Recurring Wire Breaking on Well Pump

Users who are viewing this thread

charlesb

New Member
Messages
20
Reaction score
0
Points
1
Location
alabama
I don't know for sure where the previous breaks were, but this one was about 10 feet above the one cable guard I could see. I plan to have the new pump guy come take a look at my system when he is in the area, and see if he has any suggestions. I think I need to at least add additional cable guards, maybe one every ten feet for the bottom fifty feet. (BTW: The one cable guard I saw below the break was not round like I see in most pictures, but was square.) It does seem strange to me that the original pump worked for some twenty years, but the wires on this one have failed five times in just three years. There seems to be a fair amount of disagreement on torque arrestors, especially in situations like mine, where the casing ends when the well hits rock.

And, as an old engineer, it still surprises me that there is so much disagreement on these issues after so many years. I would have thought that people would have done controlled experiments using video cameras under various conditions to develop hard data on the best practices for various types of installations. Instead, it seems like as much an art as a science.
 

Wondering

Member
Messages
144
Reaction score
6
Points
18
Location
Alabama
Get rid of the poly pipe and replace it with sch 80 PVC.
Maybe your previous pump was less than a 1 hp (maybe 3/4??) and this new pump has a bit more power causing it to damage the wiring where the other one didnt.

I live in Alabama also and my pump guy passed away(unexpected) about 2 years ago. I worry about that because in my area there are very few if any.(pump guys) Just have to cross that bridge when I come to it. Hoping it will be a long time before I need one!
 

charlesb

New Member
Messages
20
Reaction score
0
Points
1
Location
alabama
Get rid of the poly pipe and replace it with sch 80 PVC.
That's something I plan to discuss with the new pump guy when he comes by. I guess I need to do some reading on that subject, but it's not clear to me how a PVC setup would work, and what would be involved in servicing the pump if that were ever necessary. My pump is about 250 feet deep.
 

LLigetfa

DIYer, not in the trades
Messages
7,493
Reaction score
574
Points
113
Location
NW Ontario, Canada
PVC would be no different than steel pipe. You unthread them one by one. What kind of engineer are you?
 

charlesb

New Member
Messages
20
Reaction score
0
Points
1
Location
alabama
PVC would be no different than steel pipe. You unthread them one by one. What kind of engineer are you?
Sounds like pulling the pump would be a little more complicated than just hooking it to the golf cart and dragging it out in the pasture. And I assume there are ways to prevent the torque from working it loose. Originally I was a mechanical engineer, but I went back to school and spent my career as a physiology professor--reserving my fondness for things mechanical and electronic to my spare time.
 

Craigpump

In the Trades
Messages
2,436
Reaction score
158
Points
63
Location
Connecticut
Golf cart?

Actually sch 80 is a lot easier and more sanitary too. Think of all the crap the pipe picks up as you drag it through the pasture, then that bacteria gets in your drinking water..... Yum!

When we pull sch 80 with the up dazy we stand it in the halo, with the hoist truck we lay it on blocks to keep it out of the dog doo, grass and dirt.

In over 25 yrs I have never seen sch 80 unscrew in the hole.

Steel pipe is the best, especially stainless but it's a bit costly
 

Reach4

Well-Known Member
Messages
38,749
Reaction score
4,400
Points
113
Location
IL
20-ft long threaded Schedule 80 PVC can be connected with heavy PVC connectors or stainless connectors. They just use 2 pipe wrenches to attach/detach. When I recently had well work done, they replaced the PVC connectors with stainless. From what I now understand, that replacement was unneeded. They brushed some kind of compound on the threads when putting things back together.

Steel contributes iron rust, but that amount would differ with different waters I think.
 

charlesb

New Member
Messages
20
Reaction score
0
Points
1
Location
alabama
Golf cart?

Actually sch 80 is a lot easier and more sanitary too.
Yep, he ties the connector to my utility golf cart, and I drive 250 feet down the pasture while he rolls the poly pipe over a barrel at the pump house. The "more sanitary" I get, but the "lot easier" I didn't get until I watched this video:
That guy makes it look pretty easy although I'm sure it would take a little longer than pulling the poly pipe. I'll bet the new pump guy has a machine like that or something similar. My well head is inside a pump house, so I guess I would have to modify it to put the roof on a hinge or something, but that's no big deal.

