Mysterious antique pump in residential garage

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Mysterious antique pump in residential garage

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Lynn, MA · Member since 2013 · 7 posts · 1 vote

Hello all,

I've got a circa 1900 property with a pump in the garage, and there's no record at city hall of what it is for or when it was installed. There's a small padlock lock at the end of that chain on the right that must have hooked to the loop on the bottom of the handle primer. Can anyone identify it and what it was used for? My plumber suggests that because it has a pump primer it was for fluid - either water or gasoline.

A friend who was in the construction business his whole life said this: "Back in the days people gathered rain water from the roof and had cisterns (sp) in the house to collect the water and hold it so it could be used to wash cloths, dishes, etc. I guess just that and the pipe was went into the cistern and in the garage they had a compressor to pump the water into the house when needed. 99% certain if this was a game of chance."

Any other thoughts?

Thanks!

RB in Massachusetts

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Roy N.Pro Member
Rental Property Investor · Fredericton, New Brunswick · Member since 2013 · 7k+ posts · 4k+ votes
12y

Back when I was a young'n pumps quite similar to that were used on board the older boats in the fishing fleet as both bilge pumps (on smaller vessels) and to draw water from holding tanks.

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  • Ann Bellamy
    Lender · Tyngsboro, MA · Member since 2009 · 3k+ posts · 2k+ votes
    12y

    Renee, I've posted this on my Black Diamond Insiders FB page to see if anyone knows what it is......stay tuned.

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    OP
    Lynn, MA · Member since 2013 · 7 posts · 1 vote
    12y

    Thanks, Ann! It just occurred to me to look at the pipes coming underground from garage to basement laundry room. Several hold electrical wires, but one is clearly for water, which supports my friend's assumption. There's a capped line that probably went to the washing machine, and faucet at the end for direct access. Attaching new photo.

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  • Bill Gulley
    Investor, Entrepreneur, Educator · Springfield, MO · Member since 2009 · 21k+ posts · 12k+ votes
    12y

    I can tell you it's not for fuel or shouldn't have been. It's for water and could be used for several applications, pumping a cistern or priming a well for an above ground pump. It also looks like the water valve has been turned 180 degrees up, that type of pump won't produce enough pressure to pump water up at the top of the stroke of the plunger. I'd guess at the late 30's to 40's or post war 40s early 50s as brass was used for the war effort. It that handle is plastic it's 50s. Galvanized was mostly post war years, 50s, but that could be changed out as could the faucet.

    Things attached to items, like an older lock won't give a clue as to the age of an item, it could just be an older lock.

    My grandmother had an old wringer-washer that used a similar pump with the washer.

    It looks like there is a plate on the pump near the top off to the right, if it is you can track down the name of the pump/company. Sears use to handle hardware and you can find old items they sold, often with descriptions and uses.

    Somewhere, I have a similar brass air pump my grandfather used with his Model T (not his driver but his hobby) and a bicycle brass pump I found somewhere with nickel fittings, probably 20s. There are collectors for these types of pumps, might search collector sites.

    I'm no expert on antiques, just an older guy who had family that collected stuff. :)

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  • Roy N.Pro Member
    Rental Property Investor · Fredericton, New Brunswick · Member since 2013 · 7k+ posts · 4k+ votes
    12y

    Back when I was a young'n pumps quite similar to that were used on board the older boats in the fishing fleet as both bilge pumps (on smaller vessels) and to draw water from holding tanks.

    1Reply
  • Mike HurneyPro Member
    Real Estate Investor · Boston, MA · Member since 2009 · 2k+ posts · 542 votes
    12y

    @Account Closed I sent your picture to an old Plumber who contributes unusual items to the Plumbing museum but the thought that comes to my mind is "Turn on Anything, you'll get water!"

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    OP
    Lynn, MA · Member since 2013 · 7 posts · 1 vote
    12y

    Thanks, everyone! The pump has been identified as a Gilbert & Barton (pre Gilbarco) Vertical Long Distance System, and was designed for gasoline use, but could be used for any liquid. It dates back to between 1912 and 1934. I wrote to Derek Bishop, an antiques collector who featured a similar pump 3 years ago on Collector's weekly (http://www.collectorsweekly.com/user/chevy59) about it. He replied: "Looks like cistern hand pump, to pump out the cistern (which stored rain water). Gilbarco hand pumps were used for this process as well. I am positive it was not used for gasoline." ~Derek Bishop

    It's not definitive, but in chorus with all other comments here. Does anyone else have ideas about how I could be certain it was used for water and not gasoline? It has no smell of gasoline, but after 60+ years of disuse, would gasoline smell even still be present?

