Boiler testing pump - plans ?

Hello,

Pressure Test Pump (Vertical Boiler Fittings Thread)

Hand Pump Schematic ??

Is this pressure testing pump as simple as 2 balls ( or cones ? each sitting in a countersunk hole at either end of a tube, on the pull stroke the bottom valve opens allows water in, then on the push stroke the bottom valve is blown shut and top valve blown open allowing water to exit ?

Could I make one as simple as that or is there more to it ?

.... maybe a couple of springs to close the valves and an O ring or two on the cylinder to help seal it ? .... O rings in the valves to help seal them ?

Bill

That's the basic way they work, pressure you will attain will be based on seating of balls and seal of piston. usually better to seat the ball onto the edge of a reamed or D bit cut hole rather than cut a CSK

Jason, Thanks for the tip about the countersunk vs a sharp edge on the hole.

You will also need a pressure gauge. Not sure what your requirements are but for new boilers in Aust., we have to maintain 2 x the working pressure for a minimum of 20 minutes and 1.5 x WP for re-testing.

Slight leakage thru fittings is OK but not the boiler, as long as the pressure does not drop below the test pressure. (Keep pumping.)

Paul.

Edited By Paul Lousick on 24/08/2019 08:49:40

Bill,

Mine was loosely based on a design that appeared in EIM ( I don't have the reference no. to hand but I'll scan the article for you if you'd like it - just PM me) - and uses O-rings to seal the valves. I just used off-cuts I had to hand, so the cost was minimal. It's all mounted in an old bread baking tin my wife was throwing out that got re-sprayed. The pump bore was just drilled to take the stainless piston with O-ring seal - no reaming - I didn't have the right size to hand if I recall correctly..I was worried if it wouldn't work or wear too fast - but it pumps just fine and for my testing use only get used very occasionally.

Photo was taken a few years back during construction but you will get the general idea I hope.

Regards,

IanT

one of these should suffice, there are several different ones on the market less than £30, and some which are inexplicably expensive, but yer takes yer money etc etc!

https://www.manomano.co.uk/p/filling-pump-hand-pump-testing-pump-heating-solar-water-25bar-pump-5567548

I use one of the above for my hydraulic tests no problems with it so unless one really wants to make his/hers own pump go for one

H

Another vote for buy it finished. By the time you have bought the brass, stainless steel, silver solder, balls, fasteners, the tank etc. etc. you will save money by buying it finished. I have been using a bought one for a couple of years now and it is so much more convenient and works very well. You can also use it to top up pressurised central heating systems.

Martin

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Well yes, it probably makes sense just to buy one - but it can be good fun to make things too …

Perhaps not the most elegant piece of engineering but then there are not too many others quite like it......

Regards,

IanT

I like it IanT! It has much of the steampunk about it, I just hope you didn't borrow the bread tin/tank from the kitchen!!

I read some of the comments on that Manomano hand pump, guess you pays your money and takes your chance!

Seems to be built down to a price rather than built to a reasonable standard at a competative price,

Roger

Or you can end up with a (priceless) "antique" Roger that your ancestors will cherish for generations to come and no doubt wonder what it was originally for (as they lovingly polish it on the mantlepiece ). My Grandson thinks it's for inflating lead balloons and I've no idea where he got that daft idea from....

Phil - I'd like to tell you that the bread tin came for free (as my wife was throwing it out) but since she went and purchased a new one shortly afterwards - in fact it cost me the price of a new bread tin! Apparently nothing is ever truly destroyed in the Universe, it just reappears in a different form and this certainly seems to be true of bread tins.

IanT

PS Finally found the article - EIM May/June 2009. Will be sending it to interested parties shortly.