Homestead mailing list

[Bill Jones <billj AT harborside.com>]

Gene GeRue wrote:

> > What kind of pump did your
> > cousin have?
> >    
>
> Don't know the brand. Very small, simple 12V thing that pumped slow  
> but sure 24/7. He may have bought it from Real Goods. Not sure. He's  
> a master plumber, so he may have used a plumbing catalog. If anyone  
> needs to know I will contact him and ask.
>
>
>  
All the ones I could find fell short of being able to pump water to a 
height of 108' (what the previous stewards, or someone, scrawled on the 
well house wall).  Little bilge pumps are available for $20, but they're 
not like you describe.  If you very roughly knew the power consumption 
and the flow rate, one can estimate the maximum lift capacity by 
dividing those two numbers (if you first convert the flow rate and power 
rating to the same system of units, metric or otherwise).

It would also have to fit down the well shaft.

It's also distasteful to have to pay more money for a lower power rated 
pump!  That's what I have to say about the $600 "solar water pumps" I 
saw at one Dot.com.  So we would really love finding something like that 
at a reaasonable cost.

> My present choice is a ram pump.
>
> For anything but a well, there is also the issue of water quality,  
> certainly with a surface source. I have not resolved that issue yet.  
> I have a good spring about four hundred feet from the house but  
> strongly suspect it is subject to surface contamination during heavy  
> rain.
>
>  
If only our stream ran in summer!  My partner informed me that he would 
not even so much as bathe in surface water, so with no need to water 
very many plants in winter, that plan sort of died.  It's cheap enough 
to use it to raise the water to run a winter water fountain or 
something, just for the fun of it.  Is there anything to be gained from 
using the ram to raise the water to a spot that's more accommodating to 
a hydro-electric generator, I wonder?

Bill
S. Oregon coast

Bill
S. Oregon coast