Well Retrieval Tool FAQs

Questions & answers on how to pull out stuff dropped into a well

Variety of Objects Dropped Down a Well

Operators broke cable and now dummy probe is 300 meters down

I have a dummy probe in an open rock hole with a simple small wire attached. The operators made the mistake of overpulling on the cable and breaking the cable with about 300 meters of wire in the hole. I want to grab the wire. I already have a plan to get the dummy probe free. How can i snare the wire? 2025-02-24 by Milan

Reply: Wire retrieval tool option

@Milan,

You will need to select one of the types of pipe grabbing tools described on this page or perhaps fabricate your own; I'd consider first a small grappling hook and weight as the dropped wire may be coiled enough that the hook can snag it and pull it up.

If that doesn't work, an L-shaped or T-shaped tool similar to the Easy-Reach above on this page can be lowered on a pipe that you can rotate can often snag a wire to pull it back out.

It's quite common to fabricate an appropriate fishing tool that is suited to just what you're trying to grab. Typically it's a simple and inexpensive welding job to make the retrieval tool.

Keep me posted

Daniel

Broken wires are in the way of reaching drop pipe in deep well

Hi guys. I have an old deep water well in 4" casing. The drop pipe is galvanized 1.25".

Unfortunately, The previous owner left no information with it. it is much deeper than I anticipated. The motor went out recently. because it is much deeper than i thought, it is also much heavier than I expected.

My 1 ton lifting strap snapped as I was pulling the pipe and motor up. I didnt even have the first pipe disconnected yet. Down went everything including 3 wires that must have been about 4 or 6 gage. (very thick).

I acquired an old digger derrick truck that I have been using to attempt to pull it up. it is 300' down to the top of the tangled wire mess. i cant get to the drop pipe because the wire is in the way. what kind of tool is best to pull wire out of the way using steel cable? 2023-04-22 by wire in the way

Reply:

@wire in the way,

Can we send a well inspection camera down first?

I'm worried that you're facing a jam up not just heavy pipe.

Someone broke the cap on the well head and dropped a rock down

I have a well head that someone has broken the cap and dropped a rock down. The rock is not round but about 1 1/2 inches thick and about 5 to 6 inches wide and is wedged at about 50 ft. I have been told by the drilling company that drilled the hole that they cannot remove it. I’ve done some research and found that there are several tools and ways to remove items that have been dropped into a well. Is correct. 2021-11-19 by Troy farmer

Reply:

@Troy farmer,

It's often possible to retrieve objects dropped in the well using a proper grabbing device. You might use need to use a combination of a camera and a grabbing tool.

How do I get out old piping from a well used by a windmill?

We found an old well on our property we could see old boards 12 feet down. A well driller came out with a pressurized line, blew the boards out, but was only able to get down another 10 feet. He told me earlier that this would bust up rocks so I was wondering if it could be old piping from the windmill that used to run the old pump. If so how do I get it out?

Oh ya the wells about 70 ft deep.

I was trying to check the static water level thru the little vent screw on the top of the well casing with a 4 OZ lead fishing weight. It got stuck and then it came untied.
I'm sure the lead weight needs to come out Any suggestions? 2020-07-16 by Joe

Reply:

Ick, retrieving a lead, therefore not-magnetic, weight in the well can't be done with a magnet on a string; you're left with small grappling hooks or claw grabbers as described in this article series; Running a camera down the well to actually see the lead weight might be helpful.

How do I grab pump wires dropped in a well

How to grab wires from 3 phase well pump. Wires are only down 10 ft but in way of grabbing pipe. 2020-07-08 by Ruben

Reply:

When your wires are only 10 ft down I would try a grappling hook on the end of a pole.

