Pitcher pumps are easy to install and good for shallow wells.
A pitcher pump is a good way to access shallow water-table wells of less than 20 feet depth. Or you can make an attractive outdoor water source for a garden sink by adding a pitcher pump to a barrel or water-collecting cistern. You can install a shallow well pitcher pump by yourself. Along with a quick water supply, a pitcher pump also adds an old-fashioned ambiance to your yard, garden or barn. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
1. Create a solid base for your pitcher pump. A wooden platform made from a slab of hardwood is a fast and easy way to make a base to screw the pump to. Select a slab of hardwood big enough to hold the base of the pitcher pump and to cover the opening of the well, cistern or barrel from which you wish to draw water. Lay the wood platform across the top of the well opening. Cut out a pipe-sized section in the wood using a jigsaw to give the drop pipe access to the well.
2. Press a 1¼-inch water hose over the barbed end of the pitcher pump. Clamp it with a 1¼-inch hose clamp, using a screwdriver to tighten it so no air can get in.
3. Apply plumber's tape to the end of the PVC pipe and fit the PVC pipe adapter end onto the end of the PVC pipe to provide a screw-on section to attach to the pitcher pump. Drop water hose into the center of the PVC drop pipe and lower the pitcher pump onto the adapter.
4. Apply a generous amount of thread sealant or plumber's tape to the threads of a drop pipe. Screw the section of pipe to the bottom of the pitcher pump.
5. Drop the pipe into the opening in the platform and lower the pitcher pump onto the base. Use a screwdriver to secure the pump to the wood base with galvanized screws to prevent rust.
6. Prime the pump with water to start it. Pour water over the top of the pump until it comes out of the spout. Wait at least five minutes until the inner cup of the pump swells and contacts the wall of the pump. Use short strokes to pump the handle until the suction in the pipe fills it with water.
Tags: pitcher pump, drop pipe, lower pitcher, lower pitcher pump, pitcher pump Drop, pitcher pump onto, plumber tape