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THE TREADLE POMP TECHnOLOGY

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FORSMALLSCALEFA~MERS

EXTENSION BULLETIN NO. 77 IRRIGATION ENGINEERING SERIES WO. 5

MARCH 1996

THE TREADLE PUMP TECHNOLOGY

For Small Scale Farmers

Extension Bulletin No. 77 Irrigation Engineering Series No. 5

Produced and distributed by:

National Agricultural Extension and Research Liaison Senins Ahmadu Bello University

Zaria-Nigeria

Published: March 1996.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The authors are indeed grateful to the National Agricultural Extension and Research Liaison Services (NAERLS) Publications Review Committee for the valuable comments and suggestions offered. Finally, the financial support provided by Appropriate Technology International (ATI) of USA for the development and production of this pu'">lication through the Director of NAERLS, ABU, Zaria, is highly acknowledged.

S. S . Abubakar and S. Z. Abubakar

NAERLS, ABU, Zaria.

Managing Editor: J. 0 . Yusuf; Editors: Z. Chado, G. N. Anaso and P . . ·\moa.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Acknowledgement

Table of Content

Introduction

THE TREADLE PUMP TECHNOLOGY (TPT)

The Features of Treadle Pump

Construction Materials and Toolings

Labour Reqairements

Capabilities

TREADLE PUMP APPLICATION

! ·ann Settings

Irrigation Systems and Methods

Meeting Water Requirement and Irrigation rrequency with the Treadle Pump

\ 1.AJOR ADVANTAGES OF THE TREADLE PU~tP X

Construction

A va.ilability

Ease of Maintenance

Cost in Comparison to Motorized Pumps

MATERIAL SELECTION FOR TREADLE PUMP 12 COMPONENTS

Wooden Components

Metal Components

Leather Cups

OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE

Operation of the Pump

Maintenance of the Pump

CONCLUSION

REFERENCES

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INTRODUCTION:

The treadle pump is a simple but remarkable human­powered pump that was designed for small-scale irrigation. Even though it is manually operated, it has such a versatility and efficiency that is comparable to the motorised irrigation pumps. The treadle pump can be produced locally in most parts of Nigeria with materials that are locally available. Its human energy requirement, though a major disadvantage, is nonetheless more than compensated for by its great advantages in terms of affordability by small-scale fanners, availability when it becomes widely fabricated and ease of maintenance. The fact that iL can draw water from virtually all the water sources where the motorised and centrifugal pumps can draw water from, makes it particularly relevant to fadama irrigation farmers many of whom now draw their water from tubewells and wash-bores in addition to streams and ponds.

The treadle pump discussed in this bulletin is a new technology in Nigeria but not in some other parts of the world. It had already been introJuced in Senegal and Mali before being introduced in Nigeria. The design of the pump in question is based on a pump developed in Bangaledesh in 1981 by a Norwegian Engineer, Mr Gunnar Barnes. That pump was well received with more than 500,000 in use by 1992 in Nonhern Bangaledesh. This new design was developed by an American Engineer, Mr Carl Bielenberg working for an American based organisation, the Appropriate Technology International (A TI, USA).

A careful observation of the nature of the pump, its capability, wide applications, quality, potentials and numerous advantages can easily lead anybody to the conclusion that it is really the right pump for the small irrigation fam1ers. This bulletin will discuss all these hereinunder.

THE TREADLE PUMP TECHNOLOGY (TPT)

The features of the Treadle Pump:

The treadle pump is made up of two cylinders standing vertically on a valve box to which inlet and outlet pipes are connected (See Fig I). Inside the cylinders are pistons that slide up and down, sucking and pumping water from the suction pipe into the delivery pipe. The pistons are operated by means of a rope and pulley arrangement with the piston rods directly hooked to two wooden treadles that are in turn pedalled by a perso n standing on them. The operator who is the power source for the pump uses his leg muscles to push LWO treadles down in an alternating manner. Within the valve box, there are two one-way valves, one for intake and the other for delivery. The piston s inside the cylinders, on the other hand, are made each from the round metal plates and two leather cups with their open ends looking in opposite directions, up and down.

