Trouble with Pitless Adapter

[Antlerman]

Dug down 5 ft to find a hole in the nipple attached to my pitless adapter

....but I'm afraid to grab that nipple and try to twist/take it off for fear of it breaking off - I don't see any threads at the top where it goes into the pitless adapter? Your advice would be greatly appreciated.

Here's a pic from a little farther away:

Thanks
Antlerman

 

[Reach4]

Well from the 50s with a 4 inch ID steel casing?

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Antlerman]

Yes 4 inch id casing, 1970 well.

 

[Antlerman]

Now I'm thinking of installing a new pitless adapter above the old one. The old one does not protrude at all inside the steel casing. I would need to make a new hole by drilling through the casing. It's 4 inch steel casing - can a carbide tipped hole saw make a whole through it?

 

[Valveman]

That nipple will screw out easily from the brass pitless. If it breaks off use an easy-out on the inside to get the broken piece out. Adding another pitless above that one will leave the old pitless as a hole in the casing. You will still at least need to plug the hole. So, you are going to need to get that nipple out no matter what. Might as well re-use the same pitless if it has got to stay anyway.

 

[Reach4]

Now I'm thinking of installing a new pitless adapter above the old one. The old one does not protrude at all inside the steel casing. I would need to make a new hole by drilling through the casing. It's 4 inch steel casing - can a carbide tipped hole saw make a whole through it?

I am confident it would, but I think a bi-metal saw could do it too. That said,

https://terrylove.com/forums/index....ll-a-well-casings-to-install-a-pitless.89064/ was followed by https://terrylove.com/forums/index....sings-to-install-a-pitless.89064/#post-643232 which said one was not enough.

I have a 4 inch steel casing. If I get my Sta-rite Trimline pump replaced, I am thinking I would go to a 3 inch SQ pump. I got a Merrill SMCK pitless when I got my pit demolished and casing extended above ground. That is a clearway/thruway pitless. The alternative would have been to have an assembly with a 5 inch casing welded onto the 4 inch below the frost line and use a trapezoidal pitless.

I think I have seen pictures of your pitless. The inside part has a gasketed/o-ringed pipe at an angle (45?) that fits into a socket at that angle. Somebody here may know the name of that pitless. If you could get that rusted out galvanized nipple out, you could maybe get that existing pitless working again. Maybe a good pipe wrench could do it. If the nipple breaks, I don't know if an extractor could pull that nipple. If you could replace it, you would use a brass or stainless nipple.

Maybe you could cut that steel nipple, and attach a Dresser coupling to get a few more years of service.

 

[Antlerman]

I did just that - the dresser coupling- but am told it won't last and not to bury it before I fix it properly

 

[Reach4]

If you bury it in sand, and maybe cover it some with XPS insulation, it would be easier to dig up, and could survive freezing weather.

They make Dresser-type couplings in steel, but he PVC may be just fine. Could last for years.

 

[Antlerman]

Now that's a new idea, I hadn't thought of sand. I think I'll do that. I don't see why sand wouldn't be as good of an insulator as regular dirt??

 

[Reach4]

I don't see why sand wouldn't be as good of an insulator as regular dirt??

Looks comparable.

https://www.uky.edu/bae/sites/www.uky.edu.bae/files/AEES-13.PDF table 1.

Looks like wet sand and wet soil are not so good, and dry sand and dry soil are good.

EPS and XPS foam board are really good, even when soaking in water.

 

[Valveman]

If you leave that steel nipple you will be digging it back up very soon.

 

[Antlerman]

In the end I had to cut off the top 5 ft of casing. My well guy was great and came out and connected pvc in its place complete with a new pitless adapter. Got the pump up and running, but then he had to come back the next day and further tighten the connection of the pitless. He used an 8ft pipe with a special end on it.

 

[Antlerman]

Just this evening discovered water shooting back into the well at the pitless again! Where can I get the long wrench used to tighten the pitless and how could it have come loose again? Could pump torque cause that?

 

[Reach4]

Ask the well guy what kind of pitless adapter you have. Maybe show us a photo of what it looks like under your well cap.

 

[Antlerman]

It's 5 ft down so I can't show a picture. I know it definitely is not the kind that slips on. Does that help,?

 

[Reach4]

It's 5 ft down so I can't show a picture. I know it definitely is not the kind that slips on. Does that help,?

What is in the top few inches of the casing, under the well cap? Just wire, or is there more?

 

[Antlerman]

There's more. A piece of metal from side to side. It has a hole in the center which is where we slid the long rod wrench down into the casing and rotated it round and round to tighten the threads on the pitless adapter. I could get a picture tomorrow, but it's 5 degrees and dark outside right now.

 

[Reach4]

There's more. A piece of metal from side to side. It has a hole in the center which is where we slid the long rod wrench down into the casing and rotated it round and round to tighten the threads on the pitless adapter. I could get a picture tomorrow, but it's 5 degrees and dark outside right now.

https://terrylove.com/forums/index.php?threads/what-is-this-at-the-top-of-my-well.88675/#post-636022
https://terrylove.com/forums/index.php?threads/how-to-pull-unusual-well.62697/

I have the SMCK, which like the MCK , but is stainless.

The tool end is provided by Merrill to well installers. I think you can smash the end a piece of 1/2 inch steel pipe to make a slot that can turn the screw in lieu of the regular, but still fit down the hole to get to that screw. I have not tried that.