Old Water Well - Sucker Rod Down The Pipe

nolarefugee · May 21, 2011

I finally got back to trying to disassemble the casing I pulled out of the well.

At the bottom of the last twenty foot section was a coupler that attached to the screened section and point. I got the coupler off and there was another coupler, it had about a 1-15/16" OD 1-1/2" ID. Above that in the casing was what looks like a check valve. The coupler screwed onto it. I could not pull the check valve down, out of the pipe. I tried putting the coupler back on and banging on it with a block of wood and little sledge, but it wouldn't budge.

So it looks like the sleeve is probably right above the check valve and is wedged against the wall of the casing. Instead of having a down pipe, it just used the casing with the brass sleeve up against the wall of the casing.

Now I'm thinking of cutting the casing a few feet from the bottom. I have no way of rethreading the pipe, it's a little over two inches. I looked for a tool to rethread it, but only could find two inch threaders. Do you think this is a good idea?

It looks like I'm going to have to go back with a 1-11/16" cylinder and down pipe with a 7/16" steel sucker rod.

The well was 40' with the water level somewhere just over 20'. Now that I have everything pulled, I'm not exactly sure what to do next. I'd like to have ten or five foot casing sections so I could more easily handle them. Any suggestions?

jbooth · May 21, 2011

nolarefugee said:
I finally got back to trying to disassemble the casing I pulled out of the well.

At the bottom of the last twenty foot section was a coupler that attached to the screened section and point. I got the coupler off and there was another coupler, it had about a 1-15/16" OD 1-1/2" ID. Above that in the casing was what looks like a check valve. The coupler screwed onto it. I could not pull the check valve down, out of the pipe. I tried putting the coupler back on and banging on it with a block of wood and little sledge, but it wouldn't budge.

So it looks like the sleeve is probably right above the check valve and is wedged against the wall of the casing. Instead of having a down pipe, it just used the casing with the brass sleeve up against the wall of the casing.

Now I'm thinking of cutting the casing a few feet from the bottom. I have no way of rethreading the pipe, it's a little over two inches. I looked for a tool to rethread it, but only could find two inch threaders. Do you think this is a good idea?

It looks like I'm going to have to go back with a 1-11/16" cylinder and down pipe with a 7/16" steel sucker rod.

The well was 40' with the water level somewhere just over 20'. Now that I have everything pulled, I'm not exactly sure what to do next. I'd like to have ten or five foot casing sections so I could more easily handle them. Any suggestions?

Pipe is measured by inside diameter where tubing is outside diameter. 2" pipe is actually 2.375" and a 2" pipe threader should thread your pipe if that is what you choose to do.

My biggest concern is being able to force your pipe back down the hole to water. It will certainly go easier than starting from scratch as you at least have a pilot hole.

Your piston will not need to be clear to the bottom of the well as theoretically a pump will pull water approximately 20', but I wouldn't go much more than 10' above water level to be on the safe side.

Attached a site that gives actual dimensions of pipe.

American Standard Pipe Dimensions -- Technical Notes

Egon · May 21, 2011

For starters why not drop a weighted line down the well and see how deep it is now and where the water level is.

From this information you may be able to figure out how many and at what length you want cut and thread the pipe.

Maybe just redo the pump portion with new materials?

CurlyDave · May 22, 2011

First, I would not try to re-use anything that was pulled out of that well. Start over with all new materials, so you have the maximum possible life before another reapir is necessary.

I don't know what your purpose is -- clearly there was no windmill since I can see an electric pump and pulley system used to power the old sucker rod.

If you just want a well, I would be very tempted to test the diameter of the old hole by putting together 5' sections of PVC pipe and inserting them to the bottom of the well. This is cheap. Start with a short piece of 2" pvc and reduce it down to 3/4" schedule 40, which you can hand cut with a lopper tool that sells for less than $10 at the big box stores. (Don't cap the end or the assembly will float.) You know how deep the original well was, and if you can get the 2" PVC starter all the way down, I would be very tempted to thread a new sand point on a male adaptor for 2" PVC and line the well with 2" PVC all the way down. Pull the 3/4" PVC, cut it into 5' sections as it comes out, and discard it. Then a small jet pump, and you are back in business without breaking the bank.

If the 2" PVC starter won't go all the way down, then you can try driving a new sand point on 2" galvanized pipe, but may need a more powerful pounder than you have on hand.

nolarefugee · May 23, 2011

I ended up cutting the pipe into a few pieces so I could haul them out of the little pump room. I use a grinder with a cutting wheel to slice vertically down the last section of the pipe and splitting it open to pull out the old cylinder.

As you can see in the pictures, it was a brass cylinder with a check valve on the bottom. The whole thing was full of mud and scale from the pipe. I don't see how it could have worked for many years. The bottom of the check valve had a rubber gasket that was squeezed against the casing wall when the coupler was screwed up into it.

It was interesting taking all this old stuff apart. A real pain in the *** though. I haven't found anyone who has seen a setup like this one, with the cylinder set in the casing.

I think I'm going to try the 2" PVC route and use the five foot steel screened section and point at the bottom end. I feel pretty confident that I can get the casing down to twenty feet right away, I can run a line down into the hole that far. And I see water at twenty feet. The problem is how much water is there at that level, if I can drive it down to say, thirty feet. Am I going to be able to use a jet down to 25' ( the max) and not suck it dry before it has time to fill.