How easy is it to pump water
by hand? A person of average strength can easily pump water from a
normal depth water well. The emergency hand pump lever handle works on common principles of
leverage, providing a ratio of 3.3 :1 leverage. The actual force necessary to pump water
with the emergency hand pump is determined by the total length of your drop pipe. A standard
installation of 100' only requires about 11.5 pounds per stroke. A well with 200' of pipe
will require about 23 pounds per stroke.
How much water will the emergency hand pump deliver?
While pumping rates vary with the frequency and length of strokes used, most people can
pump two to three gallons per minute of water.
How deep of a well can I pump?
Pumping depths are influenced by the amount of effort applied to the lever.
An average person can easily pump water from as deep as
240' and get about 1.5 GPM.
Can I install the Emergency Hand
Pump in a 2" well? Yes, there is a 2", 4", 4.5", 5", 6",
and 7" / 8" caps with split flange.
Can I pressurize my water system bladder type tank with the
emergency hand pump? Yes. The stringent tolerances maintained while manufacturing the
emergency hand pump make it possible to pump water into the tank under pressure. The quality
materials will provide pumping ability for many years to come.
Can I install the emergency hand pump by myself? Yes, in
fact a person with average mechanical ability can easily install the
emergency hand pump, with
only minor assistance, in about two hours time. No special tools are required, however a
chain vice grip to hold pipe while lowering it into the well will be helpful to prevent
dropping the pump to the bottom. A helping hand from a neighbor will make the task
smoother, but it would be possible by yourself. If you feel the installation is beyond
your ability, we suggest that you contact a licensed pump installer or plumber to install
the system. If your static water level is below 250', the manufacturer says
you should have it professionally installed to maintain your warranty.
What is the emergency hand pump made of? The pump's
components are made of solid stainless steel and aluminum. The O-rings are made of Buna-N rubber. When
necessary to replace the O-rings, your friendly hardware will have replacements available.
What about using the Emergency Hand Pump in freezing climates?
The emergency hand pump can be used in freezing areas of the country without
problems. During installation, a small weep hole about 1/16" in size, should be
drilled in the pipe below the frost level for your area. This will allow the water to weep
down to that level, preventing it from freezing in the pipe.
Will it be necessary to remove my existing submersible pump, before
installing the Emergency Hand Pump? Probably not. The
emergency hand pump is designed
to enter the well on the opposite side of the casing from the pitless adapter that diverts
your submersible pump water underground to your home. Therefore, the
emergency hand pump and your
submersible pump will be able to be installed along side each other. Test your well by
lowering a piece of 1" galvanized steel pipe with a coupling, down into the well until it passes by
the pitless adapter. If it clears the pitless with no problem, you should have no problems
installing the emergency hand pump. If cable guards were used in your well
installation, they may need to be removed to allow your emergency hand
pump to go down the well without obstruction. If you have a submersible that discharges through a hole at
the top of your casing, you will need a special well seal to allow both the submersible
and the emergency hand pump to be installed along side each other. In this kind of installation,
you may need mechanical assistance to handle the weight of the submersible pump and the
pipe in the well, when you change out the well seal to allow the installation of the
second system.
Will I have a problem if torque arrestors were used on the
submersible pump installation? If you find that the
emergency hand pump hits
the torque arrestor, you may have to align the emergency hand pump to slide down between the
openings in the torque arrestor. In most wells, you do not have to go clear
down to the level your submersible pump is, since it pumps a lower amount
of water than your submersible water pump, and therefore will not pump
down the water level.
What if my casing is only 4" inside? This
small a casing can sometimes cause a difficulty in installing the emergency
hand pump. If you do
have problems, you will probably want to enlist the help of a pump installer. Testing with
the 1" pipe with a coupling, down your well past the pitless adapter will tell whether you will have
any problem.
What is the difference between well depth and groundwater static
level? Well depth is the full depth that the well was drilled and
cased. Static water level is the depth at which the water seeks its own level. When you
are pumping the well, you pump from the static water level, regardless of the depth your
unit is set. For maximum protection against water level changes, the manufacturer
recommends setting the emergency hand pump at least 20' below the static water level.
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