Question all - I've heard of electric powered sump-pumps (pumps water out of basement if flooding occurs), but wonder if there is a hand-powered version... I thought that maybe there'd be something like a large hand-held water purifyer (Two hoses and a pump - One hose drops down into the water in the basement, the other hose runs outside, so when the pumping starts, the water runs outside and away from the house.)

Yes, I know all about using buckets and bailing the water out, but two out of three of my family (me included) have very bad backs. I've got a $5,000 furnace in the basement, and I'd like to protect it for as long as I can (in case the insurance company will ever do re-imbursements).

Thanks!

-- Deb M. (vmcclell@columbus.rr.com), November 08, 1999

Answers

Don't remember the link, but I was looking into pump alternatives (searching mainly for 'hand water pumps') about a year ago and do remember seeing some sump pumps that were either 12 volt pumps, or had some 12 volt backup capabilities. My downstairs is also suseptable to water and we have a 110 volt sump pump in place now. No plans to provide another pump, although I do plan to have enough drain type PVC that if power appears that it will be a problem (during our rainy season(s)), I'll bite the bullet and spend some time under the house diggin' to put in an acceptable drain line.

-- BH (bh_silentvoice@hotmail.com), November 08, 1999.

Have you thought of a battery powered backup sump pump on a solar panel?

-- chicken farmer (chicken-farmer@ y2k.farm), November 08, 1999.

If you have a spot (outside) nearby which is lower than your basement floor, it is fairly simple to set up a siphon. If you do have this situation, let me know (post on this board), and I'll give you instructions.

Al K

-- Al K. Lloyd (all@ready.now), November 08, 1999.

You can find a description of how to build your own Handpump at the following URL, http://forums.cosmoaccess.net/forum/survival/prep/survival.htm

-- Doug Dickson (doug-dickson@yahoo.co.uk), November 08, 1999.

Go to: http://www.watertanks.com/proda.html

Scroll down to the category that deals with 'Water Pumps and Wells'. They have manual pumps, 12 volt pumps, etc.

-- pumpmeister (waterw@ter.net), November 08, 1999.

---go out to any hardware store in the country, or, if in town, look in yellow pages for a bulk fuel vendor. any of those places will have either an up and down pump, or a crank around in a circle pump. they are used for farm fuel tanks. cheap and effective and pump a lot. Hope this helps biodrive zog

-- zog (zzoggy@yahoo.com), November 08, 1999.

look in the sailing magazines and boating magazines for a manual bilge pump, they wont generate a lot of pressure bu will move a lot of water.

sailor

-- sailor (swabie@bluewater.com), November 08, 1999.

look under boating supplie for a manual bilge pump, they wont generate a lot of pressure but will move a lot of water.

sailor

-- sailor (swabie@bluewater.com), November 08, 1999.

In addition to manual bilge pumps, you also might look at hand pumps for (shallow) water wells. Harbor Freight had one for about $25, as I remember.

-- Mad Monk (madmonk@hawaiian.net), November 08, 1999.