I dropped a key chain into a 4" steel casing monitoring well

Hello,

I dropped a key chain into a 4" steel casing monitoring well yesterday and i am trying to find ways on how to retrieve it. I have tried fishing hooks with no luck, any ideas? 2020-04-01 by EJim

Reply:

EJ

If the keychain is steel, not nickel, you ought to be able to pull it out with a magnet, perhaps a powerful but small Alnico magnet on a strong line (so as not to lose the magnet in the well too)

I made a tool that will pull a key chain or anything else out of a water or oil well

@EJim,key chain how deep well under water ? You can rig check valve type suction use heavy duty vacuum suck it in release vacuum on pvc check closes you got chain.

Century Foundation Company that posted before we are one in the same. If interested in seeing this tool it is for sale call number or email centuryfoundationcompany@gmail.com

I have a tool I made in my machine shop that will go get ANYTHING in a water well or oil well no difference not like the stuff shown here. Drop a pipe wrench in the hole I will have it back in 5 minuets guarantee. 93sixsevenone 8 one three two 5

It will go any distance bring back anything. It will retrieve and bring it back in about 10 minutes. There is only one of theses tools in the world and I made it. I can make one for any size Id pipe. If you need one contact me. Century Foundation Company magnolia Texas is on net. 2020-06-22 by Paul

Question: lost well pipe retrieval tool itself into the well

I lost a section of pipe and a tool in my well trying to pull out what was dropped in by a previous well company. The pull line broke. Can I just leave it there? (May 31, 2016) Bill

Reply:

Ugh, Bill, I hate when that happens. I speculate that what you snagged were remains of someone's previous attempt to sound the depth of the bottom of the well. Feel better, they, too, lost their weight and hook before you came along.

I don't much like the idea of leaving debris in a well, though it may have no effect until fishing line fouls a foot valve or bits enter a pump through a well screen.

When retrieving stuff dropped into a well it's important to use a line strong enough that you don't easily break it while fishing up fallen items.

Steve: my comments and opinion above to Bill pertain to your well fishing too. But also we'd prefer not to leave lead items in the well. I'm not sure how much two small lead weights might contribute to detectable lead in your water supply: that would depend on water chemistry, its corrosivity, the formation of a lead oxide coating on the weights themselves, and how much water movement occurs in the well.

My guess is that it'd be better to retrieve the lost weights, hook, bobber, fishing line and other debris from the well.

Leaving them until they clog the pump or foot valve might result in loss of water supply at an inconvenient time (say during Thanksgiving when you have many guests but suddenly there is no water to drink nor to flush a toilet), and pulling the pump is perhaps more costly than another attempt to fish out the fallen stuff in the well.

 

Question: dropped wedding ring into the well

I dropped my wedding ring down my well in my back yard the opening is about 6 inches across and I'm not sure how deep it is.. how can I get it out. Please help. (June 6, 2016) Shawn

Reply:

Oh hell.

It's probably possible to retrieve the ring, though it'll be some trouble. Check with your well driller to see what small-object retrieval tools they have on hand. There are two approaches:

1. a mechanical "grabber" that picks up objects from the bottom of the well

2. With the pump and piping out of the way and depending on well depth, your well service company might be able to use a 2-line jet large venturi vacuuming approach to see if they can pick up and pump well bottom debris through a screen to catch your ring. This is the most likely approach if someone local is willing to set it up for you. Some well drillers offer this service under "well cleaning" procedures and may use a compressed air source rather than a 2-line water jet system.

3. a jet-venturi system used in oil drilling rigs and possibly some well operations can also retrieve small objects but I'd be careful about using this approach as if the bottom of your well has inches thick sediment we don't want to risk pushing the ring deeper into the sediment.

It may be necessary to pull the well piping and pump (if it's a submersible unit) to get those components out of the way.

Question: cliton formation well slip tooth stuck 1,700 feet down. Cheapest way to remove?

Have a 40 year old cliton formation well has 3" tubing as casing and a slip tooth from an 1 1/2 well head and is stuck 1,700 ft down what would be the cheapest way to remove it. Trying to plug the well and need to get to bottom around 4,000 ft and theirs a hole in the 3" pipe any ideas or will I have to shoot it off above the slip and run tubing in and swallow the 3" with a cutter and cut it off. (July 25, 2016) Greg myers

Reply:

Greg,

Please help me out by explaining what is a "cliton formation" well. Are you referring to a Clinton sandstone formation water well?

