Vacuum Pump Needed

[have_blue]

Been looking for a high volume vacuum pump. It doesn't need to pull a real high vacuum. My budget is $1, but if the pump is nice enough, I may be willing to go over budget by $100 or so. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

All I need to do is pull a 4" column of water about 4-5 feet upward. I need to slightly evacuate a 50' long horizontal section of 4" PVC pipe, with a 5' elbow to get it started.

I already have a Red Lion 3 HP gasoline centrifugal water pump. It has a 2" outlet, and it throws water like a fire hydrant. However, it's not good at sucking air, and it takes forever to evacuate the 4" pipe. I hate to run my pump with no water in it for the 3-4 minutes it takes to prime. I'm afraid the seals will get warm and wear out.

So, ideally what I need is a hand vacuum pump that takes a good sized gulp of air on each stroke, or perhaps a 12v electrical diaphragm pump with good volume. (but remember, a high vacuum is not needed)

I guess I can rule out any centrifugal pump, right? The ones I have seen just don't prime quick enough.

How about an old hand well pump? They seem to pull air and prime OK. A shop vac would do it easily, but I have no electricity.


Thanks for any ideas!

 

[SnowRidge]

Take a look here here and see if it might do the job. You can extend a hose off of the bottom to increase the depth.

I use one as a dinghy pump (or did, I no longer own the dinghy).

 

[chim]

Could you give more info? Do you have access to both ends? What does the pipe connect to? Is the water clean (as opposed to a sewer line, etc)?.............chim

 

[have_blue]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Could you give more info? Do you have access to both ends? What does the pipe connect to? Is the water clean (as opposed to a sewer line, etc)?.............chim )</font>

I'll answer your questions 1 at a time.

I have access to both ends, but that doesn't matter. I pump from a 2" fitting tapped into the main pipe at 90 Deg .

The water pipe connects to water in a pond on 1 end, and a drainage ditch on the other end.

The water is clean enough for any pump, but I wouldn't drink it. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Remember, everything works great. The design is perfect. I'm just looking for a pump that is designed to pull air, and/or primes easier so I don't ruin my big pump. That pump is a hernia waiting to happen BTW.

Something like a big hand tire pump that works in reverse would be perfect. Something that would pull a mild vacuum on 50' of 4" pipe without killing me. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[notamustang]

I dont know if this was what snowridge was talking about actually I dont think so. So going in a diferent direction what about using this pump to prime your gas pump ? I am not familiar with them but maybe a ball valve on the inlet and pump water in that way, or does it have a place to prime the pump itself, so you could get it started that way by hand pumping the water in ??? Like I said I dont know if this is gonna help /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif
Steven

 

[have_blue]

Hey, nice! Almost exactly what I'm looking for. I figure 50' of 4" pipe has about 33 Gal of air in it. 4 strokes per gallon would take only ~133 pumps. I think I could handle that.

Here's another interesting one:

http://www.sailnet.com/store/item.cfm?pid=15605

No per-stroke specs given, but it should only take ~3 minutes of pumping.

What I would really like would be a 12v sump pump with a hose pickup instead of a partially submersible type pump.


Thanks for the link SnowRidge!

 

[Jimbrown]

Well this is what I would do. Put a tee right in front of the inlet to your current pump. Run a short piece pipe vertically up to a ball valve. Another short piece of pipe from the valve into an adaptator may take several, inorder to have a 6 or 8 inch pvc pipe on top of the tee. Sort of a funnel. Then fill the large pvc with water and start the pump and then open the valve. Sort of self priming affair. I bet it will suck water in a matter of seconds.

 

[Henro]

What is the lay of the land like?

Is there any way you can use a syphon?

If you could run a hose to a point where the end of the hose is lower than the pipe you want to drain, then a syphon might work. Should work...Will work???

Just a thought...simple, effective and slow sometimes...

Now if that pipe continues to fill from somewhere...that could be another story...

AND if it is flat where you live, throw this idea into the circular file...here with our hills syphons can work real well. But you have to have the elevation difference...

 

[chim]

I misunderstood what you were trying to do. Looks like you already have good info to work with...............chim

 

[SnowRidge]

<font color="blue"> Here's another interesting one:

http://www.sailnet.com/store/item.cfm?pid=15605

No per-stroke specs given, but it should only take ~3 minutes of pumping. </font>

I've owned a Guzzler 500 or its twin before. It would do the job if you bolted it to something that wouldn't move, like a board with a couple of blocks sitting on it.

<font color="blue">What I would really like would be a 12v sump pump with a hose pickup instead of a partially submersible type pump. </font>

OK, Here is one: Fisheries Supply

It is a Jabsco 12 volt diaphram bilge pump. Rebuildable and can be run dry for hours.