Hand Pumps and Winter
Matthew J. Mortillaro
There's been lots said about well-depth, submersible pumps,
and buckets, but what about hand pumps on wells situated
outside? Don't they freeze in the winter?
I'll get a well dug in the next few weeks (30' from the house),
but I'll forego installation of an electric pump --- for the
simple reason that I won't have *any* electricity on site for
months (at least). Since I'll need water, I'm looking at the
hand pumps. Since I'll need water after snow falls-n-sticks,
I'm turning to you for suggestions or experiences.
Must I whip up an insulated shed around the hand pump?
or have the well-head below the frostline with the hand pump
covered with insulation (when not being used)?
Thanks
Bryon Kass
When you stop pumping the water drains down the pipe. It never
freezes down in the well as it is below the frost line. As long
as no water stays up at the outlet it will not freeze the pump.
If you need a diesel generator check out what we have in good used
or new units.
Bryon Kass
webmaster and
Custom Design
150 Mechanic St.
Foxboro, MA 02035
508-543-9068 or fax 508-543-5127, Foot yard 508-384-2415
in THE ENGINE ROOM http://home.ici.net/~cusdn
Rapid Robert CST
Matthew J. Mortillaro wrote in message
<6vlia4$e...@sjx-ixn4.ix.netcom.com>...
>Hi, all!
>
>There's been lots said about well-depth, submersible pumps,
>and buckets, but what about hand pumps on wells situated
>outside? Don't they freeze in the winter?
>
>I'll get a well dug in the next few weeks (30' from the house),
>but I'll forego installation of an electric pump --- for the
>simple reason that I won't have *any* electricity on site for
>months (at least). Since I'll need water, I'm looking at the
>hand pumps. Since I'll need water after snow falls-n-sticks,
>I'm turning to you for suggestions or experiences.
>
>Must I whip up an insulated shed around the hand pump?
>or have the well-head below the frostline with the hand pump
>covered with insulation (when not being used)?
>
>Thanks
>
If your well is shallow i.e. under 15ft to the water, you could get away
with a cistern hand pump... this is the cheap and simple option... the
suction chamber is right at the top and has a small drain (or drill a small
hole in the pipe) so that the water won't freeze in it..but you will have to
prime the pump, maybe with warm water, to get it to draw. I used one like
this through 3 winters in northern Alberta.... The deep well style has the
suction chamber under water... again with a foot valve with a hole in it...
building not strictly necessary, but nice... (I still don't have one).
Warren Lauzon
Hand pumps don't normally freeze if installed right (so that the
water drains out of the pump so that there is no standing water in the
pump). I have seen pumps so cold that the water froze when it hit the
metal.....
--
Solar and Wind for remote power since 1979
http://www.windsun.com
Matthew J. Mortillaro wrote in message
<6vlia4$e...@sjx-ixn4.ix.netcom.com>...
>Hi, all!
>
BusyB
Matthew J. Mortillaro <jimm...@ix.netcom.com> wrote in article
<6vlia4$e...@sjx-ixn4.ix.netcom.com>...
> Hi, all!
>
> There's been lots said about well-depth, submersible pumps,
> and buckets, but what about hand pumps on wells situated
> outside? Don't they freeze in the winter?
>
> I'll get a well dug in the next few weeks (30' from the house),
> but I'll forego installation of an electric pump --- for the
> simple reason that I won't have *any* electricity on site for
> months (at least). Since I'll need water, I'm looking at the
> hand pumps. Since I'll need water after snow falls-n-sticks,
> I'm turning to you for suggestions or experiences.
>
> Must I whip up an insulated shed around the hand pump?
> or have the well-head below the frostline with the hand pump
> covered with insulation (when not being used)?
>
> Thanks
>
>
It's been fifty years since I used a hand pump but the way I remember it we
had a rod(handle) that we used to open a petcock in the well pipe below the
freezing level.
We had to open it each time after pumping and close it before pumping. It
took extra pumping to get the water level back up each time.
Hope this helps,
Don
danny burstein
>Matthew J. Mortillaro <jimm...@ix.netcom.com> wrote in article
><6vlia4$e...@sjx-ixn4.ix.netcom.com>...
>> Hi, all!
>>
>> There's been lots said about well-depth, submersible pumps,
>> and buckets, but what about hand pumps on wells situated
>> outside? Don't they freeze in the winter?
>>
>> I'll get a well dug in the next few weeks (30' from the house),
>> but I'll forego installation of an electric pump --- for the
>> simple reason that I won't have *any* electricity on site for
>> months (at least). Since I'll need water, I'm looking at the
>> hand pumps. Since I'll need water after snow falls-n-sticks,
>> I'm turning to you for suggestions or experiences.
