How to Repair Hand-Powered Well Water Pumps

The hand-powered well water pump is a simple tool and saw wide use in homes and

farms well into the early part of the 20th century. It consists of three moving

parts and relies on a tight seal for suction in order to work properly.
The moving parts are the pump handle, the pump shaft and the butterfly valve or

flap.
In normal operation, during the down-stroke of the pump, the valve or leather

flap on top of the disk at the bottom of the shaft is opened by air or water

pressure beneath it--either drawing air from the well line or taking water above

the disk. During the upstroke water is carried up the pump and a vacuum (air or

water) is created beneath the disk which draws more water up for the next down-

stroke to capture.

Repairing a Hand-Powered Well Water Pump
1
Assess the problem. Can you pump the arm and no water comes up? Is the arm

frozen in place and can't be pumped? (Do you know if there is water in the well

to be pumped?)

2
Using the pipe wrench, remove the top of the pump (arm and cap) from the base

and pull out the shaft and disk.

3
Inspect the tube of the pump with a flashlight. If the tube is not round (bent,

corroded, etc) a good seal can't be made. Check for holes in the tube as well,

anything compromising the vacuum in the tube will cause the pump to fail. If

damaged, the tube will have to be replaced.

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