The pump can be operated by one adult and depending upon the setting as well as the preference of the operators, two adults can operate it. Similarly, two children can operate it together as a substitute for an adult. Hence as many as four children can operate it at the same time. The ease or otherwise of operation of the pump depends mainly upon the delivery head. Of course, the suction head can also create some difficulties if the water level is very deep down below the pump. However, that is relatively easier to overcome than the delivery head. Two factors are responsible for high delivery heads. Elevation of point of delivery above the pump level and restrictions within the delivering line. Thus, in settings when· t1e farm is at more than 0.5m elevation above the position of the pump and straight pipes are used with very little or no bands, the treadling is much easier. However, if flexible hoses are used and they get bent or squeezed at a number of points, the operator wi11 certainly experience some difficulties in the operation.

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Fig. 1: Assembly Diagram of Treadle Pump.

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Construction Materials and Toolings

The Treadle Pump is fabricated using metal sheets, steel pipes, rods, wood, nails, leather, nuts, and bolts. For ease and precision in construction, the fabricator requires a set of too lings that guide and facilitate the construction work. These toolings are specially made for this purpose and they can also be fabricated locally at machine shops. In order to produce good qua1.ity pumps, all that the fabricator requires is a good welding skill md an instinctive taste and appreciation for precision and quality. No elaborate workshop facility is required. Welding, grinding and drilling machines are all that are needed in addition to such basic workshop tools as vices, sheer cutters, chisels, hammers and measuring tap~ s. The machines referred to can be the small portable types. Then, as just mentioned, the artisan will also require the special toolings for the production of good and reliable pumps.

Since parts of the pump are made from wood and leather, the services of a carpenter has to be employed or at least the parts ordered from him. These parts inc I ude the two treadles, the pulley and the base board7 In addition, there are wooden blocks that are ·..;~crl together with a metal ring, a metal plate and a bolt and nut ~o ;· :naking the leather cups. If shown how to do it, even the farmers can m~ke their own leatha cups. The choice of the right leather for making the cups is very important. It should be both thick and soft enough to make the cups and be able to soak enough water to provide a seal between it and the cylinders.

Labour Requirement:

The treadle pump is a manual pump whose prime mover is the operator. He provides the energy required to lift the water from the water source and deliver it to the point of use. At the frrst instance, the treadling looks too laborious for a farmer to withstand, particularly since he has to do it for hours in order to irrigate his fann. However, after acquiring the treadling skill, one can operate the pump with virtually no hardship and for hours without worrying about it

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Capabilities:

The treadle pump design qualifies it as a high capacity pump which can lift water from shallow wells and surface sources. It can lift water by suction from wells up to seven (7) meters deep or from surface sources and pump it through a distribution pipe or into surface channels in a simple and efficient manner. It starts pumping without priming and with no foot valve. However, the total vertical distance that water can be pumped is limited by the total weight of the pump operator and their skills. One healthy adult working on a treadle pump can lift 5000 to 7000 litres of water per hour from a depth of four meters, and approximately 3,000 litres from 7 meters. Two adults working together can raise almost 6,000 litres per hour from 7 meters. It is important to note that, the lifting depth is limited because the pressure of the atmosphere pressing down on the water in the well, is only sufficient to lift a column of water 9. 8 meters when a perfect vacuum is created by the pump in its suction pipe. However, if the pump leaks a little air or if there is an air leak wher e the suction pipe attaches Lo the pump, the maximum lift will be lost. This clearly indicates the capacity of the pump to deliver water through a wide range of heads up-to 7 meters for e. long time without fatigue. If the water is deeper than 7 meters, the operators easily become tired and fed up.

Large quantities of water is often required for irrigation, approximately 50 cubic meters or 50,000 litres per hectare on dry days under average conditions. The treadle pump, because of its design and use of the body's strongest muscles can pump from 5, 000 to 7,000 litres (or 5 - 7m3) of water per hour. On the basis of two hours of pumping per day, and taking into account, the permeability of the soil and the water requirements of the particular crop, the pump should be able to irrigate up to (3,000 square meters) or 0.30 hectares of land in a dry season. This capacity is higher than most hand pumps that are designed to lift relatively small quantities of water from deep wells and bore holes which deliver less than 1,000 litres per hour and can irrigate not more than one-tenth of a hectare under average conditions.

