Spring Powe Gives My Wind Pump a Boost

Image Gallery PHOTOS BY THE AUTHOR

If you use wind power to provide water for your livestock, you may be able to up the system's efficiency.

By Edward Burlbaw

Folks who attempt to set up a wind pump on a shoestring budget—as I did—may find that, after buying a gearbox, tower, cylinder, and well pipe, there's not much cash left over for a standard "sucker rod". That's what happened to me , anyway, and I had to make do with a substitute. So, after scrounging around, I bought a supply of inexpensive, used one-inch galvanized pipe.

Unfortunately, when I'd completed the system, I found that I wasn't getting anywhere near the rated capacity of the cylinder ... even in very high winds. I started asking around and, sure enough, discovered that using anything but a genuine sucker rod would add excess weight ... overloading the mill and decreasing its output. Simply stated, my galvanized pipe was too heavy.

At first, It seemed there was no choice except to buy the "right" rod. However, used wind pumps are scarce, and new parts are expensive ... so I decided to hold off a bit.

Then, on a trip to Oklahoma, I talked to an old farmer who suggested that I mount a spring to help lift the pumping rod in lighter breezes. He claimed that such a booster can make a real difference in the amount of water a pump supplies ... and I decided that it was worth a try.

To begin, I chose the biggest spring I could find: an old garage door coil. Using an eyebolt, I connected one end of the spring close to the top of the tower, and attached the other end to my sucker rod substitute by means of an old tailpipe clamp and a turnbuckle. The turnbuckle is optional, since the spring tension can easily be adjusted by moving the clamp up or down on the rod (see the accompanying illustration).