Using a Safety Line With Submersible Well Pumps

September 8, 2017 By: Shopify API

Should I use a safety line on my submersible pump? If so, what kind do you recommend?

We get this question quite often when customers take on the challenge of replacing their own well pump.

The first thing I will mention is that we do not generally use a safety line when installing well pumps. There are however a few specific cases where we would use one:

Poly pipe installations — If the pump were to become deadheaded with poly pipe, the pump could heat the pipe to melting point, causing the pump and pipe to separate.
PVC drop pipe installations — For the same reason described above.

Otherwise, we generally would not use a safety line because we use galvanized steel pipe for most installations. We also tape the wire to the pipe every 20 feet. In the event that the pump did become detached, it could be pulled up by the wire in the worst case scenario.

If you decide to use a safety line, you really only need the weight rating to cover the pump and motor. In the event that you are relying on the safety line to pull out the pump, it would be detached from the pipe so the weight of the pipe is irrelevant.

When it comes to material selection, we recommend either poly rope or stainless steel braided cable. Both hold up very well in wet environments and would last a long time.

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