What would cause pump and pipe to lift out of ground?

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Mispeld

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Very old shallow well – I am guessing 20’ and probably installed in the 1980’s. It has a 1 ¼ steel galvanized pipe going into the ground with a 1/2hp shallow pump. This well goes dry during droughts so it doesn’t get used a whole lot but we will use it to water gardens, wash hands or whatever when it does produce water.

The well is currently dry, but I used it two weeks ago. Yesterday I noticed the pump and drop pipe has actually lifted up out of the ground about 1/2 – ¾ inch. It has slightly lifted the wooden pump housing on one side where the pump is now touching. The pump is now slightly elevated off of the block of wood it was sitting on and no longer supports the weight of the pump.

Not that I’m losing sleep over this as it’s a very old well and not used too often, but I think I am more curious about “why” or “how” the pipe going into the ground lifted on its own. Especially now after all of these years? It just happened within a week or two and wasn’t something that gradually happened over the years.

Sandy loam at sea level if this matters. There are trees nearby so I wonder if this is the cause?
 

Mispeld

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Never mind. I am an idiot and realized the concrete pad settled about 1/2" on one side so the well did not lift, rather the enclosure dropped instead.
 
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