Water Does a pitcher pump have to be directly over the well?

[Bud in Fla]

We made it to Fla about a year ago and have sand instead of rock now....no potential for snow here, either!

I'm going to put a well down near the back door and want to pipe it over to the back deck. I have a few old pitcher pumps that are good for shallow wells. Anyone know if I can run the pipe horizontal to reach the deck or does the pump have to be directly over the well?

I remember old houses in SC had pitcher pumps in the kitchen. I really doubt they built the house on top of the well after it was drilled.

The plan is dig an 6" or so hole with a Seymore auger. I'll use a 4" sieve stand pipe with a 1-1/4 well point inside. A couple of spring check valves in the line should do it. Anyone have any input that'll help? Thanks!

 

[Handyman]

the pipe can run horizontal, it may be good to pitch the horizontal pipe so it can not air lock, and place a foot valve at the bottom of the well drop pipe, to help keep the prime in the pump, the depth is the main concern on the pump,

In my DD's house there is a cistern in the basement (some water drums), and they use a pitcher pump at the kitchen sink that pumps horizontal across most of the basement, and there is a second pitcher pump in the "bath room" both run horizontal,

 

[Bud in Fla]

Thanks! I was pretty sure horizontal runs "didn't count". My max lift will be about 20 ft
It'll be a nice "decorative" pump on the back deck..... just for looks. Nobody needs to know it's real but it'll be convenient to the kitchen and one bathroom.

 

[Bensam]

No. It should work fine with the applications you have presented.

 

[Publius]

I don't know how you're putting in a well! Like is it a drilled well with a well casing or just pounding a pipe with a sand point on the end of it.

So if its a drilled well with an 4",6", or 8" inch well casing you can put a check valve on the end of the pipe before lowering it down the well.

The sand points that are pounded into the ground can be buried and elbow added to run it where you want it and add a check valve somewhere in the pipe.

Note to prevent freezing you need to have enough pipe buried so it's a foot or more below what frost line is known to happen in your area and you drill a 1/8 or 1/16 hole in the pipe below the known frost line so it will drain back down to that level and you will have to have some water on hand to re-prime the pump each time you want to use it.

 

[Bud in Fla]

Thanks for the info! I gotta update my name and stuff some day but for now it's still OpSec. A couple of years ago we got 43" of snow in 1 night there in Cool Ridge. Last winter the weather station near where we used to live recorded -14° with a 35mph wind. That was a -73° wind chill - and our place was farther up the mountain than the weather station. No problems for us - we're 6 states south now!

We'd kicked around the idea of going south "one day" but the night O was re-elected we decided we had to un-ass WV! We were near Beckley. The entire economy of that area depends on coal. SWMBO was talking with a friend this afternoon - the coal mines are all but shut down. It won't be long before there's nothing but drug users and drug dealers left in southern WV.

We're near Ocala. They have an organization statewide called the "Basegroups" - they teach canning, prepping, solar power, gardening - all the stuff we're going to need. It does get cold in this area but by mid day it's in the 50's or so even on the coldest days. Last winter my "heavy coat" was a denim shirt and my old Carrhart vest. There won't be any surviving in WV without power or wood heat and it looks like both of those items are on Os hit list.

As for the well, I'm going to use a Seymore auger to "bore" a well. I'll keep adding sections of 3/4 threaded pipe to it till I get deep enough and then drop a 4" or 6" casing that's slotted to let water in so it'll act like a stand pipe. My well point will be inside that. It's sand here - not rock and clay like WV plus, I should be able to get decent water at 18 to 25 feet here - not 400+ like WV. I'm planning on a spring check valve above the well point and another below the hand pump.....and when you say "frost line" to the locals here they don't have a clue what it means! All the other transplants just give you a dirty look for mentioning such a thing.....

I've played with my auger some. It'll be work but it can be done. Lots of good reviews on it, too. I doubt it would make it through the rock in WV,though.

http://www.seymourmfg.com/augers/