Hit by a blackout or aiming for a greener life? Jackery 2000 v2's got your back. With 2042Wh capacity, 2200W output, and a 2-hour solar recharge, it's the lightest 2kWh LiFePO4 backup available. Check What Can Jackery Power with the 2000 v2 on the Official Store and Amazon: US official store: bit.ly/4ipk4Z7 CA official store: bit.ly/41t81nu Amazon US store: amzn.to/40wvIe8 Amazon CA store: amzn.to/48EuZtC Have an awesome weekend everybody!!
So, I bought one of these (version 1) the last time you did a Jackery sponsorship. I got it to use as a backup for my CPAP machine, and it works just fine. I went ahead and tested it when I first got it - full humidification and my normal pressure settings. (Yes, my CPAP machine is a real electricity hog.) It lasted for two nights, which is much better than my original backup, which only lasted for 20 minutes... The Jackery is still going almost two years later.
Can you set up the jackery :in the most farmer John way" to power the house "be semi off grid". When the jackery is low on juice, auto switch to grid power. Basically consume all of your solar instead of the traditional way of selling solar back to power company.
I think a Pond liner is a better option for addressing the leak. You could just try some 5mil slab vapor barrier plastic if the owner doesn't want to spend a lot of money on a pond liner. Amazon has a 40x40 45mil pond liner for about $400 USD. If its just leak in a small area you probably don't need a huge linear the entire size of the pond. Perhaps go with a cheap 5 mil vapor barrier placed in the deep end just to see if that fixes the issue. If it does, then buy a more durable pond liner.
And I just realized that water hammering inside metal pipes could increase the pressure; hoses or poly pipes are more elastic, absorbing force (pressure) along its length.
I have watched at least half a dozen explanations of a ram pump. 100% the most logical, simplest and self-evident explanation I have seen. You are a natural teacher, John.
Finally an explanation of how a ram pump works that I understand. If you never achieved anything else with your channel you have made it all worth while 😊🇬🇧
Same goes for the excavator turntable with multiple hydraulic lines going through and the lift boom extension with 1 cilinder. And many, many other things I've learned here. So, thanks a lot, Jon!
He definitely has a flair for layman explaining of things. I learn a lot from this channel, even though I’ve worked in industrial maintenance my whole life
(Retired Firefighter) When we hook up to a fire hydrant, we use 5” diameter hose. When we first started using this hose the factory and sale rep., told us an little interesting bit of information on water hammer. 1000 feet of 5” hose, flowing 1000 gpm, Is the equivalent of try to stop a 17,000 pound truck doing 35 mph. He shared an anecdote about a fire department that was doing testing of their new hose with the above configuration. They we’re flowing 1000 gpm and the order came to shut down. The pump operator reached over and pulled the quarter turn valve shut. The water hammer moved the fire engine sideway 5 feet and broke the pump on the engine off its mounts. As well as destroying almost a half mile of water main. It also caused the hydrant they were hooked to lift up and lean. That is why all Large diameter intake valve on fire apparatus are gate valves now. This was in the early eighties.
Knew a guy who almost died from a flying bolt. They had just turned on a water inlet at a booster station. A section of pipe had scale/rust on the inside and that section came loose, and slammed into the gate valve he had opened. It sheared all the bolts holding the valve to the pipe, and threw the entire valve and 10 inch pipe assembly across the room. It ripped the pump off the mount and the inlet and outlet sheared off. One of the flying bolts hit him square in the chest and was inch from hitting his heart. I guess most boost stations have secondary valves for slowly filling the station and down stream after draining it, but this one didn't. He was new and just opened the valve like he would on the other stations.
@ Yes I forgot, I should’ve remembered because ours would decide to activate occasionally. But only if I was the pump operator and it was below freezing 🥶. Didn’t mind it to much in the summer lol
@@FarmCraft101 Considering the fact the several dozen ton truck he just turned the valve off jumped right out from under his hand, I wonder how high he got when the sudden explosive evacuation of his bowls launched him? God I wish there was a video of that test that could be uploaded... 😄😁😆😅😂🤣
Jon, the light bulb finallly lit up for me when you began with an explanation and demos of water hammer. I have known about water hammer and its effects in fluid dynamics, but applying this principle to ram pumps made it click for me. You are a talented shop teacher, and I am blessed to be your student!
I am a retired engineer. I was exposed to a working Ram Pump on a friend's farm 50 years ago. Can attest to the fact they work great....no smoke and mirrors required. He made his from some plans he found in a library (Popular Mechanics maybe Farmers Almanac?).I never took the time to understand the physics behind it....thanks for the crystal clear detailed demonstration. My friend's pump was made from much larger diameter inlet pipe and had large hand made leather check valves...it moved a lot of water and did not require much maintenance to keep it going but did take quite a bit of fiddeling to get it to cycle....and it was loud! He did not have a significant elevation change on his property to drive the pump with potential energy. His stream was fast flowing which provided the necessary kinetic energy from the stream velocity and large water mass. The pump just sat in the stream with a short run of inlet pipe.....at least that is what I recall from a long time ago. Hope you get yours dialed in. My unsolicited two cents....you need larger components better able to deal with the operating environment. Also that oil filled pressure gage significantly suppressed the dynamic peak pressure spike...its purpose is to do just that.
