Deep Well Pump Replacement, Stuck in the Well, Almost a Disaster, but I got Lucky! Camera Inspection

[@kevindowning4714]

I'm a do it yourself guy. I work on my cars, electrical, and plumbing. I have always believed that a person is never so smart that they can't learn something new. I very much enjoy your videos. Keep up the great work.

[@h2omechanic]

Check out my different Playlists. I'm the same way

[@stanwooddave9758]

The plumber needs to be reported for "Elder-Abuse." So nice to see someone who does the best with the lest. You do great work.

[@thomassullivan2674]

You don’t even know how jobs I been hearing about “plumbers” doing well work. And prices makes my jaw drop

[@luisgaldamez8686]

Bad quality especially for a plumber, and the price is absurd.

[@miscbits6399]

@@luisgaldamez8686 This is why plumbers have to be licensed and qualified in a lot of parts of the world

[@AndrewMerts]

One thing I really think you should consider in the future is the way you're checking for voltage before working on the well. You're testing from line to line where normally you'd get 240v because it's split phase but if you ever run across an electrician that's as competent as the "plumber" who left that mess then you might have them tying both hot legs to the same phase instead of using a proper double pole breaker. If that happens you'll see 0V between the two terminals but there would still be 120V between either terminal and ground. Check each leg against something grounded like that well casing when it's not PVC and you might be able to avoid a shock. It wouldn't be that unlikely to happen either if some electrician is monkeying around with it and doesn't know it's 240V they might hook it up and when the pump won't run just tell the homeowner "you need to call a well contractor, it's got power but your pump is busted". Check voltage referenced to ground for safety and check terminal to terminal for troubleshooting.

[@PRC533]

Excellent advice and a good example of why I hate electricity lol.

[@dreonwhuds313]

I like bacon

[@larrytheplumber9851]

😮

[@matthewmiller6068]

Excellent advice! And also don't trust them to have wired the ground as ground, some hacks reuse the bare/green as power or neutral. Non-contact voltage probes to preliminary check then a volt-meter between all wires (and possibly to earth, if convenient) will let you be sure.

[@matthewmiller6068]

@@PRC533 I'll take electricity over plumbing that can slowly leak and cause disasters, and frequently doesn't have shutoffs to individual "circuits" so if your icemaker valve starts leaking you have to shut off the entire house water.

[@davidlinkletter6868]

Great video. You have a great attitude and take pride in your work and helping others. Good man!

[@spelunkerd]

I've been going through your videos, one at a time. There's something very rewarding about learning how these systems work. Thank you again for your kind help!

[@southstreetbarbecue7875]

I don't have a well (and after watching a few of these videos I think I'll avoid them) but I really enjoy watching a professional who takes pride in his work.

[@suzylarry1]

Buddy of mine had a deep well and it failed. The plumber needed to pull the pump and do to depth , it was very heavy and galvanized 10 ft. sections. The plumber said it would be TOMORROW as he could not lift the pip, but my buddy is one of those guys that lives by " THERE MUST BE A BETTER WAY " het moved his snow plow on the front of his truck , less the blade and added a JIB pole to the lift portion of the plow and the pipes came up 4 feet at the time but no hard labour was needed. Love to see these different event you get into ! Best season wishes to you and the family !

[@apetro8895]

You're a good man. Terrible those folks got ripped off by the plumber.

[@rodneyk8838]

Ive drilling and serving well pumps in Smokey Mtns is Sevierville TN for over 20 yrs and,nothing seems to Amaze me with some of these rigging jobs!! Electricity to the well can fool you thats for sure.i have to make sure i have 240 from leg to leg cause ive had 110 volts on each leg to ground but it was actually the same 110 volt because the short under ground burnt 1 side into and the other 110 was carrying on same leg..

[@kthwkr]

I learned so much about wells with that one video. My well has been just a black box mystery to me. I had no idea what was inside. Now I understand what to look forward to on mine. I'm hoping I got another few years before replacing the pump. But now when that time comes I can talk intelligently to the well guy.

[@ponchovanillabean8074]

I've got a 500' well and the pump is way over twenty years old. You just saved me a bundle with this video. Thank you.

[@Bill-cg6oh]

Would be cool to see a well drilled from start to finish, and see you test it out.

