Vintage Windmill and Wind Generator Forum

I have a windmill sitting on a bank by my pond. It is probably 30 feet horizontally from the water and 12-15 feet above the water level. Is it possible to pump from that pond if I put a cylinder a few feet below the ground under the mill?

I am going to do just that on one, my plan is to dig a hole, put a short piece of proliferated well casing in it and gravel pack just like a well, bring a screaned pipe from the pond to the gravel packed casing and set the windmill just like any other. I can get cut off chunks of 16 inch well casing for nothing to run from the pond to the smaller casing, just have to screan it, when it gets silted in will just put in a new one. That is my idea anyway.

One reason I asked is, a windmill repairman told me I could not suck the water laterally that far. He said the only way would be to get a big hoe and dig a trench from the pond to under the mill below the water level and thus make a well full of water below the mill. Not sure I believe him. But then again I guess he has been around a lot of mills.

That is a very common question for windmills. (You might have talked to me on the phone as I had two people call about this issue this week.)
It is always easier to push than pull water. However, you can pull water, but I don’t recommend it because any air in the suction line will cause an issue and a loss of prime.
Typically, pond water will have turbidity (suspended particulates) and over time, a check value will have a slight build up around the seal and air will get sucked back into the line.
If you decide to do it, make sure you have a way to prime and clean the suction line and keep a extra set of leathers handy because if the pump runs dry, you will need good ones to get it going again.
I have a number of customers who suck water but they have a great filtering system and they keep an eye on the systems and they have had loss of prime issues.
Kevin
PS: A wise old cowboy once told me, “We all think that we will keep up on the maintenance when we are thinking about something new but we don’t.” I was thinking he was talking about windmills but he said he was thinking about women.
He also told me, “A Texas farmers idea of maintenance is emptying his ashtray in his pickup truck, don’t expect him to do anything to this windmill a year from now.

A real wise old Cowboy!

There used to be an orchard in SC Kansas that had two windmills pumping water, I believe the one on the well was a 14 foot Demp and it pumped into an 80ft concrete tank like a bog swimming pool, the owner would then open valves in the tank to flood rows of trees that snaked down the hill and there was a big mud tank with a platform with a smaller windmill pumping directly out of the pond and pumping the tail water back up to the concrete tank. It was in ruins when I saw it back in the 80s, it was probably built in the 20s or 30s. There was another orchard I knew of with a big Twinwheeler also.

Aaron, I sure hope you got ahold of the Twinwheel..

I am thinking that I would need to take water from near the surface of the pond and will need to use some kind of stone filter.

Windybob, I have found where 7 were within an hour and a half drive of me, I got to see 3 of them but didn't get any bought. I am supposed to have one that is in a junk pile, we spent 2 complete days digging and avoiding rattle snakes and NOTHING but I am still hopeful. I talked to a junker who drew one out on a piece of paper and I am 100% sure he cut it up two years ago. The problem with finding them is they have all blown down. This is really starting to be a sore subject.

hhh, I wouldn't use a stone, just some well pack gravel and case screen is cheap and it will last a long, long time.

Man, that's really tough luck! I share your feelings.