Is there anyone on a well without a hand pump ?
Posted by One-Entertainer-5499@reddit | preppers | View on Reddit | 93 comments
I can’t tell you how many people I’ve talked to over the years who are blessed enough enough to live on a property with a well and haven’t spent the money or time to install a hand pump. I know prepping is overwhelming but this is a must. Dehydration and waterborne illness will take out the majority of the population if shit goes down and you are one of the very few that have a easy/affordable/safe way to get clean water without leaving your property. If the grid goes down, you will not have access to this water. It’s typically less than a grand to have installed, if you need to borrow the money then borrow the money.
not-so-clever@reddit
Well water in my area is so full of iron that it's damn near useless before going through the whole house filters and softener.
mistahclean123@reddit
Too bad you can't just run it slowly past a big magnet 😃
fastowl76@reddit
On our ranch we have 5 wells, 2 are electric submersible pumps and 3 are windmills. The house and outbuildings are on one of the submersibles but we have an 85 year old windmill also at the house that we use and maintain to pump into a 40,000 gallon concrete tank that feeds a series of troughs for livestock. If need be we could use that water for household use with treatment. All of our wells are between 120 and 240 feet deep including the windmills.
The point is that there are alternatives to hand pumps that don't require electricity. Also one must be prepared if you have an electric pump of the pump failing even if you have power. Over the years we have had failures due to bearing failures or due to lightening strikes frying the electronics.
Windmills can be problems in freezing weather as often there is exposed pipes. We shut off the mills during freezing weather and rely on storage in tanks and ponds. Windmills also require maintenance. We have to replace leathers every couple of years, check the oil level in the gearbox, etc. Changing leathers or for that matter replacing an electric downhole pump involves pulling long strings of pipe, etc. Not an easy task and different types of equipment may be required.
RaspberryMurky1635@reddit
I’m glad you posted this question. We’re currently on a well (as is my MIL house). I’ve been thinking we need to add a hand pump mechanism as a backup for power outages. This provides some info I’ve been wanting to check into. If you have any tips or things to consider not mentioned elsewhere please let me know. Thanks in advance!
KlausVonMaunder@reddit
Call these guys, they'll provide options if you describe your situation.
https://www.bisonpumps.com/
vinca_minor@reddit
At 360 feet...... no.
Jugzrevenge@reddit
I’m at ~500’ Been trying to find a good spring.
dannystrad23@reddit
Yeah that's how far they drilled. The water level in your well is probably 30 feet from the surface.
HiltoRagni@reddit
Think about this for a second. Why would they keep drilling for hundreds of feet if they already hit the water table close to the surface?
dannystrad23@reddit
They drill a few hundred feet to hit the water table. They then install a massive pipe. Pressure from the water table causes water to go into said pipe. When the pressure equalizes, the water in the pipe is about 30 or so feet from the surface. Could be more or less depending on the pressure from the water table
My well is 200 feet deep and I've dropped a weight attached to a rope. I hit water 30 feet down. My backup manual pump only has to pump 30 or so feet NOT 200 feet.
KlausVonMaunder@reddit
Same. 200' deep, I left for 3 weeks, came back to an overflowing well casing. Water is routinely less than 20' down.
HiltoRagni@reddit
You likely live above some weirdly shaped layer of clay that plunges deep into the water table that you had to drill through, but be aware that your situation is very atypical. The water table is called that because it's typically very flat, in most soils once you hit water that's where the water level will be. People have properties on all kinds of hills and many wells have the water level deep below the surface.
Ryan_e3p@reddit
A hand pump (like, a classic one like the cast iron ones) is not going to help with wells that have water deeper than about 25' down.
The reason is this: The pump is trying to pull water up. To do this, it creates a vacuum. Unfortunately, after about 25' or so, the vacuum needed to pull the water up hits a critical point where the water boils away. Think of it like, there is no atmosphere on Mars, so any liquid water on the surface boils away. Same principal.
