How To: Home made handpump for water (all parts at Lowe's)

[Dolomite_supafly]

All parts are available from Lowe's and require no special skills. You can use this to pull water from a well or any other water source. Only a saw to cut the PVC and glue to put it together. For under $40 you can pump water from 10 feet and it is less than $0.60 per foot after that. So for me to get to 80 feet it is going to cost under $100 total.

Here are the parts:

A: 1 1/2" Plastic Foot Valve SKU: 27767 Cost: $16.50 (This is a one way valve)

B: 1 1/2" DWV Male Adapter SKU: 331503 Cost: $0.98

C: 1 1/2"x2' PVC SCH 40 SKU: 255098 Cost: $2.81 (I used this 2' section to show how it is setup, use any length to get to water)

D: 1.5" Sanitary Tee SKU: 23394 Cost: 1.09

E: Section of the 1.5" PVC pipe Cost: Free as it is cut from existing 1.5" pipe

F: 1 1/2" SCH40 Cap SKU: 23899 Cost: $0.83

G: 1" Plastic Check Valve SKU: 28056 Cost: $10.76

H: 1"x3/4" PVC adapter (we couldn't get it to ring up so I do not have the SKU. It will thread into the 1" one way valve and slide over the 3/4" PVC pipe)

It is marked

1"x3/4"

Lasco

SCH 40 PVC I

D2466 NSF

USA

7

I: 3/4" PVC pipe with several 1/4" holes drilled into it for water flow

J: 3/4" PVC coupling SKU: 23850 Cost: $0.24

K: Something to block water flow into the pump handle L (whatever you can find to keep water out)

L: 3/4"x10' SCH 40 PVC SKU: 23971 Cost: $2.08

Here is a closer look as the working parts of the pump:

How it works is you asemble the larger, outer casing as pictured. Make sure the foot valve flow is going up. The 1.5" casing (marked in red) can be a full 10" section or more depending on how deep you need to go to reach water (I am going to 80'). The sanitary Tee should be at the vary top regardless of how much pipe you have because that is where the water is going to come out. I only used a 2' section to illustrate how everything should go together. The cap shoul have a hole drilled in it for the pump rod to pass through.

Next you assemble the inner working which is similar to the outer workings only smaller. Make sure the check valve flows upward. The check valve fits snugly enough into the 1.5" pipe to give a good enough seal to pull water. Screw the one way valve into the 1"x3/4" male adapter. The section of pipe with the holes in it allows water to pass from the inside of the 3/4" section to the ouside but still inside the 1.5" sections. The water is going to raise in the 1.5" section and not the 1" section. If you try to pump water up the 3/4" section the rod will get too heavy to lift. You will need to seal the pump rod at the bottom between it and the section with holes in it so it doesn't get any water into it. It actually works in your favor because the pump rod will "float" and raise on its own. This makes pumping easier.

Ans when you have the two sections assembled you slide the 1" section into the 1.5" section. Install the Tee at the top of the 1.5" casing for the water to pour out. and install the cap to center the pump rod.

As you pull up on the rod water is pulled through the 1.5" foot valve but cannot go back out. As you push the pump rod down the water now pushed through the 1" one way valve. This puts water on top of the valve. The next time you pull up it pulls water through the 1.5" valve but also lifts the water that isalready on top of the 1" valve.

With this setup each pump moves 1/4-1/2 gallon of water per pump. Plenty for most people. I am going to use this to pull water from about 80 feet in my well. No need for electricity to get water any more. People use this setup to pull water from hundreds of feet. This doesn't need to be vertical either, as long as the foot is under water it will work.

If you have any questions feel free to ask.

Dolomite

Don't be fooled into thinking you need the metal valves either. The metal ones do not fit well and will need to be machined to get a decent seal.

Edited June 21, 2012 by Dolomite_supafly

[Caster]

Marking for future use.

I have a well here, no one uses. I hit water at 70 ft, but ran out of line at 150. I have been told that I did not reach the bottom because my line was being carried away by an underground stream. I beg to differ, I had a 5 lb ingot of lead on the end. If there's a stream moving that fast under my property, I'm moving!

Back on track, I have been wanting something like a Bison deep well hand pump for years, they are stainless and run several hundred bucks. I could build half a dozen of these pumps and still be ahead, provided they work.