[@okeefer2000]

If you were a pool guy like me, you would be inhaling PVC primer and glue, along with that calcium hypochloronate pool shock. I feel your pain. Keep up the good work. I enjoy watching someone else work

[@protonhead1]

You do great work, I apperciate seeing a young man with skills and a good attitude. The plumber that plumbed that tank and over charged like that need to be held accountable. Great work Sir.

[@richardbyrum4618]

Agreed!

[@josephyoung3998]

Hello Andrew. I just got five acres of raw land . And I wanted to learn how to do a well myself so I could save some. Money You have taught me so much it's unbelievable and I'm still watching your videos. You're do amazing job. Thank you very much. Joseph Y.

[@JayMcGinness574]

Your a good mad. I'm sure they appreciate you keeping in budget. Its always good to go out of your way and help and shows your true character!

[@hyper-1]

Your amazing young fella. You made their day. Keep up the great vids. I need you here in 🇨🇦

[@CandiceWA]

Hey is fun to see doing a lot muscle work in this video. Don’t know where you hide them but yes, you got muscle power too. Thank you again for taking us on the journey with you. I’m so looking forward to eating dinner because I get to watch a video while I’m eating. 😂

[@antonhuman8446]

Clever sheaved guide protecting the pipe in the process!

[@MNJay1]

I have learned SO much from your videos. Your videos prove that we don't know what we don't know. Having basic knowledge of pumps, check valves, wiring and plumbing helps. You explain everything very simple. With basic knowledge, it all falls into place how things fail and how to fix it. But to side with safety and reliability, I'll still use a licensed professional to get it done. Watching you work and the steps you take, demonstrates that you're comfortable and knowledgeable. My basic understanding can't compare to professional. I enjoy learning more about things. You make that happen. Great vids. Great work. Keep them coming.

[@rickatkins1493]

Good job and looks like it was done right. At age 78 I have put in quite a few pumps in my life and repaired some. I hate to see people taking advantage of, and it seems like that Plumber, prior to you getting there did that. I really enjoy your content and the honesty.

[@brianwolent9593]

Way to go....... DOING IT RIGHT. Been there many times myself. God feeling helping people.

[@johnvanwinkle4351]

I admire your work ethic and the job you do!

[@mikemoab]

Glad you’re able to help those in need and that job ended up being relatively easy

[@farmhandluke5182]

Excellent service! Great of you to go out on Sunday in the cold and get that family some water 💦 🚰flowing ! That well should be good for a long time.those grundfos are extremely good well pumps! That plumber that was there before you needs a swift kick in the bore hole! Thanks for the videos🎄merry Christmas 🎄 to you and yours! 👋

[@dreonwhuds313]

Love your work. Without talented people like you fixing shoddy work, ignorance would roam free.

[@jw6953]

You may want to lock off the circuit breaker with a warning note that your working on the system. It's just a simple extra step but it really can prevent a injury... I have been watching your videos and you do a great job explaining all the different details on Wells.

[@paull.drownjr.5477]

I just viewed this video and I really enjoy watching for you really do great work. You are a Professional well repairman and you do excellent worl. I am an electrician and the comment by @AndrewMerts is something that you should take heed of for he is trying to prevent you from getting shocked. A job well done!!!

[@patzke]

I just ran across your videos about 2 days ago. I’ve learned so much. Thank you.

[@dustinwright92]

About 30 years ago when I was a kid we had a pump on 1” galvanized pipe. Someone had removed the bolts on the seal and dropped the 2 bottom pieces down the well. The pump git stuck. They used a front end loader to pull it free. Only half of the well seal was on top of the pump. There wasn’t enough room for it to pass the pump. After putting the new pump in the well it was pumping lot of sand. I believe pulling it with the front loader busted the casing forcing the well seal through the casing. We pulled 1 joint of pipe out to put the pump above the busted casing. This worked well for about 25 years. Ended up drilling a new well a couple years ago.

[@natejames289]

Oregon logger hard rock miner I might have a small issue fix one leak then comes another old underground lines comes with a old school logger hard rock miner lol great job bud 👍

[@pilbomags488]

15:50 Perfect Laminar flow. Looks like a still photo.