This is why deeper wells have pumps that push water up from the bottom, not pull water up from the top.
liams_dad@reddit
They make deep well hand pumps. Ive been looking into getting a Bison Pump. Can't speak to how well (no pun) they work.
KlausVonMaunder@reddit
Bison also makes a pump that pulls through your electric submersible. It's smaller and meant to be mounted inside, spliced into existing water line to pressurize your tank so you have water where you've always had it. Only draws 25' though. A nice option if criteria is met.
ChanceInitiative8634@reddit
I own a Bison. Have had it since 2020. It draws water from 40’ in our case. Never freezes and works great. Excellent customer service. 10/10 would recommend
matto_2008@reddit
Where do you live? Is freezing a concern if temps get super low?
ChanceInitiative8634@reddit
Northern Vermont, it gets pretty cold. We see -20F during the winter. Bison hand pumps have a drain hole about 6 feet down that is supposed to prevent freezing. In all honesty I’ve only used it during freezing temps once. It worked just fine.
Deep_Manufacturer404@reddit
I have a Simple Pump. Cost maybe 1-2k for parts plus pro installation. The well static water line is \~250ft deep. Apart from it taking about 5 minutes of pumping to prime it before water comes out, it works great. Once primed, it’s easy to get water out, even if it’s been \~24hrs since the last pumping session.
We used it as our primary water source for cooking, drinking, and flushing during a week long power outage when we couldn’t run the electric pump.
Top tier investment imo.
HiltoRagni@reddit
Try pouring a quart of water down the top through where the crank connects before pumping. On many pump designs that will make the piston seal better and speed up the priming process.
XDBEA@reddit
Last quote I got from them was north of 3500. Was 1500 a few years ago and I regret not purchasing then
Icy-Medicine-495@reddit
I was able to put in whole home solar with battery storage for 8k that powers my well. Spending close to half that on a pump just didn't make sense to me.
RoyTheBoy21@reddit
Damn that’s awesome! Extra prepped! Hopefully enough batteries and panels!
One-Entertainer-5499@reddit (OP)
My friend just purchased one for $700
HiltoRagni@reddit
They are common around where I live, they work about as well as the non deep well ones. The trick is just that the actual pump is not inside the cast iron housing but lower down the well, and the mechanical parts connecting it to the crank are longer.
Ryan_e3p@reddit
They're primed electrically with a beast of a seal that won't (shouldn't?) leak air in over time. If the prime gets undone by the seals leaking, the pump alone isn't going to pull the water back up. Can't overcome physics sadly.
liams_dad@reddit
They are not primed with an electric pump. The pumping mechanism is near the water line so the water is pushed up, not sucked up. Check valves keep the water from dropping back down. Fluid dynamics.
Ryan_e3p@reddit
Really? Gotcha. Sounds like a neat setup.
I wonder what the cost would be though to compare the install of one to a solar backup capable of powering a standard 220V deep well pump.
Deep_Manufacturer404@reddit
I plan to add this eventually too. Water security is everything. Worth having multiple options.
icleanupdirtydirt@reddit
What you're describing is the principle behind a peristaltic pump. Many hand pumps have a check valve/foot valve at the end of the riser pipe. As you physically move the pipe up and down you add that much more water to the the riser until it flows out the end.
BananaVixen@reddit
Eyyyyy... My well is 24' deep.
handsometilapia@reddit
Just because you can have an electric pump doesn't mean a hand pump is going to work. Depending on where in the country you're located a well can be hundreds of feet deep. A hand pump max is about 25 feet
jadelink88@reddit
Sorry, do buckets not work in your area or something? I know it's work, but compared to other farm tasks, not that much.
Oldgraytomahawk@reddit
Our well has just enough back pressure(artesian effect) that it runs about 3 gallons a minute without the pump.
Soff10@reddit
I have back up wells but they don’t require a hand pump.
Financial-Parsley482@reddit
We have a well at about 150 feet and my landowner says that there is no Hand pump system available for their Set Up! I guess we’re screwed.
