COTTAGE LIFE: Easiest Way EVER to Prime a Water System

[@jcptubemovie8908]

I am going to cry. I have been trying to figure out all these issues and the so called experts have no clue. You have summed up - soup to nuts, all the information I was looking for - for so long. I want to tell you that you are amazing and thank you.

[@frogworth1622]

Why anyone would give you a thumbs down is beyond me. I set all this up for our cottage in a similar fashion but we have access to water from next door. Instead of the hand pump, we just hook up their hose. But I also made a back up set up one of those Red Lion gizmos that you can hook to a rechargeable drill in case the water next door is not available. Didn't need that. the hose worked perfectly...the first time. Great suggestion and saves a ton of frustration! Thank you for posting your video!

[@stefanpeters5043]

THANK YOU!!! Years and years of spending time at the pump, priming and repriming. This worked like a charm first try! Wish I had found your video years ago.

[@baileylineroad]

Hello Stefan! Thanks for taking the time to comment. I'm happy this video helped you. I had the same problem you did, and that's what prompted me to figure out an easier way to prime water pumps. Drop by my website baileylineroad.com for a visit sometime. You'll find lots of stuff there, including tool giveaways, articles and lots of other stuff of interest to hands-on, how-to people. Bye for now and thanks for watching! Steve

[@SeaDartII]

I tried this system and it is close to magical. Other cottage owners at my lake cannot believe how fast and easy it is. Thank you!

[@baileylineroad]

Glad it helped!

[@craftykat]

Hi Steve, thank you so much for this. My elderly Dad and I have such a hard time priming the pump out at camp for water intake from the lake. We did this and it was hooked up in minutes. You saves us so much hard work, lugging buckets and pails, and painstakingly pouring water in. Thank you so very much!

[@johngould8913]

Your video literally saved me hours of frustration. Installed a priming port, used a 1/2 HP Harbor Freight pump to pump up the line and filled the entire thing in less than 2 minutes with all the air getting out. My only 'tip' for others that may be helpful - in my situation, I had a pretty good run from where the foot valve reached where I could put the priming port. There was a fair amount of air trapped there. I just put the priming port pump on without the foot valve, got water flowing down to the end of the suction line and cut the pump off, kept the line under water while attaching the foot valve. Worked great. Thank you again for this great video!

[@baileylineroad]

Glad it helped!

[@DMDenis]

Best and clearest explanation ever ! Now I understand... thanks to your way of explaning, thanks so much !!!

[@jimdiacogiannis2883]

OH MY GOSH....Steve THANK YOU!!! is will be so much less labor intense when setting up our cabin in northern BC. this spring.

[@craftykat]

Thank you so much. I"m going to show this to my Dad as he struggles with this ever year.

[@afernando]

Hello Steve. Your video was really inspiring. I followed the same procedure. My water line had a port closer to the lake. I placed a foot pump in the same manner, it didnt take much to pump the water (and air) out of the line at the top where the jet pump is... and after turning on the pump it worked perfectly.

[@baileylineroad]

Nice work! Thanks for sharing!

[@stvfcy]

I used the same set-up for my cottage that has a dual line jet pump with a 60 ft run between the cottage and lake. I set it up to take a Honda gas pump - pump runs for 10 seconds every spring and fills the water lines. Simplest trick ever! Thanks Steve

[@neilcraig124]

Great video. Very helpful. Thank you, Steve.

[@andrewzazaian4688]

Hey Steve I think that's a fantastic video with the drawing especially I usually take how about a good hour for me to prime my pump add the water started and then go back and forth with that because of air pockets but I'm going to hook up my garden hose right to a spicket with a female to female coupling and fill up the system that way and then close the top of the pump like you recommended once the air is done I can't wait to try it out thanks

[@barberton3695]

Very nicely explained with clear visuals. Thank you! 👍

[@michaellaurin6570]

Explained in an easy to understand, clear, concise manner. Much appreciated.

[@Spiritwalker61]

great source for practical info for those who like to do it yourself.

[@vcrobison]

Thanks for the hints Steve. I've done this for a while but I've switched to pulling the water up all the way through the foot valve and line by connecting the hand pump to a quick disconnect at the top of line. This has the advantage of not requiring a port at the base - I've tired that and the port gets jammed every winter or begins to leak. The only downside is that it takes a LOT more effort to pull air out and the water up. I'm getting pretty tired of this so I'm going to get a motorized version of the "Guzzler" hand pump.

