Summary of Dredge Functions
Summary of operation of dredge:
- Prime the centrifugal pump.
- Check the high pressure hose, as well as the jet and sluice.
- If it is needed prime the jet pump.
- Adjust the speed of the engine for gravel and depth that is being worked on.
Setting the speed of the engine is a function of the gravel that is being worked on and the distance it is being carried to the sluice, as well as the height that the engine is being used. There is not any way to safely foresee how quickly you will need to run the engine until you are actually in a dredging operation. At this point of the process though, you will almost certainly want to experiment a little more in order to see what types of distinction the speed will make. Keep in mind that everything will work a little better now given that we are only discussing running water and not gravel through the dredge. To make this test quicker ask a partner to help by changing the speed and show the partner where the stop button of the engine is as well. It will not be long before you recognize that dredges have a rapid and strong suction, even at slower speeds. If you want to test it more get a stone that is smaller than your suction nozzle and let the rock go into the suction tube and you will be able to appreciate how rapidly it goes in the sluice. This easy test should allow you to be confident that your dredge has a good amount of suction power. Before you end the speed tests though make sure you check the sluice. When it is at full speed and with water that does not have any gravel in it the water will most likely fill the sluice. And sometimes it might even over fill the sluice. Now bring down the speed of the engine until you are able to get the water in sluice to drop. In order to see how much reduction there is in this case, you will most likely need to slow the engine down to less then half the speed. When the water gets to a point of around two thirds of the depth of the sluice you will be at the least convenient speed you can safely utilize. Do not go into frenzy if your engine stalls or stops before you get to the two third level. This simply means that the operating range you have will be enough power to move gravel through a big range of speeds of the engine.
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