Submersible Pump Pulling and Setting: Procedures and Tools

Submersible pump pulling and setting encompasses the mechanical procedures, specialized equipment, and professional qualifications involved in extracting a submerged well pump from its casing and reinstalling it at depth. These operations are among the most physically demanding and technically exacting tasks in the water well service sector, governed by a combination of state well construction codes, occupational safety standards, and manufacturer specifications. The scope covers residential, agricultural, and light commercial installations where submersible pumps are seated anywhere from 50 to over 1,000 feet below grade.

• Definition and scope
• Core mechanics or structure
• Causal relationships or drivers
• Classification boundaries
• Tradeoffs and tensions
• Common misconceptions
• Checklist or steps (non-advisory)
• Reference table or matrix

Definition and scope

Submersible pump pulling refers to the extraction of a downhole pump assembly — including the motor, pump body, and attached drop pipe — from a drilled or bored water well. Setting refers to the reverse operation: lowering a new or refurbished assembly to the design depth and securing all connections at the wellhead. Together, these operations define a discrete service category within the well pump repair sector that requires dedicated lifting equipment, pressure-rated piping, and waterproof electrical components rated for continuous submersion.

The scope of a pull-and-set job includes the pump motor and pump stages, the drop pipe string (typically schedule 80 PVC or stainless steel), the safety rope or torque arrestor cable, the submersible electrical cable, the pitless adapter or wellhead seal, and the check valve assembly. In wells deeper than 200 feet, the total suspended weight of these components commonly exceeds 300 pounds, placing the operation squarely within OSHA's general industry rigging and lifting standards under 29 CFR Part 1910.

State-level jurisdiction over well pump installation and repair is exercised through well construction acts or water well driller licensing statutes. The National Ground Water Association (NGWA) publishes voluntary standards — including ANSI/NGWA-01 — that define minimum installation practices, equipment sizing, and sanitation procedures for well pump work. At least 46 U.S. states require a licensed or certified well driller or pump installer to perform pull-and-set operations on potable water supply wells, though exact licensing categories and exemptions vary by state.

Core mechanics or structure

A submersible pump assembly operates on a vertically oriented, sealed motor-pump unit suspended below the static water level. The motor, positioned at the bottom, drives an impeller stack above it, pushing water upward through the drop pipe to the surface. During a pull operation, this entire assembly must be withdrawn from a casing that ranges in diameter from 4 inches (residential minimum under most codes) to 8 inches or more for high-yield systems.

The mechanical challenge of pulling derives from column weight, friction against the casing wall, and the hydraulic resistance created as the pump is withdrawn from a water-filled bore. A 4-inch, 1.5-horsepower pump set at 300 feet on 1.25-inch schedule 80 PVC drop pipe generates approximately 150–200 pounds of suspended weight excluding the water column inside the pipe. A 10-horsepower commercial pump on steel pipe at 600 feet can exceed 2,000 pounds.

Key structural components involved:

• Drop pipe string: PVC or stainless threaded sections, typically 5- or 10-foot sticks, broken down one section at a time during pulling and assembled during setting
• Submersible cable: Flat or round UL-listed submersible wire, typically 12 or 10 AWG for residential applications, taped to the drop pipe at regular intervals (commonly every 10 feet per NGWA guidance)
• Safety rope: Polyethylene or stainless wire rope anchored to the pump motor housing as a backup retention line
• Pitless adapter: A sanitary wellhead fitting that routes the water line from vertical inside the casing to horizontal below the frost line, disconnected and reconnected during every pull-and-set cycle
• Check valve: A backflow prevention device seated either at the pump discharge or within the first 25 feet of drop pipe, depending on local code

Causal relationships or drivers

The primary drivers of pump pulling events fall into three categories: mechanical failure, water quality changes, and scheduled maintenance.