[@williammulligan4298]

Let me say you have a wonderful skill. You have taught me so much about how to properly service and setup a well. One thing “I am an old electrician” and hopefully I can share with you the information I have learned. Number one check both legs of the 240 volt connection to ground. So many times I have seen one side not hooked up to the breaker and it will have 120 volts to the device. Second, always hook up the ground or 240 volt neutral. Don’t let that float between the two hots. That can cause several problems with the breaker, and other devices floating voltage. And third the proper way to hook up a wire is to wrap it around the screw 3/4 of the way and make it as tight as you can. You need to get the maximum amount of copper on that screw. Just like taping the wire underneath every three to four feet it is the best practice. What we call back stabbing is a practice that electricians use to save time. They remove the insulation and jam it into a hole in the back of the outlet. It saves maybe 5 minutes and I have seen so many catch fire or when you pull the outlet out the wires fall out if the back stab. Again I really enjoy the videos. I just sharing the best electrical practices that I have learned.

[@whodat90]

I’m surprised you didn’t run the camera down after you pulled the pump. Understand about the budget and time=money though. Awesome work regardless!

[@h2omechanic]

I'm sure many viewers will ask this question. The reason why is bc once you move the pump & pull it out, the water becomes mixed up with sediment and your unable to see anything on the camera. That's why I attempted to camera it before I removed the pump.

[@campkohler9131]

@h2omechanic Maybe you couldn't see in the water, but at least you could see the condition of the inside of the casing and the height of the surface of the water.

[@brnmcc01]

@@campkohler9131 Good idea, but a static water level check with no pump running for nearly a month isn't going to tell you much. A dry well could recover in 2-3 weeks of pump not running. I still would have liked to see a camera run at least a few feet below the bottom of the casing, just to check for tree roots, or surface water getting into the well. All it takes is a few piles of animal droppings around the well, and a leaky casing to give you really bad water.

[@carlcarlson180]

I like your professional work to get people water

[@72plyduster1]

That was very interesting, just a couple of things I noticed, maybe you could use a chlorine pool tester to know when the water would be safe to drink, the other is the wire seal to the top of the well, maybe a little silicone to seal the wire. You are a great person keep up the great work!

[@lymanhall5449]

I started my apprenticeship right out of high school in 1987… got my master electrical license, journey plumbing and gas fitters.. back flow license… I will say this.. congratulations sir.. you are a professional of the trade..

[@Vinmaster73]

Are wells here are a bit different in Minnesota. Nothing above ground, like what I see you all have. A 300-600 ft well are far and few. And we can see -30..-35 degrees. 38 are ice on the lakes starts to melt. So pressure tanks and equipment are usually located in a heated basement. Enjoy all your videos that I've seen so far. Keep them coming! I know first hand about the electrical loop on the pressure switch. Just had to change one a few days ago and had to remove the darn screws!😬 Again, Thanks! And keep em..coming! 😊🙏

[@nickjudd5188]

Your electrical shortcuts have resulted in you losing a follower.

[@ralphwilmot6351]

Excellent service above and beyond to do this on a Sunday

[@TheBurnsStuff]

I just stumbled onto your channel and have been checking out your well videos. I like that you use pool shock to sanitize the well before loading the pump back down the hole. A neighbor of mine was working on is own well and didn't sanitize. He had his flex pipe stretched across his yard. He has a dog. He unknowingly (or knowingly and didn't care) pulled the pipe through multiple piles of poop. He contaminated his well so bad that he needed to have a new well drilled way across his property. I'm thinking there was more to that situation. Anywhoose, Excellent videos, sir!

[@AndrewTa530]

Thanks for helping those folks out on a Sunday. That plumber is a straight up no good rotten low down thief.

[@mrhelms5394]

❤ by far you are the best i have seen. My well collapse and no one here has a camera. And they told me i would have to drill a new wall. Something blocking it from coming up. And the cost of drilling now 0 my God no one here can afford it only the people form up north they have lots of money. But the rest of us are die in the water. My lung went out and i am out of luck. But now i think if i can use a air tank for air i try to go out and do something that mint help. Love your videos

[@dejapex1]

The first pump repair job I did was on a well that had the old thin wall white plastic pipe. Fortunately, a friend warned me about that pipe being very brittle and will crack into pieces - which it did. I didn't lose the pump down the well. The black pipe you used has made this whole job a lot easier. Thanks for taking the time to make this video. You did the job like a pro and this video will be a good teaching tool. Take care

[@greenspiraldragon]

I believe the black pipe is called irrigation pipe if you look for it at a big box store.