Loving the “two grown men just playing in a creek” I loved playing in the water as a kid. Damming up a creek and watching it overflow was the best. Used to do that with my cousins in a park nearby.
You are one of the few youtube educational entertainment that i dont mind sales and advertising, and ive bought a few things . Thanks for you dedication and interesting content.
I dug my pond with a Deere 850 and hit bedrock around 12’ deep. It’s perfect though for the kids to swim and looks beautiful. I was really worried it would leak but thank goodness it didn’t. Two natural springs flow into it and I couldn’t put be happier. Put in a sandy beach this summer. I know what you’re going through, what a pita. I sweat bullets for a month until it filled up.
I've seen other videos and explanations on ram pumps and understood how they worked. I will say, your explanation, and detailed demo on different parts and pressures was the best one I've seen. Fascinating, simple little machines. Thanks for sharing.
Virginia Worker, This is Hoosier Farmboy. I live far away from Indiana, and I never comment...but, thanks for one of the best practical physics lessons I have ever seen. My teenage children adored your approach and clarity. Merry Xmas.
You solved a mystery that was logged in my head. Thank you for the WOW moment, About 30 years ago I was involved in a condition assessment on a 100 plus year old rural Roman Catholic church. The church had a pipe organ that had been converted to electricity, but had originally been water powered with an air tank in the basement and no other source of power than the water. Now remembering details that were still in place that supposedly nobody still knew how to operate it has made me realize that all the pieces were there and it was the simplicity of a Ram Pump running the organ.
I'm very familiar with the ram pump, but now I can send people your video when they ask me to explain it. It doesn't happen often, but it happens often enough that it will throw some views towards your channel. I hope to bring you some more subscribers!
And the whole thing is just like a step-up DC-DC converter) Flowing mass of water is replaced by a coil, valves are diodes, and the switch is integrated into a chip)
I've seen many ram pump explanation/demo videos and this is by far one of the best. Starting from basic water hammer with a single manual valve and then building up to a full ram pump piece by piece was genius. Makes it very intuitive to understand the operating principle. Great video!
I've played with Ram pumps most of my life and I discovered something interesting a larger intake pipe makes all the difference in the world ! a 3" pvc pipe( even if the flow into it is small) going into the 2" ram pump would probably fill that pond over night ! most people will say well I don't have that much water flow ! but you can adjust how much waste water you get so you only use as little as you need.... the check valve for the waste gate is the key to a good ram pump. although the design you used is easy to build..... come on Jon you can do better than that ! make one out of stainless steel and have the tension infinitely adjustable ! it is best if you keep the waste check valve horizontal it makes a big difference ! I made a 3" ram pump for my father-in-law's year round creek but sadly alzheimer's struck before I got a chance to install it for him. the air chamber is more important than you eluded to.... it not only smoothes out the flow to a certain extent (not completely)but also provides a place for pressurized water. so the bigger the better on the air chamber it will fill about 1/2 way with water...that is normal with your waste gate horizontal and a threaded rod and spring to adjust the back pressure your in like flynn ! the problem with the waste gate is it has to be as friction-less as possible so a flapper valve may be the answer where you can still use gravity( weight ) to adjust the back pressure.but make it out of brass or stainless as steel pipe won't last a year ! i made mine completely from PVC and some fancy PVC welding with a soldering iron ! Now you can adjust the flow by the speed you adjust the flapper valve opening the slower you adjust it to the more volume but the bigger chance you have of it locking up, the faster you have it going the less it pumps but also wastes less water. so even if you have a large intake and big ram pump you can adjust it down to accommodate the flow available....in theory at least. a ram pump does waste alot of water.... about as much as it pumps so if your creek is small in the summer you may have to turn it off. a 1" ram pump with the same 1" input with a good head will pump a great deal of water over 24hrs..... will it keep up with the leaky pond ? who knows, probably not as ponds can leak more water than they will hold some times ! your idea of digging it deeper and spreading clay is a great idea.... but the dirt/clay you have there is not good clay ! you need good clay ! or a plastic liner buried !!!
I've been curious about ram pumps and have watched a few videos without fully understanding. It bothered me but not to the point of doing any real research. 30 minutes in your classroom and I finally get it! You must truly have the heart of a teacher.
that's really cool! makes me wanna go out and build one right now hahaha! except its winter :P very cool old technology! thanks for breaking this down and explaining how it works :)
Look up "Ha Ha Tonka water tower" in Camdenton Missouri. Ram pump moves water almost 300 feet up from spring. Never could understand their drawing on site. This was early 1900s. Thanks for your explanation sir.
Oh that looks so cold, basking in heat down under here in New Zealand. Great explanation on how the pump system works and the simplicity of it is remarkable. Have a merry Christmas Jon, Jen and the family.
Hey Jon, im from Germany and here we like to use Sodium Bentonite to seal leaking ponds. Should be pretty common in the US as well, because you happen to sit on most of the worlds resources of bentonite as far as i know 😄
Just the first few minutes of this video demystified the entire process. Thanks! Hell, I am going to build one even though I don’t even need one. I just love to learn things.
