Anyone pulled a well pump?

89wrangler

89wrangler

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Joined
Oct 22, 2005
Location
Bostic,NC
Well Pump started popping breaker yesterday. I figure it is on its last leg. Tag says well was installed in1989, but not sure about the pump, but I know it is over 20 years old. Well is 305’ deep. Any pointers or things to look out for? Gonna be a unscheduled Saturday project:mad:
 
Make a roller that clamps around the base of the tube and has an old rim attached sticking up about 2 or 3 ft on a hub. then all you have to do is get the top up and over the rim and connected to a truck and idle it on up out of the well. Pulled several by myself like that.
 
Sending you a text...
 
If the pipe is pvc, plan on replacing it. Use the black rolled stuff.
 
dairyman said:
Check the wires for naked spots as it comes out.
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Yes. Fix them now if there are any and add the little plastic "standoff/pipe centering" things and a good torque arrestor.

I just had to pull and change my pump 3 weeks ago. I got running water as my Christmas present. My wife got a new bumper and winch on her jeep.
 
You can do it with four people pretty easily. Two people hand over hand pulling it out of the pipe. One on a-frame ladder to help the break over and one walking it out. As others said don’t loosen the top four cover plate bolts too much, they are just two plates sandwiching a piece of rubber. You’ll know when you have gone too far bc you will hear the bottom plate falling down the well. If it’s pvc get ready to repair it multiple times. It’s always fun to have cold wet hands in the winter.
 
Here are some when I did mine late summer. I pulled it on my own but it’s only 93’ from cap to pump so not horrible. My cap had a threaded lower plate some of the videos I watched had captive nuts either way do not let that plate fall!
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They are really not that hard to pull. All you really need is a roller built somehow (which I really need to do). The places around here charge 650 bucks to pull a well pump, it takes about 20 mins (or less) with 2 people do it once you have done it before.

Mine has cut the wires pretty down low 2x now in the past 5 years. I paid somebody to do it, but next time I may just do it myself, but when it happens during the week and I have to work, I just want it done and they can do it same day normally.
 
willness33 said:
Get the highest HP pump you can afford especially since your well is on the deeper side.
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Is more always better? Can you have too much HP?
 
There is a HP to well head chart I followed of course I use my well differently than a traditional residence as it has a line that runs to the barn for watering animals. A big help for me was adding a larger pressure tank so it holds more capacity before cutting the pump on from pressure loss. A big thing you don’t want is for the pump to on/off/on/off all the time. It should have a nice long cycle and then sit otherwise you will burn up the motor faster.
 
I should correct my previous innaccurate statement. I'm sure you could reach a point of diminishing returns. Any pump I've ever replaced I would up size by a half to 1 hp if it was in the budget. Shorter cycle times that way. What really kills a pump early though is too small of a pressure tank leading to more often cycles. So far I've been lucky and haven't had to replace a pump more than once at any house I've done them at. Disclaimer...I'm not a well guy, just have done my fair share of pumps and tanks for myself, family and friends.
 
skyhighZJ said:
There is a HP to well head chart I followed of course I use my well differently than a traditional residence as it has a line that runs to the barn for watering animals. A big help for me was adding a larger pressure tank so it holds more capacity before cutting the pump on from pressure loss. A big thing you don’t want is for the pump to on/off/on/off all the time. It should have a nice long cycle and then sit otherwise you will burn up the motor faster.
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Guess I should refresh before I reply lol
 
I may not have to pull the pump after all. ( probably will now that I have posted this :shaking: )This morning after the wife showered, she tells me the breaker tripped again. So needing to shower, I throw on some clothes, went and flipped the breaker on and headed out to reset the pump pressure switch. Get out there nothing? Go back in the breaker is tripped. I flipped to reset and it immediately tripped..wtf With the pressure switch not engaged, there shouldn't be any power going to the pump. Reset it a couple times and same thing. At this point i am thinking bad breaker or short in wire going to pump? So I swapped the breaker with one of the dryer breakers, flip the switch, have power, water and got my shower. Made it to work with a minute to spare. Gonna pick up a new breaker on the way home this evening and keep my fingers crossed I still have water when I get there. Maybe, just maybe I get lucky for a change...
 
Is it a pressure switch only or does your pump have a control box? It could be the pressure switch as well the contacts corrode and the springs can get weak. Just a thought.
 
I just pressure switch. A year and half ago, after leaning over inside a large concrete tube every time i needed to work on it, I poured a slab and installed a larger pressure tank, new pressure switch and all new plumbing. Then build a accessible insulated heated pump house with removable roof for when I had to replace the pump. I pulled the cover off the pressure switch this morning and all is good in there.
 
Welp, not so lucky. I appears there is a cut in the wire somewhere between the breaker box and pump house. Still shorting out with no draw on it. Get to start digging in the morning. At least it will be cold and windy :cool:
 
89wrangler said:
Welp, not so lucky. I appears there is a cut in the wire somewhere between the breaker box and pump house. Still shorting out with no draw on it. Get to start digging in the morning. At least it will be cold and windy :cool:
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Screw that. Rent a trencher and run a new line. Unless you have a good idea where the break is, it will be a lot less work to replace the whole thing than to guess and dig.
 
Related question, I've noticed in the past week or so my water pressure surging. Whether it's the sink or shower it surges literally every few seconds in what I believe is the pump coming on and off way too frequently than I remember. Also, the way my standard water filter is plumbed under the house you have always been able to hear it rock back and forth with the sudden pressure change whenever the well comes on which again is every few seconds when the water is running.
Anyone have this issue before? Don't know if it's a pressure switch issue or tank? Anything I can check to eliminate either one?
 
Silverado_Express said:
Related question, I've noticed in the past week or so my water pressure surging. Whether it's the sink or shower it surges literally every few seconds in what I believe is the pump coming on and off way too frequently than I remember. Also, the way my standard water filter is plumbed under the house you have always been able to hear it rock back and forth with the sudden pressure change whenever the well comes on which again is every few seconds when the water is running.
Anyone have this issue before? Don't know if it's a pressure switch issue or tank? Anything I can check to eliminate either one?
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That sounds like a blown bladder in the tank. Push in the Schrader valve on top. If water comes out, replace the tank. Sadly they aren't as good as they used to be. I'm on my 3rd one in 9 years.
 
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