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If a community would like to change any existing Volanta into an Afripump, (like when there is no regional support team to change In many parts of Africa the Volanta every 5 BluePump is also used to 10 years)replace older handpumps. To make this a simple operation, it can simply change the flywheel arrangement to a blue box, since all base-plate of the BluePump fits directly onto the old base-plate of the inner components are exchangeable. Also any existing Afripump can easily be converted to a VolantaAfridev and India Mark pumps.
Given some more background and updated accurate info about the BluePump, by Paul van Beers, the designer of the BluePump
The Volanta Pump is not in the public domain and information can be asked from the manufacturer. The Volanta Pump is fully corrosion resistant. It is rather difficult to install and it needs extensive masonry work. Maintenance is easy so that communities can care for the pumps.
====The Afripump, a Volanta upgradeBluePump====Since The BluePump was designed by the FairWater Foundation with the Volanta pump needs some spares every 5 to 10 years (due to imput of many NGOs in Africa. A major contribution was given by Oxfam Kenya, that has tested the flywheel and early models of the stainless steel T-piece pressure box), and because BluePump in it is more expensive than other handpumps on the market's handpump rehabilitation project in Turkana, Jansen Venneboer BNorthern Kenya.V. created a After several modifications to addapt the Volanta - Afripump (or in shortBluePump for depth up to 100m deep, the "Afripump")BluePump is now considered by most international NGOs as the most reliable handpump, especially suited for deep boreholes. The major change from One of the Volanta pump is a handle instead special features of a flywheel and a simple PVC T-piece inside the blue box, otherwise all components in BluePumps is that the borehole are basically PVC rising main can be extended below the samecylinder with a so called "Bottom Support System" (BSS). These changes greatly reduced The BSS takes the cost heavy load of the pump and eliminated PVC pipes to avoid that they will break due to the need for sparespumping action.
The key success of the Afripump BluePump is its reliablity. This is due to it's simple and strong construction design and the fact that it basically needs no spare parts due to for many years. This means that communities have water for a very long time, at a very low price. For the Operation & Maintemamce (O&M) asepects of the BluePump FairWater recommends a new pumping conceptregional approach, in which an Area Mechanic is involved already in the installation phase of the BluePump and gives additional back-up technical support in case needed. Training of the Area Mechanics and spare-parts supply is available with country dealers, whos also have BluePumps in stock. More info about the BluePump can be obtained by FairWater.
====Why the Afripump won't breakdown====