Mechanical failure accounts for the majority of emergency pull jobs. Motor winding failures caused by dry-run conditions — where the pump operates without sufficient water — are among the most frequent. Pump impeller wear from sediment-laden water, bearing failure from prolonged vibration, and check valve seizure each create conditions requiring full extraction for diagnosis or replacement.

Water quality changes, particularly increasing sand or sediment infiltration, signal screen or casing deterioration. These conditions progressively damage pump impellers and necessitate pulling to inspect downhole conditions directly.

Scheduled maintenance and testing drive planned pull-and-set cycles. Some jurisdictions require periodic well inspections, and pump manufacturers publish recommended service intervals. Many agricultural operations pull and inspect pumps on a 5- to 7-year cycle as a preventive measure.

Electrical failures — including cable abrasion against the casing wall, splice failures at the pitless adapter connection, and submersible motor insulation breakdown — are diagnosed from the surface using a megohmmeter (insulation resistance tester) before a pull is authorized. A reading below 1 megohm on a 500-volt insulation resistance test is a widely used threshold indicating cable or motor degradation sufficient to warrant a pull, per general electrical service practice cited in NFPA 70E principles.

Classification boundaries

Pull-and-set operations are classified along three primary axes in the professional service sector:

1. Well depth class
- Shallow wells (under 50 feet): Hand-over-hand cable or rope pulling, minimal hoisting equipment
- Mid-range wells (50–300 feet): Portable pulling machine or boom truck typically required
- Deep wells (300–1,000+ feet): Dedicated service rig or hydraulic pulling unit mandatory

2. Pipe material
- PVC drop pipe: Lighter, lower cost, torque-limited; not suitable for settings requiring rotation during pulling
- Stainless steel threaded pipe: Heavier, corrosion-resistant, required by code in certain aggressive water chemistry conditions and for pumps above 5 HP in many states
- Galvanized steel: Legacy material, largely replaced by stainless in new installations

3. Application type
- Residential potable water: Subject to sanitation protocols, wellhead sealing requirements, and disinfection procedures per EPA recommendations
- Agricultural/irrigation: Higher flow rates, larger casing diameters, less stringent sanitation protocol in non-potable applications
- Geothermal and industrial: Specialized materials, higher pressure ratings, falls outside standard well pump licensing in some states

Service professionals can find categorized listings organized by application type and geography through the well pump repair listings maintained within this reference network.

Tradeoffs and tensions

The central tension in pull-and-set operations is between speed of extraction and wellbore integrity. Rapid pulling of a heavy pump assembly — particularly on PVC drop pipe — risks pipe joint failure mid-pull, which can leave the pump assembly stuck in the casing or damage the casing wall. Controlled pulling at a measured pace preserves joint integrity but increases labor time.

A second tension exists between using PVC versus steel drop pipe. PVC reduces total suspended weight (important for pump sizing calculations) and resists corrosion, but its torque limitations make it incompatible with certain pump configurations. Steel pipe adds 60–90% more weight per linear foot compared to equivalent-diameter PVC, increasing demands on the pulling machine and altering the pump motor's starting torque calculations.

Sanitation protocol versus operational efficiency creates a third friction point. Full NSF/ANSI 61-compliant disinfection of the wellbore and all reinstalled components using chlorine solution (at 100–200 ppm concentrations per NGWA ANSI/NGWA-01 guidance) is required in potable water applications, adding time and chemical handling to every job. Some contractors underperform this step on repair-versus-replacement calls, creating pathogen contamination risk that is only detected on subsequent water quality testing.

Permitting requirements present an additional operational tension. At least 12 states require a permit specifically for pump replacement — not just initial installation — creating administrative delays in emergency service scenarios where pumps fail in high summer demand periods. The NGWA tracks state-level licensing and permitting variations through its Government Affairs database.

Common misconceptions

Misconception: A pump can be identified as failed without pulling.
Electrical resistance tests, flow tests, and pressure diagnostics can indicate motor or electrical failure, but impeller wear, partial blockage, and certain bearing failures cannot be definitively diagnosed without physical extraction. Remote diagnosis determines whether a pull is warranted; it does not replace inspection of the physical components.

