Has anyone ever had any luck or comments on using a trash or diaphragm pump to pump muck from the bottom of a pond and catch the materials in a sediment Dewatering bag? I am considering this option to remove the muck from the bottom of my pond as draining and excavating are not an option as we have nowhere to drain to. I appreciate any feedback.
at my work we use trash pumps to move "sand". Yes sand.
It is an old gold mine being reclaimed as a science lab. In the mine days, after the "ore" was crushed and ran though the screening proccess, it was "pumped" or rather syphoned down the mine and refilled exivated areas to prevent caveins as well as a convient place to put it. Our trash pumps, dont push more than 10 vertical high and then they are ussually combined with a high volume syphine pipe. As well as deluching the water/muck as it goes into the pump. It is amazing how this stuff can be moved, and in the operating days there were professionals who could easily move 25 ton of material a day.
The secret is to have places to check the flowes through out the pipe. 60/40 solids to water was optimal, with flushing the system once and a while. But to run more water than material will keep you from clogging. Plastic pipe runs more smoth, if you can afford it or have access to a clamp system like gruv-lock or victrolic to conect your pipe rather than glueing it, do so!! or at least in certian stretches, long/short enough to get a cleaning tool through.
as for the dewatering bag, they seem to take a while to empty out, but we do use some at work. It still would be nice to have the water bag below the water level.
Hope you get it worked out, let us know if you have more questions.
