I Broke The Law

The World, nay, indeed the Universe, is subject to all sorts of rules. Laws of Physics (I think). Most of them are universally accepted and then there are others which are quite localised, and perhaps only accepted by a small minority -- or even merely a few poor souls with nothing better to do.

I probably fall into the latter category. Like Einstein, I have developed certain Laws. Like, for instance, my Laws of Water.

Yes, Laws of Water, which have to be obeyed by water. Or else there'll be trouble. Even if we try to get the water to behave like criminals and break the laws. So, strictly speaking, I am probably the law-breaker by imagining that the water could be led astray. If you'll pardon the mixed metaphors. 

Yes, yes, I know. That's not even one metaphor.

Law 1: Water will not run uphill when not forced or encouraged to do so.

Law 2: Water has no hierarchy, and all parts of it are equal.

And, like a doddering old fool, I have broken these laws. 

Not inadvertently, either. I only did this deed after contemplating whether or not it was appropriate. And my wonderful grasp of physics enabled me to mess up big time, like they say in the movies.

In retrospect, perhaps I broke the Law of Pumps. Not a lot of people know about this law, but it is actually the foundation of my wayward ways. Yes, that's also not a metaphor.

As you will know, in Reikorangi we rely on the heavens for our water supply. Yes, yes, I know, everyone on earth relies on the heavens, but we in Reikorangi are special: we get our water "wholesale", directly from the suppliers, without any interfering councils or municipalities or reservoirs in the rivers. 

Ours comes off the roof and into the storage tank. And when it doesn't rain for a long time, our tank runs dry, and we're forced to drink our whisky neat. Which is quite inconvenient if you don't like whisky. That's not a metaphor, either.

We're currently experiencing one such dry spell and I have been entrusted with watching over the pump while pumping water from one storage tank to another. Not a tricky job -- just make sure that the pump does not run dry, or that the pipes don't accidentally pop out of the tank and spill valuable water, or something like that. Easy as.

And I take pride in my work, and I check everything all the time. I wouldn't want anyone pointing fingers and concluding that I'm incapable of even the simplest of tasks. After all, what could be simpler than simply watching a pump and a couple of pipes in the back yard? Even a four-year-old could do it! 

The pump atop the large squat tank drawing water and sending it UP to the tall skinny tank

Quick explanation: There's a flat squat very wide tank filled with about 5000 litres of water. I want to pump about 3000 litres into a tall skinny narrow tank a few metres away. Simple. I agree, a simple task, and all runs according to my grand master plan. That was yesterday. 

After moving about, say 2000 litres, I was reminded that it was time to go out for a while. So, I switched off the power and the pumping operation was put on pause. 

That's fine up to there. And this is where the criminality issue arises.

A properly-trained pump observer would disconnect the power lead, disconnect the pipes and pack all the equipment away, safely in a designated pump store. But I'm not properly-trained --- I'm not even badly trained, so I leave everything intact...  because... because, well..., because I'll complete the job tomorrow morning, won't I? 

And because, if I leave everything as it is, I won't have to mess with priming the pump afresh and I won't have to struggle to get it working again, not so?

Not so. 

But then I have this niggly concern in the back corner of my logic department. The water level in the tall skinny narrow tank (where the pumped water is being delivered) -- the destination tank , in the parlance of us pump watchers, the water level there is higher than in the flat squat wide tank (our source tank).

Won't the water siphon out of the destination tank back down the pipe, through the pump chambers, and then back into the flat squat wide source tank? Hmmm.

According to the Laws of Water, no water particles can be superior to others. But...

But, can our blood accidentally pump the wrong way from our veins to our arteries, or vice versa? No!... Or can it? No, surely not, there are non-return valves, so that can't happen.

I leave the job, on the basis that my blood can't flow backwards. But I had not yet encountered the Law of Pumps.

Next day (this morning). Whistle, whistle, whistle, I walk towards the pumping precinct (a posh term for the tank area in the yard).

Yikes! Alas! Nonny-Noo! Enter the Law of Pumps.

A=tall skinny tank; B=squat flat wide tank; P=Pump

Imagine my dismay (and the embarrassment!  Blush-blush a little) when I saw the water level in the tall skinny tank, which had been a small distance from the very top less than 12 hours ago... it was w-a-a-a-y down there!! The destination tank was almost empty, so to speak.

Conclusion -- The Law of Pumps states that some pumps don't have non-return valves! Who would have known? Obviously not me...

Hmmm. I wonder how many four-year-olds know that?

Next time, when I'm given a pump-observing task (if they ever give me one again), I will remember the Law of Pumps!