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.
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A Rope was attached to this and to the Land Rover
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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.
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and
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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