How To Build A Ram Pump
Summary
TLDRThis video tutorial guides viewers through building a ram pump, ideal for use in flowing creeks or springs. It emphasizes the necessity of freely flowing water, particularly downhill, to power the pump. The presenter outlines the essential components, including a water supply, bucket, drive hose, ram pump kit, and delivery pipe. The video demonstrates assembling the pump with a focus on the air chamber, swing check valves, and proper use of Teflon tape. It also covers starting the pump, purging air, and adjusting for optimal water flow, concluding with a parts list and future availability of larger pumps.
Takeaways
- 💧 A ram pump is best utilized in locations with flowing water, such as creeks or springs, especially on a steep slope.
- 📏 To operate a ram pump, a minimum of five feet of elevation drop is required to generate sufficient pressure.
- 🔧 The script outlines the necessary components for a ram pump setup, including a water supply, bucket, drive hose, ram pump kit, and delivery pipe.
- 🛠️ The ram pump kit contains critical parts like an air chamber with a cap and air bladder, swing check valves, on/off valves, plumber's tape, and pipe nipples.
- 👷♂️ Proper preparation of pipe nipples with Teflon tape is essential for preventing leaks.
- 🔄 The swing check valves are installed with the flapper in a specific orientation to allow water flow and prevent backflow.
- 💨 The air bladder in the buffer tank is inflated manually without the need for an air compressor or pump.
- 🏗️ The pressure tank is assembled using all-purpose cement with a primer, ensuring a secure seal.
- 🚰 The script demonstrates the initial startup process, including filling the drive pipe, purging air, and adjusting valves for optimal flow.
- 📈 The video provides a visual example of the water flow and the effectiveness of the ram pump, emphasizing the importance of the water flow rate.
Q & A
What is the ideal location to install a ram pump according to the video?
-The ideal location is a flowing creek or a spring where water flows downhill, preferably on a relatively steep hill to get enough elevation change to drive the ram pump.
What is the minimum elevation drop required to drive a ram pump as mentioned in the video?
-The video specifies that a minimum of about five feet of elevation drop is needed to drive a ram pump.
What is the purpose of the supply bucket in a ram pump setup?
-The supply bucket collects water from the source and provides a point where water falls the required distance to create the necessary pressure to drive the ram pump.
What components are included in the ram pump kit sold by the presenter?
-The ram pump kit includes parts for the air chamber, swing check valves, on/off valves, plumber's tape, and pipe nipples.
How should the swing check valves be oriented in the ram pump setup?
-The swing check valves should be oriented with the flapper shutting when water flows up, and the arrow should point towards the delivery side.
What is the purpose of the air bladder in the ram pump system?
-The air bladder serves as a buffer in the pressure tank, helping to maintain a consistent water flow and pressure within the system.
How is the air bladder inflated in the pressure tank?
-The air bladder is inflated by pressing down on the tip of the schrader valve with a screwdriver and then inflating it by mouth, without the need for an air compressor or pump.
What is the purpose of the bulkhead fitting in the supply bucket?
-The bulkhead fitting in the supply bucket allows for the connection of the drive pipe to the bucket, ensuring a sealed connection for the water flow into the ram pump.
How does the presenter ensure that the ram pump is ready for startup?
-The presenter ensures the ram pump is ready for startup by filling the drive pipe with water, purging all air from the line, and pre-filling the delivery pipe with water using the static water pressure.
What is the significance of the slope in the setup shown in the video?
-The slope shown in the video is important as it demonstrates the necessary incline for the water flow to effectively drive the ram pump, with the presenter recommending a similar slope for optimal performance.
What are the future plans mentioned by the presenter regarding the ram pump?
-The presenter plans to have different sizes of ram pumps available in the future, including larger pumps, and hopes to have an Amazon listing for the product soon.