Other readers: Mr. Myers reference to a "slip tooth" probably refers to an anchoring mechanism for a well tool that allows for movement in directions other than straight vertical.

Greg:

The most expert deep well drillers in the world come from the oil and gas fields. One of their approaches for tool jams such as the one you describe, if a grabbing tool can't remove the fallen object, is to drill through it.

If you're abandoning a well by filling it with concrete, if you can pour concrete past the broken tool you may be able to leave it in place.

Question: top threads broke off when pulling a pipe out of the well; what tool can I use to pull the pipe?

I got an old shallow well and my inner pipe is a inch and a quarter inside the case and the top three threads broke off when was trying to pull it out what kind of tool do I need to get that inner pipe out and where can I find it. (Aug 14, 2016) George

Reply:

While I like a pipe spear for the situation you describe, most of the well pipe grabbers described in the article above or a home-made version of one of them ought to work; to save time and trouble give your local well drilling contractor a call as they probably have several of these tools at hand plus the lift or winch needed.

Question: removing a pipe with a packed ring at the bottom of the well

(Oct 16, 2015) Terry said:
Process for removing a pipe with a packed ring at the bottom.

Reply:

The well retrieval tool set includes pipe grabbers. It may take some care not to snag the pipe on an angle when pulling it up the casing, or it may be necessary to remove the existing well pipe(s) and pump to clear passage for fallen items.

Question: leave a dropped submersible pump in a well?

(Dec 21, 2015) Akomeno Oteri said:
Good day. Pls is it advisable to leave a dropped submersible pump in a well and go ahead to install another pump?

(Mar 28, 2016) James Macintosh said:
Just had the last 22' of galvanized pipe plus the submersible pump break loose and fall approximately 275' into a 6" well.

This will be nearly impossible to retrieve. Can the pump and remaining pipe be left in the well and the new pump and plastic pipe be installed at a lesser distance?

Reply:

Akomeno

You can leave the old pump in the well but at a cost of having perhaps to leave the new pump a bit higher in the column of water - the static head - in the well. If that means the draw-down water volume is significantly lowered that's a concern. Figure you're giving up less than 36" of accessible water column.

A longer term issue might be rust and corrosion or even toxic oil that could poison the water if the pump deteriorates and leaks into the well - not so likely as modern submersible well pumps are designed to be submerged.

In sum I'd prefer to remove the old pump but if there's plenty of water in the water column, that is if there is a high static head in the well, you can probably leave it at the bottom.

See WELL DYNAMIC HEAD & STATIC HEAD DEFINITION

James:

Yes, though the import of that change depends not just on well depth but also on the static head of water - its height in the well. I'd not give up on retrieving a dropped pipe if there are well professionals in your area.

(Jan 10, 2016) Akomeno Oteri said:
Thank You for your answer to my question on Dropped pump in a borehole. My mid is at rest and I appreciate.

Question: dropping fishing line, weights, well depth sounding string into the well: ok to leave it there?

(May 20, 2016) steve said:
i was using the "fishing line with a bobber" method to check the water depth of my well. While checking to see if the line was slacked yet i noticed there was even more tension on the line then probably should be. imagine my surprise to find the line had snagged. I had two small rounded lead weights, and a small bobber on the end of the line, I tried to use small items to prevent this.

I worked the line for a few minutes trying to free it.

My efforts were rewarded by the snap of the line...So i now have 100+ ft of fishing line, two small lead weights, and a small bobber kicking around in my well.

To my question, do i really need to worry about this thing?

Like is it worth my time and efforts to pull the pump and try to retrieve this thing, or just wait and see if the line tangles up in my pump? I ran the pump for about an hour earlier (I figured if it was going to fail it may as well do it while i was emotionally prepared to pull and replace it) and it didnt seem to have any issues. Anyone have any thoughts?

May 25, 2016 Bill said:

Had good luck retrieving a substantial section of water-filled plastic pipe with foot valve from a 117-foot drilled well.