Thanks Dolomite; one for reminding me to get bacvk on this VERY important task, and two for taking the time post this as detailed as you have done.

[Dennis1209]

Great info... Thanks so much!

[Raoul]

Nice!

[rustyshakelford]

THX for the how to!!!

[Westwindmike]

For the Y2K non-event, I bought a galvanized metal well bucket and rigged a hand crank windlass in my well house. My water starts at about 30 feet and the bottom is about 95 feet. I can crank up 2 gallons at a time while sitting in my well house.

This pump looks pretty good though. Good job!

[jtmaze]

Marking for later. Moving back to the woods in a few months and I think this will work well. Do you have submersible Pump? Have you considered using your existing pipe to draw water with. You would still have to pull the well but it would be easier to adapt your existing pipe that keeping 100' of pipe laying around.

JTM🔫

Sent from my iPhone

[UncleJak]

Thanks for the info! I will be making a trip to Lowes soon!

[Dolomite_supafly]

I am not having the 100' of pipe laying around. It is getting sunk in the same well as my electric pump as soon as I can get to it, probably next week. They will both be getting used at the same time.

I do not want to try to adapt the existing pipe from the electric pump. I would have to do a lot of modifications that would require someone to come out and pull the current pump up along with the piping. The 1.5" pipe will easily slide down next to the current pipe. And once in place it will rest on the tee. Or maybe I will cut a hole in the well cover for it to pass through and to support the handpump.

Also the way this works is it pushes the water up rather than pulling it up like using the existing pipe would require.

My well goes to 200' and my water level is roughly 60' (I still need to measure exactly). So I am planning on going 80'. I will drop the 1.5" casing a section at a time then install the 1" sections until I reach the bottom of the 1.5" section. Then install the 1.5" tee, cover with a hole in it and a "T" handle onto the top of the 1" pump rod. I might even adapt a lever to gain even more pumping action.

Because our well is away from the house my wife can use it to gather water without having to use a hose or carry water as far.

Dolomite

[jtmaze]

That is great idea. Having them both set up together. Just for short term emergencies. The thing I remember most during ice storms living in the country was not having water. This solves those small problems to.

JTM🔫

Sent from my iPhone

[Slpeod]

Nice how to, thanks for sharing. I guess I'm headed to Lowe's again.

[Dolomite_supafly]

It is all together and in the ground now. I only sunk the main casing 60' and the pump head to 50'. That is because I hit water at about 40'. If the water level drops during the summer I can add more casing and pump rod as needed. It will be pretty easy to do if I need to but my water level stays pretty constant throughout the year.

A quick test resulted in about a quart per pump. And that was with a 2' stroke. I can go as much as 6'-8' per stroke if I setup a lever of some sort.

It did what I wanted it to do which is supply me with water if the power goes down.

I drilled several 1/8" holes in the casing about 10' down. That way if it gets really cold it will not freeze. The water will just drain back out of the casing.

Dolomite

[jtmaze]

Lowe's has pitcher(hand) pumps again.

JTM🔫

Sent from my iPhone

[Dolomite_supafly]

Lowe's has pitcher(hand) pumps again.

JTM

Sent from my iPhone

It can only pull water from 25 feet or less.

Dolomite

[jtmaze]

I didn't have time to look at the specs on it the day I took pics. When I get moved I will be installing your pump in well there. That is a great how to.

JTM🔫

Sent from my iPhone

[hotsauce]

nice idea, I have seen something similar used to circulate water in ponds hooked to a windmill.

[vaiger]

Many thanks to Dolomite for posting this thread and for answering several PM questions about construction. I had been looking at various plans for deep well hand pumps. I have a second well on my property that is not in use and I thought that would be a great option for watering some trees, as well as providing a source of water in the event of a power outage. The pump was very easy to assemble and we used it this morning. We pumped 25 gallons in 5 minutes and it required very little effort.

If you build one, use 3/4 PVC instead of 1" on the inner rod. The 1" couplings will not fit inside of the outer casing so we had to use 3/4".

Our well has a 6" casing and a 6" PVC cap with a 1.5" hole drilled through it worked great in place of the old well cap.

Thanks again Dolomite.

[Guest grizzlesnick]

one inch check valve does not fit in a 1.5 pipe,HELP

 

[Dolomite_supafly]

Did you use the exact same item numbers?

