Can someone tell me about my well?

I think it was dug and installed in the '80s.  

What do you call this piece?  Is it part of the well casing, or is it supposed to be removable?  I thought it would come out.  threaded a 1.25 inch pipe to it.  Couldn't lift it out, couldn't remove it with a post puller, and couldn't remove it with our tractor hydraulics, so I'm guessing I just don't know what I'm doing.  Hopefully we didn't damage the casing.

If this is attached to the upper part of the casing, how do I remove/replace the pump and pipe?

ignore the bolt I dropped down there when removing the cap.

It's about 3.5 feet underground, 4.5 feet from the top of the casing.

Okay, searching searchin searching.

Maybe this is the "spool."  

Kind of, but not exactly, as in this diagram:



Can anyone confirm?

Okay, found some info over on another forum which leads me to believe the "spool pitless" used to be more common, and it is probably sealed due to corrosion.  I may go back out and try to make extra sure that:

1. the removal pipe is very well-threaded
and
2. we are lifting as straight up as possible

then give it some more juice from the tractor.

Here's the thing that gives me some confidence to move forward like this:

Its a spool type pitless like a Baker Monitor standard.....most that I've seen on wells less than 8" do not have any sort of lock mechanism, they simply rely on gravity to seat the spool. It so badly corroded, I bet that is your problem pulling. We pulled one few months ago that was very corroded....the weight of the pump assembly was 5800#, and it took over 13000# on the crane to unseat it. Also, this type can be much harder to pull if you aren't pulling straight, which you probably weren't if you were using some sort of jack. Pull straight and pull harder, use a good pull pipe and screw it in very tight.

The step in diameter is on the bottom of the spool....there are 2 steps actually, the top and bottom of the spool both seat...the bottom is the smallest diameter; that means, the spool will unseat, but will basically be tight all the way up because of the rust. On a new unit, the orings will just barely touch the casing sides as you lower it...then it seats about the last 1 inch. This looks like maybe somebody has been chlorinating the well and not rinsing??? You should try to get new orings, as you will probably need them; we use vaseline to lube thenm. It's hard to say what the drop pipe is; we never use these on residential because they are expensive....What size pump do you have? I would not try to clean the casing first, as most anything you loosen up will fall down on the pitless spool. You mentioned possible damaging the spool....yeah, it's possible, but I've pulled really hard on these before and never had a problem.....

Hi Beau;
I have Gravity Water, and I know very little about this style.
I'm learning as you go!

Thanks Thomas.
Always fun learning something new.
Will share as I go along.

I don't have a crane, so I'm trying to figure the best way to get a straight vertical pull with the best power from the tractor bucket. Thinking of chaining between the arm at tractor center directly behind the bucket, and starting as low as possible. A little tricky, as there's a yard hydrant right by the well.

What about a chain fall (come-along) hooked to the stationary bucket?

thomas rubino wrote:What about a chain fall (come-along) hooked to the stationary bucket?

Good call. Will add that to the things to try.
Would certainly help with getting a nice straight pull.

Beau M. Davidson wrote:I don't have a crane, so I'm trying to figure the best way to get a straight vertical pull with the best power from the tractor bucket. Thinking of chaining between the arm at tractor center directly behind the bucket, and starting as low as possible. A little tricky, as there's a yard hydrant right by the well.

I used to pull well pumps many moons ago,  What you have there is a "pit less submersible pump connector hub"

You are correct in that corrosion is causing the problem to get it removed . It generally has two large O rings in the hub, And the corrosion, that falls into the crack just  above one of the O-rings  With enough time, it becomes very secure.  

You can try the very hot water and ice trick, to get the unit to expand and contract a bit.  You have nothing to loose by trying. Pour nothing down upon it like oils or solvents as this is your drinking water below, and it will get to that.

We had 3 ton and 6 ton Smeal trucks ( well pulling trucks) that had a lifting range between 3 and 6 tons.  Seldom did we get them broke loose.  And today, I don't know of anyone even trying to get them free.   So we will call this the bad news.   Now the good news.

YOUR far enough south, you can hand dig to about 1 1/2 foot below this hub.  With the  whole unit very securely tied.  The well casing below the hub is cut all the way around, (carefully)  And the whole unit is pulled out, the top casing, hub and pipe below.  if you don't know how deep your pump is your definitely looking at needing a well pulling truck, BECASUSE, if your check valve is working just above the pump, the entire unit is filled with water, and super heavy, and long, and simply said far beyond block and tackle and loader job.

Once pulled, you are looking at a well casing that needs to be redone, with a hub like this
 https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71AgM5SmCML._AC_SX569_.jpg   -photo attached-   Which is connected to your waterline going to the tank.   Your present hub is connected to this same waterline.   This is done by torching a very nice hole for the new connector to be installed. and then a well casing section is rewelded in place.    If this sounds expensive and a big job, it is.  No getting around it.  The new pit less hub is the only thing not to bad.  By the way, I was putting those in the 70's and they are still working good today.  up in Iowa, I know of NO round pit less hubs put in in the 80's in iowa, at least around here,  But that is all behind us now anyway.

You never ever want to loose your pump below the hub, your wires will not hold it, even if only 20 feet, you have to have pipe holding clamps that look somewhat like friction blocks ( your well puller will have them)

The only way I know of, to keep from needing a well puller is if you have a windmill above the well casing, to set up a pully system to pull up the pipe.  You still need the pipe blocks, experience, and two 24" pipe wrenches, new pump wire, water proof connectors and the list goes on.

Scott, that's incredibly helpful, and thank you for going to such great detail.  You confirmed what I suspected at this point, and gave me an idea of what lays ahead.

Before I saw your post, I tried a 3-ton chain hoist from the tractor bucket.  I thought we might be getting somewhere - until the whole well casing lifted a good 3 inches higher up out of the ground.  At that point, it became apparent that the connector hub (thanks for that terminology, Scott) is more secure in the casing than the casing is in the ground.  

I will probably try the ice and hot water thing, as you suggest, but I'm not very optimistic at this point.  Assuming that fails . . .

I could dig out to below the hub, as you suggest.  I was down there 3 years ago repairing the hydrant and running some new lines, so I know how far it is.  Maybe I could get a neighbor to help cut the top off, and then I think we could probably repair the upper casing and install the new pitless adaptor, as you suggest.  Big job, indeed, but we need the water.  

Glad to have city water and a creek as a backup, but yeesh.  Wish I had gotten the ponds, catchment and cistern in place before this pump gave up the ghost.  

Here's some images of the subsequent attempts.

Psyche.

Turns out this is another case of "the right tool makes all the difference," laced with a bit of "a railroad plate and threaded rod makes you stronger than a John Deere 4020."

We called upon local expertise and were able to get the pitless adaptor out.  Here's how it went.  Not pictured is the cheater bar and the rod by itself.

Beau M. Davidson wrote:Psyche.

Turns out this is another case of "the right tool makes all the difference," laced with a bit of "a railroad plate and threaded rod makes you stronger than a John Deere 4020."

We called upon local expertise and were able to get the pitless adaptor out.  Here's how it went.  Not pictured is the cheater bar and the rod by itself.

excellent, that does not happen often if you choose to use this again, make sure you lube the two O-rings, A local plumber should be able to tell you what would be best.

Well done.   Personally I would go to the other type, but really up to you now.

Scott