vintage two man hand mud pump in stock

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RM2MF3D54–Kikuube, Uganda. 24th Jan, 2023. A worker operates the Mud Pump Unit at the Kingfisher Oil Field in Kikuube, Uganda, on Jan. 24, 2023. Uganda on Tuesday started the drilling of oil for commercial production in the Western Region district of Kikuube on the shores of Lake Albert. Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni launched the drilling process at the Kingfisher Oil Field, operated by the Chinese oil giant China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC). Credit: Hajarah Nalwadda/Xinhua/Alamy Live News

RMMGYFEP–Historic water pump (1879 on the market square in the so-called "Dutch" town with its town canals, Friedrichstadt, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, Europe

RF2JM21K5–Antique vintage red water pump on a wooden table over a silver metal trough in a garden. Garden design: Punta Gorda, Florida, History Park, Charlotte

RF2MGFKAW–Old indian classic Hand pump to pump water in india, water hand pump retro style (old water pump), Manual old and rusty water lever hand pump with wat

RMPX3ATN–Interior of Vintage Texan Home with antique kitchen water pump, bowl of nuts, wooden chair & window. Chestnut Square Historic Village, McKinney,Texas

RMKNEX6A–A multi-lingual signpost for a water pump on the Via de la Plata route in Spain. Water is in short supply when crossing the arid heart of Spain.

RF2H21ETY–Two gas pump with empty docks at Brown"s Ravine marina. Water levels are at historic lows due to lack of rain, hot weather and water releases.

RMKNEX5G–A multi-lingual signpost for a water pump on the Via de la Plata route in Spain. Water is in short supply when crossing the arid heart of Spain.

RF2H21EMF–A gas pump sits on a dock at an empty Brown"s Ravine marina. Water levels are at historic lows due to lack of rain, hot weather and water releases.

In 1848 Seabury S. Gould purchased an interests in Downs, Mynderse & Co. and the firm became Downs & Co. Wooden pumps were produced in an old cotton factory building. In 1869, the name of the company was changed from Downs & Company to Goulds Manufacturing Company.

Seabury S. Gould, a man of unusual vision, was the founder of Goulds Manufacturing Company. He keenly watched as the first pump casting emerged from its mold of sand. An iron pump, he believed, would overcome all the disadvantages of a wooden pump. It would be strong and efficient and provide fresh flowing water for the pioneers. He ran the company until after the Civil War.

Because Goulds Manufacturing Company had a foundry, they produced all kinds of cast products such as corn shellers, bells, sad irons, sinks, tools, and a line of fire engines.

This Goulds bell, still rings loud and clear 169 years after it was manufactured. The bell sold for $8 and was used in farms, plantations, school houses and factories. It was dedicated at the opening of the new Goulds corporate headquarters on May 13, 1979.

Uralsk region, Kazakhstan - May 24 2012: Oil deposit Zhaikmunai. In desert. Mud pump for drilling rig with pipes and equipment. Blue sky with clouds.1664080228

Oil and Gas Equipment. Mud Pump. Triplex. Dampener. Oil pump. Drilling Fluid. Electric Motor. Safety Valve. Pressure relief. cylinder. piston. 3D render. High Resolution with Alpha channel.1937122150

Engeneer hold pipe of power pump machine pouring mud sludge waste water with sand silt on ground. Sand-wash and coast-depeening. Septic sewage maintenance service. Industrial environment pollution1855174006

WHATAROA, NEW ZEALAND, DECEMBER 5, 2014: An unidentified driller on the Deep Fault Drilling Project cleans a mud pump during a break while drilling to 1300 metres near Whataroa, New Zealand246536242

Engeneer hold pipe of power pump machine pouring mud sludge waste water with sand silt on ground. Sand-wash and coast-depeening. Septic sewage maintenance service. Industrial environment pollution1854841555

detail inside progressive cavity screw pump such as elastomer plastic stator or rubber helical rotor for transfer fluid viscous or shear sensitive material manufacture in industrial2199439063

Oil and Gas Equipment. Mud Pump. Triplex. Dampener. Oil pump. Drilling Fluid. Electric Motor. Safety Valve. Pressure relief. cylinder. piston. 3D render. High Resolution with Alpha channel.1937122147

St. Petersburg, Russia - October 06, 2020: Cleaning the Karpovka River from mud and bottom silt using a submersible industrial pump from a floating station1828336607

Uralsk region, Kazakhstan - May 24 2012: Oil deposit Zhaikmunai. Serviceman worker or engineer fixing mud pump engine. Baker Hughes company.1663186159

Uralsk region, Kazakhstan - May 24 2012: Oil deposit Zhaikmunai. Mud pump for drilling rig, pipes and equipment. Oil rig on blue sky with clouds background.1664080246

Uralsk region, Kazakhstan - May 24 2012: Oil deposit Zhaikmunai in desert. Mud pump for drilling rig, pipes and equipment. Blue sky with light clouds1663501756

Uralsk region, Kazakhstan - May 24 2012: Oil deposit Zhaikmunai. Panorama of equipment of drilling rig. Mud pumps and pipes. Engineer in orange work wear and white helmet.1663501768

