Re: advice for working in a hand dug -- Water Well Helpline Message Board

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Subject: Re: advice for working in a hand dug

Author:
Fred Dungan (plan ahead)
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Date Posted: 15:01:02 06/09/09 Tue
Author Host/IP: adsl-69-235-157-99.dsl.irvnca.pacbell.net/69.235.157.99
In reply to: David Whitesel 's message, "advice for working in a hand dug" on 13:31:20 06/09/09 Tue

Safety should come first. Think about the worst thing that could happen (such as--heaven forbid--you slip from the ladder, hit your head on the side of the well, are knocked unconcious, and fall into the well). In other words, you should plan for the worst possible scenario and you will be pleasantly surprised when nothing whatsoever goes wrong. At the minimum have someone with a cellphone steady the top of the ladder for you. Most dug wells have muck in the bottom which makes it slippery and you may experience some slippage unless you push the bottom of the ladder through the muck to where it can gain a decent footing. It might take two strong people to do this, but it will be hard enough to do the job and you do not want to have to worry about the ladder while you are doing it. Don't go down the ladder with tools in your hands. Rather, have the person at the top lower it to you with a rope once you are in position. Do the same thing in reverse before you climb back up, i.e. tie the tools to a rope and have the person at the top pull them up. Also, consider wearing a safety harness. You can lower the water level with a heavy duty gasoline powered pump. You will probaly be able to find a local construction equipment rental yard with one of these on hand.

>I have an 18' deep hand dug well that is lined with
>stones. On the inside of the well there is a line
>that feeds water up into the house that goes through
>the side wall of the well and the other end of the
>pipe elbows down into the well and I believe there is
>a foot valve on the end of that pipe that needs to be
>replaced. To get this pipe loose, I am going to have
>to get into the well and loosen that pipe where it is
>connected at the elbow.
>
>I have a ladder that is long enough to get me into the
>well to work, what advice can you give me about
>working inside that well? The pipe I have to get to
>is under water so I am thinking about pumping the
>water out to that connector so I am not working under
>water. What do you think?

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Re: advice for working in a hand dug Vey 04:43:24 06/10/09 Wed

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><font face=arial color=scarlet>Safety should come >first. Think about the worst thing that could happen >(such as--heaven forbid--you slip from the ladder, hit >your head on the side of the well, are knocked >unconcious, and fall into the well). In other words, >you should plan for the worst possible scenario and >you will be pleasantly surprised when nothing >whatsoever goes wrong. At the minimum have someone >with a cellphone steady the top of the ladder for you. >Most dug wells have muck in the bottom which makes it >slippery and you may experience some slippage unless >you push the bottom of the ladder through the muck to >where it can gain a decent footing. It might take two >strong people to do this, but it will be hard enough >to do the job and you do not want to have to worry >about the ladder while you are doing it. Don't go down >the ladder with tools in your hands. Rather, have the >person at the top lower it to you with a rope once you >are in position. Do the same thing in reverse before >you climb back up, i.e. tie the tools to a rope and >have the person at the top pull them up. Also, >consider wearing a safety harness. You can lower the >water level with a heavy duty gasoline powered pump. >You will probaly be able to find a local construction >equipment rental yard with one of these on >hand.</font> > >>I have an 18' deep hand dug well that is lined with >>stones. On the inside of the well there is a line >>that feeds water up into the house that goes through >>the side wall of the well and the other end of the >>pipe elbows down into the well and I believe there is >>a foot valve on the end of that pipe that needs to be >>replaced. To get this pipe loose, I am going to have >>to get into the well and loosen that pipe where it is >>connected at the elbow. >> >>I have a ladder that is long enough to get me into the >>well to work, what advice can you give me about >>working inside that well? The pipe I have to get to >>is under water so I am thinking about pumping the >>water out to that connector so I am not working under >>water. What do you think?

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