Where to find pumps for Prop-controlled fountain

SSteve

I've been thinking about building a fountain for my backyard. I started thinking today that it would be cool to make it a "dancing-water" type fountain. Basically a much smaller-scale version of this project. I figure I'll get four pumps and pulse them on and off with a Propeller and an RC-4.

Does anyone have experience with fountain pumps that they'd recommend (or stay away from)?

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OS-X: because making Unix user-friendly was easier than debugging Windows

links:
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steve_b

Someone else might have better words to offer....
but I'm thinking you'd need a pretty fast pump to get pressure up high enough to jet water (how high?)!

I've been thinking of this too and am unsure how i want to tackled it. It would just be for a small backyard pond with a couple of water arcs passing back and forth.
I was thinking of doing it pneumatically. Have something similar to a bicycle pump, where you fill it with air and it pushes the rod out. The rod then forces water out of a nozzle/tube that sends a stream across the air. (do I then use a spring to bring the rod back to start position? or have a couple of valves on either side, and use air to force it back the other way creating another stream....
The downside would be a loud cranky pump, every once in a while, that would recharge the reserved tank of air....

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<FONT>Steve



What's the best thing to do in a lightning storm? "take a one iron out the bag and hold it straight up above your head, even God cant hit a one iron!"
Lee Travino after the second time being hit by lightning!

Tim-M

How about a high pressure pump scheme? The pump could run in a by-pass mode when not producing the arcs or effects that you are looking for, but when you want them, the pressure would be there at the ready for you to use.

Tim

Beau Schwabe

SSteve,

The STOP/START conditions that would be required for a pump to do what you are asking would be very hard on the pump and shorten the life of the pump. What you want to do is have a reservoir similar to what is often called a "water hammer", (only it would need to be bigger ) and "gate" the flow with a solenoid style valve rather than doing it from the pump.

Think of a large air-filled reservoir tank... as the "water pump" runs, the air inside the reservoir compresses increasing the internal reservoir pressure. ( Water pump stops when a set threshold pressure is reached ) A secondary line with a solenoid valve allows the resivor to bleed off the internal reservoir pressure in the form of short powerful controlled bursts. A secondary "air pump" may also be required to maintain an air cavity within the reservoir tank.

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Beau Schwabe

IC Layout Engineer
Parallax, Inc.

SSteve

Thanks, Beau. You've shattered my dreams.

Seriously, though, thanks for the info. You've saved me a lot of time and effort just to find out it wasn't going to work.

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OS-X: because making Unix user-friendly was easier than debugging Windows

links:
My band's website
Our album on the iTunes Music Store

Capt. Quirk

Most fountain pumps are centrifugal pumps and·are rated in how many inches or feet it can pump water straight up per diameter of pipe.

If you want a pump that could send a small diameter stream all the way·into your neighbors yard, LOL, try a gear pump instead.

SSteve

Capt. Quirk said...
you want a pump that could send a small diameter stream all the way into your neighbors yard, LOL, try a gear pump instead.

I was thinking eight to twelve inches. If I want to spray my neighbor, I'll just use my garden hose.

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OS-X: because making Unix user-friendly was easier than debugging Windows

links:
My band's website
Our album on the iTunes Music Store

Paul Baker

Take a look at http://www.atlanticfountains.com·they have all sorts, including laminar.

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Paul Baker
Propeller Applications Engineer

Parallax, Inc.