I'll bet the schedule 80 PVC whips around a lot less than the poly pipe, and yet the installation in the video looked like it had a cable guard at about every twenty foot joint. I'm going to seriously consider making the change. Thanks for the suggestion.
 

Texas Wellman

In the Trades
Messages
1,035
Reaction score
59
Points
48
Location
SE Texas-Coastal
Any real pump man will have a pump hoist like the one in Craig's avatar. Mine has a derrick of 38' and can reach back 10' behind the truck. I pull pumps out of well houses all the time, no sweat when you have the right tools.
 

Craigpump

In the Trades
Messages
2,436
Reaction score
158
Points
63
Location
Connecticut
We have Mud Mats to get into sloppy jobs and for those who are concerned about their yards.
 

DonL

Jack of all trades Master of one
Messages
5,205
Reaction score
72
Points
48
Location
Houston, TX
Buy Better and the Correct type of wire and be done with it.

What type of wire are you using ?


Good Luck.
 

LLigetfa

DIYer, not in the trades
Messages
7,493
Reaction score
574
Points
113
Location
NW Ontario, Canada
Of course, I have a "No Mud Well" policy.
I couldn't afford to go deeper at $48 per foot. Anyway, I don't need a big rig... I have my pump hung on poly with lots of spacers and a torque arrestor none of which is in uncased bore so I can pull it by hand.
 

Texas Wellman

In the Trades
Messages
1,035
Reaction score
59
Points
48
Location
SE Texas-Coastal
I'm glad the poly works out for your but the wire rub issues seem isolated to poly on this board. As far as I can remember I've never pulled a pump out of the hole that had wire rub issues hung on steel or sch 80. Seeing as how the OP is having wire rub issues I think he should try something else.
 

LLigetfa

DIYer, not in the trades
Messages
7,493
Reaction score
574
Points
113
Location
NW Ontario, Canada
Poly is partially to blame along with not enough spacers and probably not taped off well. As I said, for me everything is in the casing so there is no jagged bore hole to snag anything.

If I had the problem the OP has, I would hang it on sticks. I helped my father a 120 foot washdown well once so tripped out sections of steel pipe. PVC has got to be easier even if it's a deeper well.
 

Craigpump

In the Trades
Messages
2,436
Reaction score
158
Points
63
Location
Connecticut
Stick pipe is soooo easy! All I do is push a button on the Up Z Dazy or pull the lever on the hoist truck.
 

charlesb

New Member
Messages
20
Reaction score
0
Points
1
Location
alabama
Update: The pump quit again on 2-27-15 (4 months later), so I called the new pump man. At first he recommended replacing the black poly pipe with threaded PVC pipe. But when we pulled the pump, he noticed that the wire was just standard solid wire, and that it was not taped as well as he thought it should be. And when I told him that the original pump had worked fine without incident for some twenty years, he said he would not be opposed to giving the poly pipe one more try using proper stranded well wire and taping it more tightly. He said he was comfortable with either approach. Since going to PVC pipe would be a fairly substantial cost and would restrict me to having to use someone with specialized equipment like he has in the future, I decided to give the poly pipe one more try. Five months later, so far so good. If it fails again, then I will switch to schedule 80 PVC.

I really like the new pump man. Although he had an opinion when he first came, he looked at the situation and the history, and them modified his recommendation. He said that if it were his well, he would switch to PVC pipe, but then he has the equipment to replace it easily. He said that if he were in my situation, he very well might decide to give the poly pipe another try.
 

DonL

Jack of all trades Master of one
Messages
5,205
Reaction score
72
Points
48
Location
Houston, TX
So they put a pump down the well and just tape the electrical connections ?

That must be some expensive tape.

Sounds half fast to me. Seems a splice kit for under water is in order.
 
Top
Hey, wait a minute.

This is awkward, but...

It looks like you're using an ad blocker. We get it, but (1) terrylove.com can't live without ads, and (2) ad blockers can cause issues with videos and comments. If you'd like to support the site, please allow ads.

If any particular ad is your REASON for blocking ads, please let us know. We might be able to do something about it. Thanks.
I've Disabled AdBlock    No Thanks