[Guest grizzlesnick]

All parts are available from Lowe's and require no special skills. You can use this to pull water from a well or any other water source. Only a saw to cut the PVC and glue to put it together. For under $40 you can pump water from 10 feet and it is less than $0.60 per foot after that. So for me to get to 80 feet it is going to cost under $100 total.




Here are the parts:



A: 1 1/2" Plastic Foot Valve SKU: 27767 Cost: $16.50 (This is a one way valve)

B: 1 1/2" DWV Male Adapter SKU: 331503 Cost: $0.98

C: 1 1/2"x2' PVC SCH 40 SKU: 255098 Cost: $2.81 (I used this 2' section to show how it is setup, use any length to get to water)

D: 1.5" Sanitary Tee SKU: 23394 Cost: 1.09

E: Section of the 1.5" PVC pipe Cost: Free as it is cut from existing 1.5" pipe

F: 1 1/2" SCH40 Cap SKU: 23899 Cost: $0.83

G: 1" Plastic Check Valve SKU: 28056 Cost: $10.76

H: 1"x3/4" PVC adapter (we couldn't get it to ring up so I do not have the SKU. It will thread into the 1" one way valve and slide over the 3/4" PVC pipe)
 

It is marked

I: 3/4" PVC pipe with several 1/4" holes drilled into it for water flow

J: 3/4" PVC coupling SKU: 23850 Cost: $0.24

K: Something to block water flow into the pump handle L (whatever you can find to keep water out)

L: 3/4"x10' SCH 40 PVC SKU: 23971 Cost: $2.08

Here is a closer look as the working parts of the pump:


How it works is you asemble the larger, outer casing as pictured. Make sure the foot valve flow is going up. The 1.5" casing (marked in red) can be a full 10" section or more depending on how deep you need to go to reach water (I am going to 80'). The sanitary Tee should be at the vary top regardless of how much pipe you have because that is where the water is going to come out. I only used a 2' section to illustrate how everything should go together. The cap shoul have a hole drilled in it for the pump rod to pass through.

Next you assemble the inner working which is similar to the outer workings only smaller. Make sure the check valve flows upward. The check valve fits snugly enough into the 1.5" pipe to give a good enough seal to pull water. Screw the one way valve into the 1"x3/4" male adapter. The section of pipe with the holes in it allows water to pass from the inside of the 3/4" section to the ouside but still inside the 1.5" sections. The water is going to raise in the 1.5" section and not the 1" section. If you try to pump water up the 3/4" section the rod will get too heavy to lift. You will need to seal the pump rod at the bottom between it and the section with holes in it so it doesn't get any water into it. It actually works in your favor because the pump rod will "float" and raise on its own. This makes pumping easier.

Ans when you have the two sections assembled you slide the 1" section into the 1.5" section. Install the Tee at the top of the 1.5" casing for the water to pour out. and install the cap to center the pump rod.

As you pull up on the rod water is pulled through the 1.5" foot valve but cannot go back out. As you push the pump rod down the water now pushed through the 1" one way valve. This puts water on top of the valve. The next time you pull up it pulls water through the 1.5" valve but also lifts the water that isalready on top of the 1" valve.

With this setup each pump moves 1/4-1/2 gallon of water per pump. Plenty for most people. I am going to use this to pull water from about 80 feet in my well. No need for electricity to get water any more. People use this setup to pull water from hundreds of feet. This doesn't need to be vertical either, as long as the foot is under water it will work.

If you have any questions feel free to ask.

Dolomite

Don't be fooled into thinking you need the metal valves either. The metal ones do not fit well and will need to be machined to get a decent seal.

 

 

Did you use the exact same item numbers?

i think,not sure on that valve,can i use a 3/4 inch valve?

[Dolomite_supafly]

I know that the items on the list work. I have no clue about whether other parts will work or not.

[Guest grizzlesnick]

one inch check valve does not fit in a 1.5 pipe,HELP

went back to lowes got the right item number,WORKS GREAT NOW

[Guest grizzlesnick]

Did you use the exact same item numbers?

went back to lowes ,got the right item number,WORKS GREAT NOW

[Guest grizzlesnick]

went back to lowes ,got the right item number,WORKS GREAT NOW

THANKS

[crashgordan]

planning to build this.

 

curious how many are using this and their experience...

also, how deep can it lift/push from?

 

thank you