For the life of me, I cannot figure this one out. I have an old (last used in the 80s) well which comes up downstairs, the well casing is about a foot off the ground. On top of the well casing sits an above ground pump (best guess, from the 40s or 50s). I've removed the old pressure tank and started taking apart the well pump (adhered to the top of the well casing). Layer by layer (painfully slow, drilling out old bolts, cutting through solid rusted brackets) the pump has shrunk in size. The motor was the last part of the pump to be removed (which sat on top of and powered the pump portion of the system). I'm now left with a very old metal box (no more than 12" x 8" and 6" in tall - but thick metal) - this part of the well pump is "stuck" to the top of the well casing. There are no bolts, brackets or screws that I can see where I can remove this piece (so I can ultimately cap this unused well). I can turn this "block" in complete circles - doing so I hear the distinct sound of echoing pipe hitting the well casing -- several dozen feet below no doubt. Reaching under what is left of the well pump, I can feel inside the well casing - no threads or bolts (I can't reach very far in, just the edge). I suspect that the well pump is somehow screwed into the water line going into the well, and the pump is "stuck" as the weight of the well pipe holds it down - but that is just a guess. If anyone has any experience with these old style pumps, or has any suggestions, I'm surely interested in hearing from you. My only (and last) chance at this is to ever so painfully cut the well pump open like a can of food to figure out what is keeping it from being lifted from the casing.

I have two concrete septic tank lids. They are 22”x22” squares with a diagonal of 31”. They are 5” thick concrete. This means I need a riser that is minimally 31” diameter. But I do not find one this size. I want to eliminate the heavy lids and just install a riser with a lid at grade. What would you do? -Alex