Ram Pump: converting a foot valve to a ram

How to convert a standard 2 inch foot valve into an adjustable ram pump that with just 6 feet of fall will get you a gallon a minute 55 feet high.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• ram
• pump
• water
• free
• energy
• off
• grid

[fireye2012]

Using lead weights is the least of my worries. With all the poisons we are exposed to these days the amount of lead exposure is to miniscule to even consider. In the end it is a personal thing I guess.

[fireye2012]

Even with 6 feet of drop you should have no trouble getting water to heights of well over a hundred feet but as you know the higher you go the less water you get.

If you have a long pipe run feeding the pumps (over 100 feet) you will need to install a stand pipe or your pump will never work properly.

let me know if you have anymore questions as I would be glad to help you work out the bugs.

[fireye2012]

My questions would be how much fall do you have and how far apart are the pump strokes. Mine runs at about no less than 1 stroke per second. The faster the strokes the less pressure you get.

Your air tank is very critical to. I found that the air pressure inside of the tank is very important as well. After I went to a commercial pressure tank things got much better than the home made ones I was using.(I had to pre-pressurize mine with a tire pump before it really started to move some water).

[fireye2012]

DUH....it might work better if I turn the water on!

[juanmatus100]

your nails are too long and disgustingly dirty...

[bootthefascists]

lead should not be used, regardless of the application. other than that, this is great, i have been looking for a good idea to replce the ram valve on my old pump, its getting ready to die on me. thanks!

[flamedrag18]

you know what's easier? using a swing check valve.

[patterncuber11]

@fireye2012 where can i get that valve

[bebuggin69]

@fireye2012 just paint the lead weights with something non toxic and it's a non issue. nothing but water will ever touch it really so it shouldn't wear off very quickly

[dreasim]

thank you for making these ram pump vids!

[josephdupont]

Great Idea.. !!! I 've seen flap valves used.. but this might be better.

did you see the hammer engine when they get power from a ram "pump"?

[ICUC007]

Is this the sort of thing that I could use to automatically pump out my normally empty swimming pool after a rain? I would like to pump the water out into my way back yard, starting at 50 ft away, and on to 200 ft away, thru a 1 1/2 ' pvc pipe with many holes in it. Sometimes I am gone for weeks at a time and I don't want standing water. And even when I'm here, if I use the sump pump, I usually forget to turn it off.

[Hollrobb]

"You dont want to go to far up the shaft",,, Thats what she said!.

[XELA2T]

very, very good idea to get such a useable ram valve the easy way.

BTW all brass is becoming this black with the time than the brass on the working valve (that sounds like someone is playing tennis LOL) or does your water contain something special?

Best Regards

[bdltli]

Mate - I am in Thailand working with the hill tribe people - trying to build a RAM pump to increase agric productivity. I have a 2" setup - went all steel for the 1st one to try and get it right. Can I boucne a few things off you as it is not working. I am going to replace the spring with weights as you suggest but would like to check my stats with someone who has done it. Barry j