Hand pumps for water lifting
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Practical Action
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Figure 8: Types of deep-well pumps – deep-well piston, helical rotor and direct action
Rope pump
The rope pump is a rotary pump which can lift water from depths of up to 35 metres. At this
depth the average yield is calculated as 10 litres/ min. However, rope pumps more commonly
operate at depths of up to 10 m with a water yield of 40 litres/ min. This type of pump is widely
used for household and small community water supply.
The main wheel is turned by hand in the direction
indicated in Figure 9 and feeds the rope and
washers down the well shaft, over the guide pulley
and through the riser pipe to the discharge point.
The washers are an exact fit with the riser pipe
and force water up towards the surface.
Rope and washer pumps require less maintenance
than other equivalent pumps. Their simple design
means that repairs can often be done by users and
require few spare parts. Models can use parts that
incorporate commonly available materials such as
PVC pipe, rope, and old car parts.
The main disadvantage of this type of pump is that
it is not 100% closed which may lead to well
contamination. In addition, since this is not a
pressurised system it may take time to receive water
from the well with the water falling back to the level
of the bottom of the well when not in use.
Figure 9: Rope and washer pump.
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