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#1
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A bit damp here
Once upon a time on usenet Leon Fisk wrote:
On Tue, 28 Apr 2015 12:25:41 +1200 "~misfit~" wrote: snip My biggest problem when there's lots and lots of rain is all of that water leeching the goodness out of the containers I grow dwarf fruit trees in. I try to get out between the worst of it and suck the water out of the 'saucers' and put it into a barrel. I use a 250ml 'syringe' that is branded 'Masport' was sold for removing oil from a lawnmower engine (and is no loger available new) to do the job. However it's plunger isn't completely water-tight (designed to work in oil) so would love ideas on what else I could use - preferably 500ml or more per 'suck' but I'll consider anything. Can you get/find anything like this in your Country? http://www.harborfreight.com/multi-u...ump-66418.html I've got a similar version (paid much, much more from a Marine Supplier) that has worked good to suck the oil from the differentials on my truck, along with the power steering pump. Thanks for the suggestion Leon. I have something similar which I used to remove crankcase oil from my mower for oil changes now I've repurposed the 'giant syringe' that I got with it. However it wouldn't work well for me for removing water from my plant saucers - I have chronic back pain and can't bend forward for long (and there's not always room to crouch near a potted tree). Hence the syringe with a couple feet of hose on it works well, I hardly need to bend at all - if only it had a one litre barrel instead of the 250ml that it can suck at a time then life would be easier for me. Cheers, -- Shaun. "Humans will have advanced a long, long, way when religious belief has a cozy little classification in the DSM." David Melville (in r.a.s.f1) |
#2
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A bit damp here
On Tue, 5 May 2015 14:09:19 +1200
"~misfit~" wrote: snip I have chronic back pain and can't bend forward for long (and there's not always room to crouch near a potted tree). Well, I understand. Some other ideas for you... Aquarium pump. Veterinary/livestock supply, may have some large syringes available. Little pumps you can run/use with a power drill, maybe a battery drill would work. Problem with them though is they usually don't last long pumping dirty (gritty) water: http://www.harborfreight.com/catalog...t?q=drill+pump An automotive parts store may have an oil suction pump like this too: http://www.amazon.com/Lumax-LX-1185-.../dp/B000MD4YNY I've had one for a long time. The metal housing is the same as a grease gun uses. You just pull the plunger back and then push it back in to squirt out the contents. The house could be lengthened some I'm sure. If you got one from a local auto supply they could probably sell you some hose too. I quite often wander around the hardware store looking for things that I can re-purpose to do an odd job. It's become a lot easier now with the internet and good website search functions ;-) -- Leon Fisk Grand Rapids MI/Zone 5b Remove no.spam for email |
#3
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A bit damp here
Leon Fisk wrote:
"~misfit~" wrote: snip I have chronic back pain and can't bend forward for long (and there's not always room to crouch near a potted tree). Well, I understand. Some other ideas for you... Aquarium pump. often these must be submerged to work very well, but they can be very inexpensive. i have one that i've used here for years to drain the pond and some other low head sump pumping from holes we've done for footings. i think it cost me all of $7 at the pet store. take it apart once in a while to clean and inspect it, but otherwise it's done fine. magnetic impeller. songbird |
#4
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A bit damp here
Once upon a time on usenet songbird wrote:
Leon Fisk wrote: "~misfit~" wrote: snip I have chronic back pain and can't bend forward for long (and there's not always room to crouch near a potted tree). Well, I understand. Some other ideas for you... Aquarium pump. often these must be submerged to work very well, but they can be very inexpensive. i have one that i've used here for years to drain the pond and some other low head sump pumping from holes we've done for footings. i think it cost me all of $7 at the pet store. take it apart once in a while to clean and inspect it, but otherwise it's done fine. magnetic impeller. Yep. As I said to Leon I have a few of these around the place but they don't fit into the space around the pots (also I'd need to run around when there's a break in the rain not only with a pump and bucket but also with an extension cord). Cheers. -- Shaun. "Humans will have advanced a long, long, way when religious belief has a cozy little classification in the DSM*." David Melville (in r.a.s.f1) (*Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) |
#5
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A bit damp here
Once upon a time on usenet Leon Fisk wrote:
On Tue, 5 May 2015 14:09:19 +1200 "~misfit~" wrote: snip I have chronic back pain and can't bend forward for long (and there's not always room to crouch near a potted tree). Well, I understand. Some other ideas for you... Sorry for the delay in returning to the group and replying. Aquarium pump. I keep fish so have these at hand. No chance. Some of the suacers I empty and only 2" wider than the pot and 2" deep. Most aquarium pumps need to be submerged and the ones that don't need to be below the water level and primed then watched so they don't run dry. Not possible, or more accurately practical. Veterinary/livestock supply, may have some large syringes available. Heh! We think alike. Alas the largest is 50ml and I really want something that can suck up to a litre. Little pumps you can run/use with a power drill, maybe a battery drill would work. Problem with them though is they usually don't last long pumping dirty (gritty) water: http://www.harborfreight.com/catalog...t?q=drill+pump Yep. The other problem is that I'd need to bend down a lot and I have a really bad back. An automotive parts store may have an oil suction pump like this too: http://www.amazon.com/Lumax-LX-1185-.../dp/B000MD4YNY I've had one for a long time. The metal housing is the same as a grease gun uses. You just pull the plunger back and then push it back in to squirt out the contents. The house could be lengthened some I'm sure. If you got one from a local auto supply they could probably sell you some hose too. This is remarkably similat to the 250ml thing I use now (with a length of tube on the end so I don't need to bend so much). However the rubber washer's gone in mine and I can't find a replacement. I'm in New Zealand and this type of thing is impossible to find - at least so far. :-/ I quite often wander around the hardware store looking for things that I can re-purpose to do an odd job. It's become a lot easier now with the internet and good website search functions ;-) I do the same thing. Thanks for your input. -- Shaun. "Humans will have advanced a long, long, way when religious belief has a cozy little classification in the DSM*." David Melville (in r.a.s.f1) (*Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) |
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