What is the purpose of the PlayPump?
You may all recall the headlines, some years back, about an interesting social enterprise called the “playpump.” The idea was neat — hook a merry-go-round type of device to a water pump, let the kids have at it, and voila, you could pump water which could then be stored for consumption at any point.
What is the African PlayPump?
The Roundabout PlayPump is a system that uses the energy created by children playing to operate a water pump. It is manufactured by the South African company Roundabout Outdoor. It operates in a similar way to a windmill-driven water pump.
What is PlayPump and how it works?
The PlayPump is a specifically designed and patented roundabout (1) that drives a conventional borehole pump (2) while entertaining children. The revolutionary pump design converts rotational movement to reciprocating linear movement by a driving mechanism consisting of only two working parts.
What does a PlayPump look like?
A PlayPump can produce 370 gallons (1,400 liters) of water if it’s spun 16 times per minute. PlayPump looks like the kind of colorful merry-go-round you’d see at a children’s playground. As children spin on the PlayPump merry-go-round, their motion creates energy. …
What went wrong with PlayPump?
The failure of PlayPump points to a huge problem in meeting water challenges—simply put, there is no panacea. Water problems are very complex and come in a multitude of flavors. While in many ways PlayPump didn’t live up to its original promise, it would be a mistake to be overly critical of the project or its funders.
What went wrong with play pump?
Problem was that it did not end up working out as planned. The PlayPumps needed to spin all day long in order to provide enough water for a community. That meant children and adults were no playing, but walking endlessly in circles to get the water out of the ground. The over-hyped idea failed spectacularly.
How much does a play pump cost?
The cost to manufacture, install and maintain a PlayPump water system in South Africa is approximately $14,000. This includes the cost of locating and testing the groundwater, manufacturing and transporting the system, and training local crews on installation and maintenance. How does the advertising work?
Who invented PlayPumps?
Trevor Field
Where are PlayPumps located?
Location: Mozambique After installing hundreds of pumps in South Africa, PlayPumps International undertook expansion to other African nations in 2005.
When was PlayPump invented?
1989