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

[Dolomite_supafly]

The limiting factor is the water and pipe weight being held up at the top.

[runco]

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.

Castor, just curious do Bisons run a couple of hundred, or are did you guess.  I am very interested in the Bison after seeing their video.  I too have a well on my property, actually two, one for my house and one about 200 yards away that has not been used 30 years.  I took the cap off yesterday of the one that is not being used, and I too hit water around 72'.  I ran out of fishing line before it hit bottom.  If a bison setup is <$250, I will prefer to go that route.  I still may try Dolomite's widget though.

[Rob 2.0]

Thank you so much, OP!

 

That's cool

[rbodell]

I have a similar pump. Without the plug in the push rod, air trapped in the pushrod keeps waater out and eventually the pushrod floats.

I put a small hole in the handle under my thumb so I couls let trapped air out and reduce the tenndency to ploat allowing the pump to work at deeper depths. I plan to put one on a 150 foot well

[Ron_TN]

I'm over 300 feet ......HAPPY PUMPING

[Dolomite_supafly]

Using this setup Ron?

[Feather&fly]

Great info. Thanks


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[bersaguy]

I think Dolo's idea is great but not much use for us folks on city water. I have no well to depend on so I have to depend on a creek about a 1/2 mile from the house if we don't have city water. I began giving that a lot of thought some time back so I went up and made a few trips up and down the creek looking for just the right drops in the stream where I could place my water containers lower than the water level. I then put my theory to the test and it worked well. I purchased a couple Primer bulbs like used on out board motors . I put a plastic 1/2 tube on both ends and pumped the bulb about 4 times and had a good flow of water into my water buckets. Works just like a siphoning system. Surely not as efficient as a well and Dolo's method but would work in an emergency quite well. and would be able to fit in back pack..............jmho 

[Dolomite_supafly]

I wonder if you can build a hydraulic ram pump to get water to your house?

[Patton]

I have one of these: http://www.amazon.com/Beckson-Thirsty-Mate-Manual-18-Inch-24-Inch/dp/B0000AY7M0
I think I paid $20 at an irrigation store.

[Dolomite_supafly]

Don't think that is going to pull water from a well.

[Ron_TN]

Using this setup Ron?

OH .......no way I'm on a regular well pump

[Dolomite_supafly]

This setup will work for those depths as well.

[rbodell]

I am in the process of building on a piece of property and I decided to have a similar pump, not because I wanted a manual pump, but because with a manual pump you can EASILY power it with ANY KIND OF POWER, manual or alternative energy from propane to crude oil to waste oil, electric, lawn mower engine etc.

 

My alternative was a 12 volt $1000+ (+pipe) pump I don't even see a choice here. $150 against $1500 I can replace the entire pump in 30 minutes without any tools every year if I have to..

 

One thing I learned about living on a boat, is not to depend on anything electrical. yes I will have DC electric, backed up by a lawn mower engine, backed up by manual, backed up by the grid.

[rbodell]

The limiting factor is the water and pipe weight being held up at the top.

 

My well is going to be deep and the weight would come to about 60 pounds.

 

I drilled a couple of 1/4 inch holes just above the secod check valve and installed a tubeless tire valve in the pump handle.

 

Air trapped in the sucker rod will float the pvc sucker rod and force the water into the outer pipe. When the handle has too much foatation, let a little air out to eqalize it.

 

This pump works off of a pumpjack that pumps the water into a 55 gallon drum. Inside the drum is the sucker rod version to pump it uphill to the water tank that feeds the house. The second pump runs on the same pumpjack.

 

We tried it out at 135 feet and a six year old could pump it by hand.

Edited October 9, 2015 by rbodell

[hunte567]

Hi, this may be a dumb question but does the inside casing need to be as long as the outside casing.  I need to go about 20' and im not sure if they need to be the same lenght. Thanks

Edited May 10, 2016 by hunte567

[Dolomite_supafly]

Yes, they need to be the same height.