possible to do off the 2"pvc? I was thinking I could T off the intake side of the pump after the check valve with a on off valve to protect the pitcher pump from the electric pump pressure when not in use. Would this work? thanks for any input
ED Beardsley It is always a very bad idea to create any more connections than absolutely necessary on the suction side of a well pump chances are it will suck air through the check valve as there is much movement when operating a pitcher pump that would inevitably weaken your glued PVC fittings.. It can be done just not very advisable on a PVC set up and it would have to be set up pre check valve on your pump
What happens when you have below freezing weather? Want your pipes bust?
What size foot valve are you using?
At Home Depot they had 1" and 1 1/2" foot valves. The larger one increases the overall diameter and I didn't know if the 1" would cause problems when using the 1 1/4" pvc.
Does the above ground portion of you system count for lifting height?
You have 30' of pvc and a couple of galvanized above, plus pump height...are you close to the 33-34' max for pumping?
I like this series very much, thanks
Curious. Couldn't you have primed it prior to placing the pitcher pump on?
I want to put a no freeze hand pump on my existing 200’ well over the cap as a back up to my electric well pump that runs in to the house how would I do that? Can I do that?
i want to rill a shallow well at my cabin. how do you deal with freezing issues? it gets below -22c sometimes at my cabin. can you recommend any solutions? thanks for the great video. :)
alzathoth I drain & then take my pump inside and break suction via loosening a 1"1/4 threaded we'll cap on the top of my well...so the water seeks it's own level back down the well !
Im getting ready to do this for next weeekend..., do i need a foot valve if im using a wellpoint or is the foot valve inside the well pont ?????
couldn't you reduce the pipe at the pump to 3/4 and achieve a deeper level if needed?
the reason im asking is because i have 3 wells one is older and less deep but i have yet to check the depth of it, on my other two wells are at 110' deep, but im sure the water is much higher? im in Florida and you hit water pretty fast here,, the deep well hand pumps are a bit expensive, the one i just priced was $1,400 im wondering if you reduce the pipe like im saying do you think i could achieve 50' ?
No doesn't matter if the riser pipe is the size of a coffee stirrer or 10 feet in diameter, I'ts impossible to suck or pull water up for than about 30 feet. You can push water up as high as you want though, so you just have to put pump down in the well instead of on top of the well.
Instead of ridged pipe can flexible pipe be used? Some one built a room addition over my well. Any ideas?
Can these shallow well pumps survive winter operation?
Alright I know this is an old video but asking here because there seems to be a lot of smart people in the comments section (crazy, I know) I have a pitcher pump, that is outside with foot valve but winter is coming. Could I drill a weep hole just below the frost line, and leave the handle in the up position to let water drain out the weep hole in the winter, and out of the pump? Also will the pump keep it's prime in the summer if the handle is left down, even with the weep hole. Had I been less ignorant I wouldn't have use a foot valve at all but at this point it would be a pain to remove. A weep hole just below the frost line would that be that hard though.