This is a great idea. I had the same one but although I have had something like 3 tons of water a second passing under my place for the past ten years have still not managed to get round to harnessing the power!
Installing a regular heat pump is expensive and connecting the water wheel (in fact even getting hold of a waterwheel) is difficult. I found this site today and have joined to see if I can also get some of feedback about my own ideas.
Buying a lot of ready made equipment defeats the purpose of making our own power. One main reason for building it myself is because I know that everything I buy new will break within five years and if it costs thousands then that is what I will loose. If it only costs time and effort then I have only myself to blame if something doesn't work.
I hope you get more replies about the details. All I can say is in agreement with the other reply (pity that the message we are replying to is not somewhere on the screen so we can refer to its content...perhaps I have not checked the FAQ enough before I started!). Your piece in the water will freeze up most likely and another problem I can foresee is that it will get clogged up with debris, twigs and leaves. You will need to create some sort of cage into which it can be lowered and then regularly removed for cleaning.
To date I have done nothing more than build my own water wheel. This was made from a leftover heavy duty cable drum of plastic. I used strong fencing wire to "sew" back and forward from side to side 16 "connectors" around which I looped carpet. I placed it in the river and it ran for a couple of months until a flood washed it downstream, along with the scaffolding with which it was secured.
OK, I have lots of energy myself and am very glad to have at last found a place to be able to exchange views on what we can do ourselves.
2004 12 06 21:17
Kenneth Keen
P.S. You should read your mail again before you send it, to check for mistakes...