Portable pumped water supply

[Rick Hughes]

I have a need to have a container of water, with a 'self contained pump' running off 12V

Container would need have an outlet near base which could be a tap or similar onto which I can connect a short length of garden hose ...

Need to be able to pump out a couple of gallons at a time with reasonable flow & pressure ...

Use (for those interested) I have a boat trailer, and it is fitted with a hub flush system ... you connect a hose to a quick-fit 'hoselock' connector and flush freshwater through the hubs after submersion is salt-water.

However in practise .. you launch boat, use it for 6-8 Hrs then recover, drive home, and then get the opportunity to flush brakes .... Salt has had 8 Hrs to dry on parts, plus heat of braking may even exacerbate problem.

Thought is if I had a 5 gal container in back of car, running off 12V accessory socket, I could give hubs a quick rinse immediately after trailer comes out of teh salt water.

Just wanted to get the some ideas form you guys of what container, what pump etc.

Initial thoughts are a 5 Litre plastic Jerry can, and fit a bilge pump inside it ... outlet of bilge pump plumbed into some form of tap fitting on the side of container.

Something like this ..

The issue is Bilge pumps are tyically like this:

he 360 galls and Hr should give high flow rate - the problem is that I would need to be able to get it into the container, and the small (~3") screw top lid isn't going to allow that.

Anybody any suggestions for container (or pump)

Need it to be a self contained unit, and not a separate container, pump etc.

It also has to be sealed while driving - so I don't flood the car.

Ideas ?

[Andrew Mawson]

I have a diesel transfer pump made by Webasco that drops into a drum, has a hose on it and runs off a car battery. I don't see any reason that it can't pump water, I don't think that it uses the fuel as a lubricant as it also pumps petrol. Cost about #30 at my local agri store.

Andrew

[fred]

In article , Andrew Mawson writes

And of course if the pump is submerged in the tank then there is no need to have a low level outlet, making sealing easier, although having the hose disconnect close to the top-side outlet will avoid any risk of it syphoning itself out.

[Rick Hughes]

Thought of 2 options for container

30L square barrel

50L Keg

Prefer having pump inside and plumbed in ... easier & neater for moving around & in use.

[fred]

Both have nice wide lids to drop a pump in but I don't know how big the pump is likely to be or needs to be. Jerry can shape would seem to be the most space efficient but only you know the shape of your boot space. Of the two pictured, the 30litre appears more space efficient, being squared.

Depending on the pump you may be able to fill it from the outlet too, in situ, but it would make sense to have any vent connected to a small bore pipe to act as an overflow.

[newshound]

I do something like this using the 20 litre containers used for industrial chemicals, with an eBay bilge pump running off a leisure battery. But it's all dropped in a hole cut in the top: plumbed in would be much better.

These are a bit pricey but look pretty convenient

This is a bit cheaper

Oddly enough I am looking to make or buy something similar myself (to rinse out the drainage channels in the bottom of a horse lorry).

[SteveW]

Look at caravan accessories. Typical arrangement is a 5 gallon container, with a submersible pump attached to a cap with an outlet for a hose. The pumps are 12V and just plug into the caravan to supply taps or showers. You can simply use the original cap while travelling.

eg.

SteveW

[Rick Hughes]

If I could find Jerry can with 'wide mouth' lid that would be prefered

Good thoughts - Ta

[John Williamson]

The pump need only be about an inch in diameter and four inches long. Mine will do up to 200 litres/ minute, depending on the head, but can safely be throttled back by a tap on the pipe. If you have a power point in the car, such as a cigarette lighter, then connect it by running the outlet pipe and cable through sealed holes in the container stopper, using maybe an elbow type skin fitting to connect the hose. If there's no power point, then you have the perfect excuse to buy a jump starter from somewhere like Halfrauds or Maplin.

The 12 volt submersible pump I bought recently to pump out the bilge cost about £25 from a chandler, and will leave about a quarter of an inch of water in the container. The version that's rated for petrol is a touch more expensive, but will work on diesel, petrol or water. If you do it right, the total should be less than fifty quid.

The one I bought doesn't have a non return valve in it, so it will let water flow through it in reverse from a tap. Just don't forget to leave a vent hole somewhere on the container.

[Rick Hughes]

Not seen those before, nice but £144 is more than £100 more than I want to pay :-)

[Rick Hughes]

Ta I'll go look .... I had thought of these originally, but assumed they were not high low rates

[SteveW]

The one I linked to is a little over 200 gallons per hour according to the manufacturer. I've not been caravanning for 30 years, but I well remember how fast the level in a 5 gallon container could go down!

SteveW

[Rick Hughes]

I have 12V DC outlet in back of car - so OK for power

Seen 1,100 gph bilge pumps new on eBay for £9 Just hoping I can find a good container ... best so far is the square one.

Thought I may be able to fit some sort of one-way vent in lid so it can sucks air in as it pumps water out.

[John Williamson]

The 1100 gph pumps are large, about 6 to 8 inches in diameter, about the same in height and normally have the outlet on the side, which adds to the complication. The reason I mentioned the one I bought is the small size, which will easily fit through a standard jerry can hole. Unfortunately, the chandlers I use don't have a website so I can post a URL

[Vir Campestris]

I take it your boat is too big for a combi?

So put it in the boat :P

Incidentally if your boat is of a reasonable size putting a container on deck might supply enough height to flush the hubs through.

Andy

[Chris J Dixon]

Not bad flow in my experience, what we don't know is the resistance of the trailer system.

If you want a beefier pump, Shurflo produce plenty with piped inlet and outlet, and self-priming, so you could simply strap it to the side of your container.

Chris

[Thomas Prufer]

Alternatively, container with water, hose & valve out the bottom, compressed air in the top. Either headspace and a tire valve, or a tube to a spare tire -- just like the windshield washer system on old Beetles...

Thomas Prufer

[Harry Bloomfield]

on 21/01/2014, Rick Hughes supposed :

Caravanners use 12v submersible pumps. They drop into the container and pump at quite a good flow rate. My own high capacity unit outputs at close to mains pressure.

[Harry Bloomfield]

Again caravanners use a 30, 40, or 50L container to store water along side the caravan, a container which is intended to be rolled rather than carried.

Just fill it up, drop the pump in and away you go.

[Chris J Dixon]

That stirred a few memory cells. I don't think the handbook included the vital bit of information that the connection from the spare included a pressure reducing valve, which also stopped you dropping the tyre pressure too low for road use. I spent some time trying to work out what was wrong.

You had to remember to top up the tyre every few water fills.

I'm not sure it would be the solution for the OP, since he would have to get a largish container which was OK for max tyre pressure.

Chris