Generator engine chocked

The pump that has fallen inside

Sometime last week there were simultaneous two repairs at the farm.

The windpump unscrewed the pipes from deep borewell. After taking out the pipes,  Subbu wanted to make use of this opportunity to do another operation.   He wanted to fish out an earlier foot valve that had slipped and fell 350 feet down.  There are experts for this and they were called. After spending 3 days and some 5K, the effort was futile.

The team met with repeated failures to grab the cylinder deep inside using their instruments.  Subbu asked me the photograph of the same for the team to look at. Luckily I had in my cellphone and I did the whatsup of it to him. That also did not help.  It seemed they were able to grab but could not lift beyond 15 feet as it was getting struck.  More the delay more money will be spent on labor charge.  Generally for a submersible pump they charge 9 to 12 K.   Sensing this I asked Subbu to call off.  The instruments were duly returned to them.

I must try this some other time with different techniques.

Asked the team to refix the windpumps properly for working. They did. 2 days later Subbu said he had to repeat 3 times the operation of removing all the pipes and refixing costing labor.  The reason why windpump was unscrewing was disovered later.   The ball bearing that was welded earlier at the neck of the windpump had worn out.  So whenever the rotor was turning as per change in direction of wind, it was unscrewing the pipes connected underneath. If there is enough isolation in mechnanical train, then the windpump rotor head turning around itself will not affect the pipes below.  that was not the case.  Subbu brought new ball bearing and fixed the issue. This problem was a custom  made solution.  (There are stories on this posted earlier).

The second incident was that the diesel generator collapsed.   Since the time it was put into its own small generator room, the heat generated had got built up.  Even when I was there at the farm last month I noticed that Subbu had not made any holes anywhere in that room.  Build using hollow blocks by local mason, they did not think about ventilation.  When the generator is running for 2 hours, the heat builds unbearable proportions.

Perhaps the engine had choked.  It had to be opened and mechanic found the rings melted.  So some spares were purchased by Subbu in Tirunelveli under the prescription.  Two trips due to misses and omission.  Then the engine was fixed along with fresh washers.

The room wall was broken for window ventilation in two places below the waist level for fresh air to flow. My logic is that cold air will get inside from ground level and warm air will raise up.  The exhaust pipe was extended outside the room.  All these without compromising on security as vandalism is rampant.

Now both the generator and windpump is working.   Generator is now put to rest as we donot want to spend on diesel unless required.  Windpump is giving 3000 liters per day.