There are 2 content creators who have mentioned a desire to use a ram pump.... one guy (Wild We Roam) just LOVES to develop springs to supply his household water.... and he's in upstate NY; the other guy (This Off Grid Life) is in Canada where his water supply is significantly lower than his home. He uses solar electricity to pump the water.... but has a real problem in the cold weather months. So I just went and told them both about THIS video - I bet this will help a LOT of people trying to accomplish such a task. I keep wondering why we haven't made good use of what they call a water battery.... as China has built several mega water batteries in order to supply electricity in a "green" way. Anyhow... again - THANK YOU for sharing this.
I didn’t know that Ram Pumps existed until now. Your explanation of how they work was brilliant. I’m going to make it a future project to build one. Thanks Jon. 🔧👍🇬🇧
This is why i watch farmcraft. There is no explanation on how these work as extensive as you just went. Your the best man. What if you put a liner in just the bottom 3/4 of the pond??
A similar effect is used on engine air intake tracts. When the air intake valve shuts in the cylinder, the high speed column of air intake charge, and actually abruptly comes to a stop. This creates a reflected pulse wave that travels back up the air intake tract and slams into the plenum chamber that feeds the individual intake runners. That second reflected pulse wave, can precisely coincide with the next air charge "breath" as the air intake valve opens. Those two coinciding events helps push more intake charge into the cylinder. Some engines, can get almost 100% volumetric efficiency, almost like free supercharging. Only draw back, the effect only reaches its best efficiency at a specific rpm, unless the air intact tract length can change length (variable). So fluid hammer has its applications.
48 seconds in and thank you so much this is something i have been wanting for a long time a good breakdown of a ram pump, always forget to look it up and now since i come back here weekly i do not have to remember to look it up.
Jon neat video, this low flow application would be good enough to fill a tank in my 2 store barn so that I can have some water downstairs in my shop to wash my hands ect...
I build my own pretty large diameter based water system on my farm for mainly irrigation with ball valves. I put in pressure tanks with membranes and kompressed air because I was sure that closing the valve in an instant would produce pretty substantial pressure spikes and also to protect the well pump from turning on too often. First test of closing the valve instantly on the far end of the system with a pressure gauge, showed yhe water hammer nicely and you can also feel the water oscillating in the pipe. I am glad I put in the tanks. I did not realize that these pressure spikes could actually be used for something like a pump. The check valves do not like sand and such, it blocks them and stops them from working. Filters help. Thanks for your great explanation.
Great job on the workings of ram pumps. If you are going to excavate and compact the pond base, I would recommend adding Bentonite. Bentonite is a natural clay material that swells when wet, creating an impermeable barrier. It is widely used for sealing ponds, lagoons, and other water retention systems.
19:20 commenting before watching the end - consider adding an impermeable membrane in your air buffer. Because of the water flow - over time, air will dissolve in the flowing water, and eventually you'll end up with a reservoir just full of water. It doesn't need to be strong - a ziplock baggie sealed up should do it - just something to separate the springy air from the incompressible water.
I’ve known about ram pumps for years, but I never really knew how they worked. Your description made it very easy to finally understand these clever little contraptions. Thanks!
Oh WOW!! Ever since I heard about the "ram pump" - I've been trying to figure out how it works... and I've been wanting to see a technical drawing or see one in action. This is PERFECT!! Thank you for sharing this.
17:44 that is really cool, you can actually see the rebound as it sucks air into the system as the pressure suddenly drops off before the rebound comes back to the check valve
Used to. Technology, wood shop, auto shop, and various supporting classes. I took them in the mid 90's, before they started to phase out. I even thought it strange as a young man. Why? Was it simply a lack of demand? I don't think so. The classes were full. Forces one to ponder.
Here in the Uk, Lister made ram pumps long time ago. 1 source as you demonstrated and 2 source rams as well. The 2 source used a burn for the power and pumped clean water from a well. They used leather washers for the non return valve but the problem became getting a leather that worked. Last time I went to fix one 20 years ago there was a frog stuck in it. Not far from us there was a giant ram pump used for water mains and it took two people jumping on a scaffolding board to get it started. All done with electric pumps now thought. Good video :-) M
Now thats the first time i have understood how a ram pump works the ones in Tasmania Australia normally have mushroom type dome on top they work but i never understood how until now Great Video Well Done
If I was the dean of M.I.T., I would give you an honorary degree in engineering, but suspect you already have a doctorate in engineering. Not just because of this video, but because of all of your videos. Outstanding!
Hi John thats a good explaination of the method to multiply the static energy in the water stream and pump a portion to the dam. How about bringing it up to this century and utilise the whole stream flow and capture say a constant 5% with the help of the escaping 95% The normal seasonal variable flow all goes through the intake pipe and you construct a robust system with self cleaning strainers, that then pumps the constant percentage of the total flow from the parent stream. I'm sure that you can apply yourself to this. Good Luck from Down Under
Hey Jon, when you are resealing the pond, you should get more of the pond sealant that you sprinkled on the surface. It works wonders when spread in layers between the clay. It expands about 10 times as much as bentonite clay does. I used it to seal a particularly annoying pond about 5 years ago and it was the only thing that actually worked
Thanks for the amazing explanation. There are still remnants of a ram pump at Red Hill in a creek by our gardens. Now I finally understand how it works 😂
If you are going to drain the pond there are several options to construct a liner. Your compacted clay liner is a good option if done correctly. That said, it can be difficult to do correctly. You also can mix the existing soil with powered bentonite and compact the mixture to form a much more impervious liner. Assume something on the order of two pounds per square foot of area tilled into the upper four inches of soil. I am a retired geotechnical engineer and designed dozens of ponds with several types of liners including bentonite. Let me know if you want to consider this option or to better understand the whole compaction, soil type, permeability issue.
