TL;DR
If you have an existing drilled well, a manual hand pump installed alongside the electric pump is one of the highest-value preparedness investments possible — it provides indefinite water supply with zero ongoing consumables and zero grid dependence. Deep well pumps (Simple Pump, Bison Pump) handle most residential well depths. Budget $1,500-3,000 installed. Professional installation is required for most deep well systems.
Why a Hand Pump Is a Different Category
Every other water preparedness strategy involves either consuming stored resources (bottles, drums), treating available water (with filters and chemicals that eventually run out), or transporting water from somewhere else. A hand pump on a productive well does none of these — it accesses the same renewable groundwater your electric pump uses, indefinitely, without any consumables.
A family of four, post-disaster, pumping 15 minutes morning and evening, can produce all their drinking and cooking water from a hand-pumped well. It's physical work. But it works indefinitely, at no cost after installation.
The decision point is your well depth. Wells under 25 feet can use simple shallow-well pumps. Most residential drilled wells in the US are 100-400 feet deep, which requires a deep-well pump.
Shallow Wells vs. Deep Wells
The physics limit: Atmospheric pressure supports a water column of approximately 25 feet. A suction pump (pulling water up from below) hits this limit regardless of pump quality. Shallow well pumps (pitcher pumps, simple piston pumps) work only for water tables within 25 feet of the surface.
Deep well pumps solve this by sending the working cylinder down below the water surface, where it pushes water up rather than the surface pump pulling it. The surface pump handle operates a rod that drives the underground cylinder.
How to tell your well depth: Your well log (required when the well was drilled, often available from your state geological survey or county records) shows the total well depth and the static water level. Static water level is the measurement you need — it tells you how far the water table is below the surface.
- Static water level under 25 feet: shallow well pump is possible
- Static water level 25-300 feet: deep well hand pump required
- Static water level over 300 feet: very deep; specialized pumps required, installation more complex
Pump Selection
Shallow Well Pumps
Pitcher pumps / lever pumps: The classic cast iron hand pump. Effective for wells under 25 feet, or drawing from a cistern or storage tank. Inexpensive ($50-200), no professional installation required for most applications.
For shallow applications: A pitcher pump is completely adequate and has no installation complexity beyond a well-sealed connection to the water source.
Deep Well Hand Pumps
Simple Pump (USA): The leading US-manufactured deep well hand pump for preparedness applications. Rated to 325 feet. Can be installed alongside an existing electric pump in a standard well casing. Features a modular design that makes field repair possible with standard tools. Stainless steel cylinder. Approximately $1,200-2,000 depending on depth, not including installation labor.
Bison Pump (USA): Similar market position to Simple Pump. Heavy-duty cast iron construction. Rated to 200 feet. Also compatible with dual-pump installations. Approximately $1,000-1,800 before installation.
India Mark II / III: UN-standard deep well handpump. Extremely well-proven globally, designed for developing world village water systems. Heavy, installed in a fixed configuration (not easily made into a dual-pump system). Common in agricultural applications. Cost varies widely.
Flojak: A different design — a long flexible tube is pumped up and down, with a check valve that captures water. No cylinder to install downhole, which simplifies installation. Rated to 200 feet. Less durable than Simple or Bison for long-term use but easier to install as a temporary measure.
Dual-Pump Installation
The most practical preparedness installation: retain your electric pump, add a hand pump alongside it.
Requirements:
- Well casing inner diameter of 6 inches or larger (most modern drilled wells — verify before ordering)
- Sufficient annular space for two pipes to run down the casing without contact
- A dual-drop pipe wellhead fitting that accommodates both pump systems
The process:
- Assess well casing diameter (measure or check well records)
- Order the appropriate deep well hand pump with the correct drop pipe length (you need to reach below the static water level)
- Professional well contractor installs the hand pump drop pipe alongside the existing electric pump installation
- The wellhead fitting seals both systems
Professional installation is strongly recommended for deep well dual-pump systems. The drop pipe must reach the correct depth, the cylinder must be installed properly, and the wellhead fitting must maintain proper seal. Improper installation creates a contamination pathway into your water supply.
Casing Diameter and Dual-Pump Compatibility
| Casing Size | Dual Pump Possible? | |---|---| | 4-inch | Tight — possible with some pump configurations, verify with manufacturer | | 5-inch | Marginal — some configurations work | | 6-inch | Yes — standard dual-pump configuration | | 8-inch or larger | Easy — ample space |
If your well has a 4-inch casing, contact Simple Pump or Bison directly. They have configurations for some 4-inch dual-pump installations, but it depends on your electric pump pipe diameter.
What Can Go Wrong
Dry season water table drop: If your static water level drops significantly in dry conditions, a pump cylinder that was at the right depth during installation may no longer be submerged. Know your seasonal water table variation before sizing the installation depth.
Cylinder or piston wear: All mechanical pumps eventually wear. Deep well hand pump cylinders are replaceable without pulling the entire installation in most designs — verify this for your specific pump model. Keep a spare seal kit on hand.
Freeze protection: Pump heads above grade will freeze in winter conditions. Most quality pumps have a weep hole that drains the above-grade portion when the pump handle is released. Verify your pump has this feature if you're in a freezing climate.
Contamination from improper installation: A poorly sealed wellhead fitting is a direct contamination pathway. This is the primary reason professional installation matters.
Estimating Your Installation Budget
| Component | Approximate Cost | |---|---| | Deep well hand pump (Simple Pump or Bison, to 200 ft) | $1,200-1,800 | | Drop pipe and fittings (per 100 feet of depth) | $100-200 | | Professional installation labor | $300-800 | | Total typical installation | $1,500-2,800 |
Add 20-30% for wells requiring specialized fittings or deeper than 200 feet.
Comparison: 1,000 gallons of bottled water at the big-box price ($1/gallon) = $1,000. A well hand pump produces unlimited water indefinitely. For anyone with a productive well, this is among the highest-ROI preparedness investments available.
Sources
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you install a hand pump alongside an existing electric well pump?
Yes. The most common preparedness installation puts a manual pump alongside (not instead of) the existing electric pump in the same well casing. The hand pump has its own drop pipe running down the well alongside the existing electric pump pipes. When power is present, use the electric pump. When power is out, use the hand pump. This dual-pump system requires a well casing large enough to accommodate both (typically 6-inch casing or larger).
What is the maximum depth a hand pump can pull water from?
Shallow well piston pumps work only above the water table — typically effective to 25 feet. For deeper wells, deep well cylinder pumps use a cylinder mounted below the water surface (at whatever depth the water table is) that does the actual pumping work, driven by a rod from the surface. Quality deep-well hand pumps (Simple Pump, Bison Pump) are rated to 300+ feet, though pumping becomes progressively more labor-intensive at greater depths.
How much water can a hand pump produce per minute?
Output depends on pump type, depth, and the pumper's effort. A typical residential deep-well hand pump: 5-15 gallons per minute for a fit adult under moderate effort. A Simple Pump at 200 feet depth: approximately 2-5 gallons per minute. This compares to an electric pump's 5-15 gpm. Filling a 5-gallon container takes 1-3 minutes of active pumping at most depths.