Clemson ram pump
Planting food plots and fruit orchards in remote areas is an excellent way to enhance wildlife habitat on your property or hunting lease. But dry years spell trouble for these spots, where water availability, remote locations and lack of reliable power often limits planting. Unfortunately, many weekend hunters do not have the time or ability to carry water, access to reliable power or the resources to install expensive pump systems to keep these plots watered.
If there is a reliable flowing water source, such as a pond or creek, on your property, a Clemson pump or ram pump can solve the water issues. The device uses the kinetic energy of falling water to push a discrete amount of water to almost anywhere it is needed — even uphill. Third-world countries commonly use this type of ram pump to provide water in remote areas without the need for electricity.
You can build one for less than $150. Install it below a pond spillway or along a creek bank and pipe the water to drip emitters in an orchard or continuously fill a water tank for irrigation.
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Illustration by Ryan Kirby |
Materials
- 11/4-inch valve
- 11/4-inch tee
- 11/4-inch union
- 11/4-inch brass swing check valve
- 11/4-inch spring check valve
- 3/4-inch tee
- 3/4-inch valve
- 3/4-inch union
- 11/4-inch x 3/4-inch bushing
- 1/4-inch pipe cock
- 100 psi gauge
- 11/4-inch x 6-inch nipple
- 4-inch x 11/4-inch bushing
- 4-inch coupling
- 4-inch x 24-inch PR160 PVC pipe
- 4-inch PVC glue cap
- 3/4-inch x 1/4-inch bushing
And a bicycle inner tube (not in diagram)
Priming the pump
Assemble the pump following the diagram with corresponding numbered parts and insert the partially inflated inner tube into to the pressure chamber (part 15). The inner tube creates an air bladder to prevent water logging or air logging. Inflate the tube until it is spongy when squeezed and insert it in the chamber. It should not be inflated very tightly, but have some give. The water in the pressure chamber will absorb air over time, so the inner tube is used to prevent much of this absorption and maintain pressure. It is necessary, however, to drain the ram pump occasionally to replenish air in the chamber.
Priming the pump
Attach the water source to part 1. The pump will require some backpressure to begin working. A backpressure of 10 psi or more should be sufficient. If pumping the water uphill to the delivery point does not provide enough backpressure, use the ¾-inch valve (part 7) to throttle the flow.
Manually start the ram pump several times to remove air from the piping. Start the pump by opening valve 1 and leaving valve 7 closed. Then, when the swing check (part 4) shuts, manually push it open again. (The pump will start with valve 7 closed completely, pumping up to maximum pressure before stopping operation.) After the pump begins operating, slowly open valve 7, but do not allow the discharge pressure (part 11) to drop below 10 psi. Repeatedly push the valve (part 4) open to re-start the pump in the first few minutes (10 to 20 times is normal) until air is purged out of the system.
The unions, gate (or ball) valves, and pressure gauge assembly are not required to make the pump run, but they help in installing, removing and starting the pump as well as regulating the flow.
Pumped up?
The upside of this pump is that it does not require electricity to operate. The force of the water flowing downhill to your pump is enough to activate the gate valves and push water toward the outflow (part 7). The downside is the pump is not very efficient, requiring 7 gallons of flow or more to push 1 gallon through the outflow. Of course, the water was flowing downstream anyway, so nothing is wasted. — Clemson Extension Service and P.J. Perea, senior editor
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