Workaround dropped pipe on well?

[rpd]

Noob here. Local well guys not returning calls for help on a dropped pipe (1 1/4" steel, 3-inch well, 70' deep) from a previous piston pump and well installed over 60 yrs ago. Pipe is 35' down in 12' of water. Top of well is 23' 8" from the water. I want to re-purpose the well for lawn/garden. This SE Michigan, metro Detroit.

Vid feed from sewer cam (pic)

shows pipe leaning against casing with a rod and flange on top (top near middle of screen). Can't get an interior or exterior hold. Am advised the sediment/muck/calcium etc make it a crapshoot at best to get out as it is.

Two questions: With a new deep jet pump/equipment on standby, (1 1/4 galv pipe, 1/2 HP 3.2 gpm) can I get by with the footvalve and ejector sitting in 12 feet of water above the dropped pipe, or is that futile? Not a super deep well, but recovery rate is a question mark. Never an issue with the predeccessor.)

Otherwise, an earlier thread on a similar issue suggested "airlifting" by using poly pipe and an air compressor? What's the setup? Any thoughts/ideas for this fishing expedition are appreciated.

 

[Valveman]

You will need the ejector on two pipes down the well with a foot valve. And it will work if that 12' of water doesn't go away when you start pumping. But a single pipe jet pump can only lift from 20-24' max.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[rpd]

You will need the ejector on two pipes down the well with a foot valve. And it will work if that 12' of water doesn't go away when you start pumping. But a single pipe jet pump can only lift from 20-24' max.

Hmmm....under the impression from the pump shop that the single pipe ejector needs to be under at least 10' of water to operate. But I only hit water at the 24' mark. No good? Or keep the ejector at the 24' mark regardless and put the foot valve as close to the 35' mark (under 12' of water)
as possible? Thank you for the insight...

 

[Reach4]

What attempt has been made to lift the dropped pipe?

What ID is the casing?

 

[rpd]

Multiple attempts with a slipknot, an exterior and interior grip before a vidcam determined the existence of the rod and flange. Uncertain if attaching a line to the rod would be possible, let alone pulling it out. All I know about the casing are the dimensions. No existing documentation is available.

 

[Reach4]

All I know about the casing are the dimensions. No existing documentation is available.

Ahh... there it is. 3 inch. I had read it and then forgotten it. If the pipe blocking the way is 1.66 inches OD, that would leave at most 1.33 inches of clearance.

I wonder if it is necessary to have a foot valve at the bottom of the tail pipe. Suppose instead there was a check valve at the jet assembly and tail pipe open at the bottom. Then you had a 3/4 tail pipe that was 20 ft long and it could make it along side of the failed pipe. You could then draw water from almost 20 ft below the top of the failed pipe.

If there is a coupling along the path, maybe your tail pipe could be 1/2 inch pipe to go around the coupling. Then maybe your tail pipe could be longer. Maybe you could find lengths of pipe longer than 20 ft. Imagine a tailpipe made of two 1/2 inch pipes taped together drawing water in parallel if a half inch pipe does not carry enough water... getting a bit wild there.

I have no relevant experience.

 

[Craigpump]

Gotta have a foot valve on the tailpipe.

A clever guy could make a fishing tool to get that out, but is it worth it?

 

[rpd]

Agree on the foot valve; groundwater has a fair amount of sediment. But Reach4 has an interesting idea: Maybe a smaller diameter pipe, using poly instead of galvanized below the ejector. Would 1/2 or 3/4" to 1 1/4" still bring enough water to make the pump happy?

More background: The well was established the same time the house was built, in 1950...so the well is 65+ yrs old. If there was a way to measure it's recovery rate so I know I wouldn't burn out the pump, that would help.

 

[Craigpump]

Poly pipe has a curve in it due it being rolled up when it's made, soooo getting it past that flange would be tricky. A smaller diameter tailpipe won't allow enough water to be drawn so the pump will most likely cavitate.

 

[Texas Wellman]

Gotta have a foot valve on the tailpipe.

A clever guy could make a fishing tool to get that out, but is it worth it?

Yes, a clever one could, but a smart one knows that the well is 20+ years past it's life expectancy and after spending 1/2 to a whole day getting the thing out the well probably doesn't make enough water (plugged screen) or already has a hole in the casing. Then, if you're lucky and get the pipe out, screen not plugged, and pump installed and functioning a hole will appear within the next few weeks making the whole thing a waste of time.

Good luck. I have fixed several successfully and then got bit trying to fix several. You could blow it with an air compressor to see if it makes any water even with a pipe stuck down in it.

 

[Texas Wellman]

PS...a packer jet would not need a tailpipe and would draw water up to 30' below the jet. And yes, they do make a 3" packer jet. Good luck getting it down the old rusty casing.