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Slush Pump?

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flood
2K views 5 replies 5 participants last post by  HighTech 
#1 ·
My parents still live in Fargo so I've been up here for the past few days fighting the flood. It's really bad and difficult sandbagging in cold snowing conditions. The hardest thing for us right now is figuring out how to keep pumps running well in the slush. They keep getting jammed up and losing prime.

Do any of you have recommendations for this? We've been taking 5 gallon buckets with lots of holes drilled in them and sinking them into the water, which is about 6-12" deep. This works mostly but the bigger pumps run out of water to pull through or the holes in the buckets get jammed up with ice and muck.
 
#4 ·
rbgrn,
Keep fighting dude. I grew up in West Fargo a long time ago so I can sort of relate......every spring was sandbag season.

Unless you have a trash pump that can handle the slush it's going to be tough. Hail screen is probably the best material if you can get it. You can fashion a basket and wire it over the pump intake. After that dig a sump to get the pump intake as far down as you can to let the ice float, then shovel the ice off the top as often as required.

I know easy to say, tough to do. Probably pretty tough to dig in 32° water, but that's what I would try.

GJ
 
#5 ·
We used laundry baskets and milk crates. We dug down in the ground about 6 inches to a foot and put them in there with a board strapped to the top. In goes the input hose and