His Stainless Steel Pumps Bring Water To Rural Villages
Stainless steel water pumps designed by a retired Indiana equipment dealer are giving South American villagers access to quality water for the first time. At 80, Ben Yantis has personally funded and built 800 pumps to set up in Guyana villages on mission trips over the past dozen years.
Yantis will gladly share his design with other groups. He notes that the hand pumps are designed for shallow wells of 30 ft. or less in sandy soil.
Yantis built his first pump after learning about Norman Walker Ministries, which was installing cast iron hand pumps. They worked, but the rough pump bodies wore out leathers quickly.
Yantis uses hydraulic cylinder cups instead of leather and built the pump bodies out of stainless steel with plates of 1/4-in. steel and hardened sleeves. Pumps typically work well for about 3 years before plunger parts need to be replaced - a simple job after removing the 4 stainless steel bolts.
The wells are installed by driving a 10-ft. section of 1 1/4-in. galvanized pipe into the ground 8 1/2 ft. Then, using a gas pump to pump water from the river, a 20-ft. 1/2-in. pipe is jabbed inside the pipe. The water pressure makes a hole and forces dirt out of the 1 1/4-in. pipe. After a couple hours of flushing and pushing the 1/2-in. pipe in the ground, the water runs clean. With a brass check valve, the pipe holds water after it is primed. Each well provides water to at least 50 people. Schools can get by with two pumps for as many as 500 children.
“The Guyana health department says we are eradicating sickness and death by supplying clean water,” Yantis says. “Our main desire is to share Christ with these people. They are very receptive because they see us saving their lives and their babies.”
In the past, the pumps along with tools, wheelchairs, and other needed items were delivered to the country located on South America’s northeastern coast by ship containers, then taken by boat to the villages. Because of the high cost, theft and corruption, that delivery system ended a few years ago. Now Yantis and others who make mission trips pack four dismantled pumps in old hardback suitcases and carry them down.
Yantis is heading to Guyana before the end of the year to get everything ready for an upcoming mission trip. About 20 men and women are heading to a village to build a church in January. In addition to pumps, they plan to take New King James Study Bibles to better equip Guyanese men and women to become better pastors. A fund has been set up at www.uttermostevangelism.org to purchase the Bibles. Yantis encourages anyone who wants to help to contact them. All donations are used for the ministry with none taken out for administration, he says.
“I’d be more than happy to share with anybody information about the pumps,” Yantis concludes.
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Ben Yantis, 1440 Yantis Blvd., Logansport, Ind. 46947 (ph 765 210-2294; yantisra@aol.com).
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His Stainless Steel Pumps Bring Water To Rural Villages FARM HOME Miscellaneous Stainless steel water pumps designed by a retired Indiana equipment dealer are giving South American villagers access to quality water for the first time At 80 Ben Yantis has personally funded and built 800 pumps to set up in Guyana villages on mission trips over the past dozen years Yantis will gladly share his design with other groups He notes that the hand pumps are designed for shallow wells of 30 ft or less in sandy soil Yantis built his first pump after learning about Norman Walker Ministries which was installing cast iron hand pumps They worked but the rough pump bodies wore out leathers quickly Yantis uses hydraulic cylinder cups instead of leather and built the pump bodies out of stainless steel with plates of 1/4-in steel and hardened sleeves Pumps typically work well for about 3 years before plunger parts need to be replaced - a simple job after removing the 4 stainless steel bolts The wells are installed by driving a 10-ft section of 1 1/4-in galvanized pipe into the ground 8 1/2 ft Then using a gas pump to pump water from the river a 20-ft 1/2-in pipe is jabbed inside the pipe The water pressure makes a hole and forces dirt out of the 1 1/4-in pipe After a couple hours of flushing and pushing the 1/2-in pipe in the ground the water runs clean With a brass check valve the pipe holds water after it is primed Each well provides water to at least 50 people Schools can get by with two pumps for as many as 500 children “The Guyana health department says we are eradicating sickness and death by supplying clean water ” Yantis says “Our main desire is to share Christ with these people They are very receptive because they see us saving their lives and their babies ” In the past the pumps along with tools wheelchairs and other needed items were delivered to the country located on South America’s northeastern coast by ship containers then taken by boat to the villages Because of the high cost theft and corruption that delivery system ended a few years ago Now Yantis and others who make mission trips pack four dismantled pumps in old hardback suitcases and carry them down Yantis is heading to Guyana before the end of the year to get everything ready for an upcoming mission trip About 20 men and women are heading to a village to build a church in January In addition to pumps they plan to take New King James Study Bibles to better equip Guyanese men and women to become better pastors A fund has been set up at www uttermostevangelism org to purchase the Bibles Yantis encourages anyone who wants to help to contact them All donations are used for the ministry with none taken out for administration he says “I’d be more than happy to share with anybody information about the pumps ” Yantis concludes Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Ben Yantis 1440 Yantis Blvd Logansport Ind 46947 ph 765 210-2294; yantisra@aol com
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