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TREADLE PUMP APPLICATION

Farm Settings:

The treadle pump fits well into irrigation systems of the numerous and relatively shallow fadamas that occur in the extensive undulating plains and Plateau that are commonly found in the Nigerian Land Scape. The catchment of these fadama land scape ranges in size from 100 - 2,000 hectares, depending on local topography. The pump can easily be adapted to these fadama seuings which have fragmented land holdings, averaging 0.15 ha. per farmer.

Irrigation Systems and Methods

Of all the irri~ation svst~ms available i. e. surface, sub­surface, :~prinklcr, trickle o; drio irrigation, it is the surface 1r-r :, . .J 1" . ...,, r~~J.r ~t· ~~" •·· ~'!r' --:·· ')"-~.t :_"():1_~:·_1 ·;.". " .~ . ~· :""Pri;;_ ':!fl(~

~racucaily Lhe unl) ·'; .. "..:::,1 ~~-,c·.1 oy ~n,..._~;-:;cale irrrgation :·..u ii·;e:s.

The treadle pump, therefore, comes in handy for the small-scale farmer. The pump is certainly not suitable for any type of sprinker irrigation. The treadle pump, being a simple water lifting device, can be efficiently used to lift water from surface sources such as Rivers, Streams, Lakes, Dams, Seasonal Ponds, and or Small-scale rain water run-off catchments. The pump is also suitable for lifting water from underground water sources such as Hand-dug well, Tube-wells, and Wash-bores. This lifted water can then be pumped through a disnibution pipe or surface channel to the field, provided that the total dynamic head (i. e. tht: suction +delivery heads) does not exceed 8 meters.

The treadle pump's portability enables a single pump to be used on a number of wells, each of which may only have enough water for irrigating a small area. By moving the pump from one well to another, a fanner can minimize the length of pipe or canal that must be used to irrigate the entire farm_ This is important because of the very high cost of the pipe and because a significant amount of the water being transported to crops is lo:-.1 when unlined canals are used for water conveyance in sand) soils. On clay soils, water can be distributed from the pump by

means of hand-dug canals which will convey water to basins and furrows.

The most important irrigation methods in terms of their wide spread use and adaptability to various water lifting devices are furrow, basin and boarder. The basin and furrow are considered as more efficient water application techniques under small-scale irrigation and are, therefore, considered the most suitable to irrigation using treadle pump.

The choice of any method for water application using treadle pump depends on the season, the size of the fann, topography, soil physical properties, the nature and yield of the water source and the crop to be irrigated. Whatever the irrigation method used, the amount of water applied and the frequency of application are important considerations.

Meeting Water Requirements and Irrigation Frequency with the Treadle Pu·mp

Irrigation aims at making moisture available in tile soil for the use of plants. Adequate moisture must always be in sto;-e and available to the plants within its root-zone. Moisture inadequacy or inavailability can lead to undesirable stress in the plant and may even caused the plant to wilt permanently. This obviously translates into reduced yield or even crop loss. It is, therefore, important for the inigator to know the water requirement of the crop he is irrigating and the water holding capacity of his soil. Such knowledge will provide a safeguard against the risk of either over-irrigating or under irrigating, both of which have negative effects on both soils and crops. Since most of the soils in the areas where irrigation is practised in Nigeria have good water holding capacities, the treadle pump can be conv~niently used to supply the requirements of small irrigation plots.

Crops have different water requirements that will meet their consumptive use. Therefore, the amount of water applied

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and the frequency of application are determined mainly by the following factors:

Soil type: Sandy soils for instance, will require more frequent irrigations than heavy clay. Besides, a lot of water can be lost in the conveyance of such soils if pipes are not used. In such conditions, the treadle pump may not be suitable.

Crop rooting: Since the rooting characteristics of a crop would detem1ine the area and depth of soil from which it can extract water, it is obvious that shallow rooted crops (less than 60cm) 'Eke onion, maize, lettuce, irish potato, couli flower and garlic will require more frequent light irrigations than deep rooted ones like tomatoes, sweet potatoes and cowptas

Climate: Irrigation would be required more frequently and in larger amount in an arid area where evaporation rat~s are higher than in a humid area.

