Courtesy of John S., Blue Ribbon Eggs, Franklin, NC
I have poor water pressure and a variable well, but 400′ of year round creek on one side of my property. I also have a friendly neighbor who is also a subsistence farmer that spent 30 years on oil rigs in the Gulf fooling around with pumping systems. He showed me how to set-up an impulse head system using an inexpensive trash pump (>$200), tubing and hose and clamps from Lowe’s and a little work. Now customer service at the pump manufacturer will tell you there’s no way to use a trash pump because of ‘back pressure’. Not true! Just have to know how to do it, or know a guy who does.
Check out this link – GlobalBuckets. (www.globalbuckets.org) Simply put, it’s a low tech syphon-fed watering system applicable to developing areas that have very limited resources.(water, power and money). Two extremely bright teenagers motivated to help the world feed itself. Cool kids, and cool experiments.
I hate it when kids young enough to be my grandchildren teach me things, but I do take notes! And it gives an old man hope for the world. Watch their videos, and check out the links( to see how their thinking has evolved). And all that from high school kids. Wow!