[@carolynelrod9994]

what happens when the pipe breaks and the pump is in the well? our well has sat over 20 years and I'm scared of what can happen when it's pulled to replace the pump.

[@dejapex1]

I am no authority just a retired shop teacher who lives in the country. There is supposed to be a rope tied to the the pump to prevent the loss of the pump down the well. Also, the electric wires often are strong enough to catch the pump. But the pump may just fall to the bottom of the well. Good Luck!@@carolynelrod9994

[@jimcochrane7826]

The soft start theory is great and I hope all pumps start to get that soon. A lot of pump, wiring and piping issues are caused by the constant thrashing of the pump starts daily. This is why people use the torque arrestors and centering nylon discs although I know and understand why you are against them. I got 27 years out of a Franklin motor/Myers pump assembly and I think the discs and torque arrester contributed to the long life. I just replaced pump/motor. Motor failed but pump was OK . I replaced pump also because of age. How much longer could it last? Also, a few nylon discs at the pump end were worn out and so was the arrester but the pump assembly did come out pretty easy. It is a 90 foot well. Thank you for your excellent pointers and great videos. Keep up the good work.

[@frankish5314]

Ugh.. The plumber experience is the sort of reason I learned to do everthing (and I mean everything) myself! If that plumber had told me the well was dry it would have had me dropping a fishing weight and float down the casing to see what BS he was selling.. Ugh those poor people!

[@normanmack2368]

Excellent class room, excellent.

[@kennysouthwel4127]

You are a craftsman. Thank you for helping all of us.

[@dysfunctional_vet]

i have been watching a lot of your videos as i am putting in a pump as i write this, although i'm hung up on a few things.....logistically at this moment. i want to tell you thanks for these videos as i have learned a lot and one thing i realized is how sloppy a lot of contractors are. and how much i'm saving by building my own system

[@danfarrand9072]

Great video. So enjoyable to see someone who knows what they are doing at work.

[@Dextergone]

Bladder tank? It’s a pump tank, depending on pumps. Shark bite are rated for underground, there good fittings. Your in line to learn. Fun to watch. Your a master. I’m 63 and I don’t no nothing. Brilliant Jimmy use your dip sticker thingy.😅

[@philipneri9482]

You got a great attitude!…appreciate what you did there!

[@hartsfire5706]

you would hate the well pump i put down for a friend. it has around 15 of the centering colors on it. here is the story. it is a 4 inch hole and it is not straight it curves he was putting new wire and pipe down about 2 times a year as it was rubbing threw. but it gets better the house was built on too and the new part is over top the well so you have to pull 120 feet of pipe , pump and wire in the basement witch is only 5 foot 8 ceilings. grin all kinds of fun times there. the rig i put down has made it 18 months as of this time. i love your videos and have found a hole bunch of things i was doing wrong.

[@northwoodsguy1538]

Want to have more fun? Pull the pump with snow on the ground. 🥶 I did that a couple times in Northern Wisconsin. Good job.👍

[@safffff1000]

I worked a lot outside, if you bundle up hat and hood covering your head, better jacket, long johns insulated boots your body will make excess heat keeping your hands warm. I've worked bare hand at 15f on a car that way with no problem

[@capps2015]

As a industrial electrician I have to buck you on the electric tip. Code requires the loop on plain screw terminals. (I hate them too)

[@gordbaker896]

That wiring at the Pressure Switch junction box should have Bushings! Do you plug off the well seal where the wiring exits? Good info. Thanks.

[@Kandyman54]

Up here in the frozen north I helped a well mechanic pull a pump in -20*F weather. He had a propane heater with a steel grate on top to lay his tools on and keep them warm. Smart. Due to the well having rigid pipe he used a crane truck. Luckily the pitless adapter separated without a hitch.

