In this project you’ll learn how to make a customizable PVC hand pump that will create vacuum suction, pump water, or compress air.
WARNING: Power tools, like a table saw, pose risks of serious injury. Adequate training and experience are required before operating. The results and claims of this pump are based solely on my personal experiences with the one demonstrated in the video. Individual results may vary. The pump is a simple design and not made, or claimed, to be used in any heavy duty operations, or relatively high pressures. Use of this content is at your own risk.
I’ve wanted to build a PVC water pump for awhile, but the check valves were around $10.00 each. That seemed a little steep for a PVC build, so I made my own, which you can see in a different project.
I was inspired on the pump piston and chamber by a picture I saw on a google image search by someone who used the 1-1/4″ and 1″ sizes of tubes, and he mentioned he cut the grooves for the O-rings on a table saw. That was a new idea to me and gave me the inspiration to put this together.
I’m also planning to use this piston design in future projects that require pneumatic and hydraulic pistons.
In my testing, the valves work great with air and water. I didn’t have any gauges to test the strength of the vacuum so can’t say how strong the vacuum would be, but it certainly does create one.
While there are some special tools used to create this pump (table saw and forester bit), I believe with a little creativity the pump could be made just as effectively without them, making this a simple and duplicatable design.