[@edmcguigan3501]

Thanks for this Steve. I was just talking to a buddy about having a valve down at the canal end of what must be the 150 foot plus run to my pump but I hadn't thought about a hand pump. Must have taken as long to do that beautiful drawing as actually set up the priming system. The hours I have wasted with that bloody pump! BTW - anybody reading this who lives in Florida might want to add in a basket filter before the check valve. I kept getting shellfish stopping the check valve from closing.

[@deliberatecreation8734]

Thank you for teaching me something new! Have a good day uncle!! 🤙🏼🤙🏼

[@colinstokes4398]

a superior presentation in every respect

[@YourLocalHandyman]

Another possibility is the small fluid transfer pump that is designed for a cordless drill. Pulls liquid on one side and shoots it out the other.

[@sallylouttit932]

I have a distance of 152 feet from water channel to cabin, it is a vertical gradual lift to 25 feet rise. I was told to use a deep well jet system. With that said I have to use well casing, would it work if my well is not upright? As my line will be slanted considerably from 0-152 feet in distance, rising 25 feet gradually.

[@robinziebert890]

Do you have this in print anywhere? No wifi at our place LOL

[@RJ67.]

As a pump mechanic / Well driller of 25+ years its a very bad idea to put a water spicket or ball valve on the suction side of a well pre check valve. We used you're a picture pump "hand.pump" on a 3/4 or 1" tee set up off the top of the discharge side of the pump. Then all you need is a gallon of water to prime the pitcher pump. Make sure to shut the valve to the house use the picture pump when it starts flowing freely turn the pump on and presto...the...pump is primed you can either use a 1-inch ball valve on the bottom of the pitcher pump to just shut it in going about your day or simply shut the pump off unthread the pitcher pump and put your gauge back on. I don't recommend a spicket on the suction side of the well because the fittings themselves introduced more potential for suction leaks if you don't double dope the fittings also the grommets will break down over time on the spigot. You can get a pitcher pump online for about the same price is all those fittings will cost you you can even run it up to your kitchen sink and have a optional Nostalgialistic type sink with an old-style pitcher pump "hand pump" the slightest suction leak on the suction side of the well will stop you from priming the pump. the less fittings the better

[@supernova1976]

Interesting, how is it going to push the air pockets ? I tried to do something similar using syphoning with 4 meter higher and didn't work , had to walking the length of the pipe and massage the water to reach the end . Can I just attach the pump in the end of the suction pipe in the lake ?

[@kikeleinr8451]

Very helpful video thanks... I like the German Flag on the background!!!

[@DannyTillotson]

Thank you

[@TheBodysculper]

Hi Steve. Great video. I took your suggestion last year and worked perfectly. I used a pump that attaches to a drill. This year I want to step it up and use an electric pump but I don't know how to size it. Would any inexpensive bilg pump work. I saw one for about $60. Just wondering if they will pump uphill about 60 feet. The height between the shoreline and the jet pump is about 10 feet.

[@kellygordon9]

Although I'm unlikely to need this, I love watching your video's! Extremely interesting!

[@bigjoe2458]

I have a fountain pump on an 8 ft. fountain that hums but won't pump water. how would I prime it?

[@1miltond]

So of the check Valve in not closing you can't prime right???

[@jimlaidley4826]

Here's an upgrade idea for this system. instead of a hand pump, get a utility pump and connect it via garden hose to the "port". You'll need to be close enough for an extension cord of course, but it will fill the line very fast and trouble-free. Just make sure there is someone at the pump end of things because it will fill FAST. I'll probably add a valve+drain at the pump end of things to allow air in and manage the overflow instead of opening the priming bolt on the pump

[@skeetersden]

that is a really good idea!

[@duayneveer8229]

excellent!

[@iplumridge6606]

Easy once it's explained

[@iwantosavemoney]

if the valve is in the bottom of a well am not seeing it making it any easyer but i get the jest

[@baileylineroad]

Hi There! The technique I've shown here is for seasonal water systems that draw from a lake, river or some kind of surface source of water. It's no help with a well, but well systems don't usually have to be drained each fall. Thanks for watching! Steve

[@patriciakimpston9707]

Great info but the sound was muffled and low. Other than that the video is great!

[@audiemullarkey9973]

You need a piston pump

[@thedylman13]

Don?