O.T. Pumping water uphill

CB in central NY · Jun 24, 2011

I am trying to come up with the best way to supply water uphill.

I have a constantly-flowing spring which supplies my house. I can position a catching tank of some sort and have it fill from the spring overflow. I would like to find a way to pump water OUT of that tank and back UP to a pasture, where it will water my cattle. The distance along the slope is about 200 feet with a total rise of about 50 feet.

I do not want to drill a well (doesn"t make sense, the cattle are not on that field long enough).

There is NO source of electricity.

What are my options? What type of pump can I use? I"ve read about hydraulic pumps and they seem to waste a lot of water.

Solar? Battery-powered? Gasoline?

Looking for ideas right now. Could always just fill a water tank but I don"t want to make multiple trips to keep the stock tank full. Thanks in advance for your suggestions.

Zachary Hoyt · Jun 24, 2011

I've seen gasoline powered pumps used for that sort of thing and they seemed to work fine, but the cheapest way is to get one of those gravity angle adjusters and tilt the whole area till the pasture is downhill from the spring. Just don't forget to set it back the original way after each fill.
Zach

Anonymous-0 · Jun 24, 2011

The ETD had a gravity angle adjuster attachment for exactly that sort of thing...but it was hidden in Area 51 for national security purposes, of course.

Good Dog · Jun 24, 2011

GOOGLE "Ram Pump Design" and you may find an answer to your problem. The first site on the "Ram Pump Design" site is Clemson University and they show you how to build one out of PVC pipe and how it works.

Good Dog · Jun 24, 2011

GOOGLE "Ram Pump Design" and you may find an answer to your problem. The first site on the "Ram Pump Design" site is Clemson University and they show you how to build one out of PVC pipe and how it works.

NawlensGator · Jun 24, 2011

You"ll need 22 psi of discharge pressure to lift the water 50 ft. Then you"ll need additional dishartge pressure for the frictional pressure loss from flow. I"m guessing 30 to 40 psi total will be needed. Sounds like a gasoline pump would be a good choice. If you have a generator you could use an electric pump. I use a generator to drive my electric well pump when the power goes out.

Anonymous-0 · Jun 24, 2011

How about the old fashioned way ? Just build a fenced lane way down to the H2o, the cows will haul it back up. LOL just put the tank down stream so you don't contaminate your supply..

greygoat · Jun 24, 2011

Northern tool may have "Ram Pumps" or try
"Countryside" magazine, or "Backwoods", both
usually have ads for them. I see lots of Amish farms in Wisconsin using them.

tjdub · Jun 24, 2011

<a href="http://www.riferam.com/">Take your pick.</a>

> I"ve read about hydraulic pumps and they seem to waste a lot of water.

What else were you going to do with the water coming out of your spring?

buickanddeere · Jun 24, 2011

How much fall from the spring and what gpm?

big fred · Jun 24, 2011

Can you find on old windmill? Pumping water for livestock is what they were originally intended for.

glennster · Jun 24, 2011

for intermittent use, i'd go with a gasoline powered trash pump. you can get one for a couple hundred dollars. run some 2 inch pvc up the hill to the stock tank, and hook the pump up at the spring. heres one from norther tools
trash pump

Mike (WA) · Jun 24, 2011

Sounds like you want something that will work on its own to keep the water trough full- A portable gasoline powered pump and large enough reservoir and trough would at least cut down on the frequency of visits, but it wouldn't run itself.

Hydraulic rams require a moving stream to power them, and pump very little water compared to the volume of the stream- don't think you're going to get much out of a spring, unless its a real monster, or the cows aren't very thirsty.

Windmill is the ticket, I think. Might also use solar power, but I'll bet it would be real spendy.

There are ways to make a gas engine start and stop remotely- with floats that control electrical contacts that control the starting and stopping. Also spendy.

Anonymous-0 · Jun 24, 2011

The distance may be a problem but I transfered water from one tank to another over about 60ft with a 20ft rise with a cheap sump pump and generator. How much are you thinking you have to pump. Maybe a pto driven pump for the tractor or something like glennster suggested??? If it's not many cows and you got kids, what about just setting up a pitcher pump and let them have at it????

Anonymous-0 · Jun 24, 2011

Might wanna forego the wind power, lest you be mistaken for a yuppie or an enviroNazi. Besides, those wind-powered devices are supposed to be responsible for large-scale bird kills, the way I hear it.

[sarcasm switch OFF now...]

Actually, if it worked well 100+ years ago, I don't see why it would be much different today. More expensive, sure, but not much different.

Allan in NE · Jun 24, 2011

200 feet is all?

Heck, just build a cattle lane and let them come down to the water.

Allan

CB in central NY · Jun 24, 2011

Lots of good advice, thanks.

The spring supplies water to my house via gravity feed. I can place the collection tank immediately below the discharge, since the whole field slopes.

I cannot have the cows go and get a drink (simplest choice) because the field where I need the water is not the same field where the spring is. It's about 10 acres and I do rotational grazing, so I subdivide. By the time the cows are way up top, it's a haul for them to get that drink. Might lose precious pounds.

In an ideal world, I'd like to have a small electric pump with some type of battery / solar power, but solar seems pricey. I don't necessarily need for it to start and stop automatically; I would just go up and fill the tank.

Just looking for ideas now. Thanks again.

elmersooner · Jun 24, 2011

we use a trash pump---add a splash of gas and start then walk away. sometimes spill a little sometimes we don't...good thing about a trash pump is they are fairly reliable....but I do like the ram pump idea..

Anonymous-0 · Jun 24, 2011

You live in a house that has NO source of electricity ? How many cows ?

CB in central NY · Jun 24, 2011

No, Chris in ND, the house has 200 amp service. The spring site (1500' away) in question does not.

30 head or so.

TomH in PA · Jun 24, 2011

Why not put the collection tank at the house and pump the water from there? 500 or 600 yards doesn't seem like too much of a run.

Tony in Mass. · Jun 24, 2011

So you just need a couple hundred gallons in a day? 50 feet in altitude? That's what the pressure has to fight, not the length. Harbor freight seems to have a few different pumps. A couple solar, even an old car battery for power if theres a 12volt that can do the job. I transfer 30-40 gallons from barrels in a few minutes with one suppose to be for a bird bath or something, I was surprised how much it moves in a short time. A few years old now. Not sure it it is still offered. Check out their website.

big fred · Jun 24, 2011

Well, yeah, Buzz, that's why I said an OLD windmill. Preferably one with rust and with bearings with grease cups, where you gotta climb the tower ever once in a while to grease 'em. ;o)

Actually, when I was a senior in college I studied wind energy pretty intensively, and came away firmly believing that it's best use it to pump water or run desalinization plants, where it's intermittent nature isn't such a problem.

big fred · Jun 24, 2011

Now ya got me thinkin' it'd be fun to rig up an old hit and miss engine with some sort of self starter. Kind of a completely mechanical automatic control system. It'd be a hoot to design, fun to build and I'm sure it'd be a marvel to behold.

Just call me Rube...

jackinok · Jun 27, 2011

solar works good,lots of folks using them around here in remote areas now.Added advantage is you could use float or switch to keep tank full.gas powered pumps would require you to be there night and day while cattle ar in that pasture.wind mill could be rigged up very easily also,and would require very little maintenence.simply setting tank by the spring and building a lane might be cheapest alternative though.if pasture is use very seldom run a electric fence on lane and it wouldnt cost much of anything.

O.T. Pumping water uphill

Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Member

Member

Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Member

Member

Well-known Member

Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Similar threads