Getting Water Out Of My Well Without Electricity

[BIN]

My well is about 130 feet deep. I have one of those well buckets for post SHTF but I would like to not have to uncap my well and pull up the point if I dont have to. What solutions are there out there. A small generator to power my pump? A power inverter under the hood of my truck? A bicycle setup of some sort? What do you guys think?

[DreadPirate]

All are good ideas. I have heard of solar powered pumps also.
As a last ditch you could put a foot valve( one way check valve) on the end of a long pipe. All you have to do is push in and pull up untile it runs out the top. Ya I agree a LOT of work But from what I have read it works.

[Caplock50]

I haven't got to play with such systems in a good long while, so I don't know if it is possible or not. But, could you, somehow, put a 'tee' at the top of your well? Have the regular electric pump set up on one side and a 'pitcher pump' on the other? You could have valves in between so you could 'turn one off' and turn on the other...isolate one from the other, ya know?

[Ren]

www.simplepump.com

with solar attachment...

[Taz]

Cap, where I live the pump is down the shaft 140 ft. But I would think that your idea would work well with shallow wells with pump at top. For y2k we had a second well drilled 157 ft and put a hand pump on it with a step valve. Sold that place but just live across the street so can get water there. That hand pump cost more than an electric pump!
Taz

[scruffy]

heres what I have done, but,my plans have never had to go beyond stage 1
my well is 190ft deep,with the water 60ft down



stage 1, short outages-1-3days, just run the genny to fill up tank and things , then shut back off

stage2, long outages more than 3day, but less than 2 wks, still the genny (figured on 1gallon a day usage)

stage3, serious outtage over 2 wks, run genny , till I use up my designated fuel for well use,

stage 4, long term after using primary fuel for pump use, pull the pump(4in well,)since my pitless is the antitorque type(snappy brand) that blocks the whole pipe, use the well bucket, till I get the hand pump together(refer to lehmans hand pumps all you really need is the actual pump that sits in the bottom of the well, the sucker rod, pipe, and the upper pump handle assmebly (which you dont have to order all from lehmans))

I still have to finish buying parts for stage 4 pump, little bit at a time, (although, I might just take some play money and get it finished )

[Caplock50]

scruffy...stage five, build a wind mill to do the pumping for you.

[scruffy]

the wind mill is in the ,planning /theory stage, have the tower, just dont have a gearbox and wheel assembly, been trying to find an old one and rebuild it, so far no one I talk with, is willing to let go of what they have, even though its like way out in a back corn field,and has sat for 30yrs, sigh,

[Ryan]

we have a 400' deep well that runs on electric but i'm wondering how much power does the pump need to run on solar.
a hand pump is out of the question because it would weigh a ton to pump.
any ideas guys?????

[DreadPirate]

we have a 400' deep well that runs on electric but i'm wondering how much power does the pump need to run on solar.
a hand pump is out of the question because it would weigh a ton to pump.
any ideas guys?????

Sounds like a 220 volt pump. You will have to get enough batt power to run an inverter large enough to power that sucker. Might have to change the pump to one that is soler powered. From what I have heard they can run a few bucks. Might have a genny just for the well and only run long enough to fill storage barrels.

[jazzy]

thanks Ren,

that simple pump thing is just what i was looking for!

[momof23goats]

Sounds like a 220 volt pump. You will have to get enough batt power to run an inverter large enough to power that sucker. Might have to change the pump to one that is soler powered. From what I have heard they can run a few bucks. Might have a genny just for the well and only run long enough to fill storage barrels.


Running the gennie, long enough to fill water, is what I will have to do, until I can get a solar pump. but they do cost, so It will be a while for me.