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Hand Pump

Prices below


Brand: Natural Playgrounds Company
Toxicity: child friendly wood preservative
Age Appropriateness: all ages

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Kids absolutely LOVE these Hand Pumps (historically called Pitcher Pumps).

They offer a constant source of fun and entertainment, because every time they're used, they surprise kids when the water just "appears!"

Further, using their own strength and action, kids get a sense of accomplishment by providing their own source of water for play as they pump water into one of our sluiceways or a stream, or pump it into containers, or onto the sand so they can make sandcastles and other fun shapes.

These pumps offer a perfect opportunity to teach children about "the old days" before electricity when people had to use their ingenuity to bring water up from a hole in the ground. Kids will also learn how a pump works, how water flows, how gravity affects water, and how to prime a pump.

Children will also learn about sharing (who's going to pump this time?), cause and effect (what better than to start pumping and then see water appear?), collaboration (we need water to play, how will we get it to go where we want it?), and so on.

THIS pump is a true work of art. It is so beautifully made that you just can’t help but admire its workmanship, its clean lines, its simplicity, and the smoothness with which it works.

We have been hunting for almost 20 years for a pump like this: one that is not only beautiful, and a complement to any setting, but also one that functions flawlessly. This pump has addressed and solved every issue we’ve ever had with a playground pump, so we know you and the children will enjoy every minute of its use.

We can’t say enough great things about this simple, elegant play element that will engage and entertain children for hours.

Now to get down to business:

We have searched far and wide for a simple, well-made pump that will withstand weather and hard use, and we finally found it!

This pump is 100% stainless steel, and is almost indestructible. Besides that, it’s beautiful, with clean lines, and a pump action that is as smooth as silk, and therefore easy to use for ANY age group. And we mean ANY!

Further, it meets all playground safety guidelines, with no pinch points, nothing for the kids to get hurt on.

Other facts:
• The closed design helps keep kids from pouring sand into the top of the pump (which ruins the piston gasket).
• The spout keeps kids from pushing sand and other materials into the pump.
• A check valve, which helps maintain the prime, is built into the pump.
• The basic “pump only” option comes with a length of PVC pipe to attach to the base of the pump (that goes into your water supply), and a built in flange for mounting to a horizontal platform or deck (fasteners/screws are required).
- Each stroke produces 7 oz of water, 18 strokes produce one gallon

There are several configurations to choose among:
1. Pump only
2. Pump only, with PVC to use with your own water source
3. Pump with cistern
4. Pump on platform with cistern
5. Pump on stump on platform with cistern. The stump helps gain height so you can add one or more water sluices

Compare the quality of our pump and our price with any other playground pump you find, and this one wins, hands down for simplicity, ease of use, beauty, complete weather resistance, functionality, and ruggedness. We know, because we have checked all the competition, and this is, by far, the best pump ever!!

A note about use: This is a beautifully made hand pump that may not need priming! It is so tight, and the pump action is so good, that it is essentially a self-priming pump!

However just so you know, most hand pumps/pitcher pumps need to be primed. After a long period of nonuse, a small amount of water may need to be poured into the pump so that the gaskets can swell up and therefore be capable of creating a vacuum/suction which draws water up into the pump with each stroke of the handle. This is called “priming.”

The Repair Kit is essentially a seal maintenance kit, as sometimes the seals, gaskets, and piston rings do dry out and need to be replaced.

CAUTION: if you feel that you need to lubricate the piston or anything else INSIDE the pump, DO NOT USE SILICONE as it will eat the material!! Use good old Olive Oil instead :))

Lastly: for those of you in freezing climates, you must completely pump your cistern dry, then remove the pump and bring it inside. If you store it in a bucket of water, the seals won’t dry out and will last longer.





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