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I finally spoke up about the 'full throttle' advice for clearing a clogged line
Everyone on my crew and a lot of guys on the river swear by just hitting max rpm when the suction line gets packed, but that's a good way to blow a seal or worse. I saw it happen on the old 'Mississippi Queen' dredge near Baton Rouge last season, and it cost them a full day's work and a $2,000 repair. Has anyone else found that a slower, pulsing reverse flow actually works better on dense clay?
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robert_rodriguez6624d ago
Used to be a full throttle guy myself. Watched a pump housing crack wide open on the Red River last year, changed my whole view. Slow pulse on the reverse valve is the only way I touch a clay clog now.
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wadebailey16d ago
That $2,000 repair bill on the Mississippi Queen is a perfect example of a wider problem. I see it all the time where the fastest, hardest fix is the first thing people try, whether it's with machines or even in arguments. It usually just breaks things more. A little patience and a softer touch, like that pulsing method, often gets the job done right without the extra damage. It's a lesson that applies far beyond the river.
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