From the above, it can be observed that the factors intluencing the specific water requirement of crops and the frequency of irrigation vary. Hence, all of them h::..ve to be t:Jkcn into con~ideration before irrigation amount and frt~quency are dctem1ined. This, in turn, will detem1ine the total area that a given discharge from the treadle can command. The suitJbility of the treadle pump for irrigating a given area within a given location can be easily evaluated if the factors mentioned above affect the pump discharge for the same location.

MAJOR ADVANTAGES OF THE TREADLE PUMP

The rreadle pump has many advantages when compared to other water lifting devices including the motoriz~J pumps. The major advantages of the treadle pump are mainly m respect of its simplicity of construction, availability of construction material, ease of maintenance, a relatively high efficiency and low purchase and running costs particularly as compared to motorized pumps of similar capacity.

Construction:

The treadle pump, unlike its motorized counterpart, can be reproduced locally by metal-work artisans and small manufacturers using readily available materials, ordinary workshop equipment and a low-cost kit of special toolings. The treadle pump ca.n be manufactured even in villages if welding facilities can be provided. But the motorized pumps can only be imported from developed nations of the world.

Availability:

The materials used in the m2.!1ufacturing of a treadle pump are: Galvan ised and Mild sL:eel &heets, steel and galvanized pipes, iron rod, wood such as mahogany, rope, used truck-inner­rubber-tube, leather, nails , suction and delivery hoses and bolts and nuts. All of these items are available in Nigeria. Hence the acquisition of fabrication materials becomes easier with no importation difficulties involved. Therefore, the major adv:o~_qtage of the treadle p ump in terms of manufacturing is that a village level trained artisu.n can use these readily available raw materials to produce the pumps virtually at any time. On the other hand, all the motorized pumps being used in Nigeria are imported and the fanners who manage to purchase them are sometimes faced with the prob!ems of non-availability of spare parts after a period of use. In addition, incompetent mechanics and a times persistent fuel scarcity can cause serious problems. All these add up to the production problem that the small-scale irrigation farmers face in using the motorized pumps.

The treadle pump comes in handy with the advantage of not just being manufactured using local raw materials, but also most of the manufac turers being very close to them. Thus, farmers have the opportunity of meeting and discussing their treadle pump problems with the manufacturers. Through this, the fanner can acquire the required skill in the maintenance of his pump, thereby ensuring a ionger pump service.

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Ease of Maintenance:

In terms of maintenance, particularly when compared to that of the imponed motorized pumps, the advantages are:

a) The spare pans needed for the maintenance and repairs are available locally and some can even be made and fixed by most farmers themselves if given just a small guidance. This has eliminated the problems faced by motorized pump owners of visiting mechanics each time there is a problem.

b) The treadle pump being human-powered has eliminated the persistent problems of fuel scarcity experienced by many farmers who own motorized pumps in Nigeria from time to time.

Cost in Comparison to Motorized Pumps:

The treadle pump can be manufactured locally and sold with accessories at about N3,500.00, whi le the 3" and 2" motorized pump with its accessories cost about N38 ,000.00 and N30,000.00, respecti.vely. This is in addition to the fact that it as to be imported. (These pump costs are for the month of late 994, in the open market in Zaria, Kaduna State)., in other

· ::>rds, in 1994, the treadle pump package is le:>s than 10% of the .otorized pump package. This huge cost differential makes the

·:readle pump more affordable to most of the small fanners.

The labour required to operate the treadle pump is certainly morl! when compared with the motorized pump. However, ~~is is more than compensated for when the cost of Engine Oil, Petrol and Spark Plugs required by a motorized pump is taken into account. Also the use of motorized pump by small scale inigation fanners with fragmented land holding of 0.3 ha average is faced with various problems amongst which are:-

1 . Low utilization due to small land holding

2. Low utilization due to intermittent water lifting from underground water sources. (in Fadamas where rate of charge is low.

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3 . The high price of motorized liTigation pumps has forced pump owners to discontinue pump hiring/leasing to other fanners.

A motorized pump owner can easily be in a great dilemma when faced with persistent non availability of fuel or constant breakdown of the pump. This can cause a lot of anxiety to the farmers and in some situations result in crop failures. Nevertheless, the only disadvantage of the treadle pump in comparison with the motorized pumps is in respect of labour requirement in operation and water discharge capacity. While treadle pump can deliver about 5 cubic metres of water per hour with a lot of labour input, the motorized pump can deliver up to about 15 cubic metres per hour with a much less labour input.

