Simple Pump hand and motor water pumps.Common question on installation.InstallationCan I install it myself?If you possess average mechanical ability and are somewhat familiar with the installation of routine plumbing or irrigation piping, you can easily install Simple Pump™ within 2 hours --- IF you have a pitless adaptor and your well cap is easily removed. You'll only need minor assistance. The second time you install a Simple Pump™ system (helping a friend or neighbor) you will be able to complete it within an hour. What size well does Simple Pump fit in?The largest component of the Simple Pump system is approximately 1 5/8" OD. As a stand-alone application, the Simple Pump can be installed in a 2" diameter well casing. Usually, the Simple Pump can be installed in domestic wells with nominal diameters in excess of 4" without removing the existing submersible pump or its discharge piping. Special consideration for installation on a 2" casingA 2” casing is fairly flexible, when extending the usual 12-18 inches or so above the ground -- even if metal. The leverage through the securely mounted pump can actually make a 2” casing deflect -- as much as 2-3 inches for a metal casing or 6-7 inches for PVC. This deflection makes pumping tricky and, if large, could actually damage the top drop pipe. Can the Simple Pump be installed alongside my working submersible?Yes. We don't disturb -- or rely upon -- your submersible pump in order for our pump to work. Each system can work independently, no matter how our system is configured. You can continue to use your existing system, but if you lose power, obtain water from the Simple Pump, immediately. Can I put the pump in my basement and run a line to the well 20 feet away?Simple Pump must be located above the water source in a very secure fashion. The Simple Pump is a positive displacement progressive lift pump...sometimes referred to as a "sucker rod" pump. The sucker rods provide the mechanical connection between the business end of the system at the bottom and the lever arm input at the surface. The energy input—either human or our 12VDC motor — must be positioned directly above the water source. I have a hand dug well; what do I need to mount the pump?Simple Pump must be located above the water source in a very secure fashion. A well casing is needed, or at least a proxy for one. In order for our pumps to work, we need the circular rim of a well casing between 2 and 8 inches in diameter, OR a securely mounting that we could use as a proxy for a well casing. There are a variety of ways this could be accomplished with an open well, including lodging a casing with holes at the bottom end (for water to flow in) into the bottom of the well. Call us for a detailed discussion of the options. My well has the ‘bumpout’ on the cap: will the 6" WTCC Trega cap work for this?Yes. The Trega is designed so that the electrical exits out, through a bumpout, after coming up through the bottom layer of the cap. Then, the Simple Pump continues, exiting through the top metal plate. In other words, the wires making their exit can not be seen with the top plate of the Trega cap closed. Can I use my old well cap?Our pump (and all the pipes below it) is anchored on the well cap, with the cap in turn mounted on the casing. With your submersible exiting through the well cap, rather than a pitless, the entire weight of everything, we always quote our own cap with our pump. We designed it. We're responsible for making sure the structure doesn't fall into the well. And, it turns out that our caps are something to brag about. Made out of aircraft-quality aluminum, each cap starts out as a billet. Then, computer-driven machine tools cut away from that solid piece of aircraft alloy to create each of our the caps, (except the 6" Trega). Because the metal is not poured (cast), there are none of the miniscule cracks that occur during casting, as the metal cools in the mold. Cutting caps from solid billets makes our caps much stronger. You may also be concerned about the two pumps and their piping. Here’s how that works: The larger hole, with the bracket, is for the Simple Pump. When a submersible (electric) pump coexists with our pump, the additional two holes provide: So our cap is optimally designed to take care of BOTH systems, side-by-side. There seems to be something blocking my well.In most applications, the Simple Pump will readily fit in your existing domestic well without removing or disrupting your existing pump and motor. Some deeper submersible pumps were installed using what are commonly referred to as "torque arrestors" or "centering guides". These fittings act to keep the discharge piping from the submersible pump in the center of the well and reduce the twisting effect, or torque, caused by the pump turning on and off. Only one is really needed, at the bottom. But sometimes additional arrestors, may be installed further up the well. Under normal applications, the drop pipe assemblies freely slide into the well casing. During your Simple Pump installation, if you have difficulty sliding the drop pipe into the well, there may be a torque arrestor in place that the Simple Pump is hitting. If you encounter this condition, carefully remove the Simple Pump assembly from the well casing and contact a qualified pump installer for assistance. The Simple Pump will still fit, but will require special alignment of the drop pipe assemblies to fit through openings in the torque arrestor(s), or removal of unnecessary arrestors. What about using a Safety Line?We do not mention or suggest the use of a safety line in conjunction with our standard pump system installations because... #1. A safety line needs an aperature or access port to travel through. In many Simple Pump installations there is no room for another hole in the well cap. #2. The Simple Pump installs through a 1.75" port in the mounted well cap...the use of a safety line affixed to the pump cylinder would require installation steps that would be more risky than no safety line...ie...well cap not affixed until two drop pipe kits are installed so the means of safety line attachment can be installed below the well cap. The safety line mounting point also raises a problem with future pump maintenance. #3. The SIM073 machined billet aluminum safety tool, properly used, offers a virtually risk-free means of holding onto previously assembled 9 foot drop pipe kits. #4 All Simple Pump systems with more than (12) drop pipe kits come with a free T-Handle Installation Assist Tool that allows safe, controlled handling of the drop pipe kits.
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