When I purchased my home, I wanted the independence of my own well water supply.
However, I quickly realized that when the power goes out, so does the water, as electric well pumps rely on electricity.
If you’re preparing for long-term emergencies or living off-grid, a manual hand well pump is an essential backup.
These pumps provide access to water without electricity, making them invaluable in a crisis.
In this article, we’ll explore the best hand well pumps for deep and shallow wells and help you choose the right one for your needs.
Best Shallow Well Hand Pumps
- Depth: Up to 20 ft
- Flow Rate: 1 Gallon per minute
- Materials: Brass & cast iron
- Best For: Off-grid or emergencies
- Depth: Up to 25 ft
- Flow Rate: 4.5 gallons per minute
- Materials: Stainless steel
- Best For: Heavy, daily use
- Depth: Up to 25 ft
- Flow Rate: 1 Gallon per 7 strokes
- Materials: Heavy-duty cast iron
- Best For: Emergency back-up
Shallow well hand pumps are an excellent choice for wells up to 25 feet deep.
These pumps work by creating suction to pull water to the surface, making them ideal for emergencies and off-grid situations where you need a reliable water source.
1. Pressurized Seal Top Water Pump
- Depth: Up to 20 ft
- Flow Rate: 1 Gallon per minute
- Materials: Brass & cast iron
- Best For: Off-grid or emergencies
The Pressurized Seal Top Water Pump is available from Lehman’s.
Made in the USA, this pump is sturdy and will last many years as a backup emergency pump.
Capable of pumping water from a depth of 20 feet, the pump can also get water up to the second floor of your home.
Designed to hook into your home’s plumbing fixtures and self-priming, this is an extremely popular option for shallow wells.
2. Stainless Steel Shallow Well Pump
- Depth: Up to 25 ft
- Flow Rate: 4.5 gallons per minute
- Materials: Stainless steel
- Best For: Heavy, daily use
The Stainless Steel Shallow Well Pump is made in the USA by Bison Pump Company and is a highly durable option great for cabins, cottages, and off-grid living.
This pump can draw water from up to 25 feet and is built from rust-proof 304 stainless steel which means it is highly resistant to the elements.
The air- and water-tight design of the pump will prevent contaminants from getting into your well, and can be used either indoors or outdoors.
While it’s a reliable option for both emergencies and daily use, correct installation is crucial to ensure frost-free operation.
Producing 19 ounces per stroke, this is an efficient choice for shallow wells.
3. Green Hand Cistern Pump
- Depth: Up to 25 ft
- Flow Rate: 5 gallons per minute
- Materials: Aluminium & cast iron
- Best For: Emergency back-up
The Green Hand Cistern Pump is a very budget-friendly pump.
This pump is a pitcher pump, so it won’t’ hook up to your house plumbing, but installation is extremely easy – just screw on a 1-1/4″ drop-pipe, drop it into the well, and bolt it down.
It’s durable, made from cast iron, and will keep you in water for a long time.
Capable of lifting water from depths of up to 20 feet, this pump is great for emergencies.
Despite its traditional vintage look the pump is fully functional and built to last.
4. Simmons 1160/PM500 No.2 Pitcher Pump
- Depth: Up to 25 ft
- Flow Rate: 1 Gallon per 7 strokes
- Materials: Heavy-duty cast iron
- Best For: Emergency back-up
The Simmons 1160/PM500 No. 2 Pitcher Pump is a sturdy, budget-friendly option that will allow you to pump from shallow wells, cisterns, or even ponds.
Made from durable cast iron, this pump is built to last and can lift water from depths of up to 25 feet.
It’s a good choice for those needing an affordable and simple solution for occasional water access.
However, while it’s reliable for light use as a backup in a power outage, it’s not designed for heavy-duty, off-grid living or continuous daily use.
Keep in mind that this manual well pump requires manual effort and occasional priming to function effectively.
