Alright, let’s talk about getting one of them hand pumps on a well you already got. Folks call it “can you add a hand pump to an existing well,” I reckon. Now, I ain’t no fancy city slicker with all them degrees, but I know a thing or two about getting water outta the ground, you hear?
First off, why you wanna do this? Well, sometimes the power goes out, right? And then what? No water! With a hand pump, you ain’t gotta worry none about that. You just pump that handle and get yourself some water. Good for washin’, good for drinkin’, good for the animals too. It’s a real lifesaver, I tell ya.
Now, how you gonna do it? It ain’t rocket science, but you gotta pay attention. You already got a well, that’s half the battle. That well’s got a pipe going down, right? You gotta mess with that pipe some. They say you gotta figure out where the water sits in that pipe, they call it somethin’ fancy, “static water line”, or somethin’ like that. You gotta go down maybe twenty feet below that water line. Then you cut that pipe. Yep, just cut it. Don’t go cuttin’ it all willy-nilly though, measure it out first!
After you cut it, you gotta put on a whatchamacallit, a threaded adapter. That’s so you can hook up the pump cylinder. The pump cylinder, that’s the heart of the whole thing. It’s what makes the water go up when you pump that handle. You get a new pipe and some sucker rods with that new pump you bought. You gotta put them down that well too. Connect it all up tight, you don’t want no leaks.
- Figure out where the water is: Find that “static water line”, then measure down about twenty feet.
- Cut the pipe: Carefully cut the existing well pipe at that spot.
- Add the adapter: Screw on a threaded adapter so you can connect the pump.
- Install new pipes and rods: Put in the new pipe and sucker rods that come with the hand pump.
- Pump it up: Give that handle a good pump and see if the water comes out.
Now, some folks say it’s easy, some say it’s hard. I say it depends on how handy you are. If you ain’t afraid of a little work, you can probably do it yourself. But if you’re all thumbs, maybe get a neighbor to help, or even hire someone. It’s better to pay a little money than mess up your well, that’s for sure. And always remember safety first. Don’t go fallin’ down that well, nobody wants that.
How much does it cost? Well, that’s like askin’ how long is a piece of string. It depends. I heard it could be anywhere from fifty dollars to two thousand dollars. Fifty dollars? That’s a steal! Two thousand? That’s a whole lotta money! Guess it depends on the pump you get, and who’s doin’ the work. You get a fancy pump, it’ll cost more. You get someone else to do it, that’ll cost more too. But think of it this way, it’s an investment, right? You ain’t gonna be without water no more. That’s worth something.
There’s lots of different pumps out there, you know. Some are simple, some are complicated. Some are cheap, some are expensive. You gotta do your homework, figure out what’s right for you and your well. Read some instructions, watch some videos maybe. Don’t just go buyin’ the first pump you see. And don’t be afraid to ask for help. There’s always someone who knows more than you do. Even this old woman knows a thing or two, ha!
So, if you’re thinking about adding a hand pump to your well, I say go for it. It’s a good idea, especially if you live out in the sticks like me where the power can go out faster than a chicken can cross the road. Just be careful, do your research, and don’t be afraid to ask for help. And remember, clean water is like gold, you gotta appreciate it. Having that hand pump is like having a little bit of insurance, a little bit of peace of mind. And that, my friends, is priceless.
Now you go on and get yourself that hand pump. You’ll be glad you did. And when the power goes out, you just give that handle a good pump, and you’ll have water. You’ll be the smartest fella in the county, or the smartest gal, I should say! And that’s all there is to it. It ain’t so hard, is it? Just takes a little bit of know-how, a little bit of elbow grease, and a whole lotta common sense. You got that, right? Of course you do. Now go on and get it done!
Adding a hand pump ain’t for the faint of heart, but it sure is a good thing to have. You’ll be thanking your lucky stars when the lights go out and everyone else is scrambling for water. And you will have water because you listened to this old woman and got yourself a hand pump!
