water wheel

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water wheel

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murgy

Joined: 28 May 2009
Posts: 24

Posted: Mon Jun 15, 09 4:26 pm Post subject: water wheel
i am planning on making a water wheel sometime, it will be made out of wood and might not power any thing but i wondered does any one have any ideas could you draw it down and post it on here please

towerhill

Joined: 06 Apr 2009
Posts: 332
Location: Pembrokeshire

Posted: Mon Jun 15, 09 5:07 pm Post subject:
I made a basic one from one of those large wooden heavy duty electric cable reels. The "Fins" were made from grey plastic guttering. At one end were olter on some old ride on lawnmower bits which powered an alternator. This powered a simple 12v garden lighting system. Worked fine until we had really heavy rain and it rolled down the valley!

Lorrainelovesplants

Joined: 13 Oct 2006
Posts: 6521
Location: Dordogne

Posted: Tue Jun 16, 09 6:25 am Post subject:
This is an excellent idea. OH wanted to do this(but we have no water). Get out the 'Its not Easy being Green' book by Dick Strawbridge from the library - there is a big bit on waterwheel - quite technical. His tv programmes are crap but the book has loads of useful info in it.

vegplot

Joined: 19 Apr 2007
Posts: 21301
Location: Bethesda, Gwynedd

Posted: Tue Jun 16, 09 6:45 am Post subject:
Over or undershot?

SarahB

Joined: 09 Sep 2007
Posts: 869
Location: South Wales

Posted: Tue Jun 16, 09 7:27 am Post subject:

towerhill wrote:

Worked fine until we had really heavy rain and it rolled down the valley!

I wonder if you could somehow rig up a mini wheel to your water butt intake pipe? We're getting an awful lot of rain here but my house, although the garden gathers standing water very happily, has no running water - apart from in the gutters.

murgy

Joined: 28 May 2009
Posts: 24

Posted: Tue Jun 16, 09 5:10 pm Post subject:
I wonder if you could somehow rig up a mini wheel to your water butt intake pipe? We're getting an awful lot of rain here but my house, although the garden gathers standing water very happily, has no running water - apart from in the gutters.[/quote] thats what i was hoping to do

RichardW

Joined: 24 Aug 2006
Posts: 8443
Location: Llyn Peninsular North Wales

Posted: Tue Jun 16, 09 5:50 pm Post subject:
You might just about make 10watt/hour each time it really pees it down. For fun / interest it would be nice but to actually get usable power its a non starter.

Bodger

Joined: 23 May 2006
Posts: 13524

Posted: Wed Jun 17, 09 6:50 am Post subject:
Make sure you keep your water wheel well hidden, because although you only borrow the water for a few seconds and then put it back into the river or stream, you are supposed to pay for the privelege.

RichardW

Joined: 24 Aug 2006
Posts: 8443
Location: Llyn Peninsular North Wales

Posted: Wed Jun 17, 09 8:19 am Post subject:
As the wheel pre exists all (well most) legislation I wonder if they could enforce that? Keep it to under 20 cubes & you dont need a licence & I also think that under a small amount of kwh production you dont need one either (but that might be Scotland only) Richard

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