ChanceInitiative8634@reddit
Pretty sure Bison goes that deep
Financial-Parsley482@reddit
I’ve brought up the topic twice to my landowner and she said it’s not possible. Also has something to do with a tiny orifice.
Because I’m not involved, I feel powerless
GornsNotTinny@reddit
"something to do with a tiny orifice". This is the nicest possible way I've ever heard anyone called a tight-ass.
Maybe if you offer to split the cost with her, the orifice will be less restricted?
fenuxjde@reddit
Solar pump is the way.
Also, boiling goes a long way for neutralizing the majority of water borne illnesses.
HuckleberryPee@reddit
Boiling and UV sterilisation are good for almost every pathogen but it won't remove any chemical contamination e.g. heavy metals, nitrates, PFAS, pharmaceuticals, herbicides, microplastics etc. Some of which can make you quite sick over time if your levels are too high.
For that you need to consider further filtration, like reverse osmosis before you can be almost certain the water is safe.
Better-Obligation-19@reddit
I believe distillation is the best bet for clean water that is affordable, a good variety of distilling procedures and that can be done by the average person etc. I live in a very heavy humid climate during spring and summer months so I purchased a large electric dehumidifier with washable filters that I could potentially use to harvest water from the air in certain situations and use for gardening and plants or even distill it again using a kettle and tubing.
fenuxjde@reddit
For sure, I have a roi system, but if your well is done correctly the bedrock does a good job filtering those things out.
HuckleberryPee@reddit
Yeah, the risk of water contamination is higher for these old fashioned hand pump wells because they only suck water from 7 or 8 meters deep so there is less ground to filter the water naturally.
I have a stream and a high water table on my land which is great for water supply but there is a lot of agriculture uphill from me and god knows what chemicals could be seeping into the ground. I presume nitrates and possibly pesticide/herbicide residues is likely.
Cattle and sheep dung from nearby land can also apparently pollute the water table with nasties like liver fluke and other parasites if I were to ever drink straight from my springs or my stream raw.
NicPitter@reddit
can you install a hand pump on a drilled well or only on a dug well?
Free_Broccoli_1174@reddit
Me.
BlissCrafter@reddit
We have two wells. One has a hand pump. My wife and I did the pump ourselves which was one of the best memories I have. It was a fun time. Also there might be a 40’ section of PVC at the bottom of that casing. Oh well.
EffinBob@reddit
At 442 feet, I haven't found a hand pump that will do it.
dannystrad23@reddit
Your well is that deep but the water is only 30 or so feet from the surface. Your well pump isn't 442 feet down your well 😂
EffinBob@reddit
I watched them put it in the ground. There was many more times 30 feet of wiring for that pump.
Comfortable_Guide622@reddit
I don’t think that’s accurate. Our well is like 270 feet and that’s close to where the auquafier (sp) is from what I understand.
keepitkleen12@reddit
I don't have a hand pump. Have 3 homes all hooked to the well. I do have water storage tanks(2). And two generators One Gen is for the well, another one is for my house booster pump with filter. What do y'all recommend. My biggest tank at the house is 28,000 gallon
Nearby_Impact_8911@reddit
It’s in my to do list 😩
nak00010101@reddit
A friend uses a low output, deep well solar pump as his primary water source. It pumps about 1.5 gpm into a 750 gallon cistern, on a platform. A booster fills the pressure tank form the cistern. When the power is out, he opens one valve and has enough pressure sinks, bathtub and toilets.
sjb2971@reddit
We have well but we also have a second well that's hand pump.
matto_2008@reddit
As a well owner without a hand pump does anyone have recommendations as to what kind of pump to have installed?
ali-n@reddit
Depends on how deep your well.
ali-n@reddit
I should add that 300 is at the limit of what that brand can handle.
ChanceInitiative8634@reddit
Bison.
Femveratu@reddit
A very good reminder, the issue may be finding a competent installer and for suburban folks t maybe some rules, but I agree 100%.
