Things that are water powered.

[never_retreat]

So with the impending doom (storm) I thought of something I saw at the supply house the other day.
It was a water powered sump pump.
http://waynepumps.com/index.cfm/product/59_20/ewp10.cfm
Good idea if you have city water. I have city water and already have a big battery back up pump.
But this got me to thinking.
Would it be possible to generate any quantity of electricity with your incoming water supply?
This is especially intriguing to me because our town does not meeter water usage. everyone in town gets the same bill.
So I technically would not have to worry about getting a gigantic bill for the use of said device.

Any ideas math whizzes.

Right now I do not know the PSI of my water supply of flow rate. All I know is I only have a 3/4" line.

[Fitz]

as a side note: many insurance companies, USAA included, offer added "sump pump" protection. Essentially, if my pump fails or loses power, and my basement takes on water and gets damaged as a result, i'm covered.

[Jocassee]

Re: Things that are water powered.

[never_retreat]

Ha Ha

[drewtam]

Generate electricity?
Yes


Any quantity?
No, but I think you knew that. You probably didn't mean it the way the question sounded.


Generate enough to power most of the house?
No.
Power = Pressure x Flow x efficiency

Use enough water that the city would shut you down within weeks?
Yes.


Hydroelectric turbines are in the 90+% efficiency range, I think.
A simple hydraulic motor is also in the 80+% efficiency range.
But these operate at much higher pressures than residential lines.

A 3/4" line could deliver 2.5kW power at 550kPa and 0.0061m3/s and 75% eff (roughly 80PSI, 100gpm).
Which might be 1/2 to a 1/3 of what your house uses daily.

[charby]

I think solar cells or wind turbine with a battery bank is the way to go for emergency power.

You could look into a dual or tri power fridge. 12volt/110/Lp or NG

[Tuco]

Water powered thing:



The same technology can be used to generate electricity.

Or build one of these:

[Scout26]

as a side note: many insurance companies, USAA included, offer added "sump pump" protection. Essentially, if my pump fails or loses power, and my basement takes on water and gets damaged as a result, i'm covered.

Yes, and no.

If water enters your basement from above ground level, it is considered a flood and not covered.  If your pump fails, and your basement fills with water, then yes.  If water then enters your basement from above ground level after your pump fails, even though your basement is already full of water, then no, it's a flood.

[Fitz]

it wouldn't be entering from above ground level, methinks... the way my lot is, the thing i'm worried about is it seeping in from wet ground during rain.

USAA guy said that situation would be covered.

[RoadKingLarry]

I live on a significant (for this area) hill. For my place to flood it would have to be one of them biblical kind of floods.

[MechAg94]

Steam locomotives are not really water powered, they are coal powered.  The water/steam is just the medium used to transfer heat energy to motion. 

[MrsSmith]

Water powered jet pack. Ought to be right up y'all's alley.

http://video.foxnews.com/v/4525132/inventors-water-powered-jet-pack/

[Scout26]

it wouldn't be entering from above ground level, methinks... the way my lot is, the thing i'm worried about is it seeping in from wet ground during rain.

USAA guy said that situation would be covered.

Yes, if it comes up through your sump or plumbing pipes, then the Water Backup Coverage will cover your loss.  However, if at any point the water comes in (or would have come in, except that it's already full) overland, then your screwed.  BTW, Flood Insurance doesn't cover anything except mechanicals (furnace, water heater washer/dryer) in the basement.   It simply covers everything at or above ground level.

[robear]

Ask This Old House did a segment on these a while back:

http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/video/0,,20260244,00.html

edited to add: regular install, nothing to do with electricity generation.   Should have read the whole post, huh?

[Tuco]

edited to add: regular install, nothing to do with electricity generation.   Should have read the whole post, huh?

never stops me.....

[HeroHog]

as a side note: many insurance companies, USAA included, offer added "sump pump" protection. Essentially, if my pump fails or loses power, and my basement takes on water and gets damaged as a result, i'm covered.

I had this coverage and when my sump pump failed and my basement flooded, my insurance DENIED MY CLAIM saying I didn't have flood insurance! If I EVER get the chance to screw over an insurance company, you can bet I will after this and other incidents we have suffered at their hands! I HATE INSURANCE COMPANIES!  
 
PS: This was during that huricane back in 2008 or so in VA. Our house was on the peak of the second highest point in the town! On a hill. NOT in a low lying/flood prone area!

[GigaBuist]

HeroHog, as I understand it you can only get flood insurance through the federal government's NFIP program.  Private insurance companies are prohibited from offering it.

[HeroHog]

Not the point of my rant. My issue is I HAD insurance for Sump Pump issues. Had the Sump Pump not failed, no issue. Sump Pump failed, basement flooded, why was that not covered?

[never_retreat]

Generate electricity?
Yes


Any quantity?
No, but I think you knew that. You probably didn't mean it the way the question sounded.


Generate enough to power most of the house?
No.
Power = Pressure x Flow x efficiency

Use enough water that the city would shut you down within weeks?
Yes.


Hydroelectric turbines are in the 90+% efficiency range, I think.
A simple hydraulic motor is also in the 80+% efficiency range.
But these operate at much higher pressures than residential lines.

A 3/4" line could deliver 2.5kW power at 550kPa and 0.0061m3/s and 75% eff (roughly 80PSI, 100gpm).
Which might be 1/2 to a 1/3 of what your house uses daily.

I don't have 80 psi for sure and definitely could not get 100 gpm out of a 3/4" pipe.

When I originally posted this I knew it was not going to be much power. For that I would have to attach to the fire hydrant. Someone might notice that.
This question was more theoretical than practical.

[Scout26]

Not the point of my rant. My issue is I HAD insurance for Sump Pump issues. Had the Sump Pump not failed, no issue. Sump Pump failed, basement flooded, why was that not covered?

Because if it was determined that your area/neighborhood/township/county flooded then anything that suffered water damage is considered to have been damaged as a result of the flood (whether underwater or not).  You can thank FEMA.

Second paragraph of the attached, helps to explain:

http://www.fema.gov/plan/prevent/fhm/fmc_loma.shtm

[rcnixon]

I had a set of cool water-powered rockets when I was a kid.  You filled them with water and then attached them to a pump/launcher.  The pump pushed air into the rocket and you pulled a release to launch it.  One of the rockets was even a two-stage.

Russ