Outlines
💧 Introduction to Building a Ram Pump
This paragraph introduces the concept of building a ram pump, which is best utilized in a flowing creek or spring with water naturally flowing downhill. The presenter explains the necessity of a steep hill to achieve the required elevation change for the pump to function. The setup requires a water supply, a bucket, a drive hose, a ram pump kit, and a delivery pipe. The kit includes an air chamber with a cap and air bladder, swing check valves, on/off valves, plumber's tape, and pipe nipples. The presenter demonstrates how to prepare the pipe nipples with Teflon tape and assembles the pump components, including the inlet valve, T connections, swing check valves, and the pressure tank. The pressure tank is assembled using PVC cement, and the air bladder is inflated without the need for external tools, showcasing a self-sufficient setup process.
🔧 Assembly and Testing of the Ram Pump
The second paragraph details the assembly of the ram pump, starting with attaching the buffer tank to the pump and installing a male garden hose thread adapter. The presenter also mentions the use of a union for easy separation of the pump for service. The supply bucket is prepared with a bulkhead fitting, ensuring that the setup is done over a box to prevent contamination. The first startup involves filling the drive pipe with water from a tank, allowing air to escape, and then adjusting the valves for optimal flow. The presenter tests the pump using a 30 feet half-inch drive pipe with threaded fittings for easy adjustments. The water flow is visually inspected for effectiveness, and the presenter notes the importance of having a sufficient water flow. The video concludes with a reminder of the parts list for building the pump, available links for purchasing components, and a tease for future videos featuring larger pump sizes and an Amazon listing.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Ram Pump
💡Elevation Change
💡Swing Check Valve
💡Air Chamber
💡Teflon Tape
💡Pressure Tank
💡Buffer Tank
💡Drive Pipe
💡Supply Bucket
💡Purge Air
Highlights
A ram pump is best used in a flowing creek or spring with water flowing downhill.
Water supply should ideally flow down a steep hill for sufficient elevation change.
Freely flowing water is necessary for the ram pump to function.
The ram pump setup includes a water supply, bucket, drive hose, ram pump kit, and delivery pipe.
The ram pump kit contains an air chamber, swing check valves, on/off valves, plumber's tape, and pipe nipples.
Proper preparation of pipe nipples with Teflon tape is crucial.
The swing check valve is key, with a flapper that shuts when water flows up.
The pressure tank requires assembly with PVC cement and primer.
The air bladder in the buffer tank is inflated manually without an air compressor.
The buffer tank is installed onto the pump by screwing it in.
An outlet male garden hose thread adapter is installed for easy water delivery.
The supply bucket is prepared with a bulkhead fitting for water intake.
The drive pipe should be filled with water to purge air before starting the pump.
The pump's performance can be visually assessed by the height of the water flow.
The ram pump can be purged by allowing the valve to stay open to expel air.
The video provides a parts list and links for building the ram pump, including future plans for larger sizes.
The presenter plans to have an Amazon listing for the ram pump kit in the future.
Transcripts
[Applause]
welcome this is a video on how to build
a ram pump the sites that it can best be
used in
is a flowing creek
or spring water flowing downhill ideally
your supply of water would be flowing
down a relatively steep hill
so you don't have to pipe your water as
far to get enough elevation change to
drive a ramp in this case
to get about five feet of elevation drop
to drive a ramp
i'd have to run a collection pipe from
up there to bucket about 25 feet from
the pump so the supply of water would be
falling five feet over about 25 feet of
distance so just to be clear you do need
freely flowing water
to make this work very quickly this is
everything that you need for a ram pump
setup the most critical being a supply
of water now this is a trickle coming
out of the spring that i have right now
you would need more water than that to
run a ram pump so we have the water
supply that will go into bucket which
will go into the drive hose which will
go into the ram pump kit which will then
go through the delivery pipe to where
you want the water now this is a kit
that i sell but you can obtain all of
the components yourself too in here we
have parts for the air chamber this is a
cap and an air bladder
here's the other parts for the air
chamber
and
of course
they're not all packaged the same they
might come differently
these are swing check valves and some on
off valves a little bit of plumber's
