Back to Submersible Pumps..

[Jazz]

Ok. Old topic, but I have a plan.

 

My well pump in New River is shot. I had a guy come out and inspect it and the whole 9 yards and it's time to replace. Amps just go up and up till it pops the fuse.

 

He said about 1700 for the job. I guess that's not too bad, but being kinda big and my kids are almost bigger, I'm saying I can do this. Besides, that's what Youtube is for. I mean I even did the whole front end of my Yukon watching youtube. (You can't be scared of breaking crap!)

 

It's a 3/4 HP 3 Wire pump at 200 ft. Home Depot has a Everbilt 3/4 - and I'm thinking that will be big enough like the last one to suck up water from 200 ft and put it in a cistern. (From there it goes to a pressure tank).

 

My question for those DIY guys, (Or even professionally) is: Is it any harder than getting the pump out of the hole, switch the pumps, rewire with the correct butt ends and waterproof them - test it- and throw it back down? The control box checks out ok- I'm guessing I just have to reconnect the new pump.

 

I know there's a little more detail than that- like not scraping the pipe on the well, etc.. But basically- that's it?

 

Besides the knowledge, I'm saving like 1300. The pump is only 370 bucks compared to a 1700 job.

 

[PRDATR]

As long as it is the same horsepower and is rated for the same feet of head it should work. Keep in mind though that he may be getting a higher quality pump with a longer warranty and his quote would also include his trip to come out and diagnose the system and you are also paying for his years of knowledge and probably some cost for a potential warranty call.

[Whiteboy]

Did you try calling Gilbert pump you can get a Gould's pump if it only 200ft you can do it yourself for sure PVC or galvanized pipe call Mike's drilling

[Snapshot]

Taking out 200 feet of pipe is a giant pain in the rear. I've done it once. We had to use a backhoe with a chain and special stop bracket to keep the pipe from sliding down the hole.

 

Pay the money if you can afford it.

[Shooter McGavin]

Depends on how old the system is on whether to just replace pump end or both pump/motor. I would replace both units and the control box, then you know that everything is working and new. I would highly recommend a Gould's, Grundfos or Berkeley pump with a Franklin Motor and Franklin Control Box. All available in the Phx area and I'm pretty sure they come with a 5 yr warranty with the option to purchase a longer warranty. If you DIY, you need to be really careful you don't chinger up the cable. We always used a large wooden spool, makes it a lot easier to keep untangled and easy to reinstall. Use the butt connectors with rubber tape going on first followed by a lot of electrical tape. The heat shrink works too. This can all be purchased at any of the pump vendors.

 

Coming out is easy if you have the right derrick/hoist to accommodate the 21' pieces of galv pipe, pvc is slightly easier cause it has more flexibility when coming out, but it can break on you (be careful) make sure you have the right size slip plate to place the coupling on to while you unthread/tighten each coupling. Also going in you need to really make sure you secure the cable to the drop pipe so that it doesn't scrape against the casing (steel or pvc) the steel casing can slice open your jacketed subm cable and cause headaches on down the road.

 

I'm sure I'm preaching to the choir, but if you drop it then you're spending a lot of good hunting $$ on fishing it out.

[Shedhunteraz]

Taking out 200 feet of pipe is a giant pain in the rear. I've done it once. We had to use a backhoe with a chain and special stop bracket to keep the pipe from sliding down the hole.

 

Pay the money if you can afford it.

Agree with him^^^^. Lost pressure at cabin this year. Called Brandon at Central AZ Pump and treated me right. Was going to replace all 180 ft of pipe and found out that we only needed two sticks. Looked like a huge pain in the rear unless you have the drill rig with boom on it. If you have the cash to pay someone then i would do it. You might be cussing about the third stick in.

[joe hunter]

About eight years ago on Thanksgiving morning my wife said .....hey do you know what’s wrong, there is no water ? Pump was shot . Next morning me, my brother in law and a friend pulled 180 feet of black pvc pipe out of the hole . Went to Town and bought a $400 Gould’s pump, tore off the old one, wired up the new one, tied a 200 foot nylon rope to the pump so if it some how came off the pvc we could pull the pump back up . Hooked it into the pitiless adapter on the side of the well casing and turned it on. Haven’t been without water since that day. I would have a hard time paying someone $1700 to do that ! About 4 hours and we were done. If your the kind of guy that’s not afraid to get your hands dirty.....get after it !!