Sundern,NRW,Germany - 07.15.2021: Firefighters stand in front of a house and pump water from the basements. In the foreground is a dirty parking lot after the flood.2009134244

removing sedimentary sludge from the bottom of a pond or a swimming lake in the village. the muddy water cleaning set with pumps vacuums the sump. a crawler excavator cleans bottom from deposits soil2250209519

removing sedimentary sludge from the bottom of a pond or a swimming lake in the village. the muddy water cleaning set with pumps vacuums the sump. a crawler excavator cleans bottom from deposits soil2250209509

removing sedimentary sludge from the bottom of a pond or a swimming lake in the village. the muddy water cleaning set with pumps vacuums the sump. a crawler excavator cleans bottom from deposits soil2250209495

removing sedimentary sludge from the bottom of a pond or a swimming lake in the village. the muddy water cleaning set with pumps vacuums the sump. a crawler excavator cleans bottom from deposits soil2250209467

Close-up big pipe of power pump machine pouring mud sludge waste water with sand and silt on ground. Sand-wash and coast-depeening. Septic sewage maintenance service. Industrial environment pollution1960160323

Uralsk region, Kazakhstan - May 24 2012: Oil deposit Zhaikmunai. Mud pump for drilling rig. Asian maintenance worker or engineer in blue work wear and white hardhat supervising.1664080225

Editor"s Note: This is the second of five parts of our feature, The History of Pumps. This timeline was developed through research, credible sources and the knowledge of friends in the industry, The history of pumps is long and illustrious. This account represents highlights of some of the major historical and technological developments. We welcome your contributions.

200 BC Greek inventor and mathematician Ctesibius invents the water organ, an air pump with valves on the bottom, a tank of water in between them and a row of pipes on top. This is the principal design that is now known as the reciprocating pump.

200 BC Archimedean screw pump is designed by Archimedes is considered one of the greatest inventions of all time and is still in use today for pumping liquids and granulated solids in both the industrialized world and in the third world—where it is a preferred way to irrigate agricultural fields without electrical pumps.

1475 According to Reti, the Brazilian soldier and historian of science, the first machine that could be characterized as a centrifugal pump was a mud lifting machine that appeared in a treatise by the Italian Renaissance engineer Francesco di Giorgio Martini.

1588 Sliding vane water pump technology is described by Italian engineer Agostino Ramelli in his book “The Diverse and Artifactitious Machines of Captain Agostino Ramelli,” which also included other pump and engine designs.

1636 Pappenheim, a German engineer, invents the double deep-toothed rotary gear pump, which is still used to lubricate engines. This gear pump made it possible to dispense with the reciprocating slide valves used by Ramelli. Pappenheim drove his machine by an overshot water wheel set in motion by a stream and was used to feed water fountains.  The emperor Ferdinand II granted him a “privilege” - the equivalent of a patent - in respect of this invention.

1675 Sir Samuel Moreland—an English academic, diplomat, spy, inventor and mathematician—patents the packed plunger pump, capable of raising great quantities of water with far less proportion of strength than a chain or other pump. The piston had a leather seal. Moreland"s pump may have been the first use of a piston rod and stuffing box (packed in a cylinder) to displace water.

1790 Briton Thomas Simpson harnesses steam power to pumping engines for municipal water applications and founds the London company Simpson and Thompson Co. (predecessor to Worthington Simpson).

1845 Henry R. Worthington invents the first direct-acting steam pumping engine. Worthington Pump designed its first products to power canal boats and U.S. naval vessels. Worthington later pioneered pump designs for boiler feed, oil pipeline and hydro-electric applications.

1848 In Seneca Falls, N.Y., Seabury S. Gould purchases the interests of Edward Mynderse and H.C. Silsby in Downs, Mynderse & Co., forming Downs & Co., later known as Goulds Manufacturing Company.

1851 John Gwynne files his first centrifugal pump patent. His early pumps were used primarily for land drainage, and many can still be seen today in pump house museums. They were usually powered by Gwynnes" steam engines. By the end of the 19th century, Gwynne was producing pumps of all sizes to cover all industrial applications, from small electric pumps to those rated at 1,000 tons per minute. His company had also begun to produce scientific pumps, e.g., porcelain pumps for chemical works. In the 1930s they were producing almost 1,000 different models.

1860 Adam Cameron founds the Cameron Steam Pump Works, and becomes another pioneer in reciprocating steam pump engines. Like Worthington, Cameron"s first products were used to power merchant marine and U.S. naval vessels. Cameron pumps were later applied in water resources, oil pipeline and refining and boiler feed.

1871 Johannes Klein receives a patent on his “boiler feed apparatus.” With Friedrich Schanzlin and Jakob Becker, he founds the company “Frankenthaler Maschinen- & Armatur-Fabrik Klein, Schanzlin & Becker” (now known as KSB) to manufacture boiler feed equipment and valves.

1886 Jens Nielsen, founder of Viking Pump Company, invents the internal gear pumping principal while designing a pump to remove excess water that was seeping into his limestone quarry from a nearby creek.

1886 United Centrifugal Pumps is incorporated. It becomes the world"s foremost supplier of high-pressure crude oil and refined product pipeline pumps.

1899 Robert Blackmer invents rotary vane pump technology, a pump design that was an important departure from the old gear principle and predecessor to today"s sliding vane pumps.

