The biggest determination of whether you can do the
installation, or whether you need the help of a pump installer will be the type of well
cap you have on your well now. If your pump pipe comes up through the well cap, you may
need the pump man to be able to safely handle the weight of the pump, pipe and lid. If
your pump discharges below the surface through a pitless adapter, you should be able to
change out the well cap yourself, allowing you to do the installation.
You will need to disconnect the electrical power to your pump
while you change out the well cap. After replacing the cap with the new one, you will
reroute the wire through the cap and reconnect it through your conduit or bell box. MAKE
SURE THERE IS NO WAY THAT POWER CAN BE TURNED ON DURING THIS OPERATION.
By using a flash light or a mirror to reflect light down the
well, inspect for any obstructions that would hinder your installation. If your well has a
pitless adapter in it, you can use a piece of 1" galvanized pipe with the coupling on
it. Slide it into the well until it passes the pitless adapter. If the coupling clears,
you will probably have no problems with the installation of the Simple Pump. Your new well
cap will offset the Simple Pump so it passes along side the submersible pump's pipe in the
well.
You will need wire cutters, strippers and allen wrenches for the
installation. Remove your old well seal, and pull any excess electrical wire out of the
casing. CHECK THAT POWER IS TURNED OFF TO THE PUMP. Cut or disconnect the wire at the
splice and remove from the old well seal. It may be necessary to tie a rope to the wire to
keep it from slipping into the well. Pass the wire through the 1" hole in the new
well cap and place the cap onto the well. It may be necessary to remove any obstructions
at the well top so the cap can slide down over the outside. Secure the cap in place with
the 4 set screws. You will need to determine the best way to route your wiring. Flexable
conduit may be a good choice from the cap to the connection bell box. After reconnecting
the wires as originally connected, you can reapply power to the pump and test that
everything is operating properly before continuing the installation.
Pump cylinder and drop pipe installation is performed by
connecting the first sucker rod to the rod coming out of the cylinder and tightening with
2 vice grips. Next connect a drop pipe to the cylinder, and tighten with channel locks. Be
sure you have the coupling attached to the top of the drop pipe. It is what holds your
pipe, once you place it into the well. Place a sucker rod centralizer into the coupling to
keep the rod centered.
Now stand the unit on end. Place the safety tool onto the split
flange and lower the unit into the well until it reached the safety tool. now you can let
go, since the safety tool will support the pump and pipe at the coupling. NEVER REMOVE THE
SAFETY TOOL UNTIL YOU HAVE SOMETHING SECURELY HOLDING THE UNIT. IF IT DROPS INTO THE WELL,
THERE IS VERY LITTLE CHANCE OF RETRIEVING IT.
Place a rod and centralizer into each of the remaining drop pipe
sections. Take a section and having someone hold the pipe above the well section, remove
the plastic cap and secure the rod to the rod in the well. Tighten securely and then
attach the piece of drop pipe to the section below. Be sure to not cross thread. Pipe dope
is recommended to make a water tight connection. You can use a mixture of bleach and water
at a 24 to 1 mix ratio to sanitize your connection. Now while securely holding the unit,
have the safety tool removed until the coupling passes into the well. Reinsert the safety
tool and lower the pipe down to the coupling. Continue connecting the rod and pipe
sections until you are about 20' below your static water level in the well. This is where
the water stays and the 20' below will protect against water level fluctuations. Many
times you can hear a gurgling sound as the pump cylinder enters the water, and the rod
will drop slower when it is in the water. When all sections of pipe are installed, move on
to the next step.
The pump head assembly is installed next. Connect the 3/4"
top pump rod to the top sucker rod and tighten securely. Attach the lever bracket to the
pump head with the 1/4" allen screws. The bracket should be installed with the
straight side on top. Apply pipe dope to the 1-1/4" male threads of the top section
of pipe, slide the pump head over the 3/4" rod and screw the pump head onto it
1-1/4" male thread. Tighten securely by holding the pipe with channel locks or vice
grips and having the second person rotate the pump head clockwise until secure.
Now insert the 1/4" allen wrench into the split flange screw
head and lower the pumping head into the split flange. Rotating the head clockwise will
allow it to down inside the flange to the desired height for convenient pumping. Now
tighten the tightening screw of the split flange pretty tight around the brass barrel of
the pumping head. Attach the clevis to the top of the 3/4" pump rod and tighten while
holding the rod close to the clevis. Slide the link arm over the lever bracket, aligning
the holes and insert a pivot pin. These go in hard, so putting a little vaseline on the
tip will help.
Assemble the lever to the link arm and the clevis with pivot
pins. You are now ready to pump water.
If you are in a freezing area, you can drill a 1/16" weep
hole in the pipe below the frost level to allow the water to weep down to that level. Then
when you start to pump again, it will only take a few strokes to get water.
Pressurizing your water system with the Simple Pump.
The manufacturer recommends that you put a check valve between the Simple Pump and the
pressure tank. This way the freeze protection weep hole will not drain off the pressure
when you quit pumping. They also suggest that you install a pressure relief into your
pressure system to protect against creating too much pressure, which could damage your
pipes. If you pipe the Simple Pump into your pressure tank, in freezing areas, you will
need to protect your pipes and the Simple Pump head from freezing. The weep hole will
drain down from the pump head to the hole, but the water in the line from the discharge to
the tank that is exposed could freeze. |