tape and here's your air chamber inside
it
our two
t's
and then
some pipe nipples the first thing you
want to do is prep all of your pipe
nipples with some teflon tape included
in the kit so the proper way to do that
hold it so it's going away from you like
that
hold it with your thumb
and go around just like that five times
all right that's one ready to go i'm
gonna do the other five the first step
will be the inlet valve
which then goes to a t
for the most part these can just be
screwed together by hand you may need a
wrench to get it the last little bit
there we go
one more pipe nipple now the key to this
is the swing check valve which has a
flapper inside it
and we want to attach it
in this manner so that when water flows
up the flapper shuts
so the air on this will point down
again just finish it up with a wrench
[Music]
and another nipple and the other swing
check valve oriented with the arrow
pointing towards the delivery side
and another nipple
and the other tee
another nipple
and the final valve
and another nipple here
and that's where the pressure tank will
screw on so now we have to assemble that
to assemble the pressure tank you will
need cement i recommend the all-purpose
cement with primer
i'm primering all pieces
so i only have to
do this step once
[Music]
now assemble the pvc pieces
i'm going to put it on
and rotate if you can wow that's really
stuck on there good
so the further that rotated
now we need to stuff the air bladder
into the
buffer tank
just kind of folding it in half
and shoving it in
make sure that the valve stem
stays
out at the top you don't need an air
compressor or a pump or anything to
inflate this you have to take a
screwdriver and press down on the tip of
the schrader valve stick it in your
mouth and inflate it
so there it is inflated ready to go
now replace the schrader valve cap i'm
just gonna
tuck that in some and then apply
teflon tape to the threads
and then screw the cap on
a large set of channel locks helps with
this step
and now we can install
the buffer tank
onto the pump just by screwing it in
and so that's how the pump comes from my
kit i'm also going to install an outlet
male garden hose thread adapter on the
outlet of course i have to put teflon
tape on these and then also i have this
inlet for half inch pvc
and a union
this is not included in my kit you can
get these pretty much anywhere and this
will allow easy separation of the ram
pump for service if it's needed next up
i need to prepare the supply bucket for
a bulkhead fitting of course doing it
over a box so that i don't get anything
in the grout
[Music]
and here it is all assembled
okay here's the first startup i have the
valve down at the bottom
closed
this is spring water from a tank that i
have so first we're going to fill up the
drive pipe and let it finish bubbling
out the air
okay all the air is out i'm gonna put
this back in with a trickle
just to keep some water in there i do
expect once we get it running that i'll
have to open those up more so from the
bucket
it goes through 30 feet of half inch
drive pipe
you can use a normal coupler but in my
case i've used
threaded fittings because i'll be using
this setup to
test various lengths of drive pipe so i
need to disassemble it and
add pieces as needed
and back down here at the pump
we do have a supply of water ready to go
first thing i'll do is open up the
delivery because we want to pre-fill
that with the static water pressure
that's in the drive pipe
okay it should be full now
oh there it goes
almost
there we go
so
it looks like i've already got water
flowing out up here
the water flowing out here is maybe
about
double the height of that
the camera flattens everything i can
come over here
my chicken coop there is level so we can
get a
better
visual representation of the slope
involved
with my setup
and i do recommend it be
approximately similar to that although
it seems we may have run out of water
already yep
she's thirsty
so this is another way to purge
just allowing the valve to
stay open in fact
having a
a stick there to
keep it pressed down
is a good way to purge all the air out
of the line
okay it seems like all the air is
perched out
well i hope that was helpful uh i'm on
somebody else's creek here i don't know
who it's just off the side of the road i
don't have enough water flowing in my
house to operate this so
for a good background i'm here
so just a
reminder a parts list to build this
yourself is in the description including
amazon and ebay links and whatever links
may be relevant and of course a link to
my current ebay listing for this pump i
do plan on having different sizes
available in the future
larger pumps this is a half inch pump as
small as they go basically and i also
hope to have an amazon listing shortly
and make sure you subscribe so you don't
miss future videos
goodbye
my feet are completely numb
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