"Angela Marsh" wrote in message
.97.142...
We have a small stream running next to the house and would like to put a
bird bath in our yard near it.

Would it be possible to find an *inexpensive* pump that could pump water
from the stream into the birdbath?

The only problem is that it needs to go about 30 feet, and over a 4' earth
berm. Can small inexpensive pumps do that?

Does it have to be a submersible pond pump or can it be something else?

Suggestions?
After a bit of thinking on pumps, there is a way that would be
relatively cheap but may be more trouble than its really worth. ONly
you can decide that.

Harbor freight makes a 1" clear water pump that will be more than
suitable for pulling or pushing water the height and distance you
recomended. It is an external pump, and costs less than $25.00 but can
usually be found on sale for about $22 . It can be hooked up close to
the fountain or at the stream itself. It only draws 4 amps so its not
all that expensive to run besides its only on for a short period of
time anyhow. Its easy enough to make a small pump vault to keep
thepump out of the weather, but the main concern is flooding
conditions if stream raises up, so take that into consideration.

next is the need for a flat switch to keep the bird bath filled and
not allow it to over flow. You can use a simple flaot switch and relay
to control the pump and this wold set you back about $15.00 or you can
buy a ready made float switch from Little Giant for about $30. The
rest of the expense would be wiring and PVC pipe. The pump would need
a strainer on the end and preferaby a check valve so it does not loose
its prime......so just the odds and ends for the pump not counting
wiring would set you back perhaps another $30 for strainer, pipe,
fittings check valve etc. Wiring coul dbe high or low priced as yu
make no mention of how far electrical supply is from where this bird
bath and stream is situated, but since its a low amperage draw pump
you may be able to get by on say 14 ga UF wire, you just have to
measure the distance and figure out voltage draw and loss to be
certain. Then again you may need a lot heaveir gauge wire. It all
depends on amperage draw and distance of electrical run.

OR you can build a hydraulic water ram and allow water movement to
push the water up tothe fountain. These devices are used n this area
for lifting and pushing water up toabout 10 feet in height from
streams and anywhere from a few feet to a hundred feet or so to cattle
watering troughs. Most of the cattlemen make their own devices but yu
can find plans on the internet or in magazines like Mother Earth News,
etc.

I still think a bucket would be a lot cheaper and easier overall but
thats just my opinion........

I have a bunch of those Harbor Freight clear water pumps i use around
my place for a few years now and have yet to have a problem with any
of them. They work just fine. I use them to pull water from larger
natural ponds and streams controlled by float devices to fill up
various other tanks and containers. I pull water from a manifold sort
of deal with multiple tapoffs for these pumps, that gravity feeds
water a distance of 250 feet from a stream through 10" PVC pipe. Last
count there is 8 of these 1" clear water pumps pulling water out of
that mianifold , all at various times of the day/ night, but they all
are attached to this common manifold. A similar manifold could be
made from common 4" PVC pipe for little cost in money, but for 30 feet
distance and less digging, it owul dbe easier to place pump near
stream in sheltered house / vault and push water that short distance
to bird bath.


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