3/17/2017 Hand pump Wikipedia

Hand pump
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Hand pumps are manually operated pumps they use human power and
mechanical advantage to move fluids or air from one place to another. They
are widely used in every country in the world for a variety of industrial,
marine, irrigation and leisure activities. There are many different types of hand
pump available, mainly operating on a piston, diaphragm or rotary vane
principle with a check valve on the entry and exit ports to the chamber
operating in opposing directions. Most hand pumps have plungers or
[1]
reciprocating pistons, and are positive displacement.

Contents
1 History
2 Types Cross section and details of a pitcher
2.1 Suction and lift hand pumps
pump
2.2 Siphons
2.3 Direct action
2.4 Deep wells
2.5 Diaphragm
2.6 Progressive cavity
2.7 Range of lift
3 Hand pumps and access to clean water
3.1 Village level operation and maintenance
3.2 Hand pump development projects
3.3 Hand pump affordability in rural developing areas
4 Gallery
5 See also
6 References Animation of a suction hand pump.
7 External links On the up stroke of the piston the foot
valve opens and suction brings water
into the pump head. On the following
down stroke of the piston the valve on
History the piston opens up and allows water
to flow above the piston. On the
successive up stroke of the piston
water is pushed out of the outlet.

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A rural handpump in Belgium.

One sort of pump once common worldwide was a handpowered water pump, or 'pitcher pump'. It was commonly
installed over community water wells in the days before piped water supplies.

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Irrigation is underway by pumpenabled

extraction directly from the Gumti, seen
in the background, in Comilla,
Bangladesh.
In parts of the British Isles, it was often called the parish pump. Though
such community pumps are no longer common, people still used the
expression parish pump to describe a place or forum where matters of
[3]
local interest are discussed.
Because water from pitcher pumps is drawn directly from the soil, it is
more prone to contamination. If such water is not filtered and purified,
consumption of it might lead to gastrointestinal or other waterborne
diseases. A notorious case is the 1854 Broad Street cholera outbreak. At
the time it was not known how cholera was transmitted, but physician
John Snow suspected contaminated water and had the handle of the
public pump he suspected removed the outbreak then subsided.

Modern handoperated community pumps are considered the most

sustainable lowcost option for safe water supply in resourcepoor
settings, often in rural areas in developing countries. A hand pump
opens access to deeper groundwater that is often not polluted and also improves the safety of a well by protecting
the water source from contaminated buckets. Pumps such as the Afridev pump are designed to be cheap to build
and install, and easy to maintain with simple parts. However, scarcity of spare parts for these type of pumps in
some regions of Africa has diminished their utility for these areas.

Types
Suction and lift hand pumps

Suction and lift are important considerations when pumping fluids. Suction is the vertical distance between the
fluid to be pumped and the centre of the pump, while lift is the vertical distance between the pump and the delivery
point. The depth from which a hand pump will suck is limited by atmospheric pressure to an operating depth of
[4]
less than 7 meters. The height to which a hand pump will lift is governed by the ability of the pump and the
operator to lift the weight in the delivery pipe. Thus the same pump and operator will be able to achieve a greater
lift with a smaller diameter pipe than they could with a larger diameter pipe.

Siphons

Water will always try to find its lowest level. Using this principle, very simple pumps with plastic or rubber bulb
with flap valve at each end are used for emptying fuel or water cans into tanks. Once the bulb is full, the fluid will
flow without further effort from the higher to the lower container. Many hand pumps will allow the passage of
fluid through them in the direction of flow and diaphragm pumps are particularly good at this. Thus where the
levels are correct large volumes of liquid such as swimming pools can be emptied with very little effort and no
expensive energy use.

Direct action

Direct action hand pumps have a pumping rod that is moved up and down, directly by the user, discharging water.
Direct action handpumps are easy to install and maintain but are limited to the maximum column of water a person
[5]
can physically lift of up to 15 m. Examples of direct action pumps include the canzee pump and the
[6]
EMAS pump.
Deep wells

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Deep well hand pumps are used for high lifts of more than 15 m. The weight of the column of water is too great to
be lifted directly and some form of mechanical advantage system such as a lever or flywheel is used. High lift
pumps need to be stronger and sturdier to cope with the extra stresses. The installation, maintenance and repair of
deep well hand pumps is more complicated than with other hand pumps.

A deep well hand pump theoretically has no limit to which it can extract water. In practice, the depth is limited by
the physical power a human being can exert in lifting the column of water, which is around 80 m.

