Dredge Operating Instructions 

The first thing you will need to do is read the gold dredge manufacturers operating instructions very carefully. However, although this may seem like a simple thing to do, a lot of people overlook this very important point and wait until they are actually using the item before studying the instructions. After you have read the instructions to where you are clear about how to use it, make sure you check over one more time. This is essential, as it will enable you to know how to use it correctly and will help make your search successful. You will need to be very careful specifically when it comes to the instructions of the motor. If you have a two-cycle motor for example, it is highly recommended to use oil and gas mixture.

If you need to fill the gas tank, you will need to ensure no gas or oil spills onto the riffles. You should do this before placing the dredge in the water. If you do not have a self-leveling dredge, regulate the downward slant of the sluice box so that the upward end goes up around one inch per foot of length. Then place the suction hose down in the water with its nozzle or jet and submerge it in the water completely and prime the pump.

No matter what type of pump you have or are using, you should never use it without a full prime. After you have primed the pump and have gotten the motor started, if the water does not start releasing right away, you should stop the motor right away. This is a very important point because otherwise you could damage the pump bearings and seal.

Assure the suction hose and end is totally under the water. Avoid raising the hose and do not try to fill it with water. You should simply keep it under the water at all times. Just press downward on the lower end of the power jet when you have attached the suction hose. The water will automatically flow up the suction hose to the area where the water is being pushed into the jet tube from the pump. Doing this will cause a vacuum right away and you will be able to see a little bit of a surge on the suction hose. You should make sure to look at the short tubing at the intake end, and you will realize that a strong suction or vacuum has been created. Don’t forget that when you raise the end of the suction hose or a standard power jet over the water, you will lose the suction power and will need to do the suction hose priming process that was previously described over again.

After the above steps have been followed, you will now be able to start dredging. You should begin by feeding the suction hose by moving the nozzle in the bottom of the stream. Remember that if too much material is placed inside a suction hose it will get clogged. The solid substance that is being carried from the stream to the sluice box needs to have a conveyor, which is water. It is normal for novices to make the mistake of feeding the end of the nozzle too much and too quickly. What happens is that the substance then fills the hole completely and there is not enough space for the water to carry it. The worse thing is that clearing a clearing a plug can involve a great amount of hard work and you will need to shake the hose a lot. The area that causes most problems of this sort is the sand on the beach. However, practicing carefully will allow you to know how much the small dredge will vacuum proficiently.   

One type of operating method consists of holding the short tubing end right above the gravel with your three fingers, allowing your thumb and index finger pass freely over the intake back and forth. If you see that a rock becomes lodged in the hole and refuses to pass through, all you need to do is use your thumb or index finger to push it to the side. You should use your other free hand to do the digging with the tools in crevices and the packed gravel.