BS: UK flood pump - suggestions

Subject: BS: UK flood pump - suggestions
From: Mr Red
Date: 22 Jul 07 - 04:12 PM

Joy lives beside a stream and now twice in a month the water has risen to about 20 inches up the outside wall. I cut a board with foam tacked to it and it worked well at the front door but the old house is not flat and the foam has to press into stucco. So seepage (even through the bricks - made the house wet. Then another wall leaked. The problem is that there are only a few inches of water spread over a large area and in nooks and crannies. The house is Elizabethan.

Apart from a vacuum cleaner like a Henry (she will be getting one) is there a pump type that can suck up water that shallow continuously? and does it need priming and therefore stops when it sucks air? A vacuum cleaner has to be emptied but has uses daily.

I found these guys Pume Express .co.uk but it looks like their products are designed for a residual water level to work.

I suggested digging a hole and dropping the pump in, which would work for the porch, but indoors - I might be lynched.................

I have quietly cleared some rubbish and detritus from the stream creating wiers and backing-up the level to the haouse but there is a gov edict that prevents you clearing vegitation from the banks of streams until August - which if you are a farmer would mean loosing subsidies and her brother works 24/7 as it is for less than I earn! (last holiday in 6 years was 2 days for son's graduation day).

Subject: RE: BS: UK flood pump - suggestions
From: Bill D
Date: 22 Jul 07 - 05:42 PM

There ARE 'submersible' pumps which come on when water reaches a certain level(there's a float)..I have one in the attic to combat a leaky AC, and it works in only 2-3 inches. It really depends on how much volume one needs to move.. My little one is not designd for floods. (This is USA,,,but similar items should be there)

Subject: RE: BS: UK flood pump - suggestions
From: vectis
Date: 22 Jul 07 - 06:03 PM

If there's not too much water at any time then an aquarium or pond pump might be enough and is easily obtained. B&Q used to sell a pump attachment for standard drills so might also be worth checking up on as a lo tech solution.
Good luck from one in a dry area and half way up a hill.

Subject: RE: BS: UK flood pump - suggestions
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 22 Jul 07 - 07:07 PM

We have/had a pond pump that worked in 2/3 inches of water - we used it in our cellar when that flooded due to a blocked stormdrain down the road. It was widely available and took a standard 'hoseclip' fitting (can't remember the name but it's the most popular hose pipe fitting and is bright yellow), managing to pump water up a storey and some 30ft out into the kitchen sink. Couldn't take it the short way out the front and into the gutter as it would have gone straight back into the blocked stormdrain!

Good luck.

If your house is Tudor, you may be able to get some help from your local authority, whichever department is in charge of listed or historical buildings, or from the Environment Agency.

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: UK flood pump - suggestions
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 23 Jul 07 - 07:21 AM

Although she may want a Henry, and if so of course you get that for her, the ones I found with a quick web search looked like they have perhaps a gallon¹ capacity in the receiver tank, which isn't going to get you very far if you've got even an inch of water spread over a room sized area.

¹ 1 gallon = 231 cubic inches, => 1/2 inch deep ~20" x 20" per dump ?? => 23 dumps per 8' x 8' area ??

Your local lumber/home hardware outlet quite probably has "shop vacs" with 30 gallon (more or less) capacity that will do the flood cleanup more efficiently - and comparatively cheaply. A vac with at least a 5 gallon capacity would be the minimum size I'd consider "usefully efficient" for the area described. I use a 12-gallon regularly around the house, and have an 18 gallon in the "shop."

The shop-style wet/dry vacs may have slightly less "suck" but will have enough to get the water, and usually have little or no "filtering" to impede sucking up the silt/mud/hair/marbles and such likely to be brought in, or brought up, by flooding.

A high vacuum (lots of suck) is not what really counts for picking up water - it's the volume of air and the speed at which it moves that gets the water into the tank. Even if it's just seeped in throught the cracks, the water is likely to have lots of "contained material" better handled by an ugly piece, with the Henry reserved for final cleanup after the bulk of the water is removed.

(You'll likely have plenty of "finish cleanup" to do after you get the bulk of the water out.)

A good "shop fan" of perhaps 24" - 30" diameter that moves a lot of air even if it doesn't "blow really hard" will be a great help in getting the surfaces - esp. carpet - much dryer than any "sucker" can achieve. (You'll probably want to fan the area for some time after it looks/feels "dry" to avoid mildew in and under the surface.)

