Seating a pitless adapter, with a crows foot release, while reinstalling the well.

[Alaskan_pipedreams]

Hello all,

We are in Haines, Alaska, our well pump, (20yrs old) went out, so we pulled the well, replaced the pump, sent her back down. We cannot get the pitless to seat properly. The issue is the crows foot. We can’t get it to seat correctly, to apply the pressure for the seal. Just curious if anyone is some tips and tricks on how to get this handled. The pitless makes it connection, 110” below the top of the wellhead.

 

[Reach4]

Anything you can tell us about the pitless?
Did you take a photo?
When was it first installed?
How far down is the part that you need to turn?

If this is a trapezoidal type? Is it one with an arm/leg that pushes?

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Alaskan_pipedreams]

Sure thing, these are a bugger to find any info on. Few photos pulled from the internet as I’ve already sent it down the well, and my help ran off to yank back up.

This link is a video on YouTube of a very similar set Up.

Looks like it’s an old Snappy pitless adapter. The connection is 8 ft down below ground and is virtually impossible to see as we lower the unit. It is a 3 prong crows foot, with the middle toe being connected to a cable, that we have to pull to move up/down or twist clockwise or counter clockwise.

The well was originally Installed about 20 years ago, and until recently, had never needed a new pump. The pump is 380ft down.

we can successfully seat the pitless and can get flow into our line to the house, however that’s with the weight of the system suspended via the rope to the pump. the crows foot seems to be the way to hold pressure against and form a seal. Once we remove tension on the pump rope, the unit will slide. So my question is, how to seat this correctly, so the middle finger of the crows foot applies adequate pressure, to maintain the seal and support the weight.

 

[Valveman]

The pitless is supposed to hold all the weight. The weight is what makes most pitless units seal, as most don't have a pull or crows foot. The rope is there just in case, and usually causes more problems than it helps. If that rope breaks or falls in the well you will never get that pump out again. If your pipe isn't strong enough to hold the pump, you need better pipe. Rope in a well is just an accident waiting to happen.

 

[LLigetfa]

The weight is what makes most pitless units seal, as most don't have a pull or crows foot.

With the crow's foot style, the weight does not aid sealing but the pitless is designed to carry the weight. There must be something preventing the male end from being fully inserted into the female end or the outside half of the pitless has come loose.

Pull the inside portion and see that the moving parts move freely and that the spring pressure is good. Lubricate it with vegetable oil. Check to see that the O-ring is good. If the spring is weak or there is friction in the movement, fish the release cable through a length of pipe and push down on the crow's foot with it.

BTW, you should be using a length of pipe threaded into the top of the pitless to do the lifting and lowering, not a rope. That pipe also aids the alignment of the pitless. Wiggling that pipe to slap it against the side of the casing aids the insertion and removal.

 

[Reach4]

Interesting design. https://www.bakerwatersystems.com/uploads/files/products/category_pdfs/snappy installation instructions.pdf appears to be a different product. Yours may be an earlier version of that product.

While it is a different pitless with a different actuator/leg, I thought this illustration of the connection to the output showed the concept of the connection to the output nicely. It's from https://www.bakerwatersystems.com/uploads/files/products/category_pdfs/SB_PA_Features.pdf

When you use that length of pipe LLigetfa mentioned, you put a T-handle at the top. This not only gives you something to lift from, it prevents the pipe from falling down the well.

Picture from https://www.di-corp.com but I did not find more info.

 

[LLigetfa]

When you use that length of pipe LLigetfa mentioned, you put a T-handle at the top. This not only gives you something to lift from, it prevents the pipe from falling down the well.

If you don't heed the warning on the release cable, the T-handle could shear off and the works plummet down the well. It didn't happen to me but happened to one of our local pump guys.

 

[Alaskan_pipedreams]

Hey guys, thanks for all the replies. We got it seated correctly, however the issue was caused by one of our own creations.

we had a Tbar connected this whole time, however, a roof was built over the wellhead and thus limited our ability to utilize a one piece drop pipe for the Tbar. Instead, we threaded 2 5’ sections and joined them in the middle via random connection we had in the “leftovers box.” Anyway, that connection in the middle had a nipple that wouldn’t allow the pitless to form the seal. We pulled up the connection, twisted the nipple away from the wall of pipe, and first try the pitless seated, along with the full extension of the crow’s foot mechanism. We have now sealed up the well head, disinfected, and should be ready for water back in the home in not too long here!

we are claiming victory!