[Hetty_Fauxvert]

This is a little off-topic, but can anyone give me tips on how to keep a well going if the &h*! hits the fan? We have a good deep well but the pump is electric. I’m clueless how to keep it going if we don’t have electricity. Is a generator involved somewhere in this equation? Thanks for info, or pointers to a good web page that gives verrrrry specific how-to information!

[Kartographer]

Solar back up? A generator (even if you just run it for a few house just to draw enough water for a few days. Depending how deep you can look into getting any old fashion hand pump. But I think a solar back-up or a small generator might be the easiest way to go.

[Errant]

I agree with Kart and add that there are hand pumps that also allow you to use your electric pump but they're about $800.

Depending upon voltage, you might also look into getting an inverter that will use your vehicle's battery or solar charged batteries to power the well if a generator is not cost/maintenance effective.

Check out these videos on Youtube for other ideas.

Pumps - standard EMAS handpump using pipes

Well drilling - sludging with temporary casing

[Errant]

Here ya go: Deep Well Hand Pump Installation Instructions

[PA Engineer]

This is a little off-topic, but can anyone give me tips on how to keep a well going if the &h*! hits the fan? We have a good deep well but the pump is electric. I’m clueless how to keep it going if we don’t have electricity. Is a generator involved somewhere in this equation? Thanks for info, or pointers to a good web page that gives verrrrry specific how-to information!

I can help you out. How deep is deep? Do you have the horsepower and inrush rating of your well pump? The inrush rating will be expressed in a letter code. Inrush is like an empty hose that has to fill with water before if provides water. Any generator or inverter set will have to be rated to deal with this which is an instantaneous startup power of up to twice the rated pump power requirements. Do not consider a DC system for this arrangement. Ohm's law will kill you with the required cable sizes to overcome the electrical resistance. Freepmail me if you would like the rundown, options and links.

My preference has been batteries and inverters for silent and seamless power. You can charge the batteries with either, and, or a solar and generator combination.

Regards

PaEngineer

[Ellendra]

Google “pedal pump” or “treadle pump” and you’ll find hundreds of blueprints for non-electric water pumps.

[little jeremiah]

Just in case you no one answered you yet, Simple Pump puts together pumps for deeper wells and one can purchase options such as solar. We did a quote and it’s just too high for us, at least $1700. But affordable for some people. Hub has a plan to make his own solar pump set up. One of these days...

Simple Pump Company
877-492-8711 (toll free)
775-265-4908 (ph)
888.826.1444 (fax)
www.simplepump.com

The best system is to have large holding tanks or you have to run the pump many times a day to fill a household pressure tank. We got a couple at farm supply places (water tanks). If you set the water tanks a bit high, you can easily have gravity feed at least to the first floor.

You don’t want to count on a generator IMO. Loud - eveyrone knows you have it. You constantly need fuel - may not be available or even affordable in a long term outage. You can store food for a couple of years but you need a steady water supply.

If your well is shallow (say under 50 feet?) Lehman’s and other outfits sell hand pumps that are much cheaper than Simple Pump. If you live in an area with a lot of wind, you can use a windmill, and it could fill holding tanks since the wind doesn’t always blow.

[Iron Munro]

Just saw your query about getting water from a well in a SHTF emergency.

Well drillers use a "well bucket" which is a long slender pipe-like tube with a valve in the bottom. You tie a piece of rope to it, drop it down the well casing and haul it up. The only depth limit is the length of the rope.

Even if you have a back up generator or a solar power supply a well bucket is the ultimate back up because it requires no electrical power at all.

There are various ways to make your own but they are commercially available at moderate cost. You can usually find them locally at well driller suppliers. Here is a source on the net:

Galvanized Well Bucket from Lehmans

[Iron Munro]

PS

Here is a video showing how to make your own “well bucket” or “bailer bucket” out of PVC pipe for about $10 or so.

Even if you end up buying one prebuilt, the video is worth watching because it explains some things about how a bucket works and how it is used.

[Iron Munro]

oops!

Here is the link

How to Make a Well Bailer Bucket

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PzD6k2OoQ5Y