Bought the largest 3-barbed fish-hooks I could find. Rigged a weight on a thin 120-foot rope and jigged for the pipe (as my Newfoundland ancestors jigged for cod back in the day).

Had hoped to go right to the bottom of the well and catch the foot valve-- but that's not what happened. On the second attempt, up came the pipe-- with a hook snagged on a small stainless steel pipe clamp right at the top. The whole operation took about ten minutes, but it involved a lot of luck-- and maybe some genetic jigging skill.

Reply:

Ugh, Bill, I hate when that happens. I speculate that what you snagged were remains of someone's previous attempt to sound the depth of the bottom of the well. Feel better, they, too, lost their weight and hook before you came along.

I don't much like the idea of leaving debris in a well, though it may have no effect until fishing line fouls a foot valve or bits enter a pump through a well screen.

When retrieving stuff dropped into a well it's important to use a line strong enough that you don't easily break it while fishing up fallen items.

Steve: my comments and opinion above to Bill pertain to your well fishing too. But also we'd prefer not to leave lead items in the well. I'm not sure how much two small lead weights might contribute to detectable lead in your water supply: that would depend on water chemistry, its corrosivity, the formation of a lead oxide coating on the weights themselves, and how much water movement occurs in the well.

My guess is that it'd be better to retrieve the lost weights, hook, bobber, fishing line and other debris from the well.

Leaving them until they clog the pump or foot valve might result in loss of water supply at an inconvenient time (say during Thanksgiving when you have many guests but suddenly there is no water to drink nor to flush a toilet), and pulling the pump is perhaps more costly than another attempt to fish out the fallen stuff in the well.

Tools to Use to Retrieve Item

How do well grabbers work?

How does it work. 2023-06-24 by Owenga

Reply:

@Owenga,

Different well pipe grabbers work by different mechanical means to grab an object that has been dropped into a well.

The user chooses a grabber whose physical properties seem likely to allow it to get a grip on whatever it is that's being retrieved..

For example there are grabbers that are shaped specifically to drop onto the end of a pipe and pinch it so that it can be lifted.

Take a look through the different shapes and images in this article series and you'll see examples.

That is to say different shapes work by different grasping principles.

You might drop a pipe grabber that is intended to wedge into the center of a vertical pipe in a well or one that's intended to pinch and grab onto the exterior.

Can you sell me a tapered tap spear for water well fishing out a pipe?

i need a steel tapered tap spear for water well for fishing out pipe size 1'' and 1'' 1/4. 2023-08-11 by Everett Black

Reply:

@Everett Black,

To protect reader trust that our information is without bias or conflict of interest, InspectApedia does not sell anything: no products, no services. So we can't provide the well fishing tool that you asked about.

But at

WELL RETRIEVAL TOOLS
you will find suppliers of well retrieval tools as well as designs for making your own.

Please take a look at the page and post any further questions, requests, or suggestions that you might have.

Thanks.

How can we find or make an inexpensive well retrieval tool for use in Uganda?

I don't have comment to you because is my first time to see some of fishing tools and the quality are good but my humble request is how can a pump machine like me who can't afford to get or buy can manage to have it.

Secondly in upcountry like lira in Uganda can afford to those tools for the beneficiary of water user or community. Thanks. 2020-09-15 by Otengo malcon

Reply: Funding help for water supply in Uganda

Otengo

You're quite right that the first business in providing water from a deep well is to drill the well - that's not something that a person can do; it requires drilling equipment;

The Water Project may be able to help with funding

See https://thewaterproject.org/wells_for_uganda

Used an auger to pull out a pump I dropped into a deep well

Hello. I have recently pulled the pump that is in our deep well system and bought a replacement. I attempted to install the new pump and all was going well until I got to ab 200 ft down with pump and the pipe((its 440 ft to the bottom of the casing and top of the water is ab 200 ft)) and it happened so fast- I couldn't grab it or anything-- IT FELL!!!