[@Swishman2012]

Great video! I have a lady at church that says the first bad pump is still in the well. A second pump was added above it and burn out when the water level dropped. Any way a well guy could retrieve it? Still not sure what happened but she hasn’t had water in months and does her laundry and bathes her kids at kind neighbors house. Again I enjoyed the video very much and learned quite a bit.

[@barrylitchfield8357]

Excellent video. You're great at explaining what you're doing, and why You're doing it! Thanks for sharing the "insider information" of a well drillers challenges!

[@mr.redneck2715]

In the north we do things differently, one thing we do is always use a torque arrester and nylon wire protectors. I’m guessing we have been wasting time and money judging by what you do. We have to consider that the frost goes deeper than 3 feet so we use a pitlis adapter.

[@danielson101]

them shark bites even work under pressure! very cool!

[@ark-543associates4]

Thank-you SO MUCH for these excellent highly educational and cautionary alerting's video's - may bright futures be yours.

[@m998hmmwv7]

Nice of you to help out the elderly couple and keep the price as low as possible. Also coming to help on a Sunday was very nice. You do nice work and I have learned a thing or two from watching your videos. I paid to have my 1st pump installed but your videos helped me to know what to expect so saved me from being cheated. Thanks again..

[@edp9743]

Bravo on your good work. Its sad that so many are taken by unprofessional " tradesmen" when the homeowner basic needs are in jeopardy.

[@SuperGhall]

Very informative and a lot of good information. Thank you

[@chainsawsandgenerators9952]

i would recommend using constant torque hose clamps, over the plan ones your using, they are about 4x the cost, but they hold tighter and are stronger. my customer's are ok with spending $10-$20 on a hose clamp, especially in i risk places, like the bottom of a well.

[@lnk4328]

Thank you for that. Had no idea that they existed.

[@johnbucklerfarms]

I used those oiteker Clamps Doing Soda Systems in Restaurants!

[@sidschwan8031]

Nice Quality workmanship an awesome job done an coming out on a Sunday.

[@chetmyers7041]

4:41 Need to place meter between each individual "leg" and well casing, and look for 110V either side. Looked like you only checked for 220V between the two. Consider the case that you switched the wrong set of breakers AND one of the wires was disconnected or broken. BANG, you've still got 110volts. Something my dad taught me to check.

[@qzorn4440]

Wow what a mess, I would not want to go in the house for a meal or stay over night? 😳 Anyway, I can tell this man knows what he is doing even before he fixed anything. I think to get it moving a BADLAND 48 in. Farm Jack for $100 would be a good option to pull the pump up in steps? I think I would replace the old tubing also? 🥳 Great job and work. Thanks.

[@radzer0966]

You can use some twine on the bottom of the camera and pull up on the twine and push down on the camera line. It will let it move some and you can twist it around to other places sometimes.

[@jimlong527]

Your a good person and businessman. Merry Christmas

[@SkidMarks59]

We really enjoy watching your videos. Merry Christmas

[@andreg7028]

Quality work man! I’ve watched probably at least 10 of your videos here in Zambia, Africa. Got a subscription from me👍🏼

[@denjhill]

Pinch clamps. Love them. Yes, they are hard to cinch tight but on my system they were the only thing that could stop the leaking at joints.

[@bobbailey2947]

I have become addicted to watching your vids. I am so impressed with your expertise. Just wondering - have you ever drilled a new well and gotten an artesian flow ? That would be so awesome to see :)

[@jmanthatsall441]

I love your attitude

[@fk319fk]

I feel their pain. I was out of water for about two months. It turns out it went dry on my birthday, and my wife had a surprise birthday party for me. I have a spring, and the leaves got into the separation tank and blocked the screen. My issue was I did not know the full dynamics of my water at that time, and it took about 2 months to remove those leaves.

[@goodisnipr]

The horseshoe in wiring is needed at screws to ensure enough contact area. A fuse is literally a thin path for electricity to flow. It is possible to create a fuse by not having enough contact between connections.

[@SirAnthony25]

Keep up the good work!

[@euonymus1980]

Great video! Thanks for taking the time to record it all!

[@charlesfreed7834]

My grandfather was a well driller old cable tool helped him for years put in a bunch of pumps

[@glennsvoboda6602]

Well, that was a nice job well done!!

