<Ih' RURAL NEW-YORKER 
1069 
Farm Mechanics 
Liftino Water from Small Spring 
I have a spring down below my house, 
next to a brook, and would like to get the 
water to the house, but there is not 
enough water to operate a ram. Is there 
any way I could take the water from the 
brook to operate the ram. to force the 
spring water to the house? I would have 
to raise the water 40 ft., but could get 
plenty of water from the brook to operate 
the ram. J. M. R. 
Delhi. N. Y. 
Although you give little information 
concerning the amount of fall that may 
be obtained in the brook, simply saying 
that you “could get plenty of water.” it 
is probable that water could be obtained 
from the spring by either of two ways, a 
Water wheel or double-acting ram. The 
choice of the method used would depend 
somewhat upon conditions. If the brook 
furnishes a plentiful supply of water and 
has a good fall, a water wheel might be 
put in which could be used to operate a 
pump, lifting the water to the house, and 
at the same time generating electric cur¬ 
rent for lights. The uses to which this 
power could he put would of course de¬ 
pend upon the amount developed, and 
would vary from pumping water and do¬ 
ing the light chore work of the farm to 
silo filling, feed grinding, etc. 
If sufficient water is not available for 
this purpose, a double-acting ram could 
concrete reservoir. Do you think it would 
be advisable? a. g. b. 
Susquehanna, Pa. 
It is not likely that the 25-ft. elevation 
that this well has above the house would 
be sufficient to give satisfactory pressure 
at the faucets unless water was desired 
only on the first floor. Each foot of head 
or elevation gives a pressure of .434 lb. 
per square inch, and it is usual when in¬ 
stalling a gravity tank of this kind to 
locate the tank at least 10 ft. above the 
highest faucet to be served by it. and even 
higher than this if the water is to be car¬ 
ried any distance. 
Your statement that the well is located 
on a side hill leads me to think that the 
tank could be placed higher up the slope 
above the well, in this way securing 
plenty of head to serve the house. If this 
is the case, and the tank can be buried in 
the ground, you have one of the best pos¬ 
sible locations. It will be out of sight, 
use up no valuable space, the sweating 
and leaking that it may do will do no 
harm. and. best of all. the water will be 
cool in Summer and free from freezing in 
the Winter. With four in the family a 
capacity of from 25 to 40 gals, daily will 
be needed, or from 13 to 25 cu. ft. of 
water will be used daily for all household 
purposes. If it is wished to supply the 
barn from the same tank, about 1% cu. ft. 
additional capacity should be added for; 
be put in, which would use the brook 
water for operation, forcing tin* spring 
water to the house. A small tank could 
he arranged in the attic with the overflow 
arranged to go to the stock tank at the 
barn, and the water allowed to run con¬ 
tinuously. In this way a supply of fresh 
water is’ always at hand for drinking, or 
the ram may be used to pump into a pres¬ 
sure tank, as desired. The pump used 
with the water wheel could, of course, be 
{ ’•ranged in the same way. 
The action of the double-acting ram is 
similar to that of the ordinary type ex¬ 
cept that it has one more feed pipe, as 
shown in the diagram. In action, the im¬ 
pure water used as a motive power flows 
down the drive pipe and escapes through 
the impetus valve. 'The chamber beneath 
the air chamber is Idled with pure water 
which enters from the pure water pipe 
c-hown at the left, and when the velocity 
of the water flowing down the drive pipe 
becomes great enough to pick up and 
close the impetus valve this pure water is 
forced through the valve “A” into the air 
chamber by the ramming stroke exerted 
hv the suddenly stopped column of water. 
From here it subsequently goes up the 
service pipe to the house, being forced up 
by air pressure generated in the air cham¬ 
ber. At the time of the ramming stroke 
it is prevented from escaping hack up the 
pipe to the spring by the check valve “B,” 
which opens toward the ram. 
The backward surge of the impure 
water in tin* drive pipe caused by its re¬ 
bound from the cushion of compressed air 
in the air chamber and the closing of the 
valve “A” permits another supply of pure 
water to fill the space directly beneath 
this valve, the short standpipe shown 
helping in this by having a ready supply 
available. This process is repeated as 
long as the ram is allowed to run. and if 
properly installed and adjusted there is 
very little danger of the water mixing, as 
the valve “A.” the only entrance to the 
house service pipe, always has a supply 
of pure water beneath it. and tin* impure 
brook water is only used to do the work. 
is. II. s. 
Reservoir with Drilled Well 
What, in your opinion, would be the 
best plan for bringing water from a well 
to the house? I have a drilled well about 
250 ft. from my house, and about 25 ft. 
higher than the house. I use a gas engine 
for pumping water for my stock. The 
well is situated near the barn, at one 
side, on a side hill, quite steep. There 
are four in my family. If 1 put a reservoir 
at the well, how large -a one would you 
advise? 1 had thought of putting iu a 
each horse and cow. Putting the water 
to be used in the barn through the tank 
would be a convenience at the barn, and 
would help in keeping the water fresh for 
drinking. 
The concrete tank spoken of. I think, 
will be found very satisfactory. It should 
be bnilt of a rich mixture of concrete to 
insure watertightness and finished smooth 
on the inside as an aid in keeping it clean. 
The top should have a manhole which 
should be raised to prevent the entrance 
of any surface water that might find its 
way down the elope; the bottom should 
slope to an opening leading to flush pipe 
that may be opened when it is wished to 
drain and clean the tank, and the top be 
provided with a small, well-screened ven¬ 
tilator. Although you do not state what 
kind of a pumping outfit you have in¬ 
stalled sit the barn at the present, it is 
probable that this same outfit with per¬ 
haps a few minor changes could be used 
for supplying the tank. u. h. s. 
Acetylene for Power 
'.A oukl you give some information as 
to running an engine with acetylene? I 
have au underground 100-light generator; 
use 22 lights. Would it be practicable to 
hitch a 214 h. p. engine to it? A neigh¬ 
bor who has an electric lighting system 
pumps his water: when he opens a spigot 
it starts the engine. i. s. l. 
It is not practicable to use acetylene 
gas as you suggest. It ignites more easily 
than gaso.ine vapor, and if used as you 
suggest would require an engine of differ¬ 
ent design than the regular gasoline en¬ 
gine. Even if it were possible to use it 
as power it would be an expensive propo¬ 
sition. Calcium carbide, from which ac¬ 
etylene gas is produced, has so advanced 
in price, due to war conditions, that it 
makes, a relatively high-priced lighting 
material, although furnishing an excellent 
light, to say nothing of using it for a 
fuel. Most people find gasoline costlv 
enough for that purpose. 
Your neighbor who has the electric 
plant is able to start his pump as you 
say. “by the opening of a spigot.” because 
this release of pressure caused by opening! 
the faucet and permitting the escape of 
water causes a switch to be closed, and 
the electric current from the storage bat¬ 
tery flows through the motor, operating 
the pump. The engine turning the dy¬ 
namo which charges the battery is started 
by the closing of a switch in the same 
way. the current from the battery flowing 
hack through the generator and causing 
it to act like the starting motor of an au¬ 
tomobile, craukiug the eugine until it 
starts. r. u. s. 
2-t 
■■I 
'! 4 
rj 
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