Pro tip: that silt buildup isn't normal and it cost me 4 hours

Ran a job on the Mississippi backwater last month and noticed the pump pressure dropping slow but steady. Figured it was just fine sediment like always, kept pushing for three hours. Finally stopped to check the suction intake and found a clog of compacted clay and roots the size of a basketball. Took me another hour to pull it apart and get going again. Anyone else ignore small pressure changes and pay for it later?

3 comments

3 Comments

raymartin20d ago

@leo603 the truck thing is funny but check your suction strainer next time first lmao.

leo60320d ago

Noticed my truck pulling left for two weeks, finally checked and found a hubcap full of mud acting like a counterweight. Fixed the wheel balance on accident.

robinwalker20d ago

@raymartin nailed it with the suction strainer check, that's usually the first thing to go when pressure drops. I learned the hard way on a Texas river job last year, pressure gauge dropped maybe 2 psi over thirty minutes and I brushed it off. Four hours later I'm pulling a clog of roots and gravel the size of a football out of the impeller intake. Now I keep a pressure log and if it dips more than 5% from start I'm shutting down to check before it gets buried in silt. Saves me more time than chasing a full clog later on.