This, no twithstanding, in many irrigation farm settings the treadle pump may be more appropriate for the rural irrigation f: ~.l.l ~:cr than & T::::-.torized pump. -s,·ea those farmers who already have motorized pumps will find it safer to possess a treadle pump as a b ack-up in periods o f c risis.

In comparing the price and cost of maintaining a treadle pump with that of a 2" motorized pump (Yamaha), it was found necessary to estimate the cost of lifting and delivering one cubic metre of water from a shallow source. In doing this, the following were casted: Labour, depreciation, repairs, fuel and Engine oil/kerosine(fallow. (See Table 1 below for the tabular comparison):

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Table 1: Comparing cost of Delivering one cubic metre of water by Treadle Pump and Motorized Pump:

Items Treadle Pump Motorized Pump (Yamaha 2 Inch-size)

Cost* N3,500.00 N30,000.00

Labour •• N2.50Jm3 N0.50fm3

Depreciation N0.30fm3 N1.50fm3

Repairs NO. l 8fm3 N0.78/m3

Fuel ~il N4.45/m3

Lubrication/Dil Nil N0.35/m3

Sub-total N2.Q8jm3 N3.58/m3

• - Costs are as at late, 1994 .

** - Traditionally, most farmers use family labour that is not accounted for in real situation - but for this exercise it is costed.

MATERIAL SELECTION FOR TREADLE PUMP COMPONENTS

The material selection for the production of the treadle pump is crucial in ensuring that good quality pump is produced. The metal and wooden components as well as the leather cups have to be carefully chosen. The wooden components include: the treadles, the wooden base, and the pulley, while the metal components are all the other major parts excluding the leather cups. A brief description is given below on how and why certain materials should be chosen for the production of the pump, so that the buyer will watch out for them.

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Wooden Components:

l. Wooden base:- This is best made from Iroko wood. However, red mahogany timber or doka wood may also be used as substitute. Any other wood that is not as strong should not be used. If inferior quality wood is used, it can break and many may even cut away easily. The wood base is supposed to be strong enough to bear the pump operators weight and with the aid of a thick rubber material permit a proper sealing of the valve box and its base. Leakage will be experienced if bad wood is used.

2 . Treadles:- This should as much as possible be straight and made from lroko wood. Mahogany can be used as a substitute if Iroko is not available. Wood such as Doka will wobble if used. Similarly, Black Afara, White wood ashu and Rimi can easily break. It is important that the wood be at least Il/2 inch (3.81cm) thick or preferabl y J3/4 inch (4.45cm) thick. If they are smaller even the drilling of holes at one end of the treadles can prove difficult. Another important thing to consider is the age of the wood. The older the wood, the stronger it is. So treadles mad~ from old wood are stronger. Such wood can be identified from the size of the original wood by those who know about it very well. Many Carpenters do.

3. Pulley:- This is to be made from a good timber, preferably mahogany. Iroko is not the best here. As a matter of fact, it can wear very easily at the shaft holes. Doka will eas ily crack after machining. Likewise, Bbck Afara and White wood will quickly wear out and break. When drilling the centre hole should as accurately as possible be centralised. It is also important that the two flat sides of the pulley are well planned. The thickness of the pulley should be about 4.5cm while the groove should be abou t 2.5cm wide and deep enough to accommodate the 1 Omm diameter rope. Bad pulley makes treadling more difficult thus, reducing the efficiency of the pump.

In addition to the parts of the pump, there is also a wooden block used for making the leather cups. Only mahogany and Doka should be used in making the blocks. Other wood types will either waste away easily or even get spoilt within a short time. -

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Metal Components:

The Metal Components of the pump are:

I. Suction and delivery pipes

2. Treadle support and handles

3. Valve box (comprising of valve box top and piston stop)

4. Cylinder

5. Valve hinge.

1. Suction and Delivery Pipes:- These are made from 2 inch (5cm) steel pipe. If a lighter material is used, there is possibility of collapsing while in use. Many strong joints are made on this pipe. It should not, therefore, be substituted with a weaker pipe such as 2 inch (Scm) Galvanised pipes.