Last time I looked into this I was looking at Flo Jack which works with the current drilled well as a manual backup.
I think there may be some others out there that similar as well. An actual old school hand pump would be pretty awesome!
Signal_Brain_933@reddit
Are these deep well hand pumps usable in the winter? My well is at about 350 feet deep, but it gets COLD here.
ChanceInitiative8634@reddit
It gets colder than -20 here and ours has never frozen
avalon01@reddit
I have a solar backup for my pump.
I've tested it during extended power outages and it works fine. Never lost any pressure in the house.
JAFO-@reddit
My well is 380' deep. Hand pump won't work I do have two streams and a generator to run the pump.
kjudimjr@reddit
I can not install a hand pump on my well in its current configuration. Dedicated generator and holding tank is my only option. My well guy assured me that even during an apocalypse, he would fix my well so there is that.
JRHLowdown3@reddit
So components for your well are fairly inexpensive. Next time your well guy is out to fix something, bring him a coke or water and talk with him and ask him what he's doing and show interest in his work. This is how I learned. When our guy pulled a bad capacitor, pump switch, etc. I said "can you leave that so I can buy some spares." Then I took the dead part to a supply house and said "I need three of these."
The capacitors are simple push in "spade" type connectors on ours, a starting and a running capacitor. The pressure switch is also a fairly simple apparatus with two legs, when one side burns up, you can place the wires on the other leg and it will work- or replace the switch.
You can also say "what typically goes bad on these?" and then get the name of each item, snap a pic with your phone and take that to a supply house and tell them you want spares. I have two .50 cal ammo cans of spare parts for our main well, along with screwdriver, needle nose, volt meter and flashlight. Wife goes out with me when we have to repair something and I explain what we are doing and how to check things and then let her replace the part also.
It's electricity so it can be scary, just make sure everything is shut off, check it with a volt meter after.
kjudimjr@reddit
Exactly what we have done. We could fix it if needed. My husband even helped pull the pipe earlier this year (all 400 feet). I have asked so many questions about this well and have a good understanding of the components. We have spare parts just in case. I have learned through some major power outages that I can not live without a flushing toilet, lol.
IceDragonPlay@reddit
One of my kid’s homes is on a well. They are going to have the well pump and RP filtration circuits put on a generator switch. The well water has to be filtered to be sure arsenic, bacteria and stuff like that is filtered out.
GeorgiaBill280@reddit
I looked into it once, i think it was going to be around 3k, if they could even do it. Made much more sense to put that towards a solar power system that could handle that voltage to run the pump.
Better-Obligation-19@reddit
We have solar and fuel generators to use if normal electricity is unavailable. Haven't had to use anything yet because we keep15 gallons of water on the ready during the winter. We also live in deep snow country so there's that. Any other time, we would still have generators. We have a deep well, 140 feet. Never thought much about it because I never knew it was an option to be able to manually pull water from a deep well. Guess I'll check but I don't have the kind of money I'm seeing in this thread to achieve this next level of survival if necessary for water access.
Friendly_Shopping286@reddit
Bailer bucket made out of a stick of PVC with a cap on the end with a foot valve
Super handy as a backup, even to back up your solar pump
KiaRioGrl@reddit
You can buy pre-made ones, too. That's what we did, years ago.
Friendly_Shopping286@reddit
Those Amish ones are a fortune but look pretty cool.
I bought a foot valve for $10, and luckily I already had PVC and a PVC cap
The price of pvc's gone through through but I think you can still build your own car maybe $30
thefedfox64@reddit
I do - live in a Condo. We all have well water - power went out for an entire day a few weeks ago during those tornado outbreaks. Had no water - had no power :P
Always keep water jugs in my garage and water bottles in the fridge (just a pack I buy every few weeks when we get low). Battery backup kept everything smooth - until the power flickered for like 10 on, 30 off, 5 off, 10 on - for like 3 or 4 hours. Killed my backups.
