Ken wrote
>
> Another technology which has seen a lot of use in areas that have no
> electricity available is the Hydraulic Ram Pump. This is a passive
> device that just needs "falling water" of some form. It uses the
> principle of the "water hammer" to drive water higher than the source.
>
> You can't use one to pump water from a well, but if there is a stream or
> river nearby, you can use it to great effect. I believe they were used
> quite a bit in gold mining operations out in California.
When my parents bought their last farm in 1949, there was an old, disused
one in the creek behind the house - was used for domestic supply.
A significant aspect of them is that the stream needs to be dammed (or
quite steep) to provide the head of water.
I suspect that either floods (taking out the dam) or pollution, or both, saw
this Ram replaced with a bore-hole. Maybe some time in the 1930's (guess)
Brian Swale.
--
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