[Jazz]

About eight years ago on Thanksgiving morning my wife said .....hey do you know what’s wrong, there is no water ? Pump was shot . Next morning me, my brother in law and a friend pulled 180 feet of black pvc pipe out of the hole . Went to Town and bought a $400 Gould’s pump, tore off the old one, wired up the new one, tied a 200 foot nylon rope to the pump so if it some how came off the pvc we could pull the pump back up . Hooked it into the pitiless adapter on the side of the well casing and turned it on. Haven’t been without water since that day. I would have a hard time paying someone $1700 to do that ! About 4 hours and we were done. If your the kind of guy that’s not afraid to get your hands dirty.....get after it !!

 

See, that's what I'm looking for!! =)

 

I'm pretty sure it's black PVC pipe. If it turns out to be metal, I'll call a pro. If it's PVC, I'll get a spool-type thing and get it up. I will go with the goulds though- if I hear that name that many times in this few of posts it has to be good.

 

I'll test it when it's up. If it fails, I'll call well guy and have him come over and figure out what wrong. If it passes, I'll throw it down the hole and call it done.

 

Saturdays the day! Now I gotta find out who sells them.

[PRDATR]

 

About eight years ago on Thanksgiving morning my wife said .....hey do you know what’s wrong, there is no water ? Pump was shot . Next morning me, my brother in law and a friend pulled 180 feet of black pvc pipe out of the hole . Went to Town and bought a $400 Gould’s pump, tore off the old one, wired up the new one, tied a 200 foot nylon rope to the pump so if it some how came off the pvc we could pull the pump back up . Hooked it into the pitiless adapter on the side of the well casing and turned it on. Haven’t been without water since that day. I would have a hard time paying someone $1700 to do that ! About 4 hours and we were done. If your the kind of guy that’s not afraid to get your hands dirty.....get after it !!

 

See, that's what I'm looking for!! =)

 

I'm pretty sure it's black PVC pipe. If it turns out to be metal, I'll call a pro. If it's PVC, I'll get a spool-type thing and get it up. I will go with the goulds though- if I hear that name that many times in this few of posts it has to be good.

 

I'll test it when it's up. If it fails, I'll call well guy and have him come over and figure out what wrong. If it passes, I'll throw it down the hole and call it done.

 

Saturdays the day! Now I gotta find out who sells them.

 

 

Grainger carries some.

[joe hunter]

We pulled mine by hand, just had to keep wiping it off because it was wet and slippery in places. Once we got it started it came right up.... We had to put out some horse power but I have done a lot of things that were tougher than that.

[Snapshot]

The well pipe I helped with was metal, about 2000 lbs. of it.

[joe hunter]

We pulled a metal one once. I dont know what it weighed but it wasnt 2000 lbs. We would pull it up some then cut the pipe with a torch then pull some more. Red neck but we got er done. Think there were 8 joints of pipe ???? When we cut it we wrapped a chain around the pipe next to the well casing and had the other end hooked to the truck and pulled against the casing so the pipe wouldnt slip back down....cut it, backup and pull on it some more. All my brother in laws and friends are the diy type of guys....welders, heavy equip. operators, mechanics, non of them have smooth hands. When we lowered the pump back down you can bet it was hooked to black plastic pipe. Just Incase we ever had to pull it back up someday. Good luck!

[MULEPACKHUNTER]

Tuff one there, I have done some DIY on our well but that job I paid the cash, they replaced some of the pipe as well and warrentied the work with high end pump.

[Snapshot]

We pulled a metal one once. I dont know what it weighed but it wasnt 2000 lbs. We would pull it up some then cut the pipe with a torch then pull some more. Red neck but we got er done. Think there were 8 joints of pipe ???? When we cut it we wrapped a chain around the pipe next to the well casing and had the other end hooked to the truck and pulled against the casing so the pipe wouldnt slip back down....cut it, backup and pull on it some more. All my brother in laws and friends are the diy type of guys....welders, heavy equip. operators, mechanics, non of them have smooth hands. When we lowered the pump back down you can bet it was hooked to black plastic pipe. Just Incase we ever had to pull it back up someday. Good luck!

It was probably close to 2000lbs. Almost 300 feet of larger heavy wall steel pipe that serviced multiple properties. It was a first for me. Felt like being a roughneck on an oil rig. Plus 300 feet of new wire and pump. Took 4 of us approx 8 hours using an improvised backhoe setup.

[deercrazy]

I work for a municipal water department, and we use the Grundfos well pumps to mix our large storage tanks. Very good pump. I would stay away from home depot pump and spend the money on a more quality well pump.