Diaphragm

Diaphragm pumps have the advantage that they pump relatively lightly due to the lack of pulling rods and are
corrosion resistant. Their disadvantage is that they need a specific length of tubing and high quality rubber
diaphragms, which are costly and are relatively inefficient due to the extra work needed to deform the diaphragm.

Rubber diaphragms will eventually leak and need to be replaced. Because this is usually complicated and costly,
diaphragm pumps operating in poor rural areas are often abandoned once the diaphragm wears out.

Progressive cavity

Progressive cavity pumps consist of a single helix rotor inserted into a double helix stator. As the rotor is turned,
the voids in the stator are screwed upwards along the axis of rotation. Progressive cavity pumps can have
complicated gearing mechanisms and are difficult for local pump technicians to maintain and repair.

A rope and washer pump is a type of progressive cavity hand pump.

Range of lift

[7][8]
The range of lift of different types of hand pumps is given below:
Type Range
Suction pumps 0 7 meters
Low lift pumps 0 15 meters
Direct action pumps 0 15 meters
Intermediate lift pumps 0 25 meters
High lift pumps 0 45 meters, or more

Hand pumps and access to clean water

In November 2002, the United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights asserted that access to
clean, safe water goes beyond the classification of water as an economic commodity. The committee stressed the
fundamental right of sufficient access to clean water for both domestic and personal use. The human right to
[9]
water is indispensable for leading a life in human dignity. With this in mind, manufacturers of water pumps,
like those produced by GOAZ Development in Malaysia, have a wide range of potential customers: governments,
non governmental organizations, womens groups, community groups and other organizations of various types
[7]
interested to developing access to groundwater.

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A village pump can provide safe

drinking water. If it is conveniently
located, it can reduce the amount of
time that girls and women spend
carrying water.
However, there is controversy surrounding the sustainability of hand
pumps, and the longterm gains from investing in them. A number of
difficulties are associated with the use of hand pumps: these include cost,
hygiene, maintenance, availability of spare parts, responsibility of upkeep,
community involvement, technology, organization and education. Hand
pumps, battered by intense use and conditions in rural areas, have often
fallen apart. In addition, unobtainable spare parts impede maintenance.

Village level operation and maintenance

VLOM, meaning Village Level Operation and Maintenance, is a term first

used during the UNDP and World Bank Rural Water Supply Hand Pumps
Project. This project lasted from 1981 to 1991, and studied the availability
and maintenance of hand pump systems. 40 kinds of hand pumps were
analyzed in laboratories, and the performance of 2700 hand pumps was
analyzed in the field. The study established that centralized maintenance structure was a cause of many problems
[1]
in hand pump programs, and that maintenance at the village level is best.
The VLOM concept was initially applied to hardware, with the following aims: the possibility of maintenance by
village workers, having spare parts manufactured within the country to make sure spare parts are available, endurance
in the field, and cost effectiveness. With time, more emphasis was placed on maintenance management. Thus, the M
came to represent management of maintenance. Therefore, greater community choice of service, who will service,
and financial accountability by the community to the caretakers of the pump have gained more
[1]
importance within the VLOM concept.
[10]
The Swiss Centre Resource Centre and Consultancies for Development, Skat, continues to work on design and
support structure for hand pump development as the host of Secretariat of the Rural Water Supply
[11]
Network (RWSN).

Hand pump development projects

An example of a Bank funded project that highlights many issues of hand pumps is the 1992 Mali Rural Supply
Project. The project brought approximately 230 rural villages inclined towards periods of drought, and 228,000
[12]
people access to safe water. The project is notable in its attempt to bring responsibility for the upkeep of the
pumps to the villages themselves. The complexity of the pumps is a fundamental problem for all programs of this
[12]
kind, as well as the quality of the pumps given the heavy demands of a village. A 1994 study, also Bank
funded, of the endurance of hand pumps in Africa showed that only 41 to 51 percent of hand pumps were still
 [12]
functioning. The Mali Rural Supply Project did positively affect the longevity of hand pumps by doing the
following: establishing local depots of spare parts, training individuals to maintain pumps, scheduling inspections
from officials of the project, forming local committees and recruiting volunteers.
Much attention has been given to the benefits of the use of hand pumps in developing nations, as opposed to more
traditional methods. In communities reliant on groundwater, through a borehole or well, the utilization of a bucket and
rope system has hygienic issues. The bucket and rope system is not compatible with the use of a cover slab, which can
prevent pollution of groundwater. In addition, unwashed hands can contaminate the bucket and rope.
[1]
Hand pumps avoid these issues and are therefore preferable.
However, villagers did not stop using traditional means of gathering water during this project. This was especially
true when rain provided villagers with shallow water sources. These shallow wells were often easier to access than
the wells with hand pumps. When faced with the option of using near surface water or traveling to the hand pumps,
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[12]
many villagers chose the former.
In addition, animal contamination and the mixing of groundwater and surface water were factors in sub par
[12]
sanitation.
Another issue that faced the project was the fact that the pumps could only provide a maximum of 20 liters of
[12]
water per person day, which required an unrealistic staggering of water retrieval. In addition, many depots
withdrew support after the donated inventory ran out, the contracts given to consultants eventually closed, and
[12]
maintenance was not kept up to a high standard.
A June 2008 study, conducted by the World Bank, Review of Effectiveness of Rural Water Supply Schemes in
India, showed that approximately 45 percent of rural piped water projects focused on breakdown maintenance
instead of scheduled maintenance. In addition, about 20% were reported to be in serious or somewhat serious
[13]
neglect of maintenance.

