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Posted by Phil Ross on May 31, 2008, 1:01 pm
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> wrote:
>>
>>
>> >The RAM pump idea sounds like a possiblity for you but we don't know
> enough
>> >about your creek or terrain. If you have 4-5 gallons per minute from
> your
>> >creek you could use a 1" pump. If you have more than that then perhaps
>> >a
>> >larger pump might work. But the RAM pump wont develop much pressure so
> the
>> >water would need to be pumped into an elevated tank and use gravity for
> the
>> >water pressure. You also need a certain amount of "head" for the RAM
>> >pump
> to
>> >work but we don't know if you live on flat or hilly land.
>> >
>>
>> I haven't followed this very closely but I DO have lots of water ram
>> experience. Our previous cabin had one that ran literally for 50 years
> with
>> little more attention than occasionally replacing the leather valve. It
>> pumped water about 100 ft vertically and about 500 feet in distance from
> the
>> tiny creek that we got our drinking water from.
>>
>> I'd be afraid to guesstimate the creek's flow but probably in the 10-50
> gpm
>> range. The key to making a ram work is to have one SMALL enough to work
> with
>> the water available. Ours had perhaps a 4 ft drop which was more than
> enough.
>> The water emitted from the pipe at our cabin with gusto.
>
> The one I made was from PVC and it was only 1" and I had it going directly
> into a storage tank and I never tested the pressure but it sure didn't
> seem
> like much. So, you think one of those old cast iron pumps would run some
> sprinklers?
>
>>
>> There are plans on the net for making a ram using PVC pipe. They look
> like
>> they would work. And, of course, the original design cast iron rams are
> still
>> available.
>
> I followed some plans that included an inner tube in the upper cylinder
> (where the water pressure compresses some air, I think) and left out the
> inner tube because I couldn't see what it was for. It worked fine without
> the inner tube. The dump valve does not seem to be very critical--I made
> one from a PVC tee fitting and an end cap with a few holes drilled in it
> with a stainless screw in the middle with a seal on the inside and a small
> weight on the outside. It worked on the first try. From what I read the
> biggest mistake some people made was using a flexible pipe to feed the
> pump.
> I used SCH 40 PVC and it was rigid enough. To me it's amazing that
> someone
> thought of it in the first place. But, I guess if electric motors haven't
> been invented yet...
>
From Wikipedia for hydraulic ram:
"A pressure vessel containing air, cushions the hydraulic pressure shock
when the waste valve closes, and it also improves the pumping efficiency by
allowing a more constant flow through the delivery pipe. Although, in
theory, the pump could work without it, the efficiency would drop
drastically and the pump would be subject to extraordinary stresses which
would shorten its life considerably."
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