That's good to know. I'd definitely like to learn more so I get it right this time. If you wouldn't mind send me an email: farmcraft101@yahoo.com. First off, I need to find where to buy bentonite by the truckload. I'd need around 30,000 pounds by your estimate.
Out here in the west, we line the irrigation canals with Bentamat. It comes in ? 20 ft rolls. We just unroll it down one side and up the other. You'd need Large Marge to lift a roll. Not sure if you have that there? They almost give the rolls away out here. Absolutely no leaky, leaky.
Not first, but here after just 7 minutes! Really amazing explainer! It's always so cool to see purely mechanical devices and how the same logic we're more familiar with in electronics applies to them
It’s amazing how many analogies there are to water and electricity. It’s the same concept with a switch mode power supply. Put low voltage through an inductor, connect it to a transistor and turn it on and off at high speed and the output voltage is many times higher then the input. Same concept in an ignition coil. Power the primary with 12v, interrupt the power and get a voltage spike in the thousands of volts. I wonder in your setup if you decrease the output pipe diameter if that would boost the water pressure higher?
Dunno. But ram pumps have been studied quite extensively. I would think the info would be out there. I’m just a stupid farmer. Me make pump. Me pump water. 😂
Your step-by-step build-up of the concepts relevant to the ram pump is the best I have seen. That made it very easy to visualize and understand how it works. Once you get the pond sealed, I have another idea. Dam up the creep to make a nice pool and get a gas powered pump with about a 2 or 3 inch line. That will probably move more water in 30 minutes than the ram pump does in a month. Just sayin'!
Ram pumps always amaze me. I imagine larger diameter intake creates more pressure and maybe more volume? Once the bottom is sealed though that should make the biggest difference in keeping 'er full.
LED on Backwards check valve: It would be neat if your farmer friend could look out and see that the Ram Pump was operating. By installing a micro switch that would be operated from backward check valve shaft one could connect a LED and small battery (optional solar charger) that would pulse with the operation of the pump and could be seen from your customers house confirming Pump operation.
I'm sure people have told you before, you need to teach practical engineering at a local high school or college. Your explanation was excellent and engaging. Engineering is about problem-solving in the real world, this sort of thing brings theory and practice together beautifully in a way that even non-academic kids can understand.. This is how you engage kids to follow vocational training rather than academic pursuits. I am happy with the academic approach but also understand that in the end, someone needs to get their hands dirty making or fixing it!! There is a real satisfaction to be gained from having a product that does something at the end of a process purely from the effort you have put in. You started with nothing, now you have something!
Best explanation of a ram pump I’ve seen yet. Thank you for explaining the water hammer effect. Until now I never really got it. Turns out , it’s not magic. Thanks John.
![KRK - ชนิสรา Ft.WanMai , N/A [Official MV] Prod. By Sakarin](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/C-WMwwYobcU/mqdefault.jpg)
Hit by a blackout or aiming for a greener life? Jackery 2000 v2's got your back. With 2042Wh capacity, 2200W output, and a 2-hour solar recharge, it's the lightest 2kWh LiFePO4 backup available.
Check What Can Jackery Power with the 2000 v2 on the Official Store and Amazon:
US official store: bit.ly/4ipk4Z7
CA official store: bit.ly/41t81nu
Amazon US store: amzn.to/40wvIe8
Amazon CA store: amzn.to/48EuZtC
Have an awesome weekend everybody!!
So, I bought one of these (version 1) the last time you did a Jackery sponsorship. I got it to use as a backup for my CPAP machine, and it works just fine. I went ahead and tested it when I first got it - full humidification and my normal pressure settings. (Yes, my CPAP machine is a real electricity hog.) It lasted for two nights, which is much better than my original backup, which only lasted for 20 minutes... The Jackery is still going almost two years later.
Can you set up the jackery :in the most farmer John way" to power the house "be semi off grid". When the jackery is low on juice, auto switch to grid power. Basically consume all of your solar instead of the traditional way of selling solar back to power company.
I think a Pond liner is a better option for addressing the leak. You could just try some 5mil slab vapor barrier plastic if the owner doesn't want to spend a lot of money on a pond liner. Amazon has a 40x40 45mil pond liner for about $400 USD. If its just leak in a small area you probably don't need a huge linear the entire size of the pond. Perhaps go with a cheap 5 mil vapor barrier placed in the deep end just to see if that fixes the issue. If it does, then buy a more durable pond liner.
did you add a language to your vids, airplay through apple on a tv is playing german
@3:20. CHICKEN
This is absolutely the best description I have seen for how a water ram pump works. Thank you.
Thank you it is really great design.
Ditto
Thought the same thing. This channel is another level
And I just realized that water hammering inside metal pipes could increase the pressure; hoses or poly pipes are more elastic, absorbing force (pressure) along its length.
