"Tom J" wrote in message
...
Bob F wrote:
"rb" wrote in message
...
Yes. The idea is to get water with no power, at least cost.


Unless the water table is within 22 or so feet vertically of the hand
pump, the hand pump won't work.

Depends on the pump - 1 of those little $15 short handle pumps, you are
correct - the larger long handle, long stroke with tight pipe and good check
valve, you are wrong. We use to hand pump from 60 feet down to a tank on a
platform 20 feet up before we got electric power. We did finally hook a single
cylinder gas engine to a jack stand to operate the pump before getting
electric to the farm. It would fill a 1000 gallon tank using 1/2 gallon of
gasoline!! Yes, I'm talking about a loooong time ago!!

Unless the actual pump mechanism is within 20 some feet of the water table, it
still won't work. The distance you can "suck" water up is limited by the
atmospheric pressure's ability to push the water up to the pump. If the pump
cylinder is 40 or more feet underground, then it would work as you say. Of
course, a 60 foot well with a 20 foot water table would be no problem.