Original pipe for pump?

I was just wondering what type of pipe would have been originally fitted to a lister pump. Presumably they wouldn't have fitted copper pipe as that would be hard to position to whatever was being pumped?

Toby

SussexSteamFan wrote:I was just wondering what type of pipe would have been originally fitted to a lister pump. Presumably they wouldn't have fitted copper pipe as that would be hard to position to whatever was being pumped?

Toby

true, i think maybe they had a connector that they could connect a flexable pip to? to tell the truth i have not thought of it before.

steve w wrote:

SussexSteamFan wrote:I was just wondering what type of pipe would have been originally fitted to a lister pump. Presumably they wouldn't have fitted copper pipe as that would be hard to position to whatever was being pumped?

Toby

true, i think maybe they had a connector that they could connect a flexable pip to? to tell the truth i have not thought of it before.

I have just purchased a small Lister h1 pump and need to fit some water pipes to it. Was thinking about some nice copper pipe as usual, but am thinking about adding a flexible pipe connection to keep the pump more flexible to use, or both maybe?

Toby

Hi, Originally pumps would have been fitted with iron pipe and cast fittings. Copper is a lot easier and for the guys that must can be well cleaned and shinyed....is that a word?

billypurves wrote:Hi, Originally pumps would have been fitted with iron pipe and cast fittings. Copper is a lot easier and for the guys that must can be well cleaned and shinyed....is that a word?

Must be a Scotish word Billy

Cast iron pipes are heavy so that's one reason for the use of copper of flex pipes.

Stu.

I think I'll use nice copper pipes as I'm one who likes some nice polished metal. A nice galvanised bucket will look good for the water to flow in.

Toby.

The copper pipes should look well running with the black D and all it's polished brass and copper.

Stu.

Toby, many of these pumps would have been fixed, permanently mounted in a shed or something, in which case they would have probably used either iron/steel pipes or copper/lead pipes (depending on weather the water was for irrigation or drinking, the copper/lead used for drinking water as it doesn't rust).

Mobile units would have had flexi pipes fitted though, probably some nice big brass unions, which you can still get, (they use them on boats for connecting stuff like drinking water tanks up to deck fittings etc, I've fitted them myself on my mum & dad's boat, they're not cheap though) coupled with some heavy black rubber hoses, bit like car radiator hose. Keep your eyes open though, as these big old brass fittings do turn up from time to time, & you can usually get all the sleeves & adaptors to make them fit. You can also still get lengths of the big heavy black rubber hose as well, once again it's used on boats a lot to connect engine coolant systems & non drinking water systems up.

So, in answer to your question, pretty much anything goes, & most of it is still available (probably wouldn't use lead pipe though, not these days).

When I had my old set-up I used a combination of brass fittings on the pump, going to copper pipe for the one of the pipes (think it was outlet) & some flexible pipes were involved as well. I think my dad's mate, who was a plumber at the time, got us the basic fittings to mate up to the pump, plus a foot or two of the wide bore copper pipe, we finished it off with some old washing machine hoses & car coolant rubber pipe, it looked quite good as I recall.

I always used to put some red food dye into the water, everyone used to colour the water back then, you don't see so much of that down here these days though, maybe the price has gone up?