Just some thoughts for alternative and supplemental methods.

John

Subject: RE: BS: UK flood pump - suggestions
From: Mr Yellow
Date: 23 Jul 07 - 07:45 AM

Thanks folks -
I have discussed this with Applied Pumps
UNIT 11, COBNAR WOOD CLOSE, SHEEPBRIDGE INDUSTRIAL ESTATE, CHESTERFIELD, DERBYSHIRE. S41 9RQ            

They sell (et al) the Compac 150 which comes with a float switch but more important an overide manual switch. It needs about an inch to prime in manual , got that much. It pumps down to 3mm ish- mop and bucket territory. And shifts 100+ litres a minute (about 100 "aching muscles - weeks" worth). It musn't run dry, for more than a minute ish, but as long as it is watched - that is a small limitation.

Cost is 160 GBP with hose and shipping (by comparison a good deal). Not my house but if I am called to help - I want one of those! I am ready to underwrite the deal.

They have de-humidifiers on loan from the insurance co. From the first deluge. That produced deeper water inside because I was learning what it needed - even though the outside was not as deep.

You could see it bubbling (seepage) up through the concrete floor this time - despite a membrane.

Subject: RE: BS: UK flood pump - suggestions
From: skipy
Date: 23 Jul 07 - 08:13 AM

Go to froogle and type      water pump   
Skipy

Subject: RE: BS: UK flood pump - suggestions
From: Mr Red
Date: 23 Jul 07 - 08:15 AM

froogle? I scroogle personally.

Subject: RE: BS: UK flood pump - suggestions
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 23 Jul 07 - 08:16 AM

A Hippo pump will go down to pretty shallow and they are cheap from mail order place - about 30 quid I think.

Subject: RE: BS: UK flood pump - suggestions
From: Mr Red
Date: 23 Jul 07 - 12:11 PM

Looks good and cheap - gets down to 5mm could buy 3 of them but making sure they don't all run dry and burn out might be a bit much.
Maplin mail order and Machine Mart sell 'em.

Subject: RE: BS: UK flood pump - suggestions
From: skipy
Date: 23 Jul 07 - 01:50 PM

You get over the problem of them running dry by placing a garden hose in the area that is flooded and turning the tap on, this will ensure a constant supply of water for them to pump.
Skipy

Subject: RE: BS: UK flood pump - suggestions
From: Phot
Date: 23 Jul 07 - 03:59 PM

Try a hippo pump, you can get them from Machine Mart, reliable, durable, and submersible, but will w3ork down to around an inch.

Wassail!! Chris.

Subject: RE: BS: UK flood pump - suggestions
From: GUEST,Oxie
Date: 23 Jul 07 - 05:54 PM

We are in for a serious shock next year with higher insurance premiums due to this summers floods. We are told the situation isn't helped by a Victorian drainage system. The government said tonight the money simply isn't there to replace it.

What sickens me is the amount of overseas aid our government gives away each year.


It's time to tell them that charity starts at home.

Subject: RE: BS: UK flood pump - suggestions
From: skipy
Date: 23 Jul 07 - 06:04 PM

With you all the way!
Skipy

Subject: RE: BS: UK flood pump - suggestions
From: GUEST,Uncle Boko
Date: 24 Jul 07 - 07:11 AM

Live on a hill - we do!

Subject: RE: BS: UK flood pump - suggestions
From: Mr Red
Date: 24 Jul 07 - 07:43 AM

Hill? Head in clouds? Tell me how you get on come winter and ......... remember snow - it will surprise us one year.

Hippo pumps vary - the cheapo version has a 2 hour rating in water and no seconds dry. I fancy the 160 quid Compac150 because it pumps down to fractions of an inch if watched, and if you leave it in a cellar it has an integral float switch - it is designed to work non-stop.
Hey! If it is my back and aching muscles and I couldn't ceilidh - I will forego Mars bars for - er a year - er make that 6 months.

Subject: RE: BS: UK flood pump - suggestions
From: Mr Red
Date: 25 Jul 07 - 07:53 AM

Compac 150 on it's way. Should see it today and colleague will try it out on his shop's cellar. Spec'ed at 100% duty cycle - as long as it pumps water it will keep going.

Water in Tweeksburg going down but their cellar is still rising - water table latency may mean days until it peaks inside.

Rain tomorrow - ho hum.

Warwick - no matter what. At least they will have water on tap - Cheltenham doesn't, and where I live further south no flow nor bowsers.