I'm thinking about installing a hand pump on my property. I've been researching them for a couple days now, and I'm fairly certain I understand most of the process and necessary parts. I think I need a shallow well (50 ft) with a pitch pump. They make kits that are completely PVC, but I was hoping for something metal for durability sake. I see alot of these style kits for sale online: http://www.amazon.com/Handy-Well-Pump-HWP-CK20-Extension/dp/B00AEXB3KO From what I understand, the majority of kits like that come with a sand spike on the end so you can basically beat them into the ground with a sledge and add another section of pipe until you hit water. I can't seem to find any like that in the metal pipes, everyone seems to dig the hole and drop the prefab pipe in. Anyone have any experience with this kinda thing?

I ultimately wanted something like the guy has in this video with the metal pipes and iron pump...https://youtu.be/tz5RC7IKyWs

 

Also, is there a place to look up roughly how deep the water table is here in Tabernacle? I've been googling for days but there doesn't seem to be something that is readily available knowledge...

I may just literally follow this guy's video https://youtu.be/oheEPHf0BjU

 

Btw... if anyone is looking for water storage containers, I came across these recently... http://southjersey.craigslist.org/for/5176813751.html

http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=459818

 

Can't "lift" water with suction more than 33.9 feet (in practical application it's more like 32 feet since you won't be able to create a perfect vacuum.)

My water table in Winslow was 15 feet. I used a homemade tripod, pulley, and a 50 pound lead filled 8" pipe with a guide rod that went through the driving cap on the 2" pipe. An old timer instructed me on the process and had the 70 year old equipment. I drove it 30 feet after hitting bog iron (compressed sandstone), but never drew water. I think the system was perfect, but I didn't realize that the point was damaged from the stone.

 

Sent from an undisclosed location.

 

Try calling Stevenson Supply on rt206 at 537. They sell all kinds of well and pump supplies.

I don't think you would be able to do it with a sledge, tripod and driving rig would be the way to go

If this is the old style pitcher pump, you are limited to about 30 feet.  The weight of a column of water is heavier than the pull of the vacuum if the water is deeper.

 

Your well can be deeper than that and often are to get the screen into sand. But ino matter how deep your well is, it needs to have a water level of about 30 feet or less.  Since the pump won't be sitting on the ground, you'll need to consider the height from the water line to the pump, not to the ground.  I have a 75' well but standing water is around 22 feet.   If I only drilled to 22 feet, I wouldn't be in good sand so I wouldn't be able to draw water very fast.

 

I've driven a well point once.  I had a stainless steel drive point (with a screen installed) and 5' sections of black iron pipe.  I also used "drive couplings" that are designed to let the pipe ends touch each other so you're driving pipe against pipe instead of pipe against coupler threads against pipe.

 

Growing up we owned a Deep Rock portable drilling rig.   I've heard the quality is not as good today.   This was a gasoline engine on a sliding 3 legged frame.  The motor drove 5' sections of black iron pipe with a drill point on the end.  The weight of the motor was enough to drill a well.  We drilled several 4" wells on the farm that were around 100' deep.  Took about a day to drill, and install a casing.

 

I also once jetted a well 30 feet with a 2" pvc screen and 1" drop pipe using a garden hose.  The soil was mostly sandy with a couple of layers with small stone.  It jetted easily in a couple of hours. I installed a hand pump on that well and it worked fine.   I designed the jet end myself to let me spray the water out of the end of the pipe but plug that hole and expose the screen from 30 above the action.