Do-it-yourself manual water pump: review of the best homemade products

Pumping water with a hand pump, of course, is not as convenient as its electric counterpart. The speed of work is not even close to comparison.However, there are situations when a hand pump for water is necessary, and sometimes the only possible solution. For example, as a temporary type at the stage of installing water supply at home. It is unwise to buy a device for short-term use. Do you agree?

We offer extensive information on options for making your own hand pumps. We present practice-tested methods available to home craftsmen in terms of costs and methods of implementation. A homemade product created according to our advice will reliably serve its intended duration.

The presented article contains valuable recommendations for craftsmen who want to implement a difficult idea. Popular and less popular models are carefully described. The information is supported by photo collections, diagrams and video tutorials.

Purpose of manual models

The main purpose of using pump-type equipment is to pump water from a source to certain points: to a residential building, bathhouse, garage, garden. In suburban areas the source is most often wells and wells, less often - ponds and other bodies of water.

All residential or country houses can be divided into three categories: permanent, seasonal and periodic residence. Not all of them have electricity, and some are supplied irregularly.

If we summarize all these factors, we can draw the following conclusions:

• in permanent residences, electricity is used by default, so the main equipment for pumping water is an electric pump, and the manual model is a spare backup unit;
• if the cottage is used only in the summer and power lines are connected, then the energy-dependent option is also ideal, and the manual device plays a secondary role;
• a summer cottage without electricity most of all needs manual equipment.

To irrigate 2-3 flower beds, you can still draw water with buckets, but to ensure complete and daily watering of beds, greenhouses and lawns, a pump is needed. This is where a model that requires a pair of hands to operate comes in handy.

You can make a simple speaker yourself by using the skills of welding and assembling metal or plastic parts.

An example for making your own model can be a factory product assembled from durable cast iron or steel parts, with a comfortable handle for use

Some craftsmen build reliable equipment for wells and wells that serves well for years. We present an overview of homemade products, for the manufacture of which scrap materials were used.

Types of devices for pumping water

Physical force alone used to lift water upward is not enough, since the process becomes difficult and labor-intensive. Therefore, mankind has long ago invented many devices that facilitate the rise of liquid from a well or natural reservoir to the surface.

All devices are united by a common operating principle, which is based on the interaction of the valve system.

There are many varieties of hand pumps, but four main types can be distinguished:

• piston;
• rod deep (varieties of piston);
• winged;
• membrane

For manufacturing at home, they usually choose the first type if it is necessary to service a well of shallow depth (3-6 m), or the second if it is necessary to lift water from a well from a depth of 10-12 m.

These models are considered to be the most productive, easy to assemble and install, and reliable. The rest have significant shortcomings, the biggest of which is considered to be insufficient productivity.

It is piston devices that have occupied the main niche among factory manual equipment; they are popular among home craftsmen.

The advantage of piston column pumps is their ease of assembly and installation. All the parts necessary for the manufacture of the body and dynamic parts can be found on the farm or purchased in addition.

And to connect the elements into a single device, home tools are usually enough: a drill, a circular saw, a hacksaw, pliers, and keys. If you need a welding machine, you can rent it or borrow it from your neighbors.

Popular handicraft pumps

To pump water from one place to another, all kinds of hand pumps are used. Their operating principle is based on the simplest laws of physics, according to which water can move through pipes and vessels due to differences in temperature, pressure, height, etc. Let’s find out how devices made by amateur craftsmen operate.

Option #1 - piston apparatus from casing pipe

The homemade product was invented by a master with a specific purpose - for well pumping. However, it turned out to be quite productive, so it was later used for pumping water out of the pond and as a backup pump during a power outage.

To make a pump, you will need a minimum set of tools: a grinder for cutting metal parts, a welding machine and a drill for drilling holes for fasteners

All work on cutting steel elements is carried out with an electric circular saw. If you use hand tools, the production will take a long time.

Welding experience is required to connect metal parts. If you are new to this business, we recommend that you familiarize yourself with rules and nuances of welding.

Review of homemade pump parts:

For installation on the ground, a unique base is used - a structure made of metal pipes 20*40 mm and 20*20 mm. Thanks to the long welded pipes, the pump stands firmly in a strictly vertical position.

Option #2 – rod pump for a well

The model, made from a ready-made fire extinguisher body, differs from the previous one in reliability and greater performance.

A homemade “samovar” can be safely installed in a well up to 15 m deep. It does not have to be used constantly, however, in the absence of electricity or for cleaning the well, it will be simply irreplaceable.

