Q. Will you please give me reasons why a hydraulic-ram stops working? The spring is 106 feet from where the ram is set; the feedpipe from spring to ram enters the spring about two feet below the top of the water in the spring. It has on it a perforated copper strainer. The feed-pipe from spring to ram is 1 1/2 -inch galvanized-iron pipe. The ram is one of Rumsey's No. 3. There is a fall of eight feet from strainer to ram, and ten feet from top of water in spring to ram. From ram to house is 450 feet of 1/2-inch galvanized pipe, and the 1/2-inch pipe runs over a hill. It will work at times for three or four days, and then again will stop, sometimes in half a day. I think it air-bound where it goes over the hill. Am I right or wrong, and how can I remedy it? The end of 1/2-inch pipe is open all the time.

A. It is very probable that the pipe does get " air-bound " at the summit. A small air-chamber at the summit, made by a branch with a vertical pipe on it at the summit, would relieve the pipe. There should be a cock on the upper end of the branch, to be opened occasionally while the ram is working. The force-pipe is too small to expect good service from the ram. The friction in 450 feet of 1/2-inch pipe is very great.