Submersible pump stuck in well, Yay!

masraum · 02-03-2026, 10:47 AM

Some of you may remember that a few weeks ago, I described some symptoms and it was diagnosed to likely be the foot valve no longer operating correctly. I called the well guys. They came out today.

Just as I got home, they were packing up to leave. It seems they were pulling the pump up when it got stuck. They tried to let it back down, but it's STUCK! So they left to go check out another call, and the guy has his brother loading up another truck with more stuff to come try to get it unstuck. What the guy thinks is that there's enough hard water scale built up on the inside of the pipe that it's wedged the pump.

You don't think about "water" that much until you can't wash your hands, flush the toilet, etc.... At least we do have a bunch of distilled water in 1.5L glass bottles both inside and out in the fridge in the garage. I'll probably go to the store to buy some of the 2.5 gal plastic containers to use for the toilet.

I'm hoping it's something that they can get fixed today, no matter what it takes to get it fixed.

I'm almost hoping that they just need to replace almost everything in the well so we'll know that it's all new and good. It'll be more expensive (it's already going to be more expensive, I'm sure), but at least that'll be one thing that I don't have to worry about for a few years. The wife doesn't understand that since it'll cost more. But she also doesn't understand that the proper function of the house is my stress, and it's constant.

Baz · Baz's Garage

Sorry to hear Steve - and yes - gotta be very inconvenient!

I have used Muriatic acid with my shallow wells to safely remove mineral deposits.

My pumps though are centrifugal and up on the surface so would probably be different for your submersible pump setup.

If you are working with a well/pump contractor - they will know how to proceed.

Good luck!

Shaun @ Tru6 · 02-03-2026, 11:09 AM

Do you know any kids named Timmy?

with apologies

masraum · 02-03-2026, 11:09 AM

The guys are back. There are now 2 trucks out there, both with their "cranes" deployed. Fingers crossed!

masraum · 02-03-2026, 11:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shaun @ Tru6

Do you know any kids named Timmy?

with apologies

LMAO!

Two trucks with "cranes", two old guys, a young fella, and the other thing. Gitterdone!

stevej37 · 02-03-2026, 11:17 AM

A few years back, I had the same happen to my well...except mine is a jet pump and he was pulling the point.
The Water guy was in his 20's and it was stuck and he spent a half day trying to pull it. Finally, he said that he was going to talk to his dad (the owner) and would be back in the morning.

After a half hour the next day, he succeeded in pulling it. He said to me "My dad knows all the tricks"

pwd72s · 02-03-2026, 11:27 AM

The big advantage to being on a well? No city water bill. This is one of the disadvantages...another is when the power goes, no more water. I just had a generac installed to cover that..

masraum · 02-03-2026, 11:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stevej37

A few years back, I had the same happen to my well...except mine is a jet pump and he was pulling the point.
The Water guy was in his 20's and it was stuck and he spent a half day trying to pull it. Finally, he said that he was going to talk to his dad (the owner) and would be back in the morning.

After a half hour the next day, he succeeded in pulling it. He said to me "My dad knows all the tricks"

The two old guys working on the well both look like they are in the 60s or maybe 70s. I think they've got the tricks, but needed more firepower.

LWJ · 02-03-2026, 11:34 AM

Good luck. Wells and septic tanks scare me. I have no experience with either.

gacook · gacook's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by pwd72s

The big advantage to being on a well? No city water bill. This is one of the disadvantages...another is when the power goes, no more water. I just had a generac installed to cover that..

I am happy to pay my water bill for just that reason. I know too many people who have wells and are constantly having issues. I live in Arizona and my water is dirt cheap (usually under $50/month), so definitely worth not having the headache.

To me, the 2 biggest benefits of being in the "city," are no well and no septic tank. Dealt with septic tanks as a kid on my parents' property...it sucked. I like not having those worries.

GH85Carrera · GH85Carrera's Garage

We are on city water and sewer and trash pickup. I have an water well only for irrigation of the yard and most of the flower gardens.

A few years back there was a major water leak in city pipe a mile from our house. All of a sudden no city water to flush the toilet. So I used some 5 gallon buckets of well water to flush. I called all my neighbors and told them to come get water if they need it. One neighbor's wife answered as the husband was gone. She promptly went to all three toilets and flushed them and all worked fine, once. He came over and got three buckets full and he was not happy with his wife.

The city got the water back on after about 14 hours so we could take showers!

masraum · 12:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LWJ

Good luck. Wells and septic tanks scare me. I have no experience with either.

That was me 5 years ago, and I'm still a novice, but learning. The good news is that all of this stuff is very simple in the grand scheme of things. I wouldn't want to be out there doing it myself, but it's not rocket surgery.

They got the pump out and confirmed that the valve was bad. The pump was just about 25 years old. They recommended, and I am happy to do it, that we replace the pump. They also said that the pressure tank was bad. They installed it in Nov, so that will be getting replaced under warranty.