2. a) -Treadle Support:- This is made from 3/4 inch (1. 9cm) steel pipe. Galvanised materials should never be used for this support so that strong joints could be obtained with the suction pipe. The treadle support takes quite a good part of the weight of the operator, it is, therefore, a safety point that must be welded well.

b) Treadle Handle:- This is made from 3/4 inch (1.89cm) steel pipe. One inch (2.54cm) steel pipe can also be used for the handle. Square pipes should be avoided because of the failure that happens at the pulley shaft joint and impossibility of adjusting the handle, once the sucket is welded in position.

3. Valve Box (Valve box top, piston stop):- This is made from 3mm mild steel plate. Thicker plates could be used, although they are not economical. This box is fulcrum of most joint in the pump. It should therefore, be checked for improper joints and slags.

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4. Cylinder:- The cylinder is rolled from a 2mm mild steel sheet. Galvanised or light materials should not be used because of work loading and pressure inside the cylinder. Materials above 2mm will be difficult to roll over the cylinder rolling jig. It is, therefore, vital not to exceed the recommended specification. The fact that it is rolled from a 2nun plate and joined by arc welding provides a smooth and easy stroke for the leather cups. This, therefore rules-out the use of a pipe of similar dimension such as galvanised metal pipes or PVC or Cement as a cylinder. Metal pipes have scales, while PVC and Cement pipes have rough surfaces inside them which will seriously resist :!1 ,' movement of the leather cups.

5. Valve Hing:- The valve hinges are cut from 1.5mm galvanised Iron plate. This will enable the material resist rust since it is always in water while in operation. Lighter materials if employed as hinges may break while in use. On the other hand, thicker ones may be difficult to bend with the jig. The valve hinge should permit valve openings at about 4500 and the flap of the valve rubber should close well at the opening of the valve.

Leather Cups:

The Leather Cups should be of good finish, fine quality and soft texture. Leather cups while in operation, will soak water to form an effective sealing on the cylinder walls. Therefore, hard leather like the one used for shoe soles must not be used. The thickness of the leather when dry ranges between 4mm to 5.5mm or 6mm. This thickness should not be less or more than the stated range lest the cups/piston rods become too difficult to operate. As much as possible, the bent part of the leather cup should be 9fiJ so that the end runs parallel to the cylinder wall. See Figure 2 for the correct placement of leather cups in pump cylinders.

The efficiency of a well constructed pump depends to a large extent on the quality of the leather cups. The leather material should, therefore be treated well to meet the required thickness, softness. texture. as well as the finished quality.

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Parallel edges of 1l Leather cups and Cylinder wall

Rope hook

Piston rod

Leather cup

901> bend

~---- Cylinder wall

Inlet

-~k--1....----' Ouit ~

Two one-way valves

Valve box

Fig 2. Correct Placement of Leather Cup in Pump Cylinders.

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OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE:

The treadle pump is easy to operate and maintain. All that is required is to observe some basic operation and maintenance tips. Nevertheless these tips are so important that they can seriously affect the performance of the pump. The following is a brief explanation on the tips.

1 Operation of the Pump:

The pump is placed on flat surface such that the cylinders are not tilted to any side. The operator then starts treadling. When starting the pump, the operator must treadle very quickly to remove the air and pull the water up-to the pump. After few moments of rapid treadling, depending upon the distance from the pump to the water source, the water is drawn into·the pump. As soon as water reaches the pump, the movement of the treadles becomes a little harder and the operator should begin to establish a constant treadling. The operator should try llQl to hit the pistons too hard against the cylinder bottoms to avoid valves/cups damages. The rope holding the two piston rods should be adjusted such that the operator moves the piston without hitting the cylinder bottoms at all.

If the pump does not start at all, or does not work well, the user should ftrst check for air leaks between the leather cups and the cylinder walls, the joints between the pump inlet and the suction hose/pipe, or between the pump chamber and the baseboard. lf using the pump, the operator observes that pumping is becoming difficult, the delivery hose should be checked to ensure that it is not blocked or bent, since that will restrict water flow. If water reaches the pump, but the pumping seems difficult and the treadles moves slowly, the intake screen should be ch~cked. If it is not .clogged, then the pump leathers may require lubrication.

