Farm Repairs: Fixing the Well Pump

When you have cattle, there's always something that needs fixing. One of the more challenging tasks on the farm is replacing our well pump. While you could call a specialist, we decided to tackle it ourselves this weekend.

We start by checking all the other components. First, we inspected the fuses in the breaker box, then the pressure switch, which was fine. Since we’d replaced the pressure tank just a few weeks ago, we knew it wasn’t the issue. Next, we checked the capacitor, which works like a starter in your car to give the pump a jolt of electricity. It was functioning, so the pump itself was the problem.

Pulling the pump is no easy task. Ours sits about 120 feet underground, and with the weight of the pump and water-filled PVC pipes, it’s a tough job. We don’t have specialized equipment, so we had to do it by hand. A friend came over to help and April clamped the pipes as we carefully disconnected them. The hardest part was making sure we didn’t drop anything—losing a pipe means installing a whole new well.

After getting the old pump out, we wired the new one (color-coded wires made this easier) and lowered it carefully back into the well. Once it was in place, we reconnected the wiring and replaced the lid. With the power back on, the pump was working again.

The cattle were ecstatic to have water again. They’d drained their tank during the outage and were eagerly waiting for more. Once we refilled it, they gathered around to say thanks.

And just like that, we were back in business.

As Always,

Savor, Flourish, enjoy the ride—And remember to close the gate!

Trevor Moller, April Johnson

and the team at Stock & Steeds