Well- I spent days pondering on how in the world I could get it out and finally - I got a 250 ft auger and joined it with another auger. I winched it up and got the pipe and tied icecycle knot and tied it off.

The wire had fell with it so instead of pulling all of it back up and checking the pump- I just connected it to 220 v breaker to see if i could hear or feel the vibrations-- so I would know that it wasn't damaged or broken... longer story short.... it did vibrate the top of the pipe that I had knot tied to and so I connected 3 more (20 foot long ea) 1 in pipes.

And got it where I thought it was in water ab 240 ft and when I connected it to the 220 breaker this time--- there was no vibration or any noise so --- I had to hoist it back up---

finally got to the bottom and the water pump wasn't at the end of the pipe.... the wires had somehow been severed and I'm not sure how or why it happened but I need advise on tools that I could use or make to use to grab onto the piece of pipe and pump that is still sitting at the bottom of our deep well.

I've tried auger and I get a hold on it but b4 I make it out of the water with it it's getting stuck or either falls off the end of the auger... any suggestions r welcomed. I really need another opinion on this- 2019-01-30 by Andy

Reply: when the professionals drop a pump into the well ...

Andy,

What the other pro's do - and they've all dropped a pump at one time or another - is try a series of various grabber hooks such as those shown in the article above;

When that fails I'd try running a camera down into the well bottom to see the position of the pump and to help hook it back up.

I have seen that well pump retrieval jobs that have been videotaped for ad purposes conspicuously omit any photo of exactly what the company used to grab the fallen pump. It's perhaps protecting their turf, but not particularly generous. It's the old "don't ask me, hire me instead" that is sometimes fair but not always justified.

When you lower a well cam you can see if there is a rope or pipe that's likely to be able to be grabbed by one of the retrieval tools we illustrate; you basically have to match the tool to the space available, to what's in the well, and to the position of the fallen materials.

An augur that you tried works just when you can send it into an opening like the end of a pipe. Some grappling hooks can snag a rope or wire or larger ones even the pump upper end itself.

Aside from the dropped well pump or pipe tools shown in our article above, I've read that some well pump retrieval projects had success by trying a piton or crevice clamp (mountaineering equipment) or even a simple small grappling hook that snagged a dropped well rope.

Keep in mind that your retrieval cable or pipes have to be strong enough to lift ALL of the weight involved: pump, pipes, wire + some strength to pull and wiggle through snags.

Question: cost of pipe grappling tools

How much does one of the grappler pipe holders cost to buy out right? (June 16, 2016) Tina

Reply:

Fair question, Tina but prices are all over the place depending on the particular pipe grabber tool and its application, from $10. to $1000 or more. The "Fetch" pipe spear described in the article above retails for about $500. U.S.

Question: camera to inspect a well for fallen debris?

(Jan 21, 2016) Anonymous said:
Do you know if they make a small camera that you can insert into the well to see if there is any debris in the well?

I recently just pulled the well pump and had a small fracture of the pvc pipe. I would like to know if they make they make a camera that can look down into the well to check for debris, or is there any other way of checking this well?

The well pump was 50 ft down, so i don't know how deep it actually is.

Reply: yes

There are well cameras used by some companies to inspect the well bore for damage, such as the GeoVISION TM Borehole Well Camera System and there are other DHV (downhole video) camera systems widely sold or perhaps rented for that purpose.

Look for "Downhole Video" camera systems or "well bore inspection systems" or "well bore camera" to see more examples.

(Jan 25, 2016) Anonymous said:
just bought a 100 endoscope that is USB for $80... I have to fish a black pipe out that's 60' down.

Who Can I Call to Help?

Who do I call to retrieve whatever is blocking the pipe?

My father lives in Will County Illinois he has a 200 foot well, something is blocking it at 100 feet who do I call to retrieve whatever is blocking the pipe? 2023-01-14 by tom

Reply:

@tom,

Best bet is a well driller nearby. Talk with the well company to ask, in advance, if they're willing to try retrieving the "something" or at least to send down a well bore inspection camera so that you can figure out what's going on and how best to retrieve it.

