How to Recover a Lost Submersible Well Pump

[bigtiller]

Things like PVC small amounts of dirt/gravel can be blown out. Yes, you drop an air line to the bottom of the well, where the end is under water as the air bubbles, each bubble gets bigger as it goes up the well, moving the PVC, or dirt, gravel up and out of the well. It is how you do flow test on a well.

All the best,

Peter

Interesting, teach me something.
Short or long burst of air? Or let her rip until the water is clear?
About what psi?

 

[ponytug]

The amount of air that it takes is a function of the pipe diameter, and length. You need enough pressure to overcome the weight of water above the air in the pipe, and you need enough volume for the bubbles to basically fill the pipe while still below the water to push the water out. In practice, you hook up a large commercial compressor (hundreds of cfm) onto a pipe narrower than the well casing, or drilled hole, and let it rip. What comes out the top is somewhere between slugs of water and spray. You don't want to be anywhere close if you don't want to be instantly both wet and dirty. Think a geyser erupting; it is the same idea, just with steam.

During well drilling, well drillers usually do it periodically to test for flow, so that they know when to quit drilling. There are a fair number of YouTube videos, if you are interested.

All the best,

Peter

 

[bigtiller]

Thanks ponytug. interesting video.

 

[Egon]

If these tools exist, there must be a way to remove the PVC chips & pieces from the well. A special pump perhaps that won't get fouled by the debris?

The tools exist. There are numerous ones for different situations.
The debris may end up in the sump at the bottom of the well or be flushed out. Drop some tubing to the bottom and reverse flush with water down either the tubing or the casing.

 

[bdhsfz6]

The amount of air that it takes is a function of the pipe diameter, and length. You need enough pressure to overcome the weight of water above the air in the pipe, and you need enough volume for the bubbles to basically fill the pipe while still below the water to push the water out. In practice, you hook up a large commercial compressor (hundreds of cfm) onto a pipe narrower than the well casing, or drilled hole, and let it rip. What comes out the top is somewhere between slugs of water and spray. You don't want to be anywhere close if you don't want to be instantly both wet and dirty. Think a geyser erupting; it is the same idea, just with steam.

During well drilling, well drillers usually do it periodically to test for flow, so that they know when to quit drilling. There are a fair number of YouTube videos, if you are interested.

All the best,

Peter

Thanks for the video. I've never seen this process used locally though. Perhaps because most wells in this area are 500 to over 1000' deep?

 

[ponytug]

Thanks for the video. I've never seen this process used locally though. Perhaps because most wells in this area are 500 to over 1000' deep?

Well, as far as I know, it is almost always used in drilling a well to determine flow. The alternative is to drop a submersible pump, but then you may not know what the maximum flow (yield) of the well is.

For any other reason, it depends on the issue. If you have a deep well in rock, it is unlikely to accumulate sand or clay, so they won't use it for that. Which leaves getting small, potentially pump clogging debris out of the well. So, it wouldn't be something that I would expect to see routinely.

You can also do the same process by lowering two pipes at the same time down the well, one for air, one for water, which helps with the lift because the pipe is smaller and requires less air flow. Often referred to as an air lift pump in that arrangement. The air is inserted in the water line a little above the bottom of the other pipe.

Not to lose sight of the original issue here; I hope that your well repair goes well.

All the best,

Peter

 

[bdhsfz6]

Well, as far as I know, it is almost always used in drilling a well to determine flow. The alternative is to drop a submersible pump, but then you may not know what the maximum flow (yield) of the well is.

For any other reason, it depends on the issue. If you have a deep well in rock, it is unlikely to accumulate sand or clay, so they won't use it for that. Which leaves getting small, potentially pump clogging debris out of the well. So, it wouldn't be something that I would expect to see routinely.

You can also do the same process by lowering two pipes at the same time down the well, one for air, one for water, which helps with the lift because the pipe is smaller and requires less air flow. Often referred to as an air lift pump in that arrangement. The air is inserted in the water line a little above the bottom of the other pipe.

Not to lose sight of the original issue here; I hope that your well repair goes well.

All the best,

Peter

Thanks.

I'm still waiting for the well guys to show up with the camera.

 

[MossRoad]

Thanks.

I'm still waiting for the well guys to show up with the camera.

There's a joke in there somewhere about having to drink two quarts of bad-tasting fluid the night before.

 

[npalen]

While we're waiting for the camera--anyone familiar with using a rifle to clean the casing perforations in a well?

 

[Raul-02]

anyone familiar with using a rifle to clean the casing perforations in a well?

don't ya gots ta have a fiddy foot barrel with a right angle on da end?