How to get a dropped pipe out of a shallow well?

[quicksandfarmer]

Well the subject line pretty much says it all.

I have a hand-dug, stone-lined well on my property that is probably over 150 years old. It has a hand pump on it, but it's basically ornamental, a nice spot for a drink on a hot summer's day, but we have a drilled well for the house. Today I noticed it wasn't producing any water, so I lifted the pump to see what was going on, and the bottom section of pipe was missing. The well has a cast concrete cover with about a six inch hole, so I got a flashlight and looked down, the missing piece is sitting at the bottom of the well.

The water level is about 18' down. The pump itself extends about five feet below the surface, then there is an 8' section of black poly pipe and there was a 10' section of PVC pipe with a foot valve on the bottom. That 10' section of PVC is what has fallen off. The PVC fitting had failed so the pipe is smooth at the top. The well is about 3' in diameter, the water is about 5' deep, the pipe is sitting on the bottom about half in, half out, leaning against the side of the well.

My first inclination is just to leave it and go buy another piece of pipe and a foot valve, I could probably be in and out of Home Depot for less than twenty bucks. (In fact, my flashlight peering revealed what looks like two 10' pieces of pipe, I'm not even sure which one is mine.) But is that the TBN spirit? I thought briefly about removing the concrete cap and climbing down the well, but that's just silly. Plus the cap looks like it's been there a long time, I'm not sure if I got it of I'd ever get it back on right.

So does anyone have any tricks for fishing it out? To summarize: a 10' piece of 1" PVC pipe, smooth on the end facing me. About 13-15' down from me. Access is through a 6" diameter hole.

 

[sensabmc]

Get a 20' piece of 1/4" rebar. Bend the end to a hook shape so that it will slide into the 1" pipe with some restraint but grab into the plastic when pulled up.

 

[k0ua]

some reading here

 

[BigRol]

Had to do the same thing a few years ago, tool a roll of snare wre and ran it through a 1/2 copper pipe, made the snare and lowered it over the pvc, pulled on the snare wire to lock it and lifted it right out.

 

[the old grind]

Had to do the same thing a few years ago, tool a roll of snare wire and ran it through a 1/2 copper pipe, made the snare and lowered it over the pvc, pulled on the snare wire to lock it and lifted it right out.

As we say here, you bet! Elec conduit works too for a few less bucks, or if handy. A burp gun & the right size wheel nut can flare the business end a wee bit. This lets the wire slide easily and can add a biting edge that may require a tad less tension to get a good grip.

btw, Dangle a small flashlight on its own line and 'go in' after dark using the tube to manipulate the noose onto the bit you want hauled out.

'BigRol is your uncle'. :thumbsup:

 

[fishheadbob]

I vote for leaving it at the bottom unless you're terribly curious about what else has accumulated down there over the years.

 

[Complete Turf Care]

This happened to me a few years ago, but it was about 40' down, and there was about another 60' of pipe that had come unglued.

We contacted a water well digging company and they loaned us a tool they had made. It was basically a cone shaped screw that was attached to more pipe, then lowered into the hole, and stabbed and screwed into the pipe that had broken off.

We were able to raise the old pipe out of the well, but we lost it again later.

We ended up abandoning the well with the broken pipe and just drilled a new well. This was at our deer camp, and the new well cost about $2000

 

[Egon]

Google "well fishing tools" and look at images. Might give some more ideas for making an I expensive fish.

 

[quicksandfarmer]

Had to do the same thing a few years ago, tool a roll of snare wre and ran it through a 1/2 copper pipe, made the snare and lowered it over the pvc, pulled on the snare wire to lock it and lifted it right out.

An update: BigRol is indeed my uncle! I didn't have snare wire or copper pipe, but I ran some 12.5 gauge high tension wire through two pieces of PVC electrical conduit. I made a loop at one end of the wire and put a handle at the other. It was pretty easy to get the loop over the pipe, I did it about five times but the pipe kept slipping out. So I put a little bit of electrical tape on the loop to give it some friction and was able to pull it out.

