plumbing help?

[Cyngbaeld]

I want to take out the faucet/spout in the kitchen and use a cistern pump for the spout. I want to be able to use the pump as a pump when the power is off and otherwise use faucets for hot and cold and have hot and cold lines but have the water come thru the pump from the cistern.

Possible? Not possible? Why or why not and if yes then how?

[Windy in Kansas]

If I am understanding what you want to do correctly there is no reason that you couldn't have all water to the sink come through the pump spout. You would need to tee in below the spout for the conventional flow---coming from one pipe already teed together with hot and cold. Valves would still be needed to control the ratio of hot to cold.

The hard part, without knowing exactly how the pump works, would be to cut out a section of pipe for the tee and get it precisely the correct length it was before. You might also be able to add to the pump rod instead of cutting the pipe that has the tee installed.

I am assuming that the suction part of the pump is at the bottom of the cistern, otherwise I doubt it could be done easily.

[Cabin Fever]

You could probably do it, but (1) you'd have to take the leathers out of it while you were using it as a simple faucet spout, and (2) the vertical distance between your countertop and watertable (or cistern) can't be more than 25 feet to use it as a pitcher pump. If you're okay with these two conditions, I could probably draw up a plumbing plan....it's too hard to describe in writing.

[Cyngbaeld]

The top of the cistern is just below the level of the counter top but about 25 ft or so from it horizontally.

How hard is it to put the leathers back in if I needed them?

[cfabe]

If you run your water through the pump body after your mixing valve, it's going to take a long time for the water temp to change when you adjust the valve and I think you'd find it quite annoying. Like oh water is too cold, turn on some hot, in 5 seconds the temp starts to change, in 10 seconds it gets too hot, turn the hot back down agian, repeat this process. If you were going to only use cold water this wouldn't be an issue and I could see it working well.

[Cabin Fever]

Removing and replacing the leathers in the pitcher pump is relatively easy. All that is needed is a crescent or combination wrench to remove the bolts on the base and the cover on top.

Here is a drawing of how I’d pump your pitcher pump. Blue line is cold water, red line is hot water, and green line is a new pipe for the pitcher pump.


When using your electric pump:
Valve 3 is open
Valve 4 is closed
Valves 1 and 2 open as needed (these are your hot and cold water valves)

When using your pitcher pump:
Valve 3 is closed
Valve 4 is open
Valves 1 and 2 are closed

Editted to add: Valves 1 and 2 could be combined into a single-handled mixing valve mounted on the countertop.

[Cyngbaeld]

Thankyou so much, CF. Can the hot and cold valves be on the counter? I prefer not to have a single handle because it is too hard for my daughter to use.

[Cabin Fever]

Yes, the hot and cold valves can be mounted on the countertop. I haven't looked at plumbing fixtures for quite a while, so I don't know what is available. It seems like "decent looking" faucet valves always come in sets with the faucet.

[Cyngbaeld]

Hadn't thought about that, CF, but I bet my friend who owns the "antique" store up the road has something I could use. I'll have to drop in on him soon.