Well Well revisited

"Muddymike" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed) om...
>I have now opened up the well in the back yard and ordered a pump. The
>trouble was the well had a deck 8m down supporting an old pump with no way
>a new pump could be lowered into the water from above. It seems it was
>complete luck that my original weight on a string found its way through a
>small crack to the water when I dangled it down through the little hole I
>first drilled.
>
> So the old pump had to come out. Luckily the pumping mechanism was still
> partially intact with a steel rod reaching almost to the surface, as in.
> http://share.ovi.com/media/Muddymike...uddymike.10601
>
> A Rope was attached to this and to the Land Rover
> http://share.ovi.com/media/Muddymike...e.10600?sort=0
> So by pulling on the rope, then clamping the rod off to re position the
> rope a few times the old pump came to the surface. You can see in this
> picture the rod rising up.
> Now at one point with the pump almost out of the well disaster nearly
> struck as the pull rope broke when the pump got caught up on an
> obstruction. Luckily I had thought of this and had a second rope secured
> already as back up. The upside was that the old pump crashing 30 feet
> smashed a big hole in the deck so now its very easy to get the new pump
> in.
>
> The pump was finally manhandled out, but boy is this thing and the 18 feet
> of 2 inch steel pipe below it along with all the crap attached to it
> heavy. My son and I struggled with that stage.
> Here it is for all to see.
> http://share.ovi.com/media/Muddymike...e.10602?sort=0
>
> and
>
> http://share.ovi.com/media/Muddymike...e.10603?sort=0
>
> I am now wondering what age this contraption can be. I am assured that
> when our house was built mains water was available so no need for a well.
> It must therefore have been installed for the old hall in the grounds of
> which our house was built. Anyone have any idea how old the pump might be
> from the picture? Interestingly it still works, and the bronze (or
> whatever its made from) bolts undo easily as does the gland nut. Also of
> interest to me is that although the bolts appear the same size all the
> heads vary a bit in size, hand made perhaps? Sadly I can't find a date or
> manufacturers mark anywhere. I shall clean it up a bit and post another
> picture.
>
>
> Mike
>
>