My question is 2 fold, first I am wondering how sinks with foot pedals that turn on and off the water work, because they are below the faucet and I though water comes out from the faucet because of gravity. A example of what I am talking about is here:
My second question is I am thinking about building a camping sink made from 5 gallon buckets, as seen here 5 Gallon Bucket Sink - YouTube but it works with a foot pump that you have to pump constantly for any water to come out and it looks like not much comes out and it is very sporadic. I like the idea of shutting the water on and off with your feet (but not having to constantly pump it) so I am wondering if I mount the freshwater bucket on a table or hang it from a tree if gravity will make it so I don’t have to pump the foot pedal, but just step on it like the foot pedal in the first link I posted. If that will work do I use the same foot pump they used or some different kind of foot valve, and what kind?
A)Your house is supplied with (about) 60 PSI*. It doesn’t matter where in the system the valve is, but even in a normal sink the valve is located below the spigot.
B)Yes, if you put together the proper plumbing you could use regular household valves (including the first one you linked to) and feed them with a bucket mounted overhead. However, I think you’re going to get awful pressure, that’s a lot of elbows. Unless you have some need to do it, IMO, you’d be much better off mounting the bucket overhead, running a hose** off of it and having a valve at the bottom just above handwashing level. I’m sure camping or army surplus stores already have a kit for this.
*Just to avoid any confusion, if your municipality, like most, uses water towers, then it’s using gravity to create the pressure. However, that really has nothing to do with the question, I just don’t want to get called out on that. The 60PSI will push the water anywhere in your house you want it to go.
**My first thought was to use a half or one inch PVC pipe, but it would be awfully tough to lower it to the ground with rigid pipe sticking off the bottom and refilling it could be a two person job. Also, with a hose, you wouldn’t have to take it apart to store it.
As JoeyP said, your standard household water source is commercial water, then the water in the water tanks puts water in the delivery lines under pressure (I’ll accept 60 psi). Gravity is the energy source, but that is the driver of water tower height vs your sink height. The key feature of water (fluid) is that pressure equalizes with equal heights, so any point lower will be under pressure. Thus you can put the valve anywhere in the system, as long as it is below the water tower it will provide the proper stop/open function, even if the valve is below your sink outlet. Notice that your hand valves are at the sink top and typically below the sink outlet.
Yes, if you mount your clean water source tank in the air above your sink outlet, you will get gravity feed to provide water out the tap. It doesn’t have to be very high, notice that 5 gallon blue water jug works exactly that way and has plenty of stream except at very empty levels. Rig a PVC or wooden stand to prop the top 5 gallon bucket and use the same flex hose setup, except a long tube to the ground, your standard foot pedal instead of the pump, and then the same hose up to the sink outlet. Of course, lifting 5 gallons of clean water to the top of the stand might be a chore.
Or you can buy a ready-made campers hanging water bag with hand valve, a plastic basin, and maybe a tripod to support the hanging bag, with a table or stool for the washbasin.
I do a lot of camping and have never felt a need to have a sink equipped with running water. Exactly what function are you looking for? I can’t help but think there’s a simpler way to accomplish it.
For example, hand washing can almost always be taken care of with a wet wipe.
40 litres of water can be easily rolled along by a child, and even a toddler can tow the empty container. You can get a tubular frame to stand it on so that the tap is clear of the ground.
When we took the scouts camping, we made a wooden support with sticks and string, to hold it up higher. Washing hands under running water was forbidden.
So can I use the type of foot pump they use in the video(will it function only as a pump or also as a open/close valve), or some other type of valve that can be foot operated, like a foot operated ball valve? (does this even exist?)
They do make foot valves but you’ll probably have to go to a commercial plumbing store to pick one up and you’ll probably have to sweat all the parts together.
And, as I said earlier, hanging the tank overhead and using gravity to feed it from above, to below, through a valve and back up to a sink, through all those elbows is going to result in, I’d guess, the water coming out pretty slowing.
The pump shown in the video appears to just be a squeezeball. It may have a valve feature - I suspect so, but am not certain. If you’re going to use that kind of valve, there’s no reason to rig the fresh water stand and use gravity, just use the pump.