1902 Aldrich Pump Company begins manufacturing the world"s first line of reciprocating positive displacement pumps for steel mills and mine dewatering.

1908 Hayward Tyler creates its first electric motor for use under water and develops the wet stator motor for use as a boiler circulation glandless motor-pump.

1911 Jens Nielsen builds the first internal gear pump, founding the Viking Pump Company. The Viking Rotary “Gear-Within-A-Gear” pump (the first of its kind) is placed on the market.

1912 Durion, a universally corrosion-resistant material, is invented by the Duriron Castings Company (later known as Durco Pump) and is applied to process equipment.

1915 Albert Baldwin Wood invents the Wood trash pump. Wood spearheads the reclamation from swamp and the efforts to develop much of the land now occupied by the city of New Orleans. Some of Wood"s pumps have been in continuous use for more than 80 years without need of repairs. New ones continue to be built from his designs.

1916 While Armais Sergeevich Arutunoff first invented submersible pumps in Russia in 1916, their use in the United States did not begin until the 1950s.  Arutunoff first designed his pump for use in ships, water wells and mines. He altered the design to work in oil wells. Thanks to further refinements to Arutunoff"s design, there are more types of submersible pumps, allowing use in other applications such as pumping drinking water, creating fountains and pumping wastewater.

1921 Harry LaBour founds LaBour Pump Company. A pioneer in the development of pumps for the chemical industry, LaBour developed corrosion-resistant alloys to incorporate into his pumps. Until his time, sulfuric acid was always pumped with lead pumps, the only known material that could handle certain concentrations of the acid.

1921 Jeumont-Schneider begins manufacturing water and slurry pumps in Jeumont, France. It later develops solids-handling pumps and segmental ring section multistage pumps.

1924 Durco Pump introduces the world"s first pump specifically designed for chemical processing. It would go on to establish undisputed global leadership in ANSI pump design.

1926 O.H. Dorer receives a patent for the first inducer, which reduces the required NPSH. Inducers did not become incorporated into standard pump lines until the 1960s.

1929 Pleuger incorporates in Berlin, Germany. Its first offerings are submersible motor pumps for dewatering in the construction of underground railways and subways. Pleuger pioneers the first successful application of submersible motor pumps in offshore service.

1929 Stork Pompen produces the first concrete volute pump for drainage, integrating the pump housing in the civil construction of the pumping station.

1930 While inventing a compressor for jet engines, aviation pioneer René Moineau discovers that this principle could also work as a pumping system.The University of Paris awarded Moineau a doctorate of science for his thesis on “the new capsulism.” His pioneering dissertation laid the groundwork for the progressing cavity pump.

1933 The original version of the Bush Pump is designed as a closed-top cylinder pump. In 1960 the design was modernized. The base of the well was from then on bolted to the well casing and got its current name, The Zimbabwe Bush Pump, the National Standard for hand pumps in Zimbabwe. After Zimbabwe"s independence in 1980, the government creates its own modernized version of the pump, B-type Zimbabwe Bush Pump. The pump is today regarded as a national treasure. In 1997, it was pictured on a postal stamp.

1933 J.C. Gorman and Herb Rupp introduce a pump with a “non-clogging” feature. It outperforms any other self-priming centrifugal pump previously invented. The company Gorman-Rupp is established.

1936 Robert Sheen invents the metering pump. The core of his invention was a method of controlled volume that was inherent to the pump. The first pumps were assembled in the basement of his father, Milton Roy Sheen"s, home, where the initial patterns for castings were made.

1937-1939 Smith Precision Products Company (Smith Pumps) designs three pumps, two of which (models 300 and 200) were specifically designed for LP-gas transfer.

1939 Dorr-Oliver Pump Company develops the Oliver Diaphragm Slurry pump for slurry transfer. Originally designed for mining slurry transfer with their associated acids, it developed into a Primary Sludge Underflow Pump for the wastewater industry starting in the 1970s after the Clean Water Act.

1940 Reuben Smith, of Smith Precision Products Company (Smith Pumps), receives the first approval for an LP-gas pump from the California Industrial Accident Commission. This was for the model 4X pump and the approval was a "suitable for use" certificate.

1942 The Gorman-Rupp team creates the first commercially available solids-handling trash pump to respond to the contractor"s need for a pump to withstand the considerable rigors of pumping out trash-laden septic tanks, cesspools and outhouses.

1944 During World War II, Goulds extra-quiet trim pumps are installed in every U.S. Navy submarine. That year, 157 Goulds men went to war and 157 women took their places on the Goulds manufacturing floor. Goulds earned the prestigious Army-Navy “E” Award that year for outstanding production of war materials.

1947 Flygt"s Sixten Englesson, a master of engineering, develops a prototype for the first submersible drainage pump, which is later known as the “parrot cage,” or B-pump, used in mining for construction.

1948 Smith Precision Products Company receives the patent for the first mechanical seal supplied for liquefied gas transfer pumps. It was first put into production in 1947.

1950  Vanton develops the Flex-i-liner sealless self-priming rotary pump which handles corrosive, abrasive and viscous fluids as well as those that must be transferred free of product contamination.

1954 Smith Precision Products Company (Smith Pumps) begins working with the Underwriters Laboratories to develop their first Standard for liquefied gas pumps, UL-51, which is still in use today.