Hand pump affordability in rural developing areas

Whether or not a project to use hand pumps in a developing country is an affordable alternative certainly depends
on who or what organization pays the bill. However, the example of a 1992 Ethiopia aid project illustrates what the
[14]
cost would be for the locals who benefit from the project. This example relates to isolated, rural communities
in the rural South.
165 Afridevs hand pumps were imported from India. Each cost approximately US$700, including clearing,
transportation and installation. These pumps serve around 55 households each. At that time, the World Bank
established that the average per capita income in Ethiopia was $120. A hand pump, first produced by researchers at
the University of Waterloo and then refined at the University of Malaya, has been designed with local access to
parts in mind. Materials readily available, like a rope covered in chicken fat or leather belt, can be used to ensure
maintenance. GOAZ Development sells these pumps from $160 to $300. Therefore, 11% of ones annual income
would go towards accessing clean water. This is over twice as much as the 5% that the World Bank stated should
[14]
be the maximum amount paid by a family.

Gallery

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Handoperated, A child drawing water The sole water supply A 1904 community
reciprocating, positive from a hand pump, of this section of hand pump surviving
displacement, water Oklahoma City, Wilder, Tennessee, modern encroachment
pump in Koice Oklahoma 1939. 1942. in 2010 on the middle
ahanovce, Slovakia of Main Street at La
(walking beam pump). Russell, Missouri.

The covered Village Hand pump in use Handoperated, water A rural handpump in
Pump in Thorpe during reconstruction pump in Berlin Liberia.
Abbots, Norfolk, of Germany after
England World War II
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A city handpump in Hand pump in Leipzig Hand Pump carved by Old hand water pump
Bruges, Belgium. Bijay Boghani in chalk (c. 1924) at the
Colored School in
Alapaha, Georgia, US
typical of the period
and the area

Hand pump at
Ebenezer, Georgia

See also
Bush pump
Drinking water
India Mark II
Rope pump
Treadle pump
Water supply
Water well

References
1. "Handpumps". WaterAid. Retrieved 20101101.
2. Hill, Donald Routledge (1996). A History of Engineering in Classical and Medieval Times. London: Routledge. p.
143. ISBN 0415152917.
3. "Online Dictionary Parish Pump". Retrieved 20101122.
4. "Water lifting devices". Fao.org. Retrieved 20131231.
5. http://www.ruralwatersupply.net/en/implementation/proprietaryhandpumps/canzeepump
6. http://www.ruralwatersupply.net/en/implementation/publicdomainhandpumps/emasflexipump
7. "The PVC Handpump: International Development Research Centre". Idrc.ca. Retrieved 20101101.
8. http://www.wateraid.org/uk/~/media/Publications/Handpumps.pdf?la=en GB
9. "Powered by Google Docs" (PDF). Docs.google.com. Retrieved 20101101.
10. skat.ch (http://www.skat.ch/)
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11. ruralwatersupply.net (http://www.ruralwatersupply.net)

12. World Bank, Operations Evaluation Department:Sustaining Rural Water Systems:The Case of Mali (http://lnweb90.world
bank.org/oed/oeddoclib.nsf/b57456d58aba40e585256ad400736404/bfac563424aad2e7852567f5005d8fe2/$FILE/154preci
s.pdf), Autumn 1997, Retrieved on 25 April 2011
13. World Bank Group. "World Bank Document" (PDF). google.com. Retrieved 20101101.
14. "Handpumps". Handpump.org. Retrieved 20101101.

External links
Handpump technical documents for NGOs (http://www.watersanitati
Wikimedia Commons
onhygiene.org/references/technical%20resources%20%20handpump
has media related to
s.htm). Hand pumps.

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Categories: Pumps Appropriate technology Water supply Human power

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