5. TBVECHI Suction Pump
- Depth: Up to 10 ft
- Flow Rate: Unspecified
- Materials: Stainless steel
- Best For: Emergency back-up
If you have a very shallow well and are just planning on lightly using a well pump in emergencies, then the TBVECHI Suction pump is a decent low budget option.
It is very easy on the wallet, but keep in mind that the pump only works in wells up to ten feet deep.
This pump is great as a backup plan, but it simply won’t stand up to the rigors of heavy, off-grid full-time use.
6. Cincinnati Gem Well Pump
- Depth: Up to 30 ft
- Flow Rate: 5 gallons per minute
- Materials: Cast iron and galvanized steel
- Best For: Off-grid or emergencies
The Cincinnati gem well pump works a little differently.
With this pump, you turn the crank, which provides a continuous supply of water.
You will require additional parts to install the pump such as the ‘buckets’ and chain used to draw up the water.
It will pump from a depth of up to 30 feet from wells, lakes, and cisterns.
Shallow Well Hand Pump Comparison
The chart below gives you a quick look at the shallow well pumps discussed above.
You’ll be able to compare the well depth, flow rate, materials, and primary use for most of the pumps. This chart and guide will give you an idea of which shallow well pump would work best for your situation.
| Depth | Flow Rate | Materials | Best for | |
| Pressurized Sealed-Top Water Pump | Up to 20 feet deep | 1 Gallon Per minute | Brass and cast iron | Off-grid or emergencies |
| Bison Stainless Steel Shallow Well Pump | Up to 25 feet deep | 4.5 gallons per minute | Stainless Steel | Heavy, daily use |
| Green Hand Cistern Pump | Up to 25 feet deep | 5 gallons per minute | Aluminum and Cast iron | Emergency back-up |
| Simmons 1160/PM500 No. 2 Pitcher Pump | Up to 25 feet deep | 1 gallon per 7 strokes | Heavy-duty cast iron | Emergency back-up |
| TBVECHI Suction Pump | Up to 10 feet deep | Unspecified | Emergency back-up | Emergency back-Up |
| Cincinnati Gem Chain Pump | Up to 30 feet deep | 5 gallons per minute | Cast iron and galvanized steel | Off-grid or emergencies |
Best Deep Well Pumps
- Depth: Up to 200 feet
- Ease of Use: Easy to install; requires minimal effort
- Materials: Stainless steel (food-safe)
- Best For: Off-grid, heavy use, cold climates
- Depth: Up to 150 feet
- Ease of Use: Quick and easy installation, T-handle
- Materials: Stainless steel
- Best For: Backup pump, off-grid, power outages
- Depth: Up to 200 feet
- Ease of Use: Requires more physical effort to operate
- Materials: Cast iron
- Best For: Off-grid, barns, and homes
If your well is deeper than 25 feet, you’ll need a deep well pump. Although the best deep well hand pumps can be a little more costly, they are just as important.
There are plenty of quality construction deep well pumps that can get you water when you need it. Here are my top picks!
1. Bison Stainless Steel Deep Well Pump
- Depth: Up to 200 feet
- Ease of Use: Easy to install; requires minimal effort
- Materials: Stainless steel (food-safe)
- Best For: Off-grid, heavy use, cold climates
Bison is known for its high-quality well pumps, including shallow, inline, and, of course, deep well hand pumps.
Their Stainless Steel Deep Well Pump can work for depths up to 200 feet, making it a great option for ensuring access to water in off-grid situations or during power outages.
This pump can be installed alongside an electric pump and never requires priming. Plus, the pump’s freeze-proof design makes it suitable for cold climates.
Constructed out of durable, food-safe stainless steel, the pump is designed for long-term reliability with minimal maintenance, and it comes with a lifetime warranty for added peace of mind.
It could be argued that this is the best hand pump for deep well situations.
2. Flojak Plus
- Depth: Up to 150 feet
- Ease of Use: Quick and easy installation, T-handle
- Materials: Stainless steel
- Best For: Backup pump, off-grid, power outages
The FloJak Plus model is a stainless-steel version of their original FloJak deep well hand pump and can draw water from up to 150 feet.