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2. Maintenance of the Pump:

The parts of the treadle pump that requires the most mainte nance are those that are easily damaged or consumed. These include the pulley leather cups, valves, treadles and rope.

The pulley should always be in good shape (i t should no t be used if cracked, worned or broken) and the shaft should be greased with o il everyday the pump is to be used so as to allow free rotation of the pulley.

T he leather cups of the pistons should be lubricated with o il (Kerosine or beef tallow) before use. When leaks are observed in the cylinder, the cups should be checked for possible tear or stiffness. W here there is tear it should be changed but if stiffness occurs, the cups should be soaked in a bucket of water to soften th em . If there i s prob lem in the c ups c hanging s ha pe and no t fitting the cylinders, the pistons should be left in the pump cylinders.

T he valves shou ld always be checked (~') sta ted i n o perating procedure) before usc. In the ab . .;ence of ally kak, i f the pump can not dc!i·;cr ··Nc\t<:r, then there m~ty be possible valve damage (such as o: a lve tear ; o r loose val ve, bo lt s and nuts. If this happens, thc vaivcs should bc- replaced wi th nev .. · ones or the bolts anci nuts ::ghter.ed up. In :Jrder to be sure that v:lives are assembled i.'IXrect!y , it. is best ro remove only one v1ive at~ time and re-as semble it back before removing the second one. If gravel or sand enters tht pump, it can be removed by t~ing off the mlet and outlet hoses and pouring water into the cylinders w ith the pi stons removed, and opening the valves with the fin gers. If that fails, then the base board should be removed and the c hamber washed very well.

The treadles sho uld be handled with care. Since rough handling (especially when treadling) can cause breakage or crack. They can be replaced with new ones if damaged.

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Though the specified rope used for treadle pump is durable it will certainly wear gradually with time or even cut. New rope should be used immediately a sign of weakness is detected.

All users' complaints in respect of the pump should be addressed to the suppliers who should be able to assist in obtaining spare parts from the manufacturers. The users should, however, try to have spare parts (i. e. of parts consumed with time) in their custody to avoid irrigation failure.

Once the above mentioned tips are taken into cognisance by the user, and abide by, the pump will perform very well and the fanner will have a wonderful time with this simple machine.

CONCLUSION:

The treadle pump is simple and appropriate technology for the small holder irrigation farmer(s). With careful planning of irrigation schedules up to 0.30 ha can be easily irrigated with the pump. This size of land is about the average holding for most fadama farmers who form the bulk of the small scale irrigation fanners in Nigeria. Even though, the technology came from outside the country, it is the type that becomes easily inc!.igenised. As a matter of fact, for any location, it becomes a local technology since the pump can be fabricated, used and maintained within the same locality.

The technology has the potential of helping the local economy where fanners and artisans live side by side and in the final analysis it really solves the problem of small scale irrigation as far as water delivery to the farm is concerned.

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REFERENCES:

1. Appropriate Technology International (A TI), 1991. Manual on Operation and Mainte nance of Treadle Pump. Washington, D.C.

2. ATI , 1991. Catalyst: Technical Infonnation Bulletin No. 23. Quarterly Publication 1221, H. St. N.W. Washington. D. C. 20005.

3. Bangladesh International Institute of Development Studies (BIDS), 1991. Manual Irrigation for Small Farmers. Brochure on Treadle Pump. Prepared by International Development Enterprises. Dhaka. Bangladesh.

4. Bielenberg, C. 1992. Human-powered Irrigation: A guide to the use and Production of Treadle. Irrigation Pump. Eric Hyman (ed.) Washington D. C.

5. Mijindadi, N. B., Q. Umar and M. T. Tyem, 1993. ADP Experiences with Fadama Development: Achievements, Problems and Prospects. In Nwa and Pradhan (eds.). Irrigation Research Priorities for Nigeria. IIMI. Kano. PP 49-50.

6. Molenaar, A. 1956. Water Lifting Devices for Irrigation. FAO. Agricultural Development Paper No. 60.

7. N ationa1 Agricultural Extension and Research Liaison Se1 vices (N AERLS). 1980. Dry Season Vegetable Gardening. Extension Guide No. 67.

8. NAERLS, 1985. Crop Water Requirement and Scheduling for Efficient Irrigation. Extension Guide No. 105. Irrigation Series No. 4.

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