While exhibiting at the Mother Earth News Fair this weekend in Belmont, Texas, we fielded one question that came up consistently: “Can I pump another tank?” Followed up with, “How far can I go?” Then, “How much pressure will there be?”
Here’s what the experts at Bison Pumps say:
Pumping to a tank is always a difficult task depending on the piping size. We tell customers to install a check valve at the spout and then pump through the largest possible hose the farther you must go. We tend to tell customers that after 100 feet they may need to add another check valve in the line. But that can also make it difficult to pump!
If you want to pump into two tanks and one is farther down the line, then you should pump to the closer one. Then open a valve and let the pressure in the first tank push the water on to the next tank until both tanks are filled. Depending on the distance, you may need more than a manual hand pump!