A quick web search for "well driller in Will County Illinois" will find at least 4 well drillers nearby.

 

Do you provide professional training and guidance to borehole service providers

Greetings,
I would like to forward my interest in the borehole industry having worked in this area for five years. I am based in Kenya in Africa where I have been operating as borehole service provider. My interest in the industry is fishing of fallen pipes and pumps which of late has been quite a challenge.

The tools we use for fishing here include the spear and pipe traps. I recently read the info on your website and got interested on the various tools you advertise for use.

My question would thus be if your company would be interested in providing professional training and guidance to borehole service providers here in Kenya which would be a great marketing opportunity for your company also.

Thank you and am looking forward to your response. Regards Francis Muchina. 2021-02-04 by Francis

Reply:

Francis

I'm sorry that we are not able to provide on-site Personal or group Training On borehole Installation and equipment.

InspectAPedia.com provides building and environmental diagnostic and repair information.

In order to absolutely assure our readers that we write and report without bias we do not sell any products nor services, nor do we have any business or financial relationships that could create such conflicts of interest.

 

Question: what if I can't afford to hire someone to pull out stuff dropped into the well

(Sept 5, 2015) avid flyer said:
What if the home owner does not have the money? they need it to live and the well service person charges $200.00 just to show up?

Reply:

Ask the well company if they can offer financial relief for the needy, or ask for assistance from localmaidmsocieties, or shop for another well service company.

Waiting and leaving junk in the well involves risk that ranges from very low ( a single fallen rock sitting at the bottom of the well bore) to significant (loose debris items that can damage the pump or foot valve).

 

Question: the history of Everett's well

(Jan 30, 2016) Everett said:

I had a well drilled on my property approx. 19 years ago and a 1-1/2hp Gould pump was installed at the same time, there was no model number or gpm listed on the well log. The well was drilled at 280 feet and the pump was set at 273 ft.

The well log states there is no perforation to the pipe. It also states the drill went through sand and clay, sand and clay and sand and clay.

Do you know how the well could be getting water when there is no perforation and it is set in clay? I wondered if it could be coming in from the bottom of the well some how, but I'm not sure.

At the time I had this well drilled and pump installed, shortly after I had went through a super hard divorce, through this transition of hard times of my life, the well had set idle for approximately 9 years and was never used in those years.

Then I brought power in and powered up the well, it seemed to work fairly good as far as I can remember, but the well had no pressure tank or anything at that time.

I had a faucet plumbed out of the ground that I turned the pump on to fill jugs and watering cans as I wasn't living on the property at the time, I just had plants I had to keep watered, and I would only turn the pump on when I needed it and then turned it off.

This you might consider somewhat like cycling, but it wasn't rapid as there was time left when the pump was turned off and on. Not sure when the time spans were, but after a couple years, the pump became stalled or over a short period of time and surging power through the motor, it started to work again. This time it worked fine all the way up until a year ago.

Towards the last 4-5 years of operation of the well, it seemed to be doing what I would call aquanating or the water was mixing with microscopic bubbles and it would look cloudy when you put it in a bucket.

After sitting for some time, it would clear up and the bubbles would dissipate. This usually happened in the very hot and drier season, but before that it would always have low build up for the recovery of pressure for shut off on pressure switch.

I never really was concerned about it because I have 2 large bladder pressure tanks and I figured it just took a long time to build them back up to kick off as that's what their supposed to do to make less turn on and offs with the motor.

But this last year, watering in the hot season, trying to keep the lawn from drying out and the plants from dying, it just quit pumping.

I noticed out of the hose I was losing pressure, so I went to check the pressure gauge and it was already past the point where it was supposed to kick on. I did your normal diagnostics and checked everything, I even went the extra 9 miles and bought another control box; which made no difference.

I put a stethoscope on the well casing, and it sounds like the motor is running smoothly, I know its not stalled because when it did stall, it was drawing a lot of power and it would blow the circuit breaker.

