An experiment in the use of PVC pipe as a pump rod in Zimbabwe’s B type Bush Pump

Description:

A large number of experiments and observations have been undertaken on the B type Zimbabwe Bush Pump over the years both in the field and in my back yard at my home. The B type Bush Pump is the national standard hand pump in Zimbabwe (since 1989}. Most of these have been placed on my website. The standard Bush Pump uses a combination of 16mm mild steel pump rods, a 50mm GI pipe as rising main, a 60cm long 75mm diameter brass cylinder which includes a check valve, a matching brass piston fitted with 2 quality leather piston seals and a heavy duty brass foot valve. These standard remain until the present day. Close observations have been made on wear and tear on the Bush Pump, which includes loosening of the main rear pivot pin which becomes loose if not kept tight, and the rusting up of the pump rods with the existing methods. Both these problems have been solved in back yard trials. Experiments have also been undertaken with restoring worn pump heads and other parts of the pump. Another series of experiments involved the use of PVC rising main, mainly using 63mm PVC, steel or stainless steel pump rods and 63mm and 64mm stainless steel cylinders. In this experiment, the question was asked – if you use PVC as rising main by not PVC as pump rod? This report/paper described a brief experiment in which strong heavy duty PVC was used as pump rod.

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Bibliographical Information:

Morgan, P. (2024) An experiment in the use of PVC pipe as a pump rod in Zimbabwe’s B type Bush Pump. , Harare, Zimbabwe

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