Category: Water Storage & Filters

Hugh, I’ve been following the discussions about well pumps here and have two concerns: People’s general unfamiliarity with hand pumps and the danger of relying on alternative energy to pump water. The past two generations don’t know what it’s like to pump water by hand for their daily needs, because they have probably always had electricity for pumping water. As such, many people today do not understand how a pump works or the effort required to bring just a small amount of water to the surface. Many different types of hand water pumps are now on the market for folks …

Hand pumps are not the only alternative to grid-powered electric well pumps. When we were researching the available options, hand pumps with a solar option was our first choice. The problem was that they would not produce the volume of water required. We needed a system that would be capable of pumping enough water to satisfy the requirements of all the livestock plus supply domestic water, if needed. (This was approximately 1500 gallons per day as a design parameter.) Consultations with the folks at Simple Pump indicated their pump could not produce enough water. That left a solar submersible pump …

I have first hand experience with the Storm Pump, made in Sagle, Idaho in the American Redoubt. This is a hand pump that attaches to your well head and sits next to your submersible pump. It costs about the same as the Simple Pump. I actually took a second job to save up for it, but the peace of mind was well worth the effort. They are manufactured by Terry Deal in Sagle, and he will also install them for a reasonable price. I have had the pump for about a year and a half now, and I am very …

HJL, I have seen some of the recent discussions pertaining to manual hand pumps for wells. I have wanted to add one to our preps for a while but have held back because it seemed as though they all cost around $1500. Our well is around 50′-60′ deep. I recently came across another pump option called a Handy Well Pump (model HWP-L) for considerably less. I am interested whether any other readers have experience and can offer insight on this pump option? Thanks in advance – Tired-n-Dusty HJL responds: Just looking at the build of the unit, it appears that …

HJL, I also have a Bison pump. It is installed right into my well along side the submersible pump. My static water level is about 31 feet. My pump is about 15 ft from my house (a pressure system). I am not very savvy on this stuff, so maybe you can EDUCATE ME. How are you getting your bison to pump in your water? I doubt your well is in your basement. HJL Responds: Unfortunately, you will probably not be able to reproduce the results of those readers who have their pumps mounted indoors. Very few people have their wells …

Hello, I’m also one who has a Bison Pump in my basement. My well surface level is low enough that I can pump water into my basement, if needed. Like the other author said, all I have to do is turn two valves. I’m in the process of selling my house, so I have a document written up for the new buyer explaining our water system. I’m attaching a word document detailing the Bison Pump side of it. A few months after we moved in– seven years ago– a massive wind storm took down trees and power lines in our …

I have some trepidations about water wells and altering those wells. After reading the comments about Water Issues, I wanted to provide some additional thoughts. A pitless adapter in a well is used to support the submersible pump and allow for the top of the well casing to be terminated below the surface of the ground. The pitless is not just a plumbing fitting but an engineered piece of well hardware that is fitted to the well casing. Altering the well head by installing new well casing above, or over, the original casing will require that the well head be …

Hello Hugh, In a recent letter, the writer noted he did not know the static water depth of his well. This is easy to determine using a recording device and some free audio software. 1. Remove the cap from the well casing. 2. Clap your hands above the open hole, and listen for the repeated echos. 3. Use an audio recorder of some type to record the echos. Most phones can be loaded with audio recording apps. 4. Transfer the audio snippet to a PC, and use a free program, such as Audacity, to measure the time between two echos, …

HJL, Another option the author might consider is a well bucket. I bought mine from Lehman’s as a short-term solution to possible electrical power failure until I have my PV system fully up-to-speed. I think it was around $70, plus shipping, and it provides me an affordable alternative water source. -BPF HJL responds: This is a viable alternative as long as you realize that your submersible pump will have to be pulled in order to effectively use this setup. For those who are uncomfortable with working on your own well, beware that this option may not work for you. o …

M, Consider connecting your hand pump to the well pipes where they enter your basement or house. I did this with my Bison pump. Having the pump indoors offers obvious advantages for issues such as weather, security, and using during night hours. Mine sits on a countertop over a tub adjacent to my pressure tank. I get the extra benefit of being able to generate enough psi so that the water supply flows in my barn 100 yards away. To engage, all I have to do is flip three valves. Good luck. – Pete

Hugh, I reuse polyethelene 2.5 gallon theatrical fog fluid tanks for water storage. The fog fluid is a glycol, and the tank will smell for awhile. I first rinse the tanks to get all the gross product residues out. I then begin a leaching process by filling the tank with very hot water and let it sit until cool. I then repeat the process multiple times, until there is no smell. I do two more leachings after that. Another point that I thought was missed is biofilms. These, like slimes, adhere to the walls and are almost impossible to get …

Hugh and JWR, I want to comment on the topic of well pumps. I also had some issues finding answers to questions regarding the subject. The Internet, YouTube, and my closest library (second largest in the state) didn’t have all the answers I needed. I was able to find out some information from a third generation well driller and by driving an hour away to speak with an Amish man that deals with windmills and water pumps. Here are a couple of things I learned along the way that might help your readers: Tip # 1- You need a deep …

I’m curious as to if any other readers have had difficulty getting good information on hand pumps? I am not technical by any definition of the word, but here is my situation: I just purchased a homestead in the country with well water. The pump runs by electricity. I have spoken with several well drillers in the area, explaining that I want a hand pump for grid down. The stock answer is “get a generator”. I live in southeastern NC. I understand there can be problems with trying to connect a hand pump to an already existing electrically-powered well. I …

Hugh, I just recently returned from a trip to New Zealand, where I stayed in private homes in small towns on North Island. I was surprised to learn that these small towns don’t have public water systems; every home in the town has its own rain catchment system. The system catches unfiltered rain water from the roof of the home, draining it into large above-ground tanks in the back yards. (It doesn’t ever freeze on North Island.) Most of the homeowners I talked to had no idea how the system worked, but I did find one fellow who said the …