Dug well- electric *and* pitcher pump?
 

I've got a dug well that I would like to put a working pitcher pump on
for mostly aesthetic/conversation purposes. . . and would also like
to put a working shallow well pump on to wash cars & such.

The well is about 3' in diameter, and the water is 8' below grade- 15
feet or so water in the well. I've drained it several times with a
sump pump and it refills fairly fast.

Can I just drop a 1 1/4 plastic pipe into the well with a check valve
on the end, then 'T' it to the 2 pumps?

My inclination is to drop 16' of pipe- that will keep me 7-8 feet
above the bottom of the well, but give me plenty of water to work
with.

It is currently covered with a 4" slab of concrete with a 3" PVC plug
in the middle for access. I could drop 2 pipes through the hole if
there is an advantage to keeping things separate, but a single pipe
just seems easier.
Thanks,
Jim

Dug well- electric *and* pitcher pump?
 

On Jul 20, 11:01*am, Jim Elbrecht wrote:
I've got a dug well that I would like to put a working pitcher pump on
for mostly aesthetic/conversation purposes. . . *and would also like
to put a working shallow well pump on to wash cars & such.

The well is about 3' in diameter, and the water is 8' below grade- 15
feet or so water in the well. *I've drained it several times with a
sump pump and it refills fairly fast.

Can I just drop a 1 1/4 plastic pipe into the well with a check valve
on the end, then 'T' it to the 2 pumps?

My inclination is to drop 16' of pipe- that will keep me 7-8 feet
above the bottom of the well, but give me plenty of water to work
with.

It is currently covered with a 4" slab of concrete with a 3" PVC plug
in the middle for access. * *I could drop 2 pipes through the hole if
there is an advantage to keeping things separate, but a single pipe
just seems easier.
Thanks,
Jim

A shallow well pump should pull that ok, but the pitcher pump teed
into the line would likely be a huge vacuum leak.
If you could put a valve between the pitcher pump and the tee, it
should be fine. If having to turn a valve to use the pitcher pump
would be a bother, you could use an electric valve, normally open,
wired to close when the electric pump came on it would be automatic.
If you could give up a little aesthetic value, a hydrant would work on
the pressure side.

Dug well- electric *and* pitcher pump?
 

Eric in North TX wrote:

On Jul 20, 11:01*am, Jim Elbrecht wrote:
-snip-
Can I just drop a 1 1/4 plastic pipe into the well with a check valve
on the end, then 'T' it to the 2 pumps?
-snip-

A shallow well pump should pull that ok, but the pitcher pump teed
into the line would likely be a huge vacuum leak.
If you could put a valve between the pitcher pump and the tee, it
should be fine. If having to turn a valve to use the pitcher pump
would be a bother, you could use an electric valve, normally open,
wired to close when the electric pump came on it would be automatic.
If you could give up a little aesthetic value, a hydrant would work on
the pressure side.

Wonder if a second check valve would work? Or would I actually need
3- one to protect each pump, and one to keep the pipe full.. . . by
then I might better just drop two lines into the well.

Or is the pitcher pump unlikely to draw a vacuum on the electric?

Jim

Dug well- electric *and* pitcher pump?
 

On Jul 20, 4:06*pm, Jim Elbrecht wrote:
*Eric in North TX wrote:



On Jul 20, 11:01*am, Jim Elbrecht wrote:
-snip-
Can I just drop a 1 1/4 plastic pipe into the well with a check valve
on the end, then 'T' it to the 2 pumps?
-snip-

A shallow well pump should pull that ok, but the pitcher pump teed
into the line would likely be a huge vacuum leak.
If you could put a valve between the pitcher pump and the tee, it
should be fine. If having to turn a valve to use the pitcher pump
would be a bother, you could use an electric valve, normally open,
wired to close when the electric pump came on it would be automatic.
If you could give up a little aesthetic value, a hydrant would work on
the pressure side.

Wonder if a second check valve would work? *Or would I actually need
3- one to protect each pump, and one to keep the pipe full.. *. . *by
then I might better just drop two lines into the well.

Or is the pitcher pump unlikely to draw a vacuum on the electric?

Jim

Thinking that through further; a check valve isolating each pump
should do it.

Dug well- electric *and* pitcher pump?
 

On Jul 20, 2:48*pm, Eric in North TX wrote:
On Jul 20, 4:06*pm, Jim Elbrecht wrote:





*Eric in North TX wrote:

On Jul 20, 11:01*am, Jim Elbrecht wrote:
-snip-
Can I just drop a 1 1/4 plastic pipe into the well with a check valve
on the end, then 'T' it to the 2 pumps?
-snip-

A shallow well pump should pull that ok, but the pitcher pump teed
into the line would likely be a huge vacuum leak.
If you could put a valve between the pitcher pump and the tee, it
should be fine. If having to turn a valve to use the pitcher pump
would be a bother, you could use an electric valve, normally open,
wired to close when the electric pump came on it would be automatic.
If you could give up a little aesthetic value, a hydrant would work on
the pressure side.

Wonder if a second check valve would work? *Or would I actually need
3- one to protect each pump, and one to keep the pipe full.. *. . *by
then I might better just drop two lines into the well.

Or is the pitcher pump unlikely to draw a vacuum on the electric?

Jim

Thinking that through further; a check valve isolating each pump
should do it.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Agree. Don't forget to allow for draiing the system if you are in a
cold climate though. Probably just pull the suction pipe to do it.

Harry K