> Faye wrote:
>

>> Rather than try to respond to each, I will say thanks to all for so
>> much helpful information. The well is in a little well house, but
>> with a broken pump on it. We'd get it fixed. It would break. So I
>> just gave up trying years back, but this drought has me considering
>> options again. I'm going to do the screw and string test just so I
>> will at long last know the depth. Our city water went out last week
>> just at feeding time. I had plenty of water stored, but still it
>> kicked my mind into survival mode, what with the dried up pond, and is
>> why I'd like to have a handpump on the well *just in case.*
>> Electricity can still be iffy out here at times too.

>
>
>

>> http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_6970_5846_5846
>>

>
>
> Pulls water up from a depth of 23 feet.
>
> They've opened a store in Madison, but I haven't had a chance
> to check it out, yet.
>
>

>> Jak reminded me of a set up we had on a well when I was a child.
>> There was sort of a gallows looking thing built over the well with a
>> long cylindrical galvanized tube about 4-5 inches in diameter hanging
>> from it by pulley and rope. You'd drop the cylinder into the well and
>> it would fill with water. After you pulled it out, you'd pull a
>> circular knob on top to release the water into a bucket or other
>> container. That would be a handy setup to have for manual operation
>> too, even less work than a handpump. I find myself eschewing modern
>> for manual in lots of things these days.

>
>
> Sounds like that setup would be less dependant on having a
> shallow well, too. You could have a welding shop make one
> out of stainless tubing and a piece of thin stainless plate.
> If you can find a simple check valve (such as a caged ball
> that would drop into it's seat and seal the valve as the tube
> was lifted out of the water) for the bottom plate, it would
> fill easier and might work as a drain valve (now that I think
> about it, your circular knob was probably connected to
> something like that).
>

> http://www9.mailordercentral.com/cumberlandgeneral/prodinfo.asp?number=005117

>

>> At one time Cumberland General Store had a variety of pumps, but I
>> never knew the well depth. Maybe if I can figure that out now, I can
>> come up with some solution for a backup water system. And if I decide
>> to go forward, I can contact the folks Jim recommened to figure out
>> the how-to.
>>
>> Thank you all so much.
>>
>> Faye
>>

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