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[[Image:Rope_pump_icon.png|right]]

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 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====

The almost intuitive design is known by many other names including the paternoster (after the beaded prayer chain it resembles), liberation or rope-and-washer pump. It is a relatively recent development of the ancient chain-and-washer pump. Evidence of the chain-and-washer pump dates back as far as two thousand years, to feudal China <ref> Fraenkel, Peter, and Thake, Jeremy. ''Water Lifting Devices, A handbook for users and choosers, 3rd ed.'' UK, Rugby: Intermediate Technology Publications Ltd, 2006.</ref>. The earliest report of the design in the west is cited <ref> Olsen, J. P. ''Greek & Roman Mechanical Water-Lifting Devices: The History of a Technology''. Toronto, Canada: University of Toronto Press, 1984. </ref> as that illustrated by the Sienese early renaissance engineer, Tacolla, circa 1433 <ref> Tacolla, Mariano. ''De Ingeineis'', Liber Primus Leonis, Liber Secundis Draconis, Addenda. c. 1433, folio 80. </ref>, a copy of which is given in the figure to the right <ref>Weisbaden, Ludwig, ed. et al. ''Facsimile of De Ingeineis'', Liber Primus Leonis, Liber Secundis Draconis, Addenda [online]. Germany: Satz Und Druck, 1984. Available at: http://digital.library.cornell.edu/k/kmoddl/pdf/037_001.pdf [April 2009]</ref>. In the 1970 and 80s the basic design was developed by numerous individuals, the most prominent of which were Alberts <ref>Alberts, J. H. The rope-pump - an example of technology transfer. ''Waterlines'', January 2004, Vol. 22 (3), 22-25.</ref>, Haemhouts <ref>Sandiford, Peter, et al. The Nicaraguan Rope-pump. ''Waterlines'', January 1993, Vol. 11 (3).</ref> <ref> Lammerink, M.P. et al. ''EVALUATION REPORT NICARAGUAN EXPERIENCES WITH ROPE PUMP'' The Netherlands: IRC, 1995. Available at: http://www.ropepumps.org/English/IRC-1995-Evaluation.pdf</ref> and Lambert <ref>Lambert, R. A. ''How to build a rope-and-washer pump''. London: Intermediate Technology Design Group, 1990.</ref>. and Thorpe. They applied the simple design as a tool aimed at economic and social development. They took advantage of low cost and versatile modern plastics to produce the modern rope-pump design.

==Suitable conditions ==

==Construction, 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>

==Field experiences==

Because of its low cost, the pump is also popular for domestic use. A survey among 5,025 rural families in Nicaragua indicates that a rope pump increases income, even if used for domestic purposes only. Families with a pump earn US$ 220 per year more than families without a pump. In Nicaragua the pumps are now being produced commercially by 20 workshops.