A pump for greywater

[GlennT]

I don't know anything about flakes; up north we use "Mrs. Lydia's Bluing," which came in a small bottle with a thin neck, a red stopper, and a label showing the head of a thin-lipped, stern-looking spinster with her hair drawn back tightly. I must be a bit older than some of you guys; I remember my mother doing laundry in a machine with twin copper tubs. The largest tub contained the agitator and a second smaller, stationary tub had an internal tub with holes which spun madly to extract water after the final rinse. This gorgeous machine (the tubs were copper on the outside and chrome on the inside) was connected via a belt to a one-lung stationary engine outside of the "summer kitchen" where the washing machine lived. On wash days, Mom got up early to start heating wash water over a twin-burner kerosine stove, which also tempered the cold somewhat in the small uninsulated building. A bit later, Day would run the belt from the engine through a small sliding door to the washing machine, pour warm water SLOWLY into the hole of the engine, and then crank the bejabbers out of the thing to get it started. Naturally, clothes hung out to dry froze solid; it was fun watching Mom carry in a stack of frozen long johns. These are great memories, but GOSH!--it's nice living in Texas with an automatic washer.

 

[GlennT]

One more comment--If you poured Mrs. Lydia's Bluing over a piece of coal, you could grow the most beautiful crystals.

 

[Bird]

Glenn, I never tried the bluing for anything but the laundry, and I think it was a liquid that Mother used instead of flakes.

Bird

 

[jinman]

Glenn, your original message asked about a pump that would handle greywater/wash water and after reading all the responses, I did'nt see one which metioned what to me is the obvious answer. How about using a washing machine pump and attaching a small motor? They are cheap, plentiful, and work pretty darn good. ...just my two cents worth.

JimI