Expected Leather Wear

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thomas4211
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Joined: Wed Mar 10, 2021 5:59 pm
Location: Temecula, CA

Re: Expected Leather Wear

Post by thomas4211 »

Thanks Ron,
After reassembling the mill, 30 years ago, I had the drop pipe and rod installed by a contractor with a crane. I have no memory of the bottom check valve. Could you give me your "best-guess" opinion how the bottom check valve works? The traveling check valve is so simple that I suspect it is not the culprit.

Occasionally, when the pump rod unscrewed or the wooden rod broke, the plunger would slam down to the bottom. Could those occurrences have damaged the bottom check valve?
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Bryon
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Location: Eastman, GA

Re: Expected Leather Wear

Post by Bryon »

P7170050.JPG
Here is what the inside of your ball valve cylinder looks like.

If you have a cylinder with ball valves, they will both be ball valves. If they are both working, you will hear the ball vibrate in the cage on the up stroke (check valve) and you will hear the same vibration on the down stroke (traveling valve). We also made a working cylinder out of lexan. The cages are way bigger in height than they need to be.
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Bryon
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Re: Expected Leather Wear

Post by Bryon »

P4190006.JPG
Here is the lexan tube with the pump parts installed. This actually works. This is how I know the cages are too tall.
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thomas4211
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Joined: Wed Mar 10, 2021 5:59 pm
Location: Temecula, CA

Re: Expected Leather Wear

Post by thomas4211 »

Wow! What a fantastic display. I'm going to think about this for a couple of days and try to develop a course of action that omits pulling the pipe/cylinder.
Byron and Ron, I appreciate your willingness to share your knowledge and experience.
Ron Stauffer
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Re: Expected Leather Wear

Post by Ron Stauffer »

The bottom check is fixed and has a leather just for sealing it to the tube/barrel which has a slight taper at the bottom. It has male threads and when the plunger drops down you can turn clockwise and grab the bottom check.

The only time I have seen damaged threads is when the stroke of the mill was bottoming out to the check. Just rod dropping down usually wont damage it

It is a prevailing practice to pull both checks together because if your pipe is holding water, it will flush the drop pipe out when the water flows out of drop pipe back down to the static water level of the well. I had a recent case in point was a ranch that pulled their own rod without the bottom check and the import pipe was so scaley that it filled the cylinder. The remedy was to pull pipe. Screens shouldn't be used on cylinders or you cant flush.

In 30 years, you might be ready for pipe and cylinder...Pipe has doubled in price and cylinders are hard to get. Dont use import pipe as I replaced 3 wells of drop pipe last week that was imported and it varied between 6 to 9 years old

Ron
Ron Stauffer
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Re: Expected Leather Wear

Post by Ron Stauffer »

Meant to attach this

open top checks.jpg


Ron
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Wayne
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Location: Corsicana Tx.

Re: Expected Leather Wear

Post by Wayne »

More info for the book!
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Kevin
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Re: Expected Leather Wear

Post by Kevin »

I have some pump videos that you might find helpful. https://tinyurl.com/27e8nevw
The animation shows the two ball check valves working together.
thomas4211
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Joined: Wed Mar 10, 2021 5:59 pm
Location: Temecula, CA

Re: Expected Leather Wear

Post by thomas4211 »

Since my rod-pulling-helper (my son Kon) is busy for a few weeks, I had time to read and reread all of your appreciated advice and decided to think outside of the box. As I had left the top of the 2" drop pipe open, I had room to ease a 1/2 inch garden hose with a stream nozzle attached down next to the rod. I was able to get it down probably 75 or 80 feet (the leathers are at 120'). I hooked the hose to my submersible pump well and ran it for a few minutes. Obviously the excess water flowed out of the well but the well did not produce water after I stopped running the submersible well and pulled the hose. But...........today the well is producing at an expected rate.

This is either one of Ron Stauffer's "miracles" or I dislodged debris that clogged one of the check valves. Now the challenge is to design a system that will prevent a reoccurrence of the problem. The water in this well is heavy in iron and granite. We don't use the water for anything more than watering plants that are lower than the well head. But I love having the well produce water. As you all know, it is something special. I'm thinking about building a thin hose/nozzle system and attaching it to the jet rod after the next rod pull. Any time the well stopped producing, I would attach it to the submersible pump and blast away.

If it works, my son will no longer have to bring his girlfriend on a date to "work on Pop's windmill."

As always, thanks for your willingness to share your knowledge.
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