how to sink a pipe and fix a hand pump

[deanc]

Hello, Im new to this, I have aquired a scaffolding pole to sink into our allotment in order to attach a hand pump to get some water for the plants, I am struggling to work out how to attach the pump to the pipe which is 1,3/4 inch thick, does any one have any experience of this and any suggestions on how to go about the whole exercise.
thanks Deanc

[deanc]

[manicscousers]

welcome, dean, I'll watch this thread with interest as it's fascinating..hope you get it working  ;D

[cambourne7]

hi

where is the water??

When you say you want to water your plants are you using raised beds etc?

Cambourne7

[emmy1978]

If no-one knows by the time my OH gets in from work I'll put him on! He is gasman and plumber so he should have some idea!!!  :)

[deanc]

thanks for the replies, the water is approx 10ft-18ft down, there is no water supply on the allotment,so it would be easier than transporting water during dry periods, I have seen similar set ups around the site. thanks for any further info.deanc.

[gary]

Some more information about your pump would be needed ie what size does it have male or female fittings, but if you have not got a pump but a decent cordless drill you could maybe look at a drill pump

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Electric-Drill-Pump-The-BEST-POND-Boat-AQUARIUM_W0QQitemZ280105938451QQihZ018QQcategoryZ15271QQtcZphotoQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

This was just the first one I found there must be others.

Gary

[dee]

Hi
   have a look at this site
  www.ajbaqua.co.uk
I have one and works ok , it fits onto a 11/4 pipe.
dee

[emmy1978]

OH wants to know if it is mains supply water or standing water (from a tank etc).
;D

[deanc]

the water will be drawn from the water table approx 10ft under ground, thanks for the link to the leicester company selling handpumps, the pump has a 1 1/4 female thread, the pipe is 1 3/4 inch, I have looked for a reducing coupler but no joy as yet, I have been told to block the end of the pipe and drill small holes to let the water into the pipe to keep the soil/stones out,then sink it into the ground by whatever means, and then make the pipe airtight by attaching the pump and away you go, sounds simple? could emmy1978 ask her oh if such a coupler exists?
Thanks Dean

[emmy1978]

I will do Dean, I'll get him to have a look at this thread when he gets in tonight. He would have looked yesterday but didn't he get in till gone 7pm, then girls bedtime, etc so i forgot all about it and rememered this morning. I asked him then and he said he would come on and have a look tonight.
Sorry 'bout that, but hopefully he'll be able to help.  ;D

[Robert_Brenchley]

How are you going to dig the hole to put the pipe in? In order to allow for droughts, it would probably be sensible to go well below the water table, especially if there's a lot of extraction of underground water in the area.

[gary]

Depending upon you pump but a possible solution would be to install a 1 1/4 inch to 3/4 inch reducer to the bottom of you pump. Then connect a 3/4 inch male to 25mm MDPE fitting to that. Then connect it to a length of 25mm MDPE run inside you scaffolding tube to keep it straight. There are other fittings with bigger bores but they are expensive.

http://www.bes.co.uk/nav_graf/frames_cat.htm

This is one of the sites I use.

Gary

[keef]

How are you going to dig the hole to put the pipe in? In order to allow for droughts, it would probably be sensible to go well below the water table, especially if there's a lot of extraction of underground water in the area.

I think you need a license to over 20m ?? (i think).

[emmy1978]

Depending upon you pump but a possible solution would be to install a 1 1/4 inch to 3/4 inch reducer to the bottom of you pump. Then connect a 3/4 inch male to 25mm MDPE fitting to that. Then connect it to a length of 25mm MDPE run inside you scaffolding tube to keep it straight. There are other fittings with bigger bores but they are expensive.

OH agrees with Gary's idea. He says basically, your only option with the scaffold pipe is to use it as support for the water pipe, as nothing will pinch, ie it won't have any grip.
He advises you start with the pump and find a fitting for that, then find pipe to fit the fitting.
There should be instructions with the pump to tell you what you can and can't use, ie, copper or plastic pipe and fittings.
He says you may be able to buy a really big brass compression coupling, he knows they are available industrially but might not suit your purpose. He advises you take the pump into a plumbers merchants to find the initial fitting as they can be very helpful and a challenge always appreciated!!
Hope this has been some help. He says, if you are in Dorset he'll have a look!
Good luck and let us know how you get on!

[deanc]

THANKS FOR THAT, I will hopefully have it operational by the end of the weekend, I will keep you posted.
Cheers Dean

[gary]

I do not know if you have sorted things out but I needed a pipe fitting for a job over the weekend and found this site which may help!

http://www.philmac.co.uk/

gary

[Old bird]

Well I am dead impressed - it will be very interesting to hear how you have got on.

Being a girl I generally find water in taps and troughs is as far as I would look!

Good luck

Old Bird

[deanc]

I have not yet managed to get the pipe in the ground, but I have capped the end and drilled lots of water inlet holes in the bottom 5ft of the pipe/pole, I am thinking of going down the route of inserting some plastic pipe inside the scaffolding pole and fixing that to the pump, as I have found the cheapest way to thread the pipe is over £20 to hire a threader, which did not sound too good! Thanks for the philmac site that is really useful and reasonable.
I will keep you posted.
Deanc

[deanc]

THE PIPE IS IN THE GROUND! hallelujah! Quite a bit of messing about over the past week but I have managed to  knock a 14ft pipe, 12 ft  into the ground and have it about 2 1/2 ft under water with lots of sand mixed in. I got a 1 1/4 inch male thread fixed to the bottom of the pipe(PIPECENTRE £4.00) with a reducer to 25mm mdpe(blue drinking water pipe picked up of a building site).  I sent the blue MDPE pipe inside of the steel pipe, but I discovered I have to fit a 6 inch length of 1 1/4 pipe to the bottom of the pump to accomodate a part of the pump that protrudes out of the bottom when in operation(which I was unaware of). I got the hand pump from Machine Mart Ltd, Derwent street, Derby(£24.00). I am planning to fit the pump to a wooden plinth above the sunken pipe, I have been told you have to pump all of the sand out before using it on plants, I will try to post a pic when its running.
Cheers Deanc

[emmy1978]

That's great deanc! Glad it's all working out. OH very interested in how you're getting on with it as he loves a challenge!
I would pump the sand out as you may find there is quite a lot of it to begin with.
;D