[[Image:Rope pump cross section.jpg|thumb|right|250px|[[Rope pump| Rope pump]] Cross section diagram of a rope pump on a capped well]]
The '''Rope Pump''' is a highly '''efficient''', modern and '''low cost''' pump and one of the few designs that can truly be operated and '''maintained totally at a village level'''. There are various modern developments of the ancient design but the basic design of all pumps is '''a continuous loop of rope with pistons (or plastic washers) attached to it, the rope passes up through a plastic pipe with only a small clearance, thus allowing the pistons to push the water up and out of the top of the pipe'''. Rope pumps have proven highly successful and there are hundreds of thousands of pumps in use world wide and used for anything from community adn and domestic water supply to irrigation and cattle watering. For wells down to 35 m, rope pumps are often five times cheaper and more sustainable than standard piston pumps. Rope pumps can be powered by hand, bicycle, motor, horse, or wind power.
====Origins====
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==Technical specificationConstruction, operations and maintenance==
With different depths, different sizes of pump pipes are needed, otherwise the pumping becomes to heavy. See manuals on websites
of [http://www.practicafoundation.nl/library/manuals/ Practica Foundation] and [http://www.connectinternational.nl/english/smartmodules/smart-tec/pumps/ropepumpproduction Connect International].<br>
Similar to piston pumps, a cement slab and a good soak away are needed to avoid splash water becoming a cause for pollution.
==== Design ====
* Pumping depth (Lift): 0 to 30m
* Cylinder diameter: 28 mm to 42 mm, depending on depth