# What pump for shallow well 3" casing in barn?



## porcupine73 (Jan 31, 2013)

I'm trying to figure out what kind of pump to use for a shallow well casing in the barn. It's a 3" casing. I know this well was used for many years between the 40's and 70's to water eight head of cattle in there. It hasn't been used in probably 30+ years. I looked in there, and stuck a tape measure down in it.

It is 25 foot from the bottom to the top of the casing (which is about 18" above the concrete). The water level is 14 ft from the bottom.

Ideally I think the pump needs to be some type that will let the water drain back into the well and then reprime itself each time? Because it will often be well below freezing out there.

I kind of want it to be a 12 volt pump with battery and trickle charger just for power outage emergency backup.

Since this well hasn't been used in so long I"m guessing I would want to try to pump it dry a few times? Maybe even pour some clorox/sodium hypochlorite down there before pumping it out a few times?


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## agmantoo (May 23, 2003)

In the hot summer 8 head of cattle will need roughly 240 gallons of water. With no more storage than you will have in the 3 inch casing and without knowing what the recharge rate is the choice of pump is limited. The pump IMO needs to be able to pump from near the bottom of the well. At 25 ft a centrifugal pump will not be self priming. A submersible pump will not fit the small casing. A jet pump could work on a two pipe setup but it needs to remain primed between uses. Are you positive the casing is 3 inches? I have seen a few 4 inch casings, a lot of 2 inch casings and a lot of 6 inch casings for residential use but no 3 inch ones where I live.


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## porcupine73 (Jan 31, 2013)

Thanks, I forgot to mention, I'm just wanting to use it to get water for a few goats. It was used to water the cattle many many years back.

Let me double check the casing size. I thought I measured 3" but maybe it was 4". It might be some strange size because I think it was probably my grandfather who set up in the 40's, he was a well driller.

There was a pump on it into the 70's, I can't remember what kind it was. I remember it would cycle on and off as the cows drank out their automatic waterers. Maybe it was a shallow well pump and they just didn't have the dip tube going all the way to the bottom of the well?


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## agmantoo (May 23, 2003)

A two inch casing can be setup with a single down pipe and jet pump. So can a 4 inch. A 3 inch is too small for the piping needed for a 2 pipe jet pump system. A submersible pump for a 3 inch well would be very expensive provided you can locate one. Reliability at a reasonable justifiable price would be the primary goal if I were installing a pump.


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## porcupine73 (Jan 31, 2013)

Thanks I'll see what I can find. There are a few 'used' shallow well pumps laying around the farm, I think some of them work but have ruptured bladders. The house well pump uses on of those, like it has a pump on top and a tank underneath. Then a plastic tube dips down into the well casing. But it looks like those can only suck up to 20' depth or so?


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## Snowfan (Nov 6, 2011)

I would put a pitcher pump on the well and see how hard you have to work to get water up. If it pumps really hard you would definitely need to clean the screen. If you get any dirt up (which you would NOT want to run through an electric pump) you're looking at either abandoning that well and driving a new well or pulling that casing and replacing the screen and pipe.With only 9' of head you're well within the limits of a single pipe shallow well pump.
Some type of water storage is needed to keep the pump from cycling (or cavitation) too often. You could build a small structure of some type with adequate insulation and a heater but keep an eye on it and be prepared to drain the system if you loose power to the heater.
Good luck.


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## Nimrod (Jun 8, 2010)

It sounds like it might be a driven well. http://water.epa.gov/drink/info/wel...atewells_pdfs_basicinformation_drivenwell.pdf 
If that's what it is you can put a shallow well pump, pressure tank, and backflow valve on it and fire it up and see if it works. A shallow well pump can pull water from up to 25 feet depth.

With a well that hasn't been used in 30 years the screen on the sandpoint may be plugged or rusted away. It is normal to pump some dirt/sand at first when you reactivate a well but it should stop after an hour or so. It might pump some more each time the pump starts up for a few days or so but eventually it should not have any dirt/sand in the water. If it does the screen may have rusted away. The screen may be plugged if you get a very low flow rate. Take off your plumbing so the top of the well caseing is open. Stick the barrell of a 22 into the caseing and fire one round. The shock should loosen up the material that is plugging the screen. Put it back together and see if the flow rate is better.

If you can't revive the old well at least you know there is water down there and can drive a new sandpoint.

I would shock the well with some chlorine, let it sit overnight, and then pump untill the chlorine smell is gone from the water. You can have the well water tested for a small fee. Here, it's the county health department and it's about $10. I would not use this well for drinking water because of the critters in the barn right above it.

I had an uncle that lived in Orchard Park so I know you get lots of snow and cold there but not as cold as here in MN. I built an insulated box about 4X4 over the well and pump ect. There are 2 lightbulbs in the box and the heat from them keeps the well and plumbing from freezing. They don't make lightbulbs like they used to so they don't last all winter. I put a ceramic heater in the box to back up the light bulbs. http://www.menards.com/main/applian...ater-in-two-toned-finish/p-1796836-c-5617.htm
Soon the incandecent bulbs will be outlawed but that's a different rant.

It's difficult to put in a 12 volt backup pump. I figured out that my cheapo 3000 watt generator will start and run my 1/2 HP well pump so I am covered in case of a power failure.

Good luck.


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