Our well has been pretty trouble-free and will now have all new parts pump, foot valve, pressure tank, pressure switch (I installed that), and the power distro box will all be new as of today or Nov for the power distro box. The only issue that's scary is "what do you do for water when the power is out" and the answer is "nothing" or "buy a generator".

Fortunately, my septic is just about as simple as could be, and we just had a new "infiltrator" drain field put in which was ~$5k.

At least now I know that our well is 121' deep, and I think they said the water is 37' down.

masraum · 02-03-2026, 12:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GH85Carrera

We are on city water and sewer and trash pickup. I have an water well only for irrigation of the yard and most of the flower gardens.

A few years back there was a major water leak in city pipe a mile from our house. All of a sudden no city water to flush the toilet. So I used some 5 gallon buckets of well water to flush. I called all my neighbors and told them to come get water if they need it. One neighbor's wife answered as the husband was gone. She promptly went to all three toilets and flushed them and all worked fine, once. He came over and got three buckets full and he was not happy with his wife.

The city got the water back on after about 14 hours so we could take showers!

LOL! That's a funny story.

masraum · 02-03-2026, 01:20 PM

We have water!

Turns out, it wasn't a calcium build up. He's pretty sure it was a combination of the wire and the rope got hung up between the pipe and the pump. He said "nobody uses the rope any more. We don't use the rope."

He said that it got hung up, and then after about 10' of being pulled up (I guess having the 2 cranes pulling was enough to pull past the hang) it freed up. All in all, I think it was about 4 hours which isn't too bad.

The country is so weird. I have no idea how much it's going to cost. He didn't discuss cost or payment. He said "I'll send you a bill" which is how everyone out here seems to work which seems so strange coming from in town where nothing works like that.

stevej37 · 02-03-2026, 01:22 PM

Good deal! If the bill was going to be big...he would have mentioned it.

masraum · 02-03-2026, 01:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stevej37

Good deal! If the bill was going to be big...he would have mentioned it.

I would have thought a couple of grand was big enough. I guess we don't look poor.

ben parrish · 02-03-2026, 02:33 PM

Had a septic tank line back up this past November at our farm while we were there deer hunting. 4 men and no toilet means ..Houston, We Have A Problem!”
Called Mr. Rooter and they were there in a few hours while the boys went hunting. They scoped the line and confirmed what I already knew, the 4”, 70 yr old cast iron line to the septic was rusted down to about two inches. That was not what caused the stop up…it was a freaking wipe my buddy had used to clean the toilet…the ones that say”DO NOT FLUSH” in bold letters on the package.
Well when the boys got back from hunting, the line had been jet blasted and we were back in business. When my buddy heard the charge, $700.00, he ponied up half.
Now, gotta get back down there and put in a new 4” PVC line to the septic tank for another 70 years of flushing bliss.

stevej37 · 02:41 PM

At my place of work, we had a bathroom that would occasionally get plugged.
Of course no one wanted to deal with it, so roto rooter was called. The last time they flushed it out the guy said they found paper towels.
One of the guys said his habit was to use the towels to clean the vanity and then flush the towels.

A big no no.

masraum · 02-03-2026, 02:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ben parrish

Had a septic tank line back up this past November at our farm while we were there deer hunting. 4 men and no toilet means ..Houston, We Have A Problem!”
Called Mr. Rooter and they were there in a few hours while the boys went hunting. They scoped the line and confirmed what I already knew, the 4”, 70 yr old cast iron line to the septic was rusted down to about two inches. That was not what caused the stop up…it was a freaking wipe my buddy had used to clean the toilet…the ones that say”DO NOT FLUSH” in bold letters on the package.
Well when the boys got back from hunting, the line had been jet blasted and we were back in business. When my buddy heard the charge, $700.00, he ponied up half.
Now, gotta get back down there and put in a new 4” PVC line to the septic tank for another 70 years of flushing bliss.

A lot of places sell butt wipes that are "flushable and septic safe", but every page on the Internet that I've seen says not to flush them.

masraum · 02-03-2026, 02:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stevej37

At my place of work, we had a bathroom that would occasionally get plugged.
Of course no one wanted to deal with it, so roto rooter was called. The last time they flushed it out the guy said they found paper towels.
One of the guys said his habit was to use the towels to clean the vanity and then flush the towels.

A big no no.

It's surprising how many folks out there think that a toilet is a magic garbage disposal. I had a girlfriend in college that visited her aunt and uncle in Cali one summer. She got a job at the local sewage treatment plant (I think she was a Chemistry major at the time, although that changed). She said that they showed her one of the tanks that looked like it was full of Portuguese Man of War jellyfish because of all of the inflated, floating condoms. Then there are bathrooms that have signs that say "don't flush anything but toilet paper. Do not flush paper towels or feminine hygiene items!"

I wonder what those are called these days?