DIY Simple water pump from Refrigerator Compressor

[Mr.DK DIY]

Today my new DIY video..

[DIYer]

Thanks Mr.DK DIY! We've added your Water Pump to our Farm and Garden category,
as well as to your builder page: Mr.DK DIY's Homemade Tools. Your receipt:

Water Pump by Mr.DK DIY

tags: pump

[Frank S]

While I don't know how long the compressor will last pumping air continuously. I do know of several wells in my area that are considered too low producing to even install a wind mill on them.
Some will pump dry if trying to pull more than 1 gallon per minute from them. Your pump is doing about half that rate so the wells should be able to readily recover while water was being removed.
the next problem would be the remote locations of these wells means there is no electricity but a couple large PV panels an inverter and a small bank of batteries should solve that as well. leaving only a way to retain the column of water when the pump is off. adding a T in the pipe then running the air line through the T and seal it off then add a foot valve below the T should help solve that problem.
In the end this cold be an off grid homesteaders viable option to pull water from the ground.
Thanks I know where there is an old well on my property that someday I might try just that.

[IntheGroove]

The only thing I am worried about is how you cleaned the oil out of the compressor before it started mixing air into the water...

[Frank S]

The only thing I am worried about is how you cleaned the oil out of the compressor before it started mixing air into the water...

He could install a scrubber filter inline which would help some

[hemmjo]

The video is interesting, shows creativity and a novel way to get water in a pinch. But in reality not cost effective unless you already have everything you need, and do not consider the cost of the electricity. It is not practical if you have to buy anything to make it work. If you are going to buy anything for the system, it is more effective to by a small water pump.

As Frank mentioned, some low yield wells produce less than 1 gallon per minute. Even if the well produces only 1/4 GPM, that is 1/4 gpm x 60min x 24hr = 360 gallons per day. That is a lot of water.

The old style compressors, like the one in the video, will run for a long time just pumping air. I used to make small, silent air compressors to use for activities in my classroom. Activities like air brushing, and operating small pneumatic cylinders, etc. I still have the one I made more the 30 years ago. It works fine.

The newer style, the round ones, get REALLY HOT after just a few minutes if they are not pumping refrigerant.

Also pumping water and refrigeration least efficient uses of solar power. Combining a old inefficient refrigerator compressor, and using the air to pump water makes that very system very inefficient energy wise.

John

[Frank S]

The video is interesting, shows creativity and a novel way to get water in a pinch. But in reality not cost effective unless you already have everything you need, and do not consider the cost of the electricity. It is not practical if you have to buy anything to make it work. If you are going to buy anything for the system, it is more effective to by a small water pump.

As Frank mentioned, some low yield wells produce less than 1 gallon per minute. Even if the well produces only 1/4 GPM, that is 1/4 gpm x 60min x 24hr = 360 gallons per day. That is a lot of water.

The old style compressors, like the one in the video, will run for a long time just pumping air. I used to make small, silent air compressors to use for activities in my classroom. Activities like air brushing, and operating small pneumatic cylinders, etc. I still have the one I made more the 30 years ago. It works fine.

The newer style, the round ones, get REALLY HOT after just a few minutes if they are not pumping refrigerant.

Also pumping water and refrigeration least efficient uses of solar power. Combining a old inefficient refrigerator compressor, and using the air to pump water makes that very system very inefficient energy wise.

John

Yes John as you pointed out a system set up such as this would be horribly inefficient, however efficiency is not always the primary concern in certain situations.
Also as you mentioned to go out and buy everything for a system like this would not be the best use of a person's money.
Here is another thing neither of us brought up. the depth of a well is a huge factor. shallow wells with water standing closer to the surface the better this would work. The amount of air flow is not enough to create a true venturi syphon so it relies on the air bubble rising and the surface tension of the water to draw up the column behind the bubble. the deeper the well the less water that would ever reach the end of the pipe.
I know a guy whose house well went dry but he had another good producing well with a huge 14 ft fan windmill some distance away for the farm house with a large wooden storage tank mounted on a short 15 ft tall tower probably the remnants of an old steam railroad water tower. Too far from his house and at a lower elevation so gravity flow to his home was impossible no supply of electricity and long before solar PV became popular. He solved his problem with a ram pump the ram pump as anyone who has ever done any research is not efficient but it will pump water over long distances and up a rise in elevation at the expense of wasting water.
His system pumped about 1 gallon to a storage tank for every 9 gallons that was lost which was allowed to return to the well a pressure pump at the house drew water from the storage tank for the house.
Most of us would consider such a set up ludicrous.

[thepolkster46]

Today my new DIY video..

The compressor will last about 3/10's of a nano second with water instead of the oil it requires. You need to take the can off that thing and look at it next time before you propose such hair brained ideas. A bit more curiosity before statements might make life a bit easier for you.

[hemmjo]

The compressor will last about 3/10's of a nano second with water instead of the oil it requires. You need to take the can off that thing and look at it next time before you propose such hair brained ideas. A bit more curiosity before statements might make life a bit easier for you.

I think you missed the video, he is not running water through the compressor. He is using air to lift the water. It works, and as Frank mentioned might be very useful in some situations.

My point was, there are more efficient ways to do it IF you have to purchase items anyway. If you have the stuff on hand, the system shown in the video does work.

[Frank S]

The compressor will last about 3/10's of a nano second with water instead of the oil it requires. You need to take the can off that thing and look at it next time before you propose such hair brained ideas. A bit more curiosity before statements might make life a bit easier for you.

the water is not being pumped through the compressor. Any solid volume of liquid passing through a compressor would have the same effect of locking it up. refrigerant has only a small amount of oil per volume of gas. refrigerant enters the compressor in a gaseous state then is compressed to near liquid the expansion valve meters this as it enters the evaporator the condenser slightly cools the gas before be sucked back into the compressor A dryer in the system insures that the oil is kept in small enough particles to remain suspended in the refrigerant while it is in both the liquid and gaseous state otherwise the oil would or could settle in the condenser or be forced through the compressor in too large a quantity causing it to lock up.