In 1955, Jim Wilden invented air-operated double-diaphragm pump technology. It had the right air valve and diaphragms needed and was tough and versatile enough to meet the stringent demands of the mining and heavy-construction industries. During the 1980s, Wilden introduced plastic AODD pumps that have the ability to stand up to the harsh operating conditions and corrosive media transferred throughout the global chemical market. Photo courtest of Wilden.

1960s New lines of industrial pumps are developed by Goulds Pumps, including large double suction pumps, higher pressure pumps and non-metallic pumps. In home water systems, the jet water system is improved and a complete line of submersible pumps is completed.

1965 Warren Rupp"s heavy-duty, diverse AODD pump is introduced to the industrial market to address the vigorous demands of the steel mills and other industrial market applications.

Below: Marvin and Kathryn Summerfield founded Cascade Pump Company in 1948. They are pictured here at an industry tradeshow in the early 1950s. Photo courtesy of Cascade Pump Company.

1968 The ownership of Stenberg-Flygt AB is transferred to the American multinational enterprise ITT (International Telephone & Telegraph Corporation). Prior to this transfer, Stenberg-Flygt AB, AB Flygts Pumpar and Flygt International AB are consolidated as a single company.

1980s Gorman-Rupp unveils the nutating pump, a special purpose small pump used in health care applications; additional energy-efficient, self-priming centrifugal pumps; a series of lightweight portable pumps and high-pressure pumps with the first digital-control panels.

1985 Sims manufactures the first structural composite pump, all Simsite Vertical Pit Pump. Sims later won the Innovative Product Award for these products in 1990.

In 1933, J.C. Gorman and Herb Rupp introduced a pump which had a "non-clogging" feature. Their competitors claimed the pump would not work in a savage public awareness campaign to discredit the new design, which resulted in about $100,00 worth of "free advertising." At least one customer was willing to try it. National Ice Company purchased the first pump, and the company Gorman-Rupp was established. Photo courtesy of Gorman-Rupp Company.

1994 Two new major products are introduced by Goulds Pumps, the Industrial Model 3298 Magnetic Drive Pump and the Water Technologies Model GS “Global Submersible.”

1994 Sims receives the honor of approval from the United States Navy for composite centrifugal pump intervals. Simsite was tested and qualified for centrifugal pump replacement parts and was the first composite to be certified.

1994 Baha Abulnaga invents the slurry and froth pump with  a split vane impeller. The split impeller helps to reduce recirculation in slurry pumps by dividing the space between the main vanes without reducing the passageway at the narrowest point, which is the eye of the impeller. In froth pumps, it helps to break up air bubbles that form and tend to block the flow.

1995 Sims manufactures the largest structural composite pumps in the world - two Simsite vertical turbine pumps for Potomac Electric Power Company. They are 40 feet long and 3 feet in diameter.

2006 Sims manufactures the largest structural composite centrifugal impeller in the world. This huge impeller was installed in a cooling tower pump for Puerto Rican Electrical Power Company. It is 50 inches in diameter and consumes 2,000 horsepower.

This ¼-horsepower sump pump weighs 6.8 pounds and moves up to 1,800 gallons per hour (gph) to keep your basement or low-lying area safe from floodwater. Built with thermoplastic, this sump pump is a durable flood-prevention device that includes a removable suction screen.

Customers with varying needs found this sump pump to be useful, stating that it operated efficiently and quietly. They added that the pump’s filter did a great job in preventing the unit from getting clogged due to dirt, debris, or algae build-up. Customers who were disappointed in this product wished that it would’ve lasted longer, citing reliability and longevity issues.

This submersible sump pump is built with cast-iron motor components that withstand a variety of conditions and keep your home protected from rising water. It includes a float-activated switch that automatically powers the pump when it detects rising water levels.

Although customer feedback was mixed, over 80% of reviewers gave this sump pump a five-star rating at the time of this review. Happy customers mentioned the pump’s simple installation and affordable price point in their positive reviews. Unhappy customers said that while the pump was heavy-duty, it shorted out after a few years, expecting greater longevity out of the product. Additionally, one user had issues with the flow valve leaking.

This sump pump has a 1⁄3-horsepower motor activated by a vertical float switch to keep your basement dry. It’s designed with quality cast iron and stainless steel, minimizing the risk of air locks and clogs. The sump pump works in sump basins that are 11 inches or larger.

Positively, customers who give this sump pump a four- or five-star rating reported that the unit consistently moved water without any issues, meeting or exceeding their expectations. In some reviews, they also mentioned that the manufacturer’s Halo mobile app was convenient for remotely monitoring the pump’s status. Negatively, there were complaints about the pump’s float switch working intermittently rather than consistently.

This unit is built for large 16-inch sump basins and has a built-in backup battery that pumps up to 10,000 gallons of water on a single charge. It has a ½-horsepower motor protected by a durable cast-iron and epoxy-coated steel frame, pumping 5,100 gallons of water per hour.

Positive aspects of this sump pump that users highlighted included its compact size, fast installation, quiet operation, and overall power. On the other hand, several reviewers reported that the manufacturer was slow to respond to their inquiries, or didn’t respond at all, despite multiple attempts. One user also complained about the plastic threads in the discharge outlet, stating that it was difficult to screw in adapters.

