Well rod guides

[windybob]

If any well service folks out there have run into the issue of needing rod guides for 7/16 sucker rods inside 1 1/4 PVC pipe ( to keep the rod off the pipe wall) then please either call or email Alan Nix of Nix Mfg in Texas, and let him know if you are interested. He will need to make a mold, (VERY EXPENSIVE) and it would be critical for him to know how many we need for pricing purposes. As far as I know, he is the only one in the country that could, or would have them. I used to have some on the truck, WAY back in time, and used them all. Now I can't find ANYONE who makes or has them.

PLease , if you are interested give him a notification, so that he may be more aware of the need for them. THANKS!

[Windcatcher530 Dan]

Bob do you have a guide you can send a pic of ?

[windybob]

no, If I would have known, I would have kept one from long time ago. There are a couple of guys working with me on it. One is Alan. They are much like the 5/8 guides for the 2 inch pipe, only smaller.

[Windcatcher530 Dan]

Just curious for my own info how do they fasten to the inside of the pipe ??

[windybob]

They don't. They snap (or fasten) on the the sucker rod, (jetrod) close to the ends and middle of the 21 ft run of rod. As the rod runs up and down inside the 1 1/4 inch pvc drop pipe, the guides keep the rod from rubbing on the inside of the pipe. Many water wells use 5/8 fiberglas rod inside a 2 inch pvc pipe, and guides for those rods you can buy all day long. The smaller onse we need in this part of the country (shallow wells) seem to be obsolete for some reason. I'm still chasing down info from companies all across the U.S.. Maybe getting closer.

[Windcatcher530 Dan]

Okay thanks Bob I've been trying to figure out what they would look like in my mind . Now I can kinda picture what they look like !!

[Windcatcher530 Dan]

Amazon sells nylon snap bushings 7/16 id maybe you can make them work somehow !!

[windybob]

A typical guide.

sucker rod guides.png

[Ron Stauffer]

WB

The likely source for 7/16” rod guides from 25 years ago was likely Virden in Amarillo. Do not confuse with Verdun in Kansas. Web is https://virdenproducts.com/ . Rod guides are not listed as a current product but I am nearly certain they produced them 25 years ago. They may have some old inventory.

WY customer did fab guides for one of their crooked wells. They did them about a year ago and havent pulled to see how they are holding up. They are in 1.25 galv. Attached pic.

IMG_20250321_151637.jpg

In the early days of 5/8 fiberglass rod, guides were field installed. They were too loose or too hard to get on. I can see more issues with 7/16” guides since there is hot dipped galvanized rod and zinc plated rod with different ODs and then there is reused rusted rod . Then there is S40, S80 and S120 PVC with all different IDs. Hot dipped rod is my preference, zinc rod threads are pre rusted. S80 and S120 should only be used to pump in. You need to transition to galvanized before the well seal or base flange.

I am not sure your rationale for going to PVC? If it is cost, you need to factor in shortening & rethreading the 7/16 rod for 20’ and installing the guides. If it is bad water, we use US made Wheatland. There is such a thing as keeping installs standardized so subsequent work is straight forward.

Ron Stauffer
Montrose CO

[windybob]

Ron, Virden is out of the windmill etc business. I see the website has other items. I emailed them, they did get back to me.

PVC is used over galvanized here for water that is not friendly to galv pipe. eats it up in 6 months, galvanized rod is longer lasting, maybe a couple or more years. It is gypsum water, or " jippy" water they call it. Not fit for human consumption, but ok for cattle. West of here in the gyp hills, is where we run into the issue, so converting pipe to sch80 threaded, is desireable for shallow wells. up maybe 80 ft or so. Sch 80 (threaded) and sch 40 has different ID, but guides that work in 80 will also work in 40, but just a tad looser. The only thing 120 we use is collars for the pipe if I recall. On shallow wells, 20 ft pipe v 21 ft rod is not an issue for us anyway.