I have watched at least half a dozen explanations of a ram pump. 100% the most logical, simplest and self-evident explanation I have seen. You are a natural teacher, John.
Finally an explanation of how a ram pump works that I understand. If you never achieved anything else with your channel you have made it all worth while 😊🇬🇧
Same goes for the excavator turntable with multiple hydraulic lines going through and the lift boom extension with 1 cilinder. And many, many other things I've learned here. So, thanks a lot, Jon!
He definitely has a flair for layman explaining of things. I learn a lot from this channel, even though I’ve worked in industrial maintenance my whole life
(Retired Firefighter) When we hook up to a fire hydrant, we use 5” diameter hose. When we first started using this hose the factory and sale rep., told us an little interesting bit of information on water hammer. 1000 feet of 5” hose, flowing 1000 gpm, Is the equivalent of try to stop a 17,000 pound truck doing 35 mph. He shared an anecdote about a fire department that was doing testing of their new hose with the above configuration. They we’re flowing 1000 gpm and the order came to shut down. The pump operator reached over and pulled the quarter turn valve shut. The water hammer moved the fire engine sideway 5 feet and broke the pump on the engine off its mounts. As well as destroying almost a half mile of water main. It also caused the hydrant they were hooked to lift up and lean. That is why all Large diameter intake valve on fire apparatus are gate valves now. This was in the early eighties.
Wow, that's crazy.
Knew a guy who almost died from a flying bolt. They had just turned on a water inlet at a booster station. A section of pipe had scale/rust on the inside and that section came loose, and slammed into the gate valve he had opened. It sheared all the bolts holding the valve to the pipe, and threw the entire valve and 10 inch pipe assembly across the room. It ripped the pump off the mount and the inlet and outlet sheared off. One of the flying bolts hit him square in the chest and was inch from hitting his heart.
I guess most boost stations have secondary valves for slowly filling the station and down stream after draining it, but this one didn't. He was new and just opened the valve like he would on the other stations.
And there’s a blowoff valve (ours were set at 150 psi) on the gate valve, in between the 5” supply and the gate😳
@ Yes I forgot, I should’ve remembered because ours would decide to activate occasionally. But only if I was the pump operator and it was below freezing 🥶. Didn’t mind it to much in the summer lol
@@FarmCraft101 Considering the fact the several dozen ton truck he just turned the valve off jumped right out from under his hand, I wonder how high he got when the sudden explosive evacuation of his bowls launched him?
God I wish there was a video of that test that could be uploaded...
😄😁😆😅😂🤣
One of the few creators who keeps my attention from start to the finish of their videos. Keep up the great work!
Jon, the light bulb finallly lit up for me when you began with an explanation and demos of water hammer. I have known about water hammer and its effects in fluid dynamics, but applying this principle to ram pumps made it click for me. You are a talented shop teacher, and I am blessed to be your student!
This is the best explanation of a ram pump I have ever seen. This is what I am going to use whenever anyone asks me about this from now on.
I am a retired engineer. I was exposed to a working Ram Pump on a friend's farm 50 years ago. Can attest to the fact they work great....no smoke and mirrors required. He made his from some plans he found in a library (Popular Mechanics maybe Farmers Almanac?).I never took the time to understand the physics behind it....thanks for the crystal clear detailed demonstration. My friend's pump was made from much larger diameter inlet pipe and had large hand made leather check valves...it moved a lot of water and did not require much maintenance to keep it going but did take quite a bit of fiddeling to get it to cycle....and it was loud! He did not have a significant elevation change on his property to drive the pump with potential energy. His stream was fast flowing which provided the necessary kinetic energy from the stream velocity and large water mass. The pump just sat in the stream with a short run of inlet pipe.....at least that is what I recall from a long time ago. Hope you get yours dialed in. My unsolicited two cents....you need larger components better able to deal with the operating environment. Also that oil filled pressure gage significantly suppressed the dynamic peak pressure spike...its purpose is to do just that.
Loving the “two grown men just playing in a creek”
I loved playing in the water as a kid. Damming up a creek and watching it overflow was the best. Used to do that with my cousins in a park nearby.
You are one of the few youtube educational entertainment that i dont mind sales and advertising, and ive bought a few things . Thanks for you dedication and interesting content.
I dug my pond with a Deere 850 and hit bedrock around 12’ deep. It’s perfect though for the kids to swim and looks beautiful. I was really worried it would leak but thank goodness it didn’t. Two natural springs flow into it and I couldn’t put be happier. Put in a sandy beach this summer. I know what you’re going through, what a pita. I sweat bullets for a month until it filled up.
As someone who has never heard of a ram pump I found your explanation of its function extremely understandable! Thank you!
I've seen other videos and explanations on ram pumps and understood how they worked. I will say, your explanation, and detailed demo on different parts and pressures was the best one I've seen. Fascinating, simple little machines. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you for teaching... I learned something!
Virginia Worker,
This is Hoosier Farmboy. I live far away from Indiana, and I never comment...but, thanks for one of the best practical physics lessons I have ever seen. My teenage children adored your approach and clarity.
Merry Xmas.
You solved a mystery that was logged in my head. Thank you for the WOW moment,
About 30 years ago I was involved in a condition assessment on a 100 plus year old rural Roman Catholic church.
