Can pump water up but can't pull water up. Explain.

Factual Questions
21

>Yeah, but you don’t see 100’ of water hanging…
Of course not. It isn’t pure enough. And it’s hanging in open tubes, which can tear from the surface inward.

22

How much force can the bonds between water and whatever surface is lifting it withstand?

23

I can’t find a number, but if you take two small smooth glass plates (microscope slides or whatever), wet them, and stick them together, you’ll be SOOL trying to pull them apart without sliding them or otherwise cheating. Other materials are more adhesive than glass. Of course, the weight of a 100’ column of water is pretty damn huge too…

24

The weight of a 1" square column of water 100 feet tall is only 43.3 pounds.

25

Sure, but this has to do with the 14.7 psi of atmospheric pressure holding them together.

26

Hi!
I would like to ask you if you are interested into helping me with a problem, which might be a pleasant challenge for you too. I am not getting there yet but still need 1,5 months to have money so I can start testing…
So here is the problem: I want to develop a hydroponic system in a marquise (balcony with windows) which is connected to a kitchen. The marquise is 6 meters to 1,5, more or less, and I wish to put there as many plants as necessary to feed 2 persons, and do it with the cheapest system example I could see online: plastic bottles for each plant and an air pump to send the water to the top and make it drip from 1 plant to another. And there is why I have problems coming up:

  • 1 pump might be too little power to take water for as many plants as I wish. More pumps might make it too noisy. How will I take the water up?

I would be very grateful if you could help me find a solution. I am not very trained in physics and am taking lots of time to figure out what/how to do.

thanks,
cheers

27

Update: forgot to share an example in small scale of what I wish to do
http://our.windowfarms.org/2010/04/26/our-hydroponic-window-farm-experience/#comment-4112#comment-4112

28

What rate of flow do you need in gallons per hour? Small water pumps, not air pumps, should be able to move a substantial flow up 6 feet or more. A small aquarium canister pump should not have a problem with what you are trying. Don’t use a non-submersible sump pump, it probably can’t handle the constant duty cycle without overheating.

29

Real life plants vs zombies?

30

Does delivered volume vary with lift? If you come up 16’, will you get about half water and half water vapor? I notice pumped water is usually frothy.

Often a stiff pull and low volume means the leather is in good shape, you are just doing a lot of work to get the water? How does your lift and your neighbor’s lift compare?