Water pump pliers

[electra225]

I have used water pump pliers for almost every purpose except for working on a water pump.

Water pump pliers are those slip-joint pliers that have jaws that are always parallel to each other. In the olden days, there was a flange joint where the pitcher pump would join the pipe going into the ground or into the cistern to suck water. The flange had a collar, or nut, that held the two parts of the flange together so it would not leak water nor suck air, causing the pump to lose its prime. You would use the square-jaw slip-joint pliers to tighten the nut. The pliers are good for almost everything big you need to get a good bite on so it can be removed. With the always-square jaws, the pliers make good contact and won't round off whatever it is you are turning. I have several pair from small to large enough to remove a Mack or Cummins spin-on oil filter, about 4" in diameter. I don't remember ever using water pump pliers on a water pump, certainly not an automotive water pump.

[Conelrad]

Known as "Derfingerpinchin" in Germany...

[TC Chris]

I'm happy to learn the origin of the term--water well pumps, not auto engine devices. I could never quite figure out the connection and just assumed that old pumps must have had an adjustable packing gland with a big nut. Now I know.

My little cottage came with a small iron pitcher pump stored in the outbuilding. A number of years ago I found leathers for it locally. Then a few years ago when I had a foundation built under the little house, the excavation exposed a capped pipe under the kitchen that I assume is for the well. This is on sandy soil, a beach dune basically, so I assume it's just a driven well. One of these days when there are no other duties I'll hitch the pitcher pump up to it and see what happens. The other question, of course, is where the outhouse was located. I'm assuming somewhere in the vicinity of the big lilac stand, which has been undisturbed forever. I know where the old septic tank is....

Chris Campbell

[electra225]

All pumps except the small pitcher pumps like were found inside the "modern" home, pumps were mounted on a pump jack. That was the base that connected the pump to the well. You would bolt the pump to the pump jack. If you were really fancy and needed to pump a lot of water, you had an industrial grade pump that you could operate by hand or by a windmill. There was a rope that went up to the windmill setup that you could turn the pump jack on or off. If it was not windy and you wanted to pump by hand, you loosened a wing nut disconnecting the windmill jack from the pump handle. Then you pumped by hand. If you wanted the windmill to do the pumping, you tightened the wing nut. How am I so smart on windmills? That was one of my jobs as a kid, keeping the animal watering troughs filled. There was a long snout we could move to fill the various waterers. Horse, cows, goats and sheep. Grandpa had a "drove" well that was 18 feet deep, right into a sandy aquifer. You couldn't pump that well dry. A "drove" (driven) well was usually a length of 2" iron pipe with a sand point (trap) on the end, driven into the ground with a sledge hammer. The top of the pipe got belled by being beat on, so you would take a 2" pipe cutter and run it down the pipe about a foot until you found pipe that was not bent up. You would cut the driven pipe off, thread it, then install the coupler for the pump jack. The neatest part was dropping cherry bombs down the pipe to blow the sand out of the sand point. If you were smart, you'd shinny up the windmill once a year and make sure the gear box was full of oil. If it ran dry, the gears would turn hard and the windmill wouldn't pump as much water. I hated heights, so it was Uncle Vic's job to do that and to put on a new rope for the on-off part of the windmill. Our windmill was about 40' tall or so. The blade was ten feet across. That well water was the best I have ever drank in my life. We had a David Bradley windmill with a Homart pump, both from Sears, Roebuck and Company......

[19&41]

The first tool I bought after buying my house was a set of Channel Locks (the pliers other name) that opened to 5 inches. I have used them for everything but a water pump as well. I do regularly use it for lifting the cover for the water meter/shutoff pit.

[electra225]

You got fancy water pump pliers! Probably the kind with the blue plastic handle covers. All the ones I have don't have plastic covers. 5" water pump pliers is a serious tool.....

[19&41]

A great hammer, too!