The church had a pipe organ that had been converted to electricity, but had originally been water powered with an air tank in the basement and no other source of power than the water. Now remembering details that were still in place that supposedly nobody still knew how to operate it has made me realize that all the pieces were there and it was the simplicity of a Ram Pump running the organ.
I'm very familiar with the ram pump, but now I can send people your video when they ask me to explain it. It doesn't happen often, but it happens often enough that it will throw some views towards your channel. I hope to bring you some more subscribers!
Playing in sand in creek is the life, "Honey I am going to do adult work now"
Dozer wanted to help also.
Really great explanations on how a ram pump works!
19:05 is a great example of how capacitors work in electrical systems
And the whole thing is just like a step-up DC-DC converter) Flowing mass of water is replaced by a coil, valves are diodes, and the switch is integrated into a chip)
I've seen many ram pump explanation/demo videos and this is by far one of the best.
Starting from basic water hammer with a single manual valve and then building up to a full ram pump piece by piece was genius. Makes it very intuitive to understand the operating principle. Great video!
took a whole 10 minutes before the first seal was mentioned. that has to be a record. farming = seals.
Jon is my favourite seal farmer.
My thoughts exactly
I've played with Ram pumps most of my life and I discovered something interesting a larger intake pipe makes all the difference in the world ! a 3" pvc pipe( even if the flow into it is small) going into the 2" ram pump would probably fill that pond over night !
most people will say well I don't have that much water flow ! but you can adjust how much waste water you get so you only use as little as you need.... the check valve for the waste gate is the key to a good ram pump. although the design you used is easy to build..... come on Jon you can do better than that ! make one out of stainless steel and have the tension infinitely adjustable !
it is best if you keep the waste check valve horizontal it makes a big difference ! I made a 3" ram pump for my father-in-law's year round creek but sadly alzheimer's struck before I got a chance to install it for him. the air chamber is more important than you eluded to.... it not only smoothes out the flow to a certain extent (not completely)but also provides a place for pressurized water.
so the bigger the better on the air chamber it will fill about 1/2 way with water...that is normal
with your waste gate horizontal and a threaded rod and spring to adjust the back pressure your in like flynn !
the problem with the waste gate is it has to be as friction-less as possible so a flapper valve may be the answer where you can still use gravity( weight ) to adjust the back pressure.but make it out of brass or stainless as steel pipe won't last a year ! i made mine completely from PVC and some fancy PVC welding with a soldering iron !
Now you can adjust the flow by the speed you adjust the flapper valve opening the slower you adjust it to the more volume but the bigger chance you have of it locking up, the faster you have it going the less it pumps but also wastes less water.
so even if you have a large intake and big ram pump you can adjust it down to accommodate the flow available....in theory at least. a ram pump does waste alot of water.... about as much as it pumps so if your creek is small in the summer you may have to turn it off.
a 1" ram pump with the same 1" input with a good head will pump a great deal of water over 24hrs.....
will it keep up with the leaky pond ? who knows, probably not as ponds can leak more water than they will hold some times !
your idea of digging it deeper and spreading clay is a great idea.... but the dirt/clay you have there is not good clay ! you need good clay ! or a plastic liner buried !!!
I've been curious about ram pumps and have watched a few videos without fully understanding.
It bothered me but not to the point of doing any real research.
30 minutes in your classroom and I finally get it!
You must truly have the heart of a teacher.
that's really cool! makes me wanna go out and build one right now hahaha! except its winter :P very cool old technology! thanks for breaking this down and explaining how it works :)
Look up "Ha Ha Tonka water tower" in Camdenton Missouri. Ram pump moves water almost 300 feet up from spring. Never could understand their drawing on site. This was early 1900s. Thanks for your explanation sir.
Oh that looks so cold, basking in heat down under here in New Zealand. Great explanation on how the pump system works and the simplicity of it is remarkable. Have a merry Christmas Jon, Jen and the family.
Hey Jon, im from Germany and here we like to use Sodium Bentonite to seal leaking ponds. Should be pretty common in the US as well, because you happen to sit on most of the worlds resources of bentonite as far as i know 😄
Just the first few minutes of this video demystified the entire process. Thanks! Hell, I am going to build one even though I don’t even need one. I just love to learn things.
I've been watching your channel to watch you fix "Large Marge", now I'm learning something new. Keep up the great work.
There are 2 content creators who have mentioned a desire to use a ram pump.... one guy (Wild We Roam) just LOVES to develop springs to supply his household water.... and he's in upstate NY; the other guy (This Off Grid Life) is in Canada where his water supply is significantly lower than his home. He uses solar electricity to pump the water.... but has a real problem in the cold weather months. So I just went and told them both about THIS video - I bet this will help a LOT of people trying to accomplish such a task. I keep wondering why we haven't made good use of what they call a water battery.... as China has built several mega water batteries in order to supply electricity in a "green" way. Anyhow... again - THANK YOU for sharing this.
I didn’t know that Ram Pumps existed until now. Your explanation of how they work was brilliant. I’m going to make it a future project to build one. Thanks Jon. 🔧👍🇬🇧
This is why i watch farmcraft. There is no explanation on how these work as extensive as you just went. Your the best man.
What if you put a liner in just the bottom 3/4 of the pond??
