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heynow999
Newbie

Joined: 15/02/2009
Location: Canada
Posts: 13

Posted: 01:35pm 07 Jun 2009

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So I found a Samsung front loader that I have dissmantled for the motor. (to make a windmill of course) So I have been thinking of expanding our rain water collection system as the wife keeps expanding her flower garden.

The idea is to get an old hot water heater and put it in the shed and collect rainwater from the shed roof. I then want to take the old pump from the Samsung washer and plumb it into the bottom of the tank, then a check valve and an accumulator tank made out of some pvc pipe. If I put in a water pressure switch, it would be a cheap slick setup to have on demand water.

My question is will the water pump develope any pressure? It looks like a centrifical pump like a water water pump on a car. Here is the machine

http://www.appliancepartspros.com/partsearch/model.aspx?mode l_id=5174359

I will play with it today and see if it makes any pressure. I know I can get a nice (read expensive) pump that would do everything all in one package, but in the spirt of "the backshed" I am trying to do it with the parts that I have laying around.

I had a second thought. I could just rig the pump up to run off a switch, and when you need water you just flip the switch.

Tinker

Guru

Joined: 07/11/2007
Location: Australia
Posts: 1904

Posted: 02:30pm 07 Jun 2009

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The short answer is no, it will not be suitable to pressurize a container. To do that you need a diaphragm or piston type pump.
If you are planning to use centrifugal pumps you might consider to put a header tank on the roof of your shed and use gravity to disperse the water.

Your last sentence states what I do with my rainwater tank. Its top is lower than the tapless outlet at the kitchen sink. There is a small centrifugal pump plumbed into the pipe, below the tank bottom, and simply flicking a switch delivers rain water to my sink.

Your washing machine pump might empty the old hot water heater tank sooner than you'd expect

Klaus

heynow999
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Joined: 15/02/2009
Location: Canada
Posts: 13

Posted: 12:17am 08 Jun 2009

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It looks like you are right and it does not develope any pressure. I played with it a bit and I could get it to pump water but when I covered the end of the hose there was no pressure there. It does look like I may be able to use it as you do Klaus, if it burns out no loss.

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