    Renee

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    OP
    Lynn, MA · Member since 2013 · 7 posts · 1 vote
    12y

    I looked again at the Gilbert & Barker company timeline, and realized that although the Gilbarco brand was in use after 1929, the labels on products still read Gilbert & Barker until 1965, when the corporation took the brand name as the company name. This puts the date of this out further as Bill Gully suggested. Bill, how could you tell it's brass? I couldn't tell until I pulled the handle up and the brass color was evident. Thanks! Renee

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  • Mike HurneyPro Member
    Real Estate Investor · Boston, MA · Member since 2009 · 2k+ posts · 542 votes
    12y

    I've heard of folks drinking a gallon, then seeing how many miles they can go. which would be conclusive but not recommended!

    Glad you connected with Tom the Plumber.

    What's your next project?

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    OP
    Lynn, MA · Member since 2013 · 7 posts · 1 vote
    12y

    Ok, so here's the final chapter. EnPro technician looked at pump and said, "There's no way this pump was used for gasoline, because the washers are made of rubber, and gasoline would corrode those very quickly. So given the plumbing to your basement, the style of the spigot on the pump and the rubber washer, I believe it was used for a rainwater cistern as well." This however, was not enough for the buyers, so they pulled out. I think they were looking for a "hazard" to knock the price down, unfortunately. So - back on the market! I'm dismantling the pump tomorrow, so we can have a clear view of the cistern. Thanks all who commented here! Renee

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  • John Rooster
    Denver, CO · Member since 2013 · 409 posts · 105 votes
    12y
    Originally posted by Renee Buck:
    This however, was not enough for the buyers, so they pulled out. I think they were looking for a "hazard" to knock the price down, unfortunately.

    The buyers were either crazy or looking to get out of the contract. Or both.

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  • Account Closed
    Investor · Central Valley, CA · Member since 2012 · 6k+ posts · 3k+ votes
    12y
    Your buyers wanted out of the deal based on that pump? Was the concern that there may have been gas storage under the garage? Even if there had been, how difficult/costly is it remediate? What's the purchase price and type of property?

    I find that it's better for me to let the buyers do all the due diligence you just did. I'm curious so would have been all over figuring out what it was, just like you. But sharing that info with buyers usually gets me nowhere.

    Keep us posted what you see when remove the pump. It sure looks like underground water tank/cistern pump. And seems to be in a location that makes sense for pulling water to a laundry or utility room.
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    OP
    Lynn, MA · Member since 2013 · 7 posts · 1 vote
    12y

    Hi K. Marie,

    Yes, they wanted out based on the pump. There was an initial concern about underground gas tank because the pump was initially designed for gas (applicable to any similar liquid), but the Enpro assessment addressed that. Also, even if there was a suggestion of an abandoned gas tank, the MA EPA regs state that any abandoned-use underground residential petroleum tank under 1100 gallons requires neither permit, inspection, extraction, nor is one even liable for 3rd party damages. See Reg 527 9.05. So the EPA basically says "no hazard" so no action needed, and Enpro said "it's a water pump" but still not enough. Per Enpro, a test for gasoline is only conclusive if there's standing gasoline floating on water, which after probably 70 years is not going to be found. It is a residential house in Lynn, near the beach. So...I hope you've all benefited from my research. I have!

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  • Bill Gulley
    Investor, Entrepreneur, Educator · Springfield, MO · Member since 2009 · 21k+ posts · 12k+ votes
    12y

    How did I know? Because I'm an old guy who's been around the block a few times. :)

    Don't take the pump apart, leave it as it is. Clean it with mild soap and water and dry with a cotton cloth. You might see if you can pump water through it, pump it easy, so you don't rupture the plunger.

    Don't polish it. If you're selling it collectors want original, not refurbished. A place like Cracker Barrel will hand that from the rafters in it's rustic condition. So the value will be higher if left alone.

    I don't know where you are, but you mentioned being close to a beach. As Roy mentioned, these pumps were used on boats to pump the bilge (basement in a boat below the floor) and water and fuel get in. So if that pump had fuel through it that makes sense as it would pump water and diesel probably that will smell like gas. That odor is hard to get out of rubber and will eventually rot it away.

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    OP
    Lynn, MA · Member since 2013 · 7 posts · 1 vote
    12y

    Thanks Bill! Good advice. As we remove the pump from the foundation, we'll try to keep intact - it's in great shape, so would guess it would be a good collector's item. I read somewhere that the plungers in those days were leather, so it will be interesting to see what we find. I'll post another photo for y'all. And, I did find the padlock on a padlock collector's site, so I do believe there's value there...

    Again - thanks, all!

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  • Bill Gulley
    Investor, Entrepreneur, Educator · Springfield, MO · Member since 2009 · 21k+ posts · 12k+ votes
    12y

    Yes, plungers were leather, some had a thin layer of brass that provided stiffness as a form with leather inlaid, leather pressed in. They pretty much went to rubber in the 50s more like a hard washer. I remember seeing replacement parts in the 60s. You'd use all kinds of pumps in my uncle's barn, a railroad engineer who tinkered on junk and other family members didn't throw anything out.

    I think I still have some leather washers!

    I didn't see that it was connected to the floor, if it's hooked up the use is obvious then.

    Good luck with your project. :)

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