For a foot operated valve, the link you had to handsfree valves seem adequate. However, there are two features. First, the connections are threaded pipe interfaces. If you are running the plastic tubing, you may need to play with how to connect the tubing to the fixtures. It’s possible there’s a standard hardware fix, but I don’t know. If the hose will fit over the threads, you can cinch it in place with wire and caulk it. If the hose will fit into the opening, you could glue and seal it. If neither of those, you’ll have to jury rig some kind of adapter. I would look at the valves first and then select the tubing to fit, if you can.
Second, that valve needs to be anchored to something so when you press the lever, you actuate the valve rather than just flop the gismo around. Screw it to a wooden board and use your foot to stabilize as you actuate the lever.
Depends mostly on the diameter of the tubing. Why use hardlines? The plastic tubing shown in the video seems effective. Yes, you do have to figure out how to connect it to the valve, but that’s what creativity is for.
Also, there’s no real reason you need a gray water bucket, except it keeps you from draining your used wash water into the middle of your campsite. You could just use a regular plastic washbasin rather than a 5 gall bucket. But you wouldn’t get the same simple form for the assembly. But if you’re gravity rigging the water feed, you’re deviating anyway.
You would probably have to dump the water after each use rather than collect and dump later, so that might be an advantage to the bucket design.
I might improve the bucket design with a stopper for the drain hole, in case you want it. Otherwise, I’m not sure why you need a basin with a hole in it. Just drain directly to the gray water bucket.
The best way to have all the comforts of home is to stay home. Part if the attraction of camping, for me, is to simplify and make-do. Simple fare, simple entertainments, and simple hygiene.
If there is no water supply at the camp site, you need to let go of the habit of washing hands under running water, same with rinsing dishes. Same with body hygiene. Use a wash cloth and basin.
In addition to the supply problem, you have the disposal problem. Putting it on the ground creates mud.
Hardlines (I’ve never hard that word) would give better pressure than hoses that would be all curled up from being in storage.
Also, the OP doesn’t want to use a foot pump, she only mentioned that idea because she wants to be able to turn the water on and off with her foot and thought the foot pump might also act as a valve…it might, it might not and just let the water freely run through it (like a siphon would).
Of course it would not be difficult to make (or buy) a battery powered pump. I expect a fuel pump of a truck would do it. All you would need then is a battery and a simple switch.
In my experience, and I have done a fair amount of camping, the usual problem is stopping people from using too much water. Making them fetch it has a beneficial effect.
Yes! Finding it may be the trick. Do you remember the sinks in high school locker rooms? They are also on scrub sinks. I think that any good plumbing supply store should have them. I would look on-line for them.
I just acquired a scrub sink today. The foot pedal is connected to the water valve in the sink via rods. This scrub sink would not work for you. Now if one used a rope instead of rods… hmmmm…
Foot operated air valves are available in many sizes. I believe that one of them would work, for a while. Rust may become an issue after a while if not drained after use. Water valves would be better as they are designed for use with potable water.
I’m the Scoutmaster for a Boy Scout troop that camps out monthly year-round. We use a very simple wash station for our dishes (including pots and pans).
We have a wooden frame with three openings that exactly hold three plastic wash basins. The frame sits on wooden legs.
The first basin gets filled with hot soapy water. The hot water comes from a large turkey-fryer-type pot with a propane burner.
The next two basins are filled with water: first rinse followed by second rinse.
It works great, and no running water is needed. When the water gets dirty, it gets changed out. We haul the water to the campsite using 5-gallon jugs.
I don’t know. The valve linked in the OP wasn’t a ball valve, it’s a spring-loaded stem valve.
Ball valve - rotate handle to rotate ball, opening through ball controls flow.
Stem valve - stem pushes plunger to open valve and control flow.
Offhand, one might be able to use a regular ball valve handle and just use your foot, but I’m not liking he rotation action with the foot. Stem valve seems a better option as it just requires pressure. Simpler action works better for the application.
Depends on the hose. The one shown isn’t collapsible and doesn’t use very long lines. Sure, if you coil it, there will be some tension in the rig from the hose coil. You will need good secure attachments to anchor the ends and pull it tight, but it should work well enough.
I believe I said that.
sara20, I just realized you may be caught in terminology. The black pump thing in your OP is not a “ball valve”. A ball valve is a metal valve that uses a rotating ball to open/close the pathway. That object is a squeezeball pump, which might have a valve in it to prevent backflow, or might not have a valve in it. You can probably find either.