We actually had a similar setup... a well with a handpump, which also led
to some plumbing to an indoor electrical pump. When we'd leave, we'd turn
off the heat and drain the pipes (and electrical pump).
When we'd come back, we used the handpump for the first batch of water,
and then would carry some over to the (still frozen but slowly warming)
house, prime the electrical pump, and turn it on.
Now as to how the handpump works...
the hand lever pulls (and drops) a rod that reaches down the length of the
well. At the _bottom_, way below frost level, is a one way piston.
Pushing the lever moves the piston, raising (some) water through it and
partway up the pipe. A second push raised the water higher, and after a
couple more the water would come out the spigot.
Simple, straightforward, and very common.
note that there's a _slight_ "leakage" built into the piston, or via a
small side pipe (I don't know which technique was used im ours) so that
the standing water in the well pipe woul dslowly drain out the bottom.
This prevented any freezing...
Oh, and the piping to the house and the electric pump was buried under the
frostline. so only a small portion extending into the house was in danger
of freezing, and that was pretty much drained out.
--
_____________________________________________________
Knowledge may be power, but communications is the key
dan...@panix.com
[to foil spammers, my address has been double rot-13 encoded]
pat...@midrivers.com
You drill a small hole in your well below the freeze point so the water can
drain our, need to be above the water line.
oooO We are NOT
( ) Oooo at the end of the
\( ( ) Earth.. But... We
(_) )/ can see it from
(_) Here!!!
Off the top of my head because
There is no hair to hold it in. ;-)
Frank S
Matthew J. Mortillaro wrote in message
>Hi, all!
>
>There's been lots said about well-depth, submersible pumps,
>and buckets, but what about hand pumps on wells situated
>outside? Don't they freeze in the winter?
Have used a pitcher pump for many years. Frost Pruf style works well on low
lift wells. Keep water on hand for priming. Lifting the handle beyond normal
range will cause lower check valve to open and let water back into
well.(when you are done pumping the water you need and some priming water)
You cannot use a foot valve on this type of pump or the water will not
drain. This is about the cheapest pump around,so keep a spare,as eventually
it will shatter from temperature difference.(watch that hot water!) If pump
is below freezing,use priming water to thaw before moving handle,as leather
will be frozen to pump side.
andrew christou
> Hi, all!
>
> There's been lots said about well-depth, submersible pumps,
> and buckets, but what about hand pumps on wells situated
> outside? Don't they freeze in the winter?
>
> I'll get a well dug in the next few weeks (30' from the house),
> but I'll forego installation of an electric pump --- for the
> simple reason that I won't have *any* electricity on site for
> months (at least). Since I'll need water, I'm looking at the
> hand pumps. Since I'll need water after snow falls-n-sticks,
> I'm turning to you for suggestions or experiences.
>
> Must I whip up an insulated shed around the hand pump?
> or have the well-head below the frostline with the hand pump
> covered with insulation (when not being used)?
>
> Thanks
Dear Matthew,
Please look at our site and look under water and sewage solutions.
Ever considered a rope and washer pump ?.
All the best.
--
Andrew Christou
MAYA BOOKS - Sustainable technologies
http://www.mayabooks.ndirect.co.uk
Po box 379
Twickenham TW1 2SU. UK.
+ 44 181 287 7964 tel 11.00am - 6.00pm GMT
+ 44 181 287 9068 fax/answerpnone 24hrs
Lou Hinshaw
>Hi, all!
>
>There's been lots said about well-depth, submersible pumps,
>and buckets, but what about hand pumps on wells situated
>outside? Don't they freeze in the winter?
>
>I'll get a well dug in the next few weeks (30' from the house),
>but I'll forego installation of an electric pump --- for the
>simple reason that I won't have *any* electricity on site for
>months (at least). Since I'll need water, I'm looking at the
>hand pumps. Since I'll need water after snow falls-n-sticks,
>I'm turning to you for suggestions or experiences.
>
>Must I whip up an insulated shed around the hand pump?
>or have the well-head below the frostline with the hand pump
>covered with insulation (when not being used)?
>
>Thanks
Use the old reliable sucker-rod pump, and put a small release valve
in the pipe below frost..
Also, in winter, you can make a foam thing like a tea-cozy that you
wrap on the body of the pump-jack tohelp keep it warm.
Good luck.
"The learned Fool writes his nonsense in better language,
but 'tis still nonsense."
B.Franklin 'Poor Richard Improved' (1754)
Lou H.
Prolific inventor,
Lousy Salesman,
Incompetent businessman.
(Typical of the Breed)
Looking for both around
Tulsa OK, USA