It can be permanently installed next to your electric well pump. Alternatively, store it as a backup pump since installation is quick and easy.
This type of pump uses a T handle rather than a typical pump handle.
Use the system calculator on their website to determine what length of pipe you will need for your well.
3. Deep Well Double Action Force Pump
- Depth: Up to 200 feet
- Ease of Use: Requires more physical effort to operate
- Materials: Cast iron
- Best For: Off-grid, barns, and homes
The deep well double-acting force pump is a real workhorse.
It’s best for off-grid situations since it can’t be used along with an electric well pump. There just isn’t enough room in the wellhouse for both.
It will pump plenty of water for your barn and home.
The pump cylinder sits below the frost line, meaning you won’t have to worry about frozen pipes.
These pumps have long pump arms to facilitate easier pumping from up to 200 feet deep.
4. Emergency Hand Water Well Pump – 100 Foot PEX Pipe
- Depth: Up to 100 feet (adjustable)
- Ease of Use: Lightweight but can be physically demanding
- Materials: Stainless steel, PEX pipe
- Best For: Backup pump, off-grid, power outages
If you are looking for a straightforward, no-fuss backup water pump, the Emergency Hand Water Well Pump from Legacy Food Storage is worth a look.
It is really lightweight and comes fully assembled with a flexible 100-foot PEX pipe that can be cut down to your desired length.
The hand pump is easy to install and store when not in use, and is also one of the more budget-friendly options on the market.
That said, pulling water from deeper wells, especially beyond 75 feet, can be quite a workout! There have also been some reports of leaks at the fitting connections, so take care with your installation.
Unfortunately this pump doesn’t come with detailed instructions, but online resources are available to guide you through the setup.
5. ECO-WORTHY Solar Well Pump Kit
- Depth: Up to 230 feet
- Ease of Use: Requires some DIY wiring, no manual effort
- Materials: Stainless steel, plastic
- Best For: Backup pump, off-grid, power outages
I realize this one is not a hand well pump, but the ECO-WORTHY Solar Well Pump Kit offers a great alternative for off-grid water access when the grid is down.
Powered by a 100W solar panel, it can lift water from up to 230 feet deep, making it a solid choice for deep wells.
You won’t need to worry about manual pumping because the sun will do the work for you! For more reliability you can even pair it with a 12V battery to keep it running even on cloudy days.
A couple of downsides to consider are that the pump only works during daylight unless paired with a battery, and the setup can require some DIY wiring, which might not be straightforward for everyone.
Deep Well Pump Comparison
| Pump | Depth | Ease of Use | Materials | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bison Stainless Steel Deep Well Pump | Up to 200 feet | Easy to install; requires minimal effort | Stainless steel (food-safe) | Off-grid, heavy use, cold climates |
| Flojak Plus | Up to 150 feet | Quick and easy installation, T-handle | Stainless steel | Backup pump, off-grid, power outages |
| Deep Well Double Action Force Pump | Up to 200 feet | Requires more physical effort to operate | Cast iron | Off-grid, barns, and homes |
| Emergency Hand Water Well Pump | Up to 100 feet (adjustable) | Lightweight but can be physically demanding | Stainless steel, PEX pipe | Backup pump, off-grid, power outages |
| ECO-WORTHY Solar Well Pump Kit | Up to 230 feet | Requires some DIY wiring, no manual effort | Stainless steel, plastic | Backup pump, off-grid, power outages |
Why You Need a Hand Well Pump
There is no question that water is essential to life. We can’t go for more than three days without water. And if you have a homestead, your animals need water, too. You need drinking water, washing water, and water for cooking.
For example, brushing your teeth with dirty water is just as dangerous as drinking it! You need clean, potable water available all of the time and this is why it is essential to have an emergency well hand pump.
The CDC recommends that you store a gallon of water per person per day for at least three days. This amount of water storage is pretty doable for a short-term emergency since most of us can find a little space in our homes to stash a few gallons of water.
