Help me invent/create this

Round here, tap water is full of minerals. It's very bad on the pets. All over town, there are kiosks that sell filtered water, 5 gallons for a buck.

So I got something like this:

Can't get it to quit leaking. I've tried as many things as I can think of to fix that. Now I quit.

So what I want to do is leave it sitting upright and use a salvage windshield washer pump to fill the pet water bowl.

My idea is to replace the spigot with a bulkhead fitting, then run a hose to the bottom of the jug. Then a hose to the pump, and a hose to the water bowl. 12vDC from a wall wart (how many amps does a washer pump draw?) and a pushbutton (momentary) to fill.

Any good thoughts or helpful ideas greatly appreciated.

Sounds to me like you almost have it worked out already, except I don't think a washer pump is the best type to use. They probably can't lift water very far, they're not made to run for more than a few seconds at a time, and they're not self-priming.

Maybe try this one, it can lift up to 3ft, again it's not self-priming though:

http://www.amazon.com/Lightobject-EWP-2502HT12V-Temperature-100%C2%B0C-DC12V/dp/B007XHZ25G

The pump itself could contaminate the water, so I would look into peristaltic pumps.

Sorry, mineral water is bad for pets? What kind of pet? My dog and outside cat drink whatever they happen to come across. Creek water, rain water, tree water, ground water, hose water, anything.

Anyway, I think you're making it harder than it needs to be. Get one of these,

http://www.amazon.com/Ceramic-Water-Filter-Kit-Just/dp/B007HUYGNS

two buckets and some plastic tubing. Water clean enough to use in an IV. Powered by gravity and the spigot won't leak.

I don't think you have to worry much about pump contamination from a washer pump, they're commonly used for powered race car drink systems, if they were making water taste like oil someone would've noticed by now.

The one I linked is rated food-safe and it's not a peristaltic pump.

Dr. Hess wrote: Sorry, mineral water is bad for pets? What kind of pet? My dog and outside cat drink whatever they happen to come across. Creek water, rain water, tree water, ground water, hose water, anything.

We don't know what kind or quantity of minerals he's talking about...but yeah they're not picky drinkers.

Or simply use a hose on an always open valve and let gravity work. Put a ball float valve on the reservoir and voila

Is this one of those problems that you can solve by filling the bowl with fresh water once a day?

Quasi Mofo wrote: Or simply use a hose on an always open valve and let gravity work. Put a ball float valve on the reservoir and voila

Smart!

(Assuming the valve can prevent bowl-to-reservoir contamination)

Spawn of a New Day wrote: Is this one of those problems that you can solve by filling the bowl with fresh water once a day?

Party pooper

Put a toilet tank valve in a 5g bucket with an inline filter and call it a day.

I am trying to picture where it might be leaking from. If it is a drippy tap, I would just add a second ball valve downstream and use that for flow control.

While an electric bilge pump would certainly do the job you describe, it seems like you are making this harder than it needs to be.

I would go with something like this:

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200422211_200422211

Simply pump the handle to start a siphon.

GameboyRMH wrote:

Dr. Hess wrote: Sorry, mineral water is bad for pets? What kind of pet? My dog and outside cat drink whatever they happen to come across. Creek water, rain water, tree water, ground water, hose water, anything.

We don't know what kind or quantity of minerals he's talking about...but yeah they're not picky drinkers.

I don't know, honestly. SWMBO has had pets in this town longer than I've lived here, and she claims that giving them tap water results in higher incidence of kidney stones.

And who am I to disobey SWMBO?

Also, SWMBO is a hemipalegic, so it needs to be easy for her.

Very bad for pets??

Last time I checked, most dogs are perfectly content drinking from toilets and licking their own or someone else's unmentionables.

Some people pay good money for Mineral water.

I love pet owners!

Sorry but this just makes me think of Larry the cable guy.

"Dog water purifying machine? He just ate a turd 10 minutes ago, got any turd purifying machines?"

I'd honestly do a ring around of a few of the local vets and get their opinion as to whether this is a need or some clever marketing..

My solution is a bigass water bowl. Mine is an old ceramic crock pot liner I got at goodwill, too heavy for the dog to tip, on all but the hottest days it only needs rinsed out (hair mostly) and filled daily, for a 90lb husky mix.

I use a horse trough. Holds, I dunno, 80-100 gallons? I have to fill it maybe twice a year in the summer.

Hey, the last company I was at had a new product: Dog water. It was flavored water for dogs. Beef flavor, chicken flavor, etc. Buy a case at Sam's. Didn't really take off for some reason. Maybe we just missed the market area where Evan lives.

No pump needed, see etifosi's post