A similar effect is used on engine air intake tracts. When the air intake valve shuts in the cylinder, the high speed column of air intake charge, and actually abruptly comes to a stop. This creates a reflected pulse wave that travels back up the air intake tract and slams into the plenum chamber that feeds the individual intake runners. That second reflected pulse wave, can precisely coincide with the next air charge "breath" as the air intake valve opens. Those two coinciding events helps push more intake charge into the cylinder. Some engines, can get almost 100% volumetric efficiency, almost like free supercharging. Only draw back, the effect only reaches its best efficiency at a specific rpm, unless the air intact tract length can change length (variable). So fluid hammer has its applications.
Great video!
If you keep having debris issues with that style check valve give the gate style check valves a try
Wow, ive been puzzled by ram pumps for years, thanks to you I now fully understand the principle. A great explanation and demonstration. Thankyou .
I have learned so much from your channel. And even the sponsored bits of your videos are interesting to watch. Hat off for what you do!
I had heard of a ram pump before, but never really knew what it was. That is amazing, and thank you so much for sharing with us!!
48 seconds in and thank you so much this is something i have been wanting for a long time a good breakdown of a ram pump, always forget to look it up and now since i come back here weekly i do not have to remember to look it up.
I didn’t know water could flow uphill without a power source. Excellent explanation!
My names James and I like pond updates😂
This is why I love the channel. He explains stuff in a way that makes sense to my mind.
Jon neat video, this low flow application would be good enough to fill a tank in my 2 store barn so that I can have some water downstairs in my shop to wash my hands ect...
I build my own pretty large diameter based water system on my farm for mainly irrigation with ball valves. I put in pressure tanks with membranes and kompressed air because I was sure that closing the valve in an instant would produce pretty substantial pressure spikes and also to protect the well pump from turning on too often. First test of closing the valve instantly on the far end of the system with a pressure gauge, showed yhe water hammer nicely and you can also feel the water oscillating in the pipe. I am glad I put in the tanks. I did not realize that these pressure spikes could actually be used for something like a pump. The check valves do not like sand and such, it blocks them and stops them from working. Filters help. Thanks for your great explanation.
I love this more educational style of content. Reminds me of the earlier days of the chanel. I learned a lot from this video, thank you!
Great job on the workings of ram pumps. If you are going to excavate and compact the pond base, I would recommend adding Bentonite. Bentonite is a natural clay material that swells when wet, creating an impermeable barrier. It is widely used for sealing ponds, lagoons, and other water retention systems.
19:20 commenting before watching the end - consider adding an impermeable membrane in your air buffer. Because of the water flow - over time, air will dissolve in the flowing water, and eventually you'll end up with a reservoir just full of water. It doesn't need to be strong - a ziplock baggie sealed up should do it - just something to separate the springy air from the incompressible water.
Wow. I learned something new again. I’m impressed cause often I know everything but this is a new one for me! Love this channel!!
I’ve known about ram pumps for years, but I never really knew how they worked. Your description made it very easy to finally understand these clever little contraptions. Thanks!
Oh WOW!! Ever since I heard about the "ram pump" - I've been trying to figure out how it works... and I've been wanting to see a technical drawing or see one in action. This is PERFECT!! Thank you for sharing this.
A great practical explanation of a ram pump! Well done.
17:44 that is really cool, you can actually see the rebound as it sucks air into the system as the pressure suddenly drops off before the rebound comes back to the check valve
Maybe a poly liner for the pond? Another thoughtful video, good on you! 😊
If only more subjects in schools were taught like this.
Used to.
Technology, wood shop, auto shop, and various supporting classes. I took them in the mid 90's, before they started to phase out. I even thought it strange as a young man.
Why? Was it simply a lack of demand? I don't think so. The classes were full.
Forces one to ponder.
Fantastic way to demonstrate the ram pump, kudos
8:50 The 15 psi gauge is filled with glicerine (afaik) that dampens the movement of the gauge. That is why the spike seems lower.
Good point.
Here in the Uk, Lister made ram pumps long time ago. 1 source as you demonstrated and 2 source rams as well. The 2 source used a burn for the power and pumped clean water from a well. They used leather washers for the non return valve but the problem became getting a leather that worked. Last time I went to fix one 20 years ago there was a frog stuck in it. Not far from us there was a giant ram pump used for water mains and it took two people jumping on a scaffolding board to get it started. All done with electric pumps now thought. Good video :-) M
That check valve ROCKS!
Thanks for the metrical translations, it saves thought for the enjoyment of your show!
I've had it explained many times to me. Now finally I get it. Pretty simple. Thank You Jon!
Very good video I like watching your videos I find them interesting 🤔 thanks
For the first time I get it! Thanks John.
Now thats the first time i have understood how a ram pump works the ones in Tasmania Australia normally have mushroom type dome on top they work but i never understood how until now Great Video Well Done
If I was the dean of M.I.T., I would give you an honorary degree in engineering, but suspect you already have a doctorate in engineering. Not just because of this video, but because of all of your videos. Outstanding!
Good explanation as to what and how a ram pump works
My father's friend had a ram pump on the river in 1967. I understood them better after designing electronic boost converters 20 years later.
Love the pond updates! Very interesting.
