I think that a regular pump is the right way to go. However, if I had
to pump water uphill 20 vertical feet, I would not use a pump with 25
foot of lift. Even if it worked, it would be very slow. You probably
would want a pump with 40 or 80 vertical feet of lift (about 20 to 40 psi).

RV's use 12 volt pumps for potable water, they have good pressure,
around 35 psi, cost around $50 US. However, they only deliver around 3
gallons per minute.

Open the yellow pages and look for "pumps". A pump designed for a
shallow well would be a good choice, it would have enough pressure to
pump water uphill and still deliver good pressure/flow to a faucet.
Sump pumps generally would not have enough pressure to provide good
delivery with 20 feet of head. Also, sump pumps may not be designed for
potable water, while well pumps probably are intended for use with
potable water.

Richard


wrote:
If I recall correctly , the air lift method works by adding air to the
column of water in the pipe. With the added air, the column weighs
less and the water/air column will rise to the height where its weight
is the same as the weight of the pure water.

Not a great explanation, but anyway the lift of such a system is
limited. In short I don't think it will work for your application.

What would probably work well is the Harbor Freight 12 volt marine
utility pump. 240 gallons per hour, 23 foot lift.
It is currently on sale at $25. LOT NO 9576

Dan