[@olinssercuevas1370]

Well done brother

[@ray77j]

Good job! Did my own well pump work many moons ago. Ordered the pump from Sear & Roebuck. Thing still works like a charm.

[@thaddeustroyer]

Jut ran across your channel, pretty good stuff. Subbed. Keep up the good work.

[@markb.1259]

Great video!! You're a good man!!

[@billmiller5075]

You do awesome work, it’s always better to do business with a mom and pop shop. Have a great New Year

[@scottfrazier131]

I like how he just threw his trash down inside the concrete block. I suppose you couldn’t tell it from the rest of the garbage laying around.

[@chatrkat]

I enjoyed seeing the job start to finish l, without a load of unnecessary explanation. Perfect educational video, as I have a property with an older submersible pump 90’ down. I understand my system now, thank you.

[@m9ovich785]

What kept you from running a Magnet down the Hole to retrieve the other half of the Seal Clamp ? Now that is going to create rusty water for a long time unless it is rusty water to begin with. Tie the magnet to a rope/String, run it through 1/2" PVC to match the length of the Casing so You can push the magnet past the Casing. Then a Centering ring at the end of the PVC on retrieval. works great.. Even better if the Casing is PVC.

[@brandonparr6345]

It came out on top of the pump he mentioned it.

[@ezrhino1803]

great content and presentation sir. very well edited and good description of the problem and the fix. the only issue is sound. a body mic would do wonders for you because the sound is always at the same level. currently it fades or gets louder depending on where you are in relation to the camera

[@johnthefactfddict3281]

when it comes to fixed and hidden connections that u-bend ensures good connection but I agree that for a situation like a well pump pressure switch you should use a straight wire as there is only 7-10a on average and it is often in a semi open air location so contact heating isn't as important I am not so pleased with wire nuts on above ground fake rock/concrete tube style wells either, I think they should use something like wago connectors(maybe even a set of insulated spades for quick disconnection when doing maintenance) I get why they do tried and true methods like a wire nut, but well pumps are 10-15 years replacements and you also have to pop the top for occasional chlorination so it makes much more sense to have a quick but reliable disconnect device and I think it should be mandatory that the well head have a disconnect of some kind near it, accessible to people without a key this is because blown lines and other failures exist, and you can't wait for the homeowner on vacation to send someone to unlock it or even to do a dangerous live disconnection so quick disconnects, reliable yet easy to edit terminals, and possibly a local analog water thermal gauge and pressure gauge so we can tell if a line is blown or a filter is clogged causing 24/7 pumping and disable the pump until the homeowner can swap the filter aquifers are a critical resource that should be protected from bad well practices by ways that others can notice problems and mitigate waste before the homeowner does but I find it fascinating how many people in somewhat populated areas rely on wells, we can run gas lines that are leaking all the time and yet we can't do water lines everywhere instead of a semi-finite resource that directly contributes to climate change? ok well water in-situ is a good enough thing to do if it is good enough, but I am still upset at how bad the regulations are for ensuring that a blown line or dry well or plugged filter can melt pumps when the homeowner is away and there is often no safe way to simply turn it off and then notify the homeowner there was a well problem and their pump was turned off for safety

[@dentonhoward5086]

Great job!!! And I must commend you on something I find most all videos on KZbin cannot seem to figure out, your music when added was not overpowering..... thank you

[@h2omechanic]

I try to turn down the music to 10% volume. I've learned that is the sweet spot. Thanks for Watching my content! Means alot to me!

[@justforyou618]

I know the video is a year old, I enjoyed it anyway! I am just wondering if it is necessary to seal the wiring where it goes through the well seal? I noticed you didn't and is the reason for ventilation and because the well is covered. My well is out in the open, we're in Florida, so no freeze, but critters can crawl through that size opening! My well has sealant where the wire passes through the bushing. Should I leave it or remove it and use some screen to let the well breathe and keep out the bugs? Thanks for these videos, I've learned a bunch from you😁

[@johncarlson8125]

Your a good man,keep it up

[@Camera1931-p5v]

Nice job! You need the ratchet Pex tool!

[@joer9276]

$3500 , that’s beyond ridiculous!

[@MyITIGyan]

Very👍 good From India🇮🇳

[@scottrussell6717]

Another great job