Wonderful devices, seem to defy the laws of gravity when you first see one. Good job
Hi John thats a good explaination of the method to multiply the static energy in the water stream and pump a portion to the dam.
How about bringing it up to this century and utilise the whole stream flow and capture say a constant 5% with the help of the escaping 95%
The normal seasonal variable flow all goes through the intake pipe and you construct a robust system with self cleaning strainers, that then pumps the constant percentage of the total flow from the parent stream. I'm sure that you can apply yourself to this. Good Luck from Down Under
Hey Jon, when you are resealing the pond, you should get more of the pond sealant that you sprinkled on the surface. It works wonders when spread in layers between the clay. It expands about 10 times as much as bentonite clay does. I used it to seal a particularly annoying pond about 5 years ago and it was the only thing that actually worked
Thanks for the amazing explanation. There are still remnants of a ram pump at Red Hill in a creek by our gardens. Now I finally understand how it works 😂
Best explanation on TH-cam!
When I was a kid I built pulse jet engine model planes and flew them without any radio control. I was obsessed with pulse jet engines on model planes.
If you are going to drain the pond there are several options to construct a liner. Your compacted clay liner is a good option if done correctly. That said, it can be difficult to do correctly. You also can mix the existing soil with powered bentonite and compact the mixture to form a much more impervious liner. Assume something on the order of two pounds per square foot of area tilled into the upper four inches of soil. I am a retired geotechnical engineer and designed dozens of ponds with several types of liners including bentonite. Let me know if you want to consider this option or to better understand the whole compaction, soil type, permeability issue.
That's good to know. I'd definitely like to learn more so I get it right this time. If you wouldn't mind send me an email: farmcraft101@yahoo.com. First off, I need to find where to buy bentonite by the truckload. I'd need around 30,000 pounds by your estimate.
BRILLIANT EXPLANATION!
Another great video and a fantastic explanation of ram pumps. Thank you
Out here in the west, we line the irrigation canals with Bentamat. It comes in ? 20 ft rolls. We just unroll it down one side and up the other. You'd need Large Marge to lift a roll. Not sure if you have that there? They almost give the rolls away out here. Absolutely no leaky, leaky.
Thank you Jon , ram pumps are so interesting .
Not first, but here after just 7 minutes!
Really amazing explainer! It's always so cool to see purely mechanical devices and how the same logic we're more familiar with in electronics applies to them
Well done Jon!
It’s amazing how many analogies there are to water and electricity. It’s the same concept with a switch mode power supply. Put low voltage through an inductor, connect it to a transistor and turn it on and off at high speed and the output voltage is many times higher then the input. Same concept in an ignition coil. Power the primary with 12v, interrupt the power and get a voltage spike in the thousands of volts. I wonder in your setup if you decrease the output pipe diameter if that would boost the water pressure higher?
Dunno. But ram pumps have been studied quite extensively. I would think the info would be out there. I’m just a stupid farmer. Me make pump. Me pump water. 😂
@@FarmCraft101 and the air buffer is analogous to a capacitor. Pure genius
What a great education finally understand hammer pump Thanks 👏👍
Your step-by-step build-up of the concepts relevant to the ram pump is the best I have seen. That made it very easy to visualize and understand how it works. Once you get the pond sealed, I have another idea. Dam up the creep to make a nice pool and get a gas powered pump with about a 2 or 3 inch line. That will probably move more water in 30 minutes than the ram pump does in a month. Just sayin'!
Beautiful video - well explained, and cool to see the end result and also the struggles.
Ram pumps always amaze me. I imagine larger diameter intake creates more pressure and maybe more volume? Once the bottom is sealed though that should make the biggest difference in keeping 'er full.
Thanks for making me ponder more…!!!
I learned something today. Thank you for the clear explanation.
Hey John, thank you for the informative videos.
Thanks Jon. Merry Christmas!
John should have sponsors running to him, cause he has one of the best shows on TH-cam ❤
LED on Backwards check valve: It would be neat if your farmer friend could look out and see that the Ram Pump was operating. By installing a micro switch that would be operated from backward check valve shaft one could connect a LED and small battery (optional solar charger) that would pulse with the operation of the pump and could be seen from your customers house confirming Pump operation.
Best ram pump explanation ever
I'm sure people have told you before, you need to teach practical engineering at a local high school or college. Your explanation was excellent and engaging. Engineering is about problem-solving in the real world, this sort of thing brings theory and practice together beautifully in a way that even non-academic kids can understand.. This is how you engage kids to follow vocational training rather than academic pursuits. I am happy with the academic approach but also understand that in the end, someone needs to get their hands dirty making or fixing it!! There is a real satisfaction to be gained from having a product that does something at the end of a process purely from the effort you have put in. You started with nothing, now you have something!
I do enjoy Ram Pump, have built and home tested, I hope some day to have one operating. Lets go Johns Ramp Pump Pond. :)
Best explanation of ram pump period.
Thanks for the pond update. A very interesting problem there! We have faith in you! 🙂
Great. To see the update I have been itching to see the progress it’ll all work itself out in the long run
Best explanation of a ram pump I’ve seen yet. Thank you for explaining the water hammer effect. Until now I never really got it. Turns out , it’s not magic. Thanks John.
Learned something new today! Thanks Jon!