Used to run the pump at full tilt, now I dial it back after a silt jam in the Missouri.

We were clearing a channel near St. Louis and I kept the pump wide open, thinking more flow was always better. That was until we got a massive silt jam that took a whole shift to clear. Do you guys have a rule of thumb for pump speed in heavy silt areas?

3 comments

3 Comments

claire87218d ago

That jam sounds rough but is it a common thing? High flow seems to work fine for a lot of crews.

daniel_gonzalez18d ago

Honestly, I've found a steady high flow prevents those jams better than backing off.

alicecraig17d ago

Actually, I disagree with that high flow idea. Claire872, a fast pump can pull in too much silt at once, which is how you get a real blockage. A steady, slower flow lets the system handle the load without choking.