How to retrieve a submersible water pump that came a loose from all connections from out of the well

Is there a threaded section of pipe coming up from the pump? Any idea how far down it is?

I hate to say it, but this is just a bad deal, not much you can do, the pump is a loss. The good new is, you can just leave it there and install a new pump. I have never personally heard of anybody retrieving a submersible pump that fell to the bottom of the well(unless it's a really shallow well, or the pipe was still within reach). Like I said, I would just count the pump as a loss, and move forward with installing a new pump. The time and effort used trying to retrieve the old pump will most likely be wasted. When installing the new pump, just make sure to take precautions to prevent this from ever happening again.

Please do let me know if you do find a way to retrieve the pump. Hope things work out for you.

Carolpeae, https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/plumbing/removing-well-water-submersible-pump-398205.html hkstroud had some really good ideas dealing with your problem, look at his drawing on this thread. Good luck

I know it has been done, but not real sure how. But as I understand it, so long as you have wellpipe still attached to the pump, and the pipe is threaded, then a second pipe is lowered, screwed onto the wellpipe, and pulled up.

I don't think you would be able to put in a second pump with the first one still in there with wellpipe attached.

BTW, is the electrical wire still attached? It would be a long shot, but it might be possible, if you still have wire you can grab, to pull it up with the wire... just a thought.

I still think my idea would work. Never heard any thing back from leelon.

If you want to give it a try, I have a better idea for fabricating the locking device or dog.

Frankly, I don't see why someone wouldn't try it Should cost less than $50 and take about 2 hrs to fabricate the device. If it doesn't work you haven't lost much.

I remember your idea. It looked promising.


There is not much on the web about retrieving a pump, but what little I could find seemed to reference putting a smaller pipe inside the well pipe and somehow pulling from there.

Some time after that old post I realized that if you put a check valve (with a modified flapper) in the retrieval pipe, it would act like a clamp or dog and lock onto the well pipe. That makes fabricating the device simply. As I said above, for $50 I would give it a try. If the top end of the well pipe is still inside the casing it should work.