Those red ones are trash pumps basically pump water up from the crick up to a tank by the house. same as the watchmen pump. looks like you're using a jet pump (black pump on the white/gray tank). I think those need to be primed to uses. maybe a quick youtube search would help. With plugging that nipple you could take a piece of rubber hose ( 1/2" or maybe 3/4") cut it about 3 inches longer than the nipple. Then you'll need 2 or 4 hose clamps and a whittled stick a bout the same diameter as inside of the hose. then shove that stick into the hose on one end, take a clamp or two and lock that stick in place, then slip the remaining hose clamps on the hose and then slip over the nipple on the pump. Then tighten the hose clamps to secure the hose to the nipple. And shazam .. nipple no longer open. Or at least that's the way I'd engineer it in a pinch
@alaskachick can you take a picture of the manufactures model / serial number plate on the top of the well pump and post it here?
In all that plumbing boxes you should find a 3/4 NPT plug and replace r=that nipple hose barbed end . then you should be able to prime the pump , if the water will not stay in the primed line then the foot valve needs replacing S
That would probably work as well. I just hope that it's not glued in and comes off easy. If it's glued and one tries to remove it and it breaks ... well, that's a big problem to fix.
if you can find used somewhere - a 3/4" short length of pipe - a 3/4" to 1 1/2" adapter - 1 1/2" plug >>> makes a great pour primer port and handy pump handle .....
at 29 seconds into the video, there is already a primer port in the white pvc above the pump. @alaskachick I rewatched the video again and heard you say you took off the hose on the nipple. You could reattach the hose if it had something like a hose sprayer end .. that would effectively 'plug' the hose and keep the water from leaking out of that port. Just a thought.
