Hand Pumps

I grew up on a farm. For years my family used manual pumps. (before electrical pumps) I remember watching uncles and community members take turns pounding metal pipes with sledge hammers, threading the pipe manually with a small vice held threader and connecting the 10 foot lengths of pipe by hand. There was a strainer attached to the first segment of pipe that kept the pipe free of most debris and when water was reached the water would gush out mud, sand and small rocks that might be trapped in the pipe. I remember the water shooting off like a small oil well. The family would just let it flow until the sand stopped coming up. I remember once the sand did not stop and the well digging had to continue 20 or 30 more feet. When water was reached (about 65 - 100 feet) a manual pump was installed, and primed. We as children got a kick out of pumping the water. The only small problem that I remember was that you had to keep a small amount of water present at all time to prime the pump. I think that this procedure could also work after the pole shift.

Offered by Pat.

There's a simple quality manual water pump for existing wells.

Offered by Gary.

This site also has some interesting data on Hand Pumps.

Offered by Mike.