This acts as if the motor is actually running like normal, it doesn't pop the reset in the control box or any breakers so I don't believe the motor is stalled, I believe its just motoring and not pumping water.

I know this could be a number of problems like the built in check valve for the well pump could be bad, I could have something wrong with the discharge piping out of the well; its PVC, or maybe the pump is just wore out.

The one problem I kinda thought to myself is that when the well was put in, there were very few people living in my area, since then there has been literally hundreds of homes and developments that have been put in a little ways up the road.

I was wondering if each one of them had a well drilled, and each one drilled their well deeper than mine, could it be lowering my aqua level, lowering the water from my well?

Or in the worse case scenario, the well has just become a dry hole. Common sense tells me that with the age of the pump, its time is up and its time to replace it! Some pumps last a long time, some go real quick and others go bad years down the road, I'm sure you know the scenarios.

I feel mine is worn out, the motor is just turning freely but not turning the impellers or pumping water, I don't know. I know no matter what, the pump is going to have to be pulled

. I was also curious where I could buy a tool or the tool that reaches down inside the well casing and hooks the elbow that goes through the casing to ground? This elbow is not reachable by hand, and it is solely supporting the pipe, the pump, etc. Is there something that goes into the internal part of the pipe to pull it up from there?

I need some kind of tool that will grab the pipe and pull it up so you can cut off each section. Not like the metal pipe that you can unscrew each section and hook a cable into an eye coupler, there is nothing to hook to with a PVC pipe. You pull it up, cut off a section, pull it up and cut off another section and so on.

I also noticed on Google they have a machine that sits on top of the well casing, it has 3 small air tires; I believe one of the tires has power, and they come into a Y and it holds the pipe between the tires and draws the pipe out of the well. I haven't been able to find this machine or tool anywhere for sale or for rent. I have no idea where to find it.

I have checked around my area and there isn't anyone with anything to pull up the well pipe and pumps.

Any information you can give me for pulling up the pipe and pump would be deeply appreciated! There is one more thing I would like to ask, my pump is set 13 feet above the bottom of the drilling of the well. I was curious when I set the new pump, I would like to set it as close to the bottom as possible.

Would it be safe to say I could set it 5 feet or closer to the bottom of the well?? Thanks a lot for your time and thanks for reading this, I greatly appreciate it! Sorry this got so long, its hard to try to explain something like this in only a few sentences!!

Reply:

I'm a bit overwhelmed but I think the bottom line question is about how to pull out a well pipe and pump. Typically the well service company uses a tripod to support equipment including a winch or more often the well drilling rig on the back of a truck is used to winch up the well pipe and pump from the well bottom.

Additional hardware, including a tripod and clamps, can be used to clamp the well pipe at intervals to permit separation into lengths (needed with steel well piping), repairs, replacement of sections or valves, and to avoid dropping the whole shebang back down into the well bore.

 

Question: shallow well blocked by a piece of metal

(May 17, 2016) Anne said:
We have a ten foot deep wall for irrigation that suddenly stopped pumping water. There is a blockage at about four feet.

We recently got a scope and looked down the 1 1/2" galvanized pipe and saw a piece of metal lodged in the pipe. We have no idea what it is or how to get it out. Unfortunately my father built a wall around the pump and well with a bedroom above it.

There does not seem to be a casing around the central shaft.

Can you tell us what the metal might be and how to remove it. I asked someone if we could use a long drill to try to drill through it but we have no clue how big the metal object is or how it even got in the pipe because it is a sealed system. Thanks.

Reply:

Anne:

Whatever is in the well at this point was probably part of the system since a large chunk of metal wouldn't normally have a way to enter on its own: check for missing pieces of well cap, pitless adapter, pipe fittings, a pump motor itself, a snifter valve, or even a well sleeve liner previously installed to repair a damaged casing.

Contact well drillers in your area to see if they can come by with an assortment of pipe grabbers that might pull out the missing part; a scope can then inspect the condition of the casing.

I don't think the situation you describe is amenable to drilling-through (a step that is taken in some cases in the oil fields).