The principle of operation is the same: thanks to the vacuum in the zone of movement of the piston, water flows from the well into the pump housing, and from there through the outlet pipe - out into the substituted container.

The device is suitable for servicing a well, borehole, pool, pond or other body of water. It can pump not only clean water, but also dirty liquid with silt, sand and contaminants.

For manufacturing, you will need a tool for cutting and processing metal parts, as well as a welding machine. Let's look at the distinctive features of the model in more detail.

On top, all metal parts are treated with a primer to protect against corrosion, since the pump will be located outside, in the open air.

On top of the primer, it must be coated with metal paint to make the protective layer as durable and airtight as possible.

This is what the piston looks like, which is responsible for the movement of water. This is a 5 mm perforated metal round plate + a thick rubber seal. Hole diameter – 10 mm

It is difficult to judge the exact performance of the device; testing is necessary.However, we can say that with one press of the lever, about 2-3 liters of water are pumped, that is, with just 3-4 presses you can fill a bucket.

If the given instructions for assembling a homemade product seemed complicated to you and you do not want to waste time on manufacturing, but you need a pump to pump dirty water, we advise you to take a closer look at ready-made models sold in stores. To make it easier for you to choose the right model, we suggest you familiarize yourself with best drainage pumpspresented on the market.

Option #3 – collapsible model for the summer season

If the well is shallow, an economical and easy-to-use plastic model can handle the delivery of water to the top.

A summer version of a hand pump, completely assembled from plastic pipes with a diameter of 20 and 50 mm. Only the check valve and filter are made of metal

For self-assembly you will need:

• sewer plastic pipes 50 mm - 2 pieces 3 m each;
• mesh filter for mounting on the end of the pipe;
• thin PP pipe 20 mm with thread for attaching a check valve;
• factory-made check valve;
• fastening the handle from a tee 25*20 mm with a soldered thread;
• metal tube for handle;
• fluoroplastic gasket for making a piston;
• clamps with dowels for attaching the pipe to the walls of the well.

The assembly proceeds as follows. First, a fluoroplastic piston is screwed onto a flexible PP pipe with a diameter of 20 mm, through which water will move, and then a check valve.

Insert it into a sewer plastic pipe with a diameter of 50 mm, close it on the side of the check valve with a nozzle with a filter. The result is a “pipe-in-pipe” structure that must be immersed in the well.

A hole for the pipe is made on the side of the well hatch.You need 2 or 3 clamps with rubber seals to fix the pipe to the wall of the well

A tee is screwed onto the other end of the PP pipe and a handle is inserted into it. To pump water, you need to hold the handle with both hands and move the pipe up/down.

In appearance and in the way the handle moves, the pump resembles a manual analogue for inflating bicycle wheels.

The outer part is supplemented with a spout made from a piece of sewer pipe and two fittings - a tee and a 90º angle. As the handle moves up/down, water pours out of the spout into the container underneath.

One of the advantages of a simple plastic model is that it can be quickly disassembled. With the onset of cold weather, the outer parts are removed, and the PP pipe is simply pulled out. As a result, only one element remains - the sewer pipe, but in the well shaft there is no threat to it.

If you change your mind about making a homemade pump, you can always purchase ready-made equipment in the store. Tips for choosing a pump for a well we brought here.

Less popular manual modifications

In addition to piston models, which have proven themselves well in factory and homemade versions, other devices are also used.

They are less productive, but interesting from the point of view of design and operating principle.

There are factory models that are not practical to make yourself. For example, equipment based on an impeller. Such devices are used in the industrial sector; they are not very convenient for the garden.

In addition, buying a compact metal device that looks like a can twister will cost no more than making it yourself.

None of the considered homemade pump designs suits you? Then we recommend that you look at more options for homemade products, the production of which we have considered in the next article.

Conclusions and useful video on the topic

Before you start making your own hand pump, study the experience of home craftsmen. This will not only help you learn new technologies, but will also help you avoid annoying mistakes.

Diaphragm pump operation:

Hose equipment instructions:

Testing a simple model for $6:

Assembly, modification and installation of a factory product:

A hand water pump is a great helper in a difficult situation. If an accident occurs on the electric main, you will not be left without water: you can pump several buckets from a well with a hand pump.

And to assemble a useful device yourself, you don’t need to study complex technologies or look for special materials - you can find everything in your household.

Have you decided to assemble a homemade water pump from scrap materials? Maybe you would like to clarify some points that are not fully discussed in this material? Ask your questions in the comments block - we will try to help you.

Or maybe you want to supplement our article with clarifications or useful recommendations? Please write to us about this and express your opinion.