Cob: Re: Hand Water Pumps

[SANCO Enterprises <Paul & Mary Salas>]

Water --- some have plenty and others are having severe droughts. This
is not cob, straw bale or Earthship specific, however it is something
that affects our daily lives.

There seems to have been a run on "hand water pumps" due to the y2k
fears.  Trying to find these pumps, vendors have a varying lead times
and availability . Because of the very short time frame to work before
the pumps are needed,  I took a day out of the busy schedule to make two
deep well water pumps using off the shelf materials.  More on this
later.

I became involved with "hand pumps" because I wished to help Athena and
Bill Steen with the Save the Children project, Casas Que Cantan in
Mexico http://www.caneloproject.com/pages/mexico.html.  The Steens will
be conducting a workshop in Obregon Jan 9-16  and a related project will
include deepening one existing well and hand digging another a minimum
of 8 meters.

The pitcher type hand pumps (available at Harbor Freight $15.95) with
the suction portion outside the well are only good for a max of 20-25
feet (6 to 7 meters).  Anything deeper will require a cylinder type pump
such as those used on wind mills and higher end deep well hand pumps.
After many phone calls and e-mails, I could not get all of the materials
needed for the project before Jan 9. Sound familiar when you want
something done in a hurry?

I reasoned that this is a simple mechanism and could be fabricated using
off the shelf items for easy maintenance and readily available
replacement parts. So in one day I obtained the parts and assembled 2
pumps. The pump will be able to draw water from about 200 feet.

Here's the parts list for one pump.

1 ea 1-1/4 foot valve  (Home Depot Flotec TC2501 $12.95)

1 ea 1-1/4" check valve (Home Depot Flotec TC2505 $13.95)

3 ea 2-1/4 x 1-1/2" leather pump cups (T P Pump Albuq $3.00 ea)

1 ea  Wrangler Track Arm Bushing Kit 2.7101R (Energy Suspension
$8.13) Off Road supply store

1 ea 1" electrical coupling ($1.59)

2 ea 1-1/4" x 1" electrical reducing bushing ($2.00)

1 ea 1" x 3" pipe nipple ($1.79)

1 ea 1" x 1-1/4" pipe bell reducer ($2.50)

1 ea 1" pipe plug ($1.25)

2 ea 1-1/4" pipe mount flange ($3.59)

1 ea stainless steel tube 2.135 ID x 2.370 OD x 20" long ($13.00)

1 ea used Baker HD 12 hand pump actuator ($125.00)

3 ea 12' lengths 7/16" sucker rod ( $27.00)

4 ea 7/16" couplers ($12.00)

2-1/4" brass round stock ($28.00)

4 ea 7/16" steel rods ($12.00)

Total cost of materials  $267.75  Retail value  is about $1200

Since I did not have the time to source parts properly, I had to do some
machining (lathe & mill).  Ideally if you can locate a smooth stainless
steel or cast iron tube with 2-1/4" ID it will eliminate most of the
machining.  I used the oddball stainless steel tube because it was
available. The suction tube can be just about anything that is available
and adapted to the mounting flanges and to avoid wear in the suction
tube, guides maybe  required on the suction rod. Leather cups are
available in a variety of sizes and manufactured bronze should bushings
could easily be paired with available materials.

Here's the machining required.

1. Cut 3 slots 1/2" wide x 1.25" long in the side of the 1" x 1-1/4"
bell reducer. Machine the OD of the large bell end to 2.100"

2. Open up the center holes in three wrangler bushings so they slide
over the 1" pipe ( 1.330" varies due to pipe OD)

3. Machine the pipe ends of the check valve to 1.820" x .50 and taper
the shoulder

4. Machine the OD of the check valve to 2.120" This serves as the pump
guide

5. Cut the 1" electrical coupling to obtain a ring that is .650" long

6. From the brass stock make 2 ea shoulder bushings with a 1.50" ID by
2.120". Cut a .500" shoulder and taper the small end to fit the leather
cup ID

7. From the brass stock cut a spacer with a 2.120 OD x 1.500" ID x .600"
wide

8. Drill and tap the 1" plug for a 7/16 x 20 bolt

9. Thread the stainless steel rods 7/16 x 20

10. Face off the flange mounting plate side of the 1-1/4" base plates.
Cut a grove that is 2.400" OD by 2.160 ID by 1.25" Deep. Drill out the 4
flange holes for the 7/16" rods.  These are used as the cylinder caps so
if a different tube is used, adjust the grove to fit the material used.

11. When the above are fabricated, assemble the cylinder element and
machine the leather cups to 2.120". The leather cups are not very
precise and are out of round. They could be soaked in water until they
are pliable and could be inserted as fabricated.  There will be
significant resistance due to the very tight fit.

In a 2-1/4" tube, the cups are rather loose and must swell to provide
suction.  If anyone is interested in more details, I have JPEG photos
available.  If you don't want to fabricate and want off the shelf parts
see http://www.deanbennett.com/.

I will be joining Athena and Bill and a host of other notables in
Obregon to specifically help with the well project and whatever else I
can be of assistance.  You can help too. If anyone wants to make TAX
Deductible donations for the Casas que Cantan project they can be sent
to:

          The Canelo Project
     c/o  Athena and Bill Steen
          HC1 Box 324
          Elgin, AZ 85611

          and photos of the Casas que Cantan can be viewed at:
http://www.caneloproject.com/pages/mexico.html


--
Paul Salas
SANCO Enterprises, LLC
P.O. Box 45741
Rio Rancho, NM 87174
(505) 238-1485