This model is equipped with a piggyback plug that lets homeowners automatically or manually turn on the pump to discharge up to 2,760 gallons of water per hour. It includes a ⅓-horsepower motor contained inside a heavy-duty cast-iron frame to secure the pump inside the pit.

Satisfied users who gave this pump positive reviews said that it was an effective pump that performed just as strongly after two years of use as it did on the first day of use. They also appreciated the pump’s effortless installation. Conversely, there were some reports of the sump pump’s cast iron materials prematurely rusting, rendering the unit useless for a handful of customers. Additionally, some users said that the float switch was too short, which lead to excess standing water.

With its thermoplastic materials and 1/4-horsepower motor, this sump pump will make sure that your property remains undamaged due to excess water intrusion. Its built-in bottom suction filter removes water down to a 1/4-inch of the surface to prevent dirt clogging.

Given the pump’s entry-level price point, several customers were impressed with how reliable and powerful it was. They mentioned that the pump was effective for draining pools, adding that the 10-foot power cord offered some flexibility with the positioning of the pump. Alternatively, there were some complaints about the unit’s inability to pump viscous, muddy water, and others wished that the unit pumped water faster.

Submersible sump pumps are completely submerged in the pit, or sump basin, that’s located below your basement’s floor. Once the pit fills with a certain amount of water, a sensor is triggered, which turns on the sump pump to pump the water out. This type of sump pump is typically quieter than other types of sump pumps because its motor is inside the pump, but it’s more expensive than other pumps.

Pedestal sump pumps sit in a basin that’s level with your basement floor and remove water through a pipe that leads to a drainage area in your yard. They’re more affordable than submersible sump pumps, but their motor is attached to the outside of the device, making them noisier.

Unlike submersible and pedestal models that run solely on electricity through a power cord, battery backup sump pumps have a battery-powered backup pump that kicks on when the main unit can’t run due to a power outage. The battery on the backup pump can typically last for a few hours on a single charge. While this is enough for short surges, the battery will eventually die if it’s pumping a lot of water during an hours-long outage.

Combination sump pumps include the power cord of pedestal and submersible models and the backup battery of battery models, allowing them to work in all situations. They usually sit in a below-the-floor basin like submersible sump pumps, but they’re larger, which means you can’t use the basin you dug for your old submersible sump pump for your new combination sump pump.

Before purchasing and installing a sump pump, it’s important to understand how each model’s design and specifications impact its performance. Here are a few factors to consider when buying a sump pump.

Most sump pumps are powered by electricity, but some models include a battery backup that powers the device in the event of a blackout. For example, some pumps include a battery that can pump thousands of gallons on a single charge. Models that don’t have a battery backup can pump thousands of gallons of water per hour as long as electricity is available.

The horsepower (HP) of a sump pump’s motor refers to its overall power, with a higher HP motor being able to pump more water per hour than a lower HP motor. Many sump pumps contain ½-HP or ⅓-HP engines, though some models contain more powerful ¾-HP engines. While higher HP motors can pump more water per hour, they’re typically more expensive.

Most sump pumps use either a digital or manual switch to start their motors. Manual models contain floats that rise with the flood water, turning on the pumps when the water reaches a certain level. When the floats dip below the set level, the pump stops.

Other models feature digital on-and-off sensors. When the water rises to meet the on sensor, the pump starts working. Once the water lowers and reaches the off sensor, the pump turns off. The benefit of digital switches is that they continue pumping water until they reach the off sensor, even if the water level dips below the on sensor.

Sump pumps are usually made of plastic or some sort of metal, such as aluminum, stainless, steel, or cast iron. Plastic sump pumps are more affordable, but they’re not as durable as metal sump pumps.

A sump pump is typically placed in a basement to prevent damage brought on by significant flooding. It detects rising water levels and then pumps that water out of your basement and directs it away from your home.

Sump pumps can develop an odor if they haven’t been used in a while. Infrequent use causes the water in the pump’s basin to fully dry, releasing smelly gases into the air. Mold and bacteria growth inside the pump and the basin can also cause a smell.

You can eliminate these odors by creating a solution with a ratio of 1 cup of bleach to every 1 gallon of water. Pour this solution into the basin until the pump is activated. To prevent an odor from developing in the future, wash your sump pump regularly and keep the basin full of enough fresh water to cover the drain lines.

Ok! This is not an easy task, and I recommend that anyone thinking about doing it AT LEAST consider having the well pump identified as the failed component by a professional prior to undertaking it. In my case, the water in my house stopped working (on a Friday night, of course). I know my system pretty well and was able to determine that the fault in my system COULD NOT BE ANYTHING BUT my well pump motor before I took any action. Guess what? I called the plumber anyway. If nothing else, you"ll pay $60 to have your diagnosis confirmed and maybe even get an estimate that will provide you with the motivation to do the job on your own. (My estimate to pull and replace the well was $2400... By following these steps I was able to do the job myself for less than $400!)