But if you have a large family, it could be pretty much impossible to store enough water for a more extended time- it would just take up too much space. And if you need to store up water for your animals, you’ll need much, much more water. For this reason, you’ll need to find some additional water resources.
Hand Well Pump Alternatives
You could use a rain catchment system and filter the water, but even that is limited by how many rain barrels you have and how much it rains. Some locations have laws against rainwater collection, too. And if you are completely off-grid, you’ll need a steady supply of water, anyway.
Generators are helpful for power outages. However, most electric wells are hard-wired into your household electrical system. You wouldn’t be able to plug your well pump into a generator if you wanted to unless you have an electrician set it up that way. And well pumps draw a significant amount of power, so you would have to have a large generator to run it. A standard household generator might not be enough to run all of your home appliances alongside your well pump.
Having a manual well pump as a backup is essential as your best choice to have potable water all of the time just might be a hand well pump. And although hand well pumps may seem expensive, they are definitely worth the cost if it keeps you and your family out of harm’s way during an emergency.
Hand well pumps are made for either deep wells or shallow wells, and they work a little bit differently.
Shallow and Deep Pumps
How a Shallow Well Pump Works
A shallow well pump works by creating suction that pulls the water upwards through the pipe when you pump it. But the deeper the well, the harder it is to pump the water up. Eventually, the weight of the water is too heavy for the amount of suction you can create with a well pump. So shallow well pumps are best for wells that are less than 25 feet deep.
If you have a shallow well, you might be more at risk of running it dry, but you will have an easier time pumping up the water.
How a Deep Well Pump Works
On the other hand, a deep well pump pushes the water up from the bottom rather than suctioning it from the top of the well. In addition, a cylinder is installed below the water level that can push up to 300 feet of water from the bottom of the well to the top, where you can access it.
My well is about 250 feet deep, so I would need to use a deep well pump. Deep well pumps may require more physical effort to pump.
How to Choose a Well Pump
Before you purchase a well pump, you’ll need to know which type of pump to choose. Here are a few factors you need to consider.
- Well depth. The depth of your well is probably the most important factor in choosing a well pump. It simply won’t work if you try to install a shallow well pump in a deep well.
- Pump handle. Pump handles may sound like a trivial topic, but the length of the pump handle will affect how easy or hard it is to pump the water out of the well. A short handle will be harder to pump than a long handle.
- Installation. Professional installation of a hand pump can be expensive, but consider if you can install it yourself or if you will need help. Some hand well pumps can be installed alongside the electric pump, and some cannot. If you are using the hand well pump often, you might want one that can be installed alongside your regular pump. However, if you are just keeping it as a backup for emergencies, this might be less important to you.
- Flow Rate. You’ll want to consider the flow rate of the pump you will use. A slow flow rate isn’t a bad thing, but it does mean you’ll get less water in the same amount of time. If you are using a lot of water, you’ll probably want a higher flow rate.
- Price. Hands pumps aren’t cheap, but the deeper your well, the more expensive the pump will be. However, you don’t want to sacrifice quality because water is such an essential element in survival.
Final Thoughts
Choosing the right well pump can be a difficult decision. However, most hand well pump manufacturers have in-depth FAQs available on their website, tools to calculate which pump you need, and better yet, excellent customer service to help answer your questions.
In addition, don’t be afraid to call in a professional to help you get the right pump.
Related Questions
Most handwell pumps will need to be primed when you use them, especially if you store them and only install them for emergencies. You might want to keep enough water on hand to prime the pump in emergencies. Make sure you consult your owner’s manual for details about your specific pump.
Your pump might freeze in the winter. Some pumps, however, are designed to sit below the frost line, which means they will not freeze in winter. You might need to drain the hoses each time you use them, however.
You can use a string and fishing sinker to measure the depth of the well. Simply tie a weight to the end of the string and lower it until it hits the bottom. Then you can measure how much of the string was underwater. However, you might need more information than just the well’s depth. Check out this article for more details.
