Installation
The location of the water source in relation to the desired point of water use determines how the hydraulic ram pump will be installed. The length of drive pipe should be at least 5 times the vertical fall to ensure proper operation. The length of delivery pipe is not usually considered important because friction losses in the delivery pipe are normally small due to low flow rates. For very long delivery pipes or high flow rates, friction losses will have an impact on the performance of the hydraulic ram pump. The diameter of the delivery pipe should never be reduced below that recommended by the manufacturer.
To measure the available source water flow rate from a spring or stream, build a small earthen dam with an outlet pipe for water to run through. Place a large bucket or barrel of known volume below the outlet pipe, and measure the number of seconds it takes to fill the container. Then calculate the number of gallons per minute flowing through the outlet. For example, if it takes 30 seconds to fill a 5-gallon bucket, the available source water flow rate is 10 gpm. The lowest flow rates are typically in the summer months. Measure the flow rate during this period to ensure that the year-round capacity of the system is adequate.