Misconception: Shorter drop pipe means easier pulling.
Total extraction difficulty is more closely tied to pipe material, fitting torque specifications, and wellbore condition than to depth alone. A 150-foot stainless steel installation in a deteriorated casing may present greater difficulty than a 400-foot PVC installation in a clean, straight bore.

Misconception: Any licensed plumber can perform a pump pull.
General plumbing licenses do not automatically authorize well pump installation in most states. Pump installation licensing is typically held under a separate well driller or pump installer endorsement. Performing a pull-and-set without the appropriate state-specific credential constitutes unlicensed work under most state well construction acts. Details on professional credential categories are addressed in the resource overview for this reference domain.

Misconception: The safety rope is optional.
NGWA ANSI/NGWA-01 and many state codes explicitly require a safety rope attached to the pump motor as a secondary retention line. Its purpose is to retain the pump assembly if the drop pipe separates during pulling — a failure mode that results in a dropped pump, potentially unrecoverable without specialized fishing tools or well abandonment.

Checklist or steps (non-advisory)

The following sequence represents the standard procedural framework for a pull-and-set operation as documented in NGWA standards and state well construction codes. This is a reference sequence — not a substitute for professional qualification or site-specific engineering judgment.

Pre-pull phase
- [ ] Verify static water level and confirm pump set depth from installation records
- [ ] Perform surface insulation resistance test (500V megohm test) on submersible cable
- [ ] Disconnect power at control box and lockout/tagout per OSHA 29 CFR 1910.147
- [ ] Obtain required permit if mandated by state or county jurisdiction
- [ ] Position pulling machine or boom truck; confirm load rating exceeds estimated assembly weight by minimum 2:1 safety factor per standard rigging practice
- [ ] Lay out pipe racks and organize pipe storage area to prevent contamination

Pull phase
- [ ] Disconnect pitless adapter using adapter removal tool
- [ ] Attach pulling machine to top of drop pipe or safety rope anchor
- [ ] Extract drop pipe in sections, breaking joints at each pipe stick
- [ ] Tag submersible cable to each pipe section for controlled removal
- [ ] Inspect each pipe section and fitting for damage as extracted
- [ ] Secure pump assembly on surface; do not allow motor to contact ground without protective covering

Inspection and replacement phase
- [ ] Test motor windings with megohmmeter; document readings
- [ ] Inspect impeller stack for sand wear and replace stages as indicated
- [ ] Inspect check valve; replace if seating surface shows wear or pitting
- [ ] Inspect cable insulation for abrasion, replace if damaged

Setting phase
- [ ] Assemble new or refurbished pump to drop pipe, torquing PVC joints per manufacturer specification (typically 10–20 ft-lbs for 1.25-inch PVC per NSF/ANSI 14 guidance)
- [ ] Tape submersible cable to drop pipe at intervals not exceeding 10 feet
- [ ] Lower assembly to design set depth, maintaining controlled descent rate
- [ ] Reconnect pitless adapter; verify positive engagement
- [ ] Disinfect wellbore and pump assembly with chlorine solution (minimum 100 ppm) if potable water application per ANSI/NGWA-01
- [ ] Restore power; perform flow test and pressure test
- [ ] Flush chlorine solution; conduct water quality verification per applicable state health standards

Reference table or matrix

References

• National Ground Water Association (NGWA) — ANSI/NGWA-01 Water Well Construction Standard
• OSHA 29 CFR Part 1910 — General Industry Standards
• OSHA 29 CFR 1910.147 — Control of Hazardous Energy (Lockout/Tagout)
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — Private Drinking Water Wells
• NFPA 70E — Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace
• NSF International — NSF/ANSI 61: Drinking Water System Components
• NSF International — NSF/ANSI 14: Plastics Piping System Components
• National Ground Water Association — Government Affairs: State Licensing Database