The well used in this example is relatively shallow. It only runs about 100"-120" deep. Some wells can run to depths of hundreds (or thousands!) of feet. In the case of anything deeper than about 250" I would recommend that you have it pulled by a pro. Why? Because it"s HEAVY! And there are special tools that contractors have to lift the pump from that kind of depth. Look at it this way: Even if you have someone else pull the well, you can do the repair/replace action on your own once it"s out of the ground, and still save money. ;)

My well was dug about 25 years ago. One of the things that happens with older wells is that, over a period of several years, silt from the aquifer can seep into the bottom of the casing. That"s a bad thing. Why? Because the silt builds up to a depth that"s too close to the pump, and the pump ends up sucking up the silt and muck from the bottom of the well, and then pushes it into your house! (You"ll see the result of this kind of thing in the following pictures.)

The weight of the whole pump assembly hangs on the water hose that the pump uses to push water into the house. Up near the top the water tube hits what"s called a "pitless connector," where it makes a hard right turn toward the house.

See how the pump looks a bit like a bottle made of two pieces? The bottom part is the motor. The top part is the impeller that sucks the water out of the well and sends it to the house.

When one turns on the sink to wash one"s hands or when we flush a toilet, we tend to think that we"re pulling water directly from the well to do it. In actuality, we"re not! In a properly outfitted house, you"re pulling water from a pressurized tank that acts as sort of a "middle man." (Some artesian wells don"t have this set up, but let"s pretend they do!)

When you turn on the water to wash your hands or flush your toilet, the amount of water stored in the pressure tank is reduced. Reduced water in the tank means reduced pressure. The pressure switch on the tank is set up so that it knows what point to turn ON the pump (pulling water up from the well to replace what you"ve used), and what point to turn OFF the pump (to keep your system from exploding). Having a pressure tank does two things for you:

Ideally, your well pump should be able to push more water than above-average household use will require. (Most houses are recommended to have a pump that will support 5 gallons per minute.) That way, more water per minute is pushed up from the well than you can (normally) expect to be able to get out of a sink, or a shower. By having a pump that exceeds your practical use, the pressure tank is able to maintain steady flow. There will always be more water available to the tank than you can pull from the tap. With the right pump, you can have two showers, a sink and a toilet all flowing at the same time without any discernible drop in pressure.

Once you"ve made your wrench, you just stick it down into the well, thread it into the connector and get ready to PULL. While you do that, make sure someone is holding onto the safety rope! If anything goes wrong, and your partner happens to NOT be holding the rope, the well pump will fall into the abyss... lost forever.

It"s very important that you NOT get any kinks in the water line (the black tube). So, pulling the pump is definitely a two person job. As one person pulls it up out of the well, the other person walks it (in a straight line or in a curve) away from the well.

Dogs are really helpful to have around when doing a job like this. Moral support is important. Especially when, after a couple of minutes pulling up the well pump, you realize that you"ve been making some very poor decisions about exercise and eating habits.

Keep in mind, the well pump (itself) usually weighs about 50 lbs. The water trapped in the tube also holds significant weight. The deeper the well, the more weight you"re dealing with. Plus, there"s that whole "physics and leverage" thing to deal with.

Furthermore, up until this point, I had no idea what kind of well pump was down there. They come in various configurations of power, voltage, number of wires, and number of gallons per minute. Normally, the Horsepower Rating is written (as a courtesy) on the underside of the well cap. No such luck here. I had to pull it up just to find out what it was. You may be in the same boat when it"s time to do yours.

Turns out that mine was a 3/4 HP Jacuzzi. They sold out to a company called Franklin Electric years ago. Since it was just the motor that fried, it might have been possible to order a replacement motor (which would generate significant savings), but that might have taken days or weeks to find/deliver. I didn"t want to measure the amount of time I was without water in terms of "days or weeks." Plus, this pump was so clogged with gunk that it wasn"t worth taking the chance on another failure. A whole new pump was definitely required.

Note: This is one of those moments where it"s good to get along with your neighbors. Thanks to mine, we were able to hose off the motor to find out exactly what the specs were. (See, the source of my water was sitting on the ground... Hence I had no water with which to hose off the pump!) The worn out pump ran on about 8 amps, and pushed about 6.8 gallons per minute. It"s a 220V, two-wire motor. That"s exactly the sort of thing you need to know when you"re buying a replacement. Make notes or take pictures of this information and take it with you to the store.

Let"s take a look at the cleaned-off pump. You"ll note the two pieces, (like in my drawing). The far left is the electric motor. The dirty clyinder in the middle-left is the impeller. The black stuff in the middle is a WHOLE LOT of electrical tape, covering the spliced electrical connections for the motor and the check valve that keeps water from flowing back into the well. The thing that looks like a bulb (toward the right) is called a "torque arrestor." Remember how I told you that my well casing is 6" wide? Well... the well pump is only 4" wide. The Torque Arrestor rubs up against the well casing and keeps the pump from spinning at the bottom of the well.

Since I knew that the well pump had been sitting in muck for who knows how long, it seemed like a good idea to shorten the length of the water tube. As you can see, I walked off about 10" of tube length from the well pump and prepared to make my cut. (By the way, I used a set of ratcheting pipe cutters. If you don"t have a set of these, they go for about $11 at home depot and they make life SO much easier when you"re doing plumbing.) Making the tube shorter would result in a shallower suspension and (hopefully) preserve the life of the new pump.

