Well I'm not prepared

[farmertrappe]

Came home this afternoon and while doing the evening chores it seemed to take forever for the last of three water jugs to fill. No water coming out of the hose that's strange or is it. I have a shallow well pump, which is located down in a small pump house but its a above ground pump. Checked the breaker and headed to the pump house to remove the roof/lid to check pump. Pressure switch tried to start pump but it would just click back off. I was reaching down to feel if the pump was hot and brushed up against the copper pipe going to the filter. I got shocked, me being me I touched it again to be sure, yep got shocked again, pump must be grounding out. Turned off the breaker and felt the pump, warm. Now in the pumps defense, two weeks ago while processing chickens it started to make a high pitched whine. I knew it was going to be a problem sooner than later, but this ain't a good time. On top of that about three years ago when we had a very wet spring the pump quit on me because it got deep sixed under water for two days before the tide went out. I hit the breaker and its run fine since then, until now.
But the truly messed up thing is how unprepared I am for this situation. I have no bottled water, no clean containers to take to friends to fill. The hog pen has a 35 gallon gravity fed water tank that will be empty in the a.m. I will be able to get some water from my next door neighbor tomorrow for the critters. But it really makes me realize how unprepared I am. I need 70 gallons of water just to fill the hog and chicken water jugs every day not including water to clean them out. I was planning on doing two or three loads of laundry tonight and I have a few dirty dishes from yesterday not to mention I could use a good scrub.
I got two gals of water to clean up with and keep the hound dog in liquid refreshment. I have to drop off a flyer for the farm and some honey at a home show first thing in the morning before loading up,towing and blocking a boat up the road a little ways. Then I will get to start to deal with this.

[Brad H.]

Sounds like you have plans for the weekend. Good luck!

[topper]

"Well I'm not prepared"

Maybe not this time, but I bet you will be in the future & that is what counts!

[hunt4it]

I guess a positive out of this is....the weather could be 90 with high humidity or freezing cold and freezing up. Bright side could also look at it that it's the start of a weekend and not Monday   Power to you farmer....you'll get it taken care of!!

[Deleted]

Sept 11, 2015 22:51:19 GMT -5 topper said:

"Well I'm not prepared"

Maybe not this time, but I bet you will be in the future & that is what counts!

X2

I'm sure you'll be back up and running soon

[bk]

farmertrappe, it seems no matter how prepared a person is there is always something that still doesn't go as planned.

Worked at a resort in northern Minnesota were we either had a three hour boat ride across the big lake for supplies, a 3/4 hour float plane ride and the bill to go with that, or a half hour boat ride and drive of 2 hours on bush roads one way.  The later was usually the path we took, and I hated that bush road trek.  We had a very well stocked parts supply for almost everything need to keep the place functioning and in repair - electrical, plumbing, building materials, boat motor parts, etc. - except what we actually needed as each new emergency reared its head.  Really odd how that always worked. 

An example, our jet pump quite on night.  Similar to your situation, a bit of troubleshooting and the problem was discovered.  We had a spare pump, spare pipe fittings, spare pressure switch, spare breaker, spare wire - but the small 1/4" brass pipe that broke off at the pressure switch, nope.  Because that would never fail.  Result, a resort without water and a late night trip and bush ride to be at the nearest hardware when they opened in the morning. 

Guess the moral, if there is one, is do the best you can with what life tosses your way, keep your chin up, and keep moving forward.  There are very few emergencies we can be 100% prepared for, but with our knowledge and experience we'll deal with them, and get past them.

Keep your chin up - you can deal with this emergency!  Hang in there frarmertrappe.

[farmertrappe]

Took a couple hours but I got the pump out with out tearing up anything. I called and left a message for a feller I know who installed a septic system for me and replaced the pump in my old house when it froze up after i moved out and before I sold the place. Took a min. for him to figure out who I was and ya he can help me out and has a good slightly used pump that might work,cool. Said he could not do it till Tues he was out of town, and heres where it gets crazy. Asked him where he was, "I'm out in Ohio at a shooting competition." I say O Ya where at? "Man i'm staying in this little neat town called New Philadelphia and shooting in Dennison." I said your freaking kidding me, that's where my entire family lives except me and my brother. Mother, Aunts and Uncles, cousins everyone else lives there, how crazy is that, its a small world. Told him my Ma has called Thursday and said she was making peach pies this weekend, I could HOOK HIM UP, (with pies not my Ma)

[farmertrappe]

Well I have survived, finally have water flowing and the washing machine is rolling. We hooked up a free used but "Good" pump that turned out to have a cracked housing. Picked up a new one yesterday and got it in today. With my neighbors assistance I was able to fill two 72 quart coolers to use for the animals and flushing duties while I was out of water. It was not a huge deal, but flowing water is easier than bucket water.