Hand Pump for Power Outage?

[Molo]

Hello,

I have a well with submersible pump. I know very little about the operation of a well system. The well is around 120'. Is there some type of hand pump (pitcher pump) that I could use if we lose power?

TIA,
Molo

 

[Mike Swearingen]

I'm no expert, but I don't see why a pitcher pump wouldn't work as long as your system held its prime up to the top of the well pipe.
I wonder if you can T off of your well head some way up to a valve with a permanent pitcher pump on top of it? Then all you would have to do maybe is to open that valve, top off the prime and start pumping whenever you lose power. Then there goes the bucket brigade.
I'd like to see what the pros have to say. Interesting question to me. I've only used pitcher pump to pump sand off a freshly driven shallow well. It's all in the prime as far as I can see.
Mike

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Leejosepho]

There are hand pumps for both shallow and deep wells, and they can be installed and used along with other pumps below them as long as there is a check valve in-between and freezing is not an issue.

 

[Speedbump]

The Shallow well Pitcher Pump will lift water 25 feet, which means the static water level in your well would have to be less than 25 feet below the pump. If the static level is further than 25 feet the deep well hand pump has to be used. Now you have a problem with getting the cylinder and it's related piping down the well that already has a submersible pump in it. The well would have to be at least 6" and would be better if it were 8" or bigger to accomplish this task.

you can T off of your well head some way up to a valve with a permanent pitcher pump on top of it?

With the 25' or less static level, this is very doable.

bob...

 

[hj]

pump

The pump would also have to be situated on top of the well casing, not in the house. The seals in a hand pump are designed to keep the water moving upwards. If it were teed into the pump line it would have to have a valve on it or the pump pressure would force the water out of it.