How to restore a 120 year old hand pump?

[TSS]

Does anybody have any knowledge of how to restore a Victorian hand pump?

I have an 1887 hand pump above a well outside my house which still works but is beginning to make some funny noises and doesn’t pump water as well as it used to.

It certainly hasn’t had any maintenance in the last 50 years so it’s pretty amazing it still works at all but those Victorians certainly built stuff to last!

If anyone knows anything about these things and how to maintain them please could you let me know.

Thanks,

TSS

[Simpo Two]

I suppose it's out of warranty?

[RizzoTheRat]

I'd expect the seals to be leather, so if you can get it apart it's probably fairly easy to fix as it sounds like a leaking seal. However I think they usually had the pump mechanism a few feet underground, to stop it freezing, connected to the lever by rods, so it might be difficult to get at the knackered bit.

[ndtman]

Ask Austin. Sorry wrong kind of pump.

[TSS]

RizzoTheRat said:

I'd expect the seals to be leather, so if you can get it apart it's probably fairly easy to fix as it sounds like a leaking seal. However I think they usually had the pump mechanism a few feet underground, to stop it freezing, connected to the lever by rods, so it might be difficult to get at the knackered bit.

Thanks RizzoTheRat. I think the mechanism on this one might be above ground but will have to take the wooden cover off and look. Sounds as if I need to do some dismantling.

[The Student]

Just take it apart and see! They are incredibly simple things, and it will most likely just need a new seal. Not sure where you would get one from, mind.

[Steve_W]

When my dad took apart the old one in our yard that had stopped working the valving was a simple piece of leather attached at one end to act as a flap that would open on the upstroke - this had torn across the "hinge" end.

To make it seal on the downstroke it had a lump of lead riveted on top of it.

New piece of leather, suitably greased, and the pump was back in action - shame he didn't take any pictures!