On our deep well hand pumps

Hi all;

The month that has passed has been a blur. This is the first weekend home since the week I returned from Afghanistan and I must get the information on my deep well hand pump out.

I've presented the basics of the pump most recently at the NOFA Conference. Let me recap:

I sell plan sets and pump kits only! I want you to build the pump and KNOW how it works. I use the same philosophy with my renewable energy installations. I believe that western society is headed rapidly to the brink of catastrophe...too many delicate systems both man-made and natural are doomed for failure and we, as a society, are not prepared for the impending disaster.

If you are a 'tool wielding' animal then the plans will be enough for you to take mostly off-the-shelf parts and assemble a PVC and stainless steel pump that fits onto a standard 5" or 6" well cap. The advantage of building your own is that you will know what is available in your area. The advantage of my kit is that I provide everything but the drop pipe and wire rope...this gets you parts premachined and prepared for assembly.

We make two kits: a PVC and stainless steel kit and a stainless steel and brass kit. The PVC kit is may favorite, but I haven't sold one since I introduced the stainless steel and brass kit.

The PVC and stainless steel kit costs $300 and the stainless steel and brass kit costs $500. We sell them for $375 and $600 respectively on e-bay. Why? Because they didn't sell at the lower prices...God know why, but by increasing the price we increased sales. The secret code to get the lower price is "Fred"...Fred is our intern and does a lot of the machining and assembly of the kits..

Presently, we answer all inquiries via phone or e-mail...we don't sell a huge amount(at this time!) and build the kits in batches of 10 or 20 at a time. I'm right in the middle of making 20 stainless and brass kits.

Both pumps deliver about a cup of water per stroke of the pump handle. Even when the pump is located 100' below grade it only takes 15# of force to deliver that cup of water. This means that a little kid or elderly person can easily handle the pumping process. I designed it that way deliberately that way. We are attempting to make a rotary handle upgrade for delivering greater quantities of water for bigger families and/or livestock. Eventually, the kits will also have a solar powered option...don't hold your breath.

So, if you need water and the power is out you need to order either my plans set ($20 post paid) or one of my kits (postage not paid, but the kits fit into a 'If it fits, it ships" USPS box and they ship for just over $12!). So, you get the PVC kit for $300 + $12 or the stainless/brass kit for $500.

There are other good pumps out there...Bison makes a great stainless steel pump (not a kit- although some assembly is required), for around $1700. Lehman's "Non-Electric" catalog has others.

We stand by our kit and are constantly trying to improve performance and ease of assembly.

If you have questions do not hesitate to call or e-mail 315 771-7333 or jsjuczak@gisco.net

We do NOT typically respond to questions sent to the website...I'm busy enough!

Have a great day & buy a lot of pumps! -Jim-