MOTHER'S HYDRAULIC RAM PUMP

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With this section completed, merely assemble the rest of the plumbing ... using our illustration as a guide (remember that the PVC joints must be glued together if they're not already threaded). Then you can either let the ram stand by itself, or-for a more permanent fixture-mount it to a block of wood by using two lengths of hanger strap fastened with wood screws.

INSTALLING YOUR OWN HYDRAULIC RAM PUMP

The hydro ram is as easy to set up as it is to build. Of course, you must first have a source of water (a stream, pool, or what have you) that's at least 18 inches above the pump and can provide a flow—of no less than three gallons per minute—into the trompe.

When you've determined the water supply to be adequate, install the ram at a point no less than a foot and a half below the source (several feet would, of course, be more desirable ... MOTHER's trompe operates with a "fall" of 11.5 feet). The length of 1-1/2" tubing from the supply to the pump (known as the "drive pipe") should be from 10 to 15 times greater than the distance of fall, and—to avoid drawing foreign matter into the machinery—a filter screen must be placed over the drive pipe's inlet opening.

Now, simply run the necessary length of 3/4" flexible polyethylene tubing (the durable, high-pressure type) to your storage tank or reservoir from the pump outlet (this is the "delivery pipe"). like care not to allow any kinks or sharp bends to form in the hose, since such "corners" will impede or stop the flow of water. You can also route a 1-1/2" line from the ram's "waste" pipe back into the feed stream ... or—if you wish—you can divert this water for some other purpose.

You'll be amazed at how well the simple pump performs. During testing, MOTHER's crew discovered that a steady supply of water was available at a point 65 feet above the hydraulic ram mechanism. And at a 40-foot height, a whopping 60 gallons per hour was delivered from the outlet conduit ... which is enough to supply a reservoir with a total of 1,440 gallons in one 24-hour-period!

Because of the friction factor, the total length of the delivery pipe has a bearing on the performance of the pump. As a rule, this tube should be less than 20 times the height that the fluid is to be lifted ... and, in most situations, this "formula" is easy to live with.

Naturally, since the conditions under which each pump operates will vary, the mechanism will have to be adjusted to suit individual needs. Do this by simply putting an end wrench through the ram's waste pipe opening and turning the inner hex nuts to either tighten or loosen the tension on the spring. More "Pressure" will increase the rate of waste-valve"action" (simultaneously decreasing the amount of water pumped) . . . while relieving the spring tension will force more fluid through the check valve—and out of the ram's delivery pipe—with each stroke.

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