YUCK! That"s a 1" tube so full of compacted muck that it really restricted the flow of water to my house. NO WONDER THE PUMP FAILED! Keep in mind, we"ve done testing for harmful bacteria and a slew of other things on our well and it"s always come up clean... but still. Ew!

Before we head to the store to buy the replacement pump, we needed to make sure that the shopping list included EVERYTHING. We already knew we needed the well pump and the water line, but what kind of shape was the pitless adapter in? I know it looks rough, but it"s actually not that bad. I gave it a quick scrub under the garden hose, and inspected the O-Ring.

I genuinely recommend that you do a little searching around on the web for a replacement pump before jumping in your car and assuming that Home Depot or Lowes will have the one you need, in stock. I got extremely lucky. I didn"t search before I got in the car. The nearest store happened to have the pump I needed. I later learned it was the only one in stock within 30 miles of me! As luck would have it, it also turns out that this one produces TEN gallons per minute at a lower rated amperage than the original. (Hooray for improvements in technology!)

This Flotec pump had a sticker price of under $340. Since it was Memorial day, they gave me the 10% Veteran"s discount at Home Depot, (shameless plug for businesses that respect military service). In the end, it wound up costing me a little over $300. GOOD DEAL!

Note: This model did not come with the check valve, or the reducer needed to get down to the 1" spur I would need for the water line. Sadly, home depot didn"t carry the right check valve, or spur, for this pump. I had to go somewhere else for that.... a place that did NOT offer the Veteran"s discount and hence shall not be named in this instructable.

Looking at the close-up picture of the assembly, there"s a 1 1/4" stainless nipple threaded into the top of the well pump, a 1 1/4" check valve (brass) and a stainless steel reducer (aka "spur") that goes into the hose line. I used my salvaged hose clamps to secure the new water line to the reducer.

Some people may read this and wonder, "What is a check valve?" It"s basically a valve that only allows fluids to move in one direction. Water can flow into your house when the pump pushes it, but it can"t drain back into the well when the pump stops. This is a vital component, because when your system gets pressurized the check valve keeps all the water in your house from dumping back down into the well. Kind of a big deal.

While you"re at the hardware store make sure to pick up a set of crimp connectors for the electrical connections. It should come with two connectors and some heat-shrink material. Strip a clean bit off of the wires coming from the house and crimp the connectors with a good pair of pliers. Slide the heat-shrink material over the connection and then heat it with a heat-gun, or a butane torch. (A lighter doesn"t get hot enough to do a good job.)

Once you get to this point, you"re ready to make sure the well pump is working. I forgot to take a picture of that part, but it goes like this: Get a BIG bucket (like a 10-20 gallon plastic tub) and use your awesome neighbor"s hose to fill it up with water. Then submerge the assembled well pump into the water, making sure water covers the impeller intakes.

Then put your cell phones to good use. Have your assistant go down into the basement and flip the breaker that will turn on the pump. You should immediately see it sucking water out of the tub at a rapid rate. If it does, the pump is ready to go back down in the hole!

Feed the pump back into the casing slowly, using the safety rope. Line up the pitless connector, using a flashlight. Slide it into place and then seat it fully by giving it a couple of downward whacks with a hammer until you feel it seated properly.

For the pressure tank to work correctly, the ambient pressure (while completely drained) has to be -2lbs from the pressure at which you want the well pump switch to kick on. I like my water pressure to be between 55 and 75 psi. That means, the ideal air pressure for the bladder in the tank was about 53 psi. I hooked up an air compressor and filled it until it reached that point.

Not performing this step will cause a variety of problems, not the least of which is "short cycling." If you have too little (or too much) air in the tank it can throw off the actual volume of water the tank will hold. That can lead to the pump constantly switching on/off... which eventually burns out the pump, or the pump switch. Not good.

What you"re looking at here is a well pump switch. They come pre-set for 30/50 and 40/60. The first number is the psi at which the switch will sense the pressure in the system is too low, and it will turn the pump on. The second number is the number at which the pressure in the system makes the switch say "Okay... that"s enough."

This well switch is brand new. I bought it the night before I replaced the well pump, hoping that it would fix my well problem. Obviously, it didn"t.

You have to be VERY careful when you do this, and I don"t recommend that anyone try it. The reason I do it, is that it lets me make my adjustments without constantly having to reset the breaker. I tweak it, and let the pressure tank fill up. I then use the valve underneath to release water pressure. As I release the pressure, I watch the gauge to see what point the switch kicked on. Once I adjusted it to the point where the pump flipped on at 55 psi, I was good to go.

Whenever you open the well cap, or replace the piping, there"s a requirement to pour some bleach down there to kill off any harmful bacteria that may want to live in the water after being touched by your filthy human digits.

Here"s what you do: Dump about 3/4 of the gallon of bleach in the well (with the water pump still on, so you can still use your hose). Then run your hose down the well to circulate the bleach. This process WILL pull bleach water into your house, so don"t plan on using the water during this process. Run the hose for about an hour to get the water from the bottom all the way back up to the top, ensuring that the chlorine mixes with ALL the water in the well. Then use the remaining 1/4 of the bottle to sanitize the well cap. Put the cap back on and go inside.

