What is this at the top of my well?

[_Murf_]

Hello,
I've been reading up on how to get water out of a well in the event of no power. People make hand pumps out of PVC, you can buy a hand pump, or make a PVC "bucket" with check valve in bottom.
They claim that the only thing in the well pipe is electrical lines going down to the submersible pump and the water return line.
Looking into my 5 inch inside diameter casing, there is definitely no room for a "bucket" and maybe not even for a 2" PVC pump.
So my question - looking at the picture, what exactly is this contraption blocking my casing?
Does it come out or what?
Thanks for the info,

 

[Reach4]

You have an SMCK or MCK clearway pitless similar to my Merrill SMCK pitless. The big advantage of this pitless is that it does not reduce the space for the "4 inch" pump to go into the 4 inch casing.

That bar holds up a threaded 1 inch pipe, and that holds the pitless, the drop pipe below it, and the pump.

To lift the pitless and pump out, you need to use a tool. That tool can be bought or made from a smashed pipe. The tool extends or retract a leg that pushes the pitless sideways.

There should be a marking (such as a pair of saw cuts on the casing) marking the orientation of the hole in the casing. The length of that pipe has been carefully cut to keep the pitless pressed against the hole in the casing.

Mine looks like this. Clearly we have a different well cap:

 

[Sponsor]

 

[_Murf_]

Thanks for the info. I don't fully understand how it works, but that is fine.

If I was able to get a hose between that bar and casing, would there be anything blocking it from going straight down to the water?

Thanks

 

[Reach4]

If I was able to get a hose between that bar and casing, would there be anything blocking it from going straight down to the water?

The hose might get blocked, and it might go through -- depending on where the hose tries to get through and how big the hose is. My guess is that if you probed with a piece of 1/2 inch pex or cpvc (5/8 OD), it would make it through with perhaps a few tries. I guess 1/2 OD would be a more sure choice. Don't drop any solids, of course.

Are you thinking about getting harsh chemicals, such as liquid chlorine bleach down the casing without landing on the pitless? An alternative would be to pre-dilute the bleach and let it hit the pitless. I poured may have bleach into the top without worrying about it. I was recirculating soon after, so whatever I had put got washed down before too long.

I had made a bleach inducer with 3/8 od copper tubing, because I had initially planned to use that through a vent hole on a well cap. But I actually got my pit demolished, casing extended, and the pitless installed before I did my first sanitizing. For my second sanitizing, I did not use that gadget. Maybe for my third I will resurrect that. My notes say I did my second sanitizing in the spring of 2016, so over 4 years ago already.

You want to play the recirculated water over the pitless. The recirculated water has been diluted a lot.

This illustrates what you would be dealing with:

 

[Chucky_ott]

If you're thinking of putting a hose down that pipe and sucking water with a pump, read this first: https://terrylove.com/forums/index.php?threads/how-deep-can-a-pump-suck-water-from.21449/

 

[_Murf_]

The hose might get blocked, and it might go through -- depending on where the hose tries to get through and how big the hose is. My guess is that if you probed with a piece of 1/2 inch pex or cpvc (5/8 OD), it would make it through with perhaps a few tries. I guess 1/2 OD would be a more sure choice. Don't drop any solids, of course.

Are you thinking about getting harsh chemicals, such as liquid chlorine bleach down the casing without landing on the pitless? An alternative would be to pre-dilute the bleach and let it hit the pitless. I poured may have bleach into the top without worrying about it. I was recirculating soon after, so whatever I had put got washed down before too long.

I had made a bleach inducer with 3/8 od copper tubing, because I had initially planned to use that through a vent hole on a well cap. But I actually got my pit demolished, casing extended, and the pitless installed before I did my first sanitizing. For my second sanitizing, I did not use that gadget. Maybe for my third I will resurrect that. My notes say I did my second sanitizing in the spring of 2016, so over 4 years ago already.

You want to play the recirculated water over the pitless. The recirculated water has been diluted a lot.

This illustrates what you would be dealing with:

Thanks for the info. I still don't understand what a "pitless" is. I thought the way a well works was simply a pipe going down into the water with a submersible pump on the end and the needed electrical going down to it (plus in the house a pressure tank with a pressure switch). All this "pitless" mess seems to just complicate matters.
The reason I am asking if I can get a hose or pipe around it is in event of no power for a lengthy period of time. I'd like be able to put a simple hand pump on it to get water (like people make with PVC). Heaven knows I wouldn't be able to do the PVC "bucket" method with the bar thing in the way!
Thanks

 

[Reach4]

Thanks for the info. I still don't understand what a "pitless" is.

It used to be that to keep the pipes from freezing, the pipes were buried, and the connection down to the well put into a pit that extended below the frost line. That allowed access to the "well seal". The well seals often did not seal very well at all.

Somebody figured out that they could keep the water pipes below the frost line, but extend the casing above ground to prevent contamination. They called that a pitless adapter. That is often shortened to just pitless. I used to have a pit, and I had that demolished. Instead I had the casing extended, and a pitless adapter installed.

The reason I am asking if I can get a hose or pipe around it is in event of no power for a lengthy period of time. I'd like be able to put a simple hand pump on it to get water (like people make with PVC).

That's what Chucky suspected. A suction pump cannot pump water up more than about 25 or so feet. It is possible that your water is that high ("static level"), but on most wells with a pitless the water is too far down to suck up.

 

[_Murf_]

Ok. Thanks for the explanation. I understand the pitless now. I remember seeing older wells down in the ground with a well house around them.