drill pump problem

[seneca]

Hi,
I recently bought a Draper drill pump for emptying a fishtank. It is a pump spindle that the drill goes onto and a piece of hose at each end. The idea is that the drill is meant to draw up water through one hose and push it out the other. You guys must know the one I'm talking about....

Anyway, I primed the pump as the instructions said (few drops of oil in the inlet end and fill the outlet with water) and started the drill. Nothing happened . I've checked the seals for air-tightness and the hoses are short with no kinks. Anybody have any tips for getting the thing to work. Only cost a few quid and never expected the thing to work brilliantly, but come on! (fed up of watching the outlet hose for a drop of water )

 

[breezer]

perhaps the drill is going the wrong way or the pump is the wrong way round?

Or more probably its not a self priming pump.

bin it and syphon the water out

 

[seneca]

checked the drill and pump directions, and they were right. I don't get this self-priming. What's the point of it? Anyway, I primed the pump, as per directions and it doesn't make any difference.

 

[breezer]

most pumps are not self priming.

what that means in plain english is they are not stong enough to suck (water in most cases) from where ever it is (tank in your case) to the pump itself, the pump then pushes it down the remineder of the pipe.

to prime it you usualy fill the inlet pipe up so that the water is at or slightly above the pump, the easiest way is to pour water down the outlet pipe.

you should also bear in mind the inlet pipe is sitting in your tank, so as you pour water down the outlet pipe it goes back into the tank, (not filling above the pump) you need to keep some water in the outlet pipe

why not syphon it out then start your drill?

if you dont know how to syphon its easy (tastes bad with petrol)
you must have one end of the pipe in the tank below the water surface.
the other end must be lower than the tank
You suck on the lower end and the water will come out, when it starts (you get a mouth full of water, if you are too slow) then put this end in a collection container.
the other end must stay under water at all times

in your case once this has started turn your drill on and you can then rais the other end as its now being pumped

 

[TicklyT]

Take a length of hosepipe about three times the depth of the tank.
Completely immerse it in the tank.
Put a thumb over one end.
pull that end out of the tank.
put it in a bucket under the tank.
Remove thumb.
Remove pump from drill chuck.
Place pump in bin.

It's the nature of the beast. If the pump isn't self-priming, then it won't draw water up the inlet. water needs to run down the inlet to prime the pump, but once running they will pump water to an outlet higher than the inlet.

It's the same type of animal as a the pump in a washing machine. They are mounted below the drum so they are always full of water, even if the machine appears to be empty.

 

[seneca]

tried a lot of things, filling inlets, outlets with water. Placing pump and bucket at different heights.... nothing. Decided to give it one more go and seems to be the usual thing of all the water coming out of the outlet was just falling back into the bucket.... but then a cough and a splurt (the pump not me) and water began pouring out. At first I thought it's just the water I filled the outlet with, but it kept coming. Wheyhey!! i take it all back Mr. Draper. £2.50 not gone down the drain... just the water from the fishtank.

thanks a lot chaps. cheers