pitcher pump

[green_mt_maple]

i live in the bottum of a valley and the water table is high was wondering if i could put a point well in with a pitcher pump to get water in to the sugar house. i have no power. was wondering also how long the water stays up at the pump because of concerns of freezing.

[brookledge]

It would depend on if it has a check valve on the bottom. without one it should drain down fairly quickly but will also require more pumping to get the water up and out
Keith

[Ausable]

At a place where I once Deer Hunted - they had a pitcher pump and I asked the owner that very question. He said they cut a small V in the pump seal leather so that it would drain back into the well and not freeze - of course you would loose your prime. In freezing weather we would prime the pump with warm (not hot) water and this would give a prime to the pump as well as unstick the seal if frozen. Worked most of the time and the well was less then 30 ft. deep. -- Mike

[maple flats]

With a perfect pump at 29.92" air pressure the deepest you could draw is about 29'. In praticallity, 20-22' is more like it. If you can hit water try it. But be sure to test your well before using the water. You should realize that if you hit water at less that 15' the water is rarely safe, it is considered surface water,but sometimes it tests good. I have used pitcher pumps in the past for watering a garden and they work well if you have a good leather in it. The leather is what seals to create the suction. If you try an old pump and need a new seal, they can often be ordered thru any old time hardware store, or online.

[maple flats]

I forgot to mention, the leathers last a long time unless allowed to completely dry out for extended periods. If you have an old pump, try priming it by pouring water down around the lift rod, and give it some time, then try again and pump, keep adding water and pumping until you feel it lifting. After several tries if it will not lift from a depth of less than 22' you likely need a new leather seal. They are easy to change. The depth is measured from the surface of the water to the pour spout on the pump.

[smitty76]

keep in mind that the pump may only pump water from 20' deep, but that is not the depth of the well. that is the level of water in the well. I have put in wells that are any where from 40' to 140' deep that produce enough water so that the water is only 10' below the top of the cassing and some even ran over the cassing constantly. I would test the water for sure if you are going to us it to clean syrup stuff. You should have no problem with it. My mother's family supplied their whole house with a pitcher pump in a well that was real deep. it drew water from about 42 feet, and they drilled a 1/8 in the pump cassing just below the lowest point of the leather. that aloud the pump to have enough suction to prime and also let it drain out to prevent it from freezing up.