Of course, it was the wrong pipe! My pipe is still down there, its end is in an inaccessible crack in the rocks. I need to make a hook or something to move it around to a spot where I can grab it. I'll try again tomorrow evening.

 

[k0ua]

An update: BigRol is indeed my uncle! I didn't have snare wire or copper pipe, but I ran some 12.5 gauge high tension wire through two pieces of PVC electrical conduit. I made a loop at one end of the wire and put a handle at the other. It was pretty easy to get the loop over the pipe, I did it about five times but the pipe kept slipping out. So I put a little bit of electrical tape on the loop to give it some friction and was able to pull it out.

Of course, it was the wrong pipe! My pipe is still down there, its end is in an inaccessible crack in the rocks. I need to make a hook or something to move it around to a spot where I can grab it. I'll try again tomorrow evening.

Ah, well fishing It requires patience, skill, ingenuity and a more than a little luck.. keep at it.. you will get it.

 

[quicksandfarmer]

Today's update: I bent a piece of quarter inch steel into a J hook, and taped it to another two sections of PVC conduit. I was able to hook the pipe and move it away from the wall, but every time I let go it would fall back into a crevice. So I recruited my son to hold the hook while I got the snare. He held it while I tried to snare it. It was kind of like doing dental surgery with 20 foot noodles but we eventually coordinated and I grabbed it and out it came.

Some days I feel there's nothing I can't do!

 

[Teachu2]

Today's update: I bent a piece of quarter inch steel into a J hook, and taped it to another two sections of PVC conduit. I was able to hook the pipe and move it away from the wall, but every time I let go it would fall back into a crevice. So I recruited my son to hold the hook while I got the snare. He held it while I tried to snare it. It was kind of like doing dental surgery with 20 foot noodles but we eventually coordinated and I grabbed it and out it came.

Some days I feel there's nothing I can't do!

Coulda dropped a noose over the pole with the hook.....

 

[k0ua]

Perseverance payed off. Good work.:thumbsup:

 

[clemsonfor]

OK, so why dont you just leave it down there and spend your time on something more productive? At least thats what i would do?

 

[BigRol]

OK, so why dont you just leave it down there and spend your time on something more productive? At least thats what i would do?

Satisfaction

 

[skylarkguy]

This job had to be done otherwise you'd be thinking about it at odd hours about how to do it....

 

[hcallaway]

Once I wanted it out, it would have to come out. Good Job and a lot of good ideas. Congrates

 

[zzvyb6]

I would have pulled the cap off and stuck a rope ladder down there and grabbed it. That's what Grampa might have done back in the day. They actually have a pipe puller tool that well drillers use to get a broken off drop pipe. While you are at it, pull the cylinder and replace the leathers in the foot valve and plunger. That's a fun, satisfying job, too. If the cylinder is brass, you might look up its value. The result may surprize you.

 

[quicksandfarmer]

Satisfaction

This.

This job had to be done otherwise you'd be thinking about it at odd hours about how to do it....

And this.

Once I wanted it out, it would have to come out. Good Job and a lot of good ideas. Congrates

And this.

Thanks for sticking up for me. When I break something I feel the need to fix it.

I've already had two people ask me if I was worried about the pipe contaminating the water. I've found the key to not coming off like an *** when someone asks a dumb question is to pretend to think about it, and then say something like, "I don't think that's a problem. Doesn't drinking water flow through water pipes all the time?"

I would have pulled the cap off and stuck a rope ladder down there and grabbed it. That's what Grampa might have done back in the day. They actually have a pipe puller tool that well drillers use to get a broken off drop pipe. While you are at it, pull the cylinder and replace the leathers in the foot valve and plunger. That's a fun, satisfying job, too. If the cylinder is brass, you might look up its value. The result may surprize you.

The well is lined with hand-laid fieldstone and the concrete cap sits on top of it. I've learned to be really reluctant to mess with hand-laid stone, if you disturb a stone you can never get it back the way it was.

Sadly the cylinder is cast iron.