Hand Pump Back-Up On Electric Well
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While electric wells are unmatched from a convenience standpoint, they can leave you in a lurch if the power goes out. Some aim to counteract this problem by installing hand pumps on their electric wells. This ensures they always have a way to access their water supply no matter the status of the power supply.
While paying a professional to install a hand pump on an electric well can cost between $500 to $2,000 or more, the process isn’t challenging for an experienced DIYer.
The first step is determining which type to install. Two main types of hand pumps are popular today: a lift pump and a piston pipe.
With a lift pump, pushing down on the handle fills a piston inside with water. Lifting the handle pushes water into the pipe. While lift pumps can theoretically lift water any distance, they are limited by the strength of the person using them. For this reason, most are only used for wells 25 ft. deep or shallower.
Piston pipes, in contrast, use a piston to push water up a pipe from the bottom. They require less force to operate, so they work with deeper wells, up to 300 ft. The largest ones can handle up to 30 gpm, although factors like the volume of the pump and the diameter of its piping will affect the output.
Another factor for cost and complexity is whether the hand pump will be installed indoors or outside. While indoor hand pumps are less common and can be cumbersome for daily use, they provide the convenience of a faucet regardless of whether you have the power to run it.
Outdoor pumps tend to be less expensive and easier to manage, although you must go outdoors to pump the water and then bring it where you need it, either by hand or with a hose.
Hand pumps themselves vary in price based on materials and features. Low-cost models only work when placed directly over the well and require significant strength to operate. Buy a better model and it will likely bring up more water for less effort overall.
Hand pumps work best when used regularly. Deposits can build up in the pipes over time, especially if your well has a high mineral concentration. Running the pump for a few minutes every week will ensure it’s in working order when needed. That may not be a challenge, as many homeowners who install hand pumps find them useful for far more than emergencies.
Hand pumps are available for purchase at stores like Lehman’s, Gemplers, and TSC and online from retailers such as Amazon, Northern Tool and Grainger.
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Hand Pump Back-Up On Electric Well FARM HOME Miscellaneous While electric wells are unmatched from a convenience standpoint they can leave you in a lurch if the power goes out Some aim to counteract this problem by installing hand pumps on their electric wells This ensures they always have a way to access their water supply no matter the status of the power supply While paying a professional to install a hand pump on an electric well can cost between $500 to $2 000 or more the process isn’t challenging for an experienced DIYer The first step is determining which type to install Two main types of hand pumps are popular today: a lift pump and a piston pipe With a lift pump pushing down on the handle fills a piston inside with water Lifting the handle pushes water into the pipe While lift pumps can theoretically lift water any distance they are limited by the strength of the person using them For this reason most are only used for wells 25 ft deep or shallower Piston pipes in contrast use a piston to push water up a pipe from the bottom They require less force to operate so they work with deeper wells up to 300 ft The largest ones can handle up to 30 gpm although factors like the volume of the pump and the diameter of its piping will affect the output Another factor for cost and complexity is whether the hand pump will be installed indoors or outside While indoor hand pumps are less common and can be cumbersome for daily use they provide the convenience of a faucet regardless of whether you have the power to run it Outdoor pumps tend to be less expensive and easier to manage although you must go outdoors to pump the water and then bring it where you need it either by hand or with a hose Hand pumps themselves vary in price based on materials and features Low-cost models only work when placed directly over the well and require significant strength to operate Buy a better model and it will likely bring up more water for less effort overall Hand pumps work best when used regularly Deposits can build up in the pipes over time especially if your well has a high mineral concentration Running the pump for a few minutes every week will ensure it’s in working order when needed That may not be a challenge as many homeowners who install hand pumps find them useful for far more than emergencies Hand pumps are available for purchase at stores like Lehman’s Gemplers and TSC and online from retailers such as Amazon Northern Tool and Grainger
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