EnergyLantern@reddit
Those who don't have wells could have rain barrels.
One-Entertainer-5499@reddit (OP)
Absolutely, but that won’t help in the summer
davidm2232@reddit
Why would that not help in the summer?
One-Entertainer-5499@reddit (OP)
It doesn’t rain much in the summer
astilba120@reddit
I do have an artesian well and it is over 350 ft deep. There is nothing to pump that without power, the cost of a genny to hook just the well up is over my budget by, like, 300%. I save plastic jugs, I have a water bladder, and purification tablets, survival straws are on the list, I live in northern vermont, there are springs that come straight out of the rocks that lots of folks fill up their water jugs with, folks living off the grid. I looked into it, there just is not any water on my land that is reliable unless you go deep. Springs dry out, Theres a brook on the other side of the road, I have a wood stove and there is fuel everywhere, I can boil it, put Clorox in it, use purification tablets or straws if suddenly everything goes to shit. I save rainwater for my lower garden, as its too far from my house and the well. No fuel? I can walk to the brook or the river.
shikkonin@reddit
If you have an artesian well, there is no need to pump anything...
Usual-Efficiency-305@reddit
Well is 70' I have an Amish well bucket and 100' feet of rope.
JRHLowdown3@reddit
They do make DEEP WELL hand pumps, we have one on one of our wells. They are NOT the small little cutesy pitcher pump deals, they are about the size of a short woman. The handle is a WORKOUT to pump and takes 4-5 serious strokes to get it primed and flowing.
There is also devices like the Bison pump and Simple pump, both of which can be used ICW your electric (or solar submersible) well pump.
We also have a Sunpumps solar submersible. It's been a great unit for well over a decade now-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXJ7QzevWks
Grendle1972@reddit
At 550' not going to find much. I have several springs on the property as well, but during a drought, they show to a trickle (which is more than most of my County has had before).
davidm2232@reddit
I don't have a hand pump. I don't see the need. I have my main well at 300' with a brand new 3/4 HP pump. I can power it off any of 3 diesel generators that are at my house or down the street at my neighbor's. I also have an old 30' well with a newer pump I could also use as a backup. Worst case, there are lakes and streams with AA rated drinking water within a mile but I never plan to need them. There is also a artesian spring a few miles away that has been running clean for decades.
Chainsawsas70@reddit
I'm on a community well and a hand pump isn't an option 😕
iregretcommenting_@reddit
I've got two wells on my property: one with a 12 volt battery powered pump AND hand pump and one with an electric pump and I can't agree more with you. Eventually we will add a solar panel setup as well.
scottawhit@reddit
I have a basic pitcher, but have considered something like a bison. I really want a simple option that stays in the house and lets me pressurize my bladder tank. Haven’t found anything under 1500ish.
Cheap_Cap760@reddit
We are on a well but because of the design of the pitless adapter no commercial option works for a hand pump unfortunately. Last summer I put in a hand pump well 18' deep and it works just fine as a backup. We also have 2x 275gal IBC totes as a rainwater collection dealio. And the "E" in our P.A.C.E. plan we have a 6k gallon above ground pool (that is solid ice 4-5 months per year).
JicamaAppropriate920@reddit
I do, but I have a shallow well and can bypass the well cover and haul up buckets if I need to. A hand pump is definitely on the list eventually
Led_Zeppole_73@reddit
Have well, but haven’t needed a hand pump in over 25 years. During outages in winter, we boil down snow and have other water sources.
-Thizza-@reddit
I don't have a hand pump but I have off grid solar. I go through 15m³ a week to keep my small farm irrigated and make potable water for the house.
2600sysop@reddit
I have a well and no hand pump.
But I do live on a river so I can grab water from there.
ElectionReal@reddit
Same. But I do have a solar contingency for power and a replacement for everything (pump, motor, drop pipe, control box, etc) in the well. 30 foot bluff to (and from) the river, so i went a little harder on well contingency. My well is too deep for any hand pump I've found so far.