Go to sleep. It has to sit for at least 12 hours, undisturbed. No sinks. No flushies. No washies. The next day, hook up your hoses and start purging. DON"T SUCK THE WELL DRY WHILE YOU DO IT. Also, DON"T DRAIN THE BLEACH WATER INTO THE LEECH FIELD FOR YOUR SEPTIC SYSTEM. Remember, there were about 100 gallons in the well, so figure out how many gallons per minute you push through the hoses and stop when you hit about 150 gallons through the system. In my case, that was about an hour and a half.

Make sure you dump the water someplace safe. Run each tap for a couple of minutes. Give the toilets a flush or two. Then test the water for chlorine content to make sure it"s safe to drink with a kit you can get from the hardware or pool supplies store. Keep running the water until the test comes back at safe levels to drink.

I"ll spare you all the details of what I went through to figure out the problem. Bottom line: When I replaced the well pump, I probably should have replaced the electrical wiring going down to the pump. Two reasons for this:

1) The wire I inherited was some kind of specialized, 12 gauge, submersible pump wire. Old school. Prone to problems. It didn"t have a ground wire, which I thought was weird at the time but figured the previous pump had been working for years without it... so... made due with what I had.

2) That old school wire can go bad on you. Even with a torque arrestor in place the pumps can spin inside of the casing, which twist the power line. If given enough time, the wire will eventually break... which is what happened to me.

The moral of the story: Replacing your electrical wiring only costs about $150 (if you go with the high-end, 12 gauge, no-casing, submersible wiring you can get at places like Lowe"s). The good thing about the newer stuff is that it doesn"t tend to break when it gets twisted up. If you don"t want to have to pull your well pump up out of the casing again, just to change the wiring three years after you did the job, maybe take care of it while you have it out of the ground the first time.

Just looking at the pictures of the slimy red gunk in your pipe and around your pump makes me think you should do some googling on "Iron Bacteria". I can"t be certain but it could be a possible cause of your issues.

When selecting the replacement pump don"t just assume that the last guy chose the perfect pump for the job. After all there could be a reason the original pump failed. I would recommend going back to basics and select a pump based on:

Pump ends are made up of a stack of impellers. Each impeller increases the pressure developed by the impellers below it (without increasing flow). So a shallow well might need a six impeller pump, while a deep one will need more. Perhaps twenty or more. The upshot of this is that there are hundreds of motor/pump end combinations to choose from, and while it"s not a particularly exact science it"s important to choose one that will operate happily in your application. You should be able to find pressure/flow charts on pump company websites and catalogues.

Sorry, got a bit carried away there. My brother and I used to own a pump company (Pumpmaster Australia) so pumps have played an important role in my life.

Iron bacteria! Thank you for the tip. We"re in a situation here where the house had two owners before we bought it in 2011. The first owners were amazing. The second owners were really nice folks, but the word around the neighborhood (and the evidence we"ve seen around the house) is that they were not "maintenance people." We"ve gradually been replacing the big-ticket items as they fail from the years of neglect. I"ve already replaced most of the plumbing between the well pump switch and the house, including the water softener and neutralizer. They were both so clogged up with gunk that the valve systems failed. (Nothing like a mouth full of salt water after a regeneration!)

Yep, works fine....Started out knowing jack shit about well pumps, about to call a pro for a emergency repair in a rural area...sent your instructable to my brother, mom, and dad...we all reviewed it, made notes, shopping list...printed/saved it to have on hand...got it done no problem....like seriously a life saverReplyUpvote

Side note for those reading this. Your probably passed this point and its a rare case but possibly note for the future. The other night we were struck by lightning. After a little over a $1000 of repairs to my electrical system ( not including labor, im an electrician) i got power restored but didnt think of testing my well pump. It was only running on one leg (120 v not the 240v its supposed to) . It was operating at a severely reduced rate and potentially energized my water. I dont think i need to get into why its bad and unsafe but if this happens make sure you mention to a qualified electrician doing the damage inspection that you have a well. There is alot of components to an electrical system and your well can be easily overlooked. Make sure you well pump gets megared ( insulation tested) before its put back into service. It also a good test for suspected pump failure aswell. Its a pass or fail test. If its within specs your safe if its not it needs to be replaced

You sir, are a scholar and a gentleman! Thanks to your amazing and detailed description, I felt confident enough to tackle this task, which I managed to do, start to finish. I’m now enjoying the amazing water pressure and volume of a brand new deep well pump! I owe you a big debt of gratitude.

In my well casing I have a metal plate with two crescent holes on opposite sides one has the power lines running through it the other is empty. The pitiless fighting is under plate how do I get plate out

I, for the first time, just completed this project too. I however had a bad tank that I replaced as well. The tank is likely what took the pump out. Anyway, between watching dozens of YouTube videos and a lot of reading, I was confident enough to tackle this. Just for those that are wondering, total cost was $950, and I got 2 different quotes of $2800 and another at $3100 to do this job! The whole project took about 12 hours total, 2 days off from work, and some help from my awesome brother! Lastly, and I should have led with this, but this instructable is seriously the absolute best one for this project out on the internet that I found. He really covers everything! Thanks for sharing. It truly helped to give me the confidence needed to tackle this. I saved $2,000! Full disclosure though, I am an extremely accomplished DIYer, I own many, many tools, and have a strong knowledge of plumbing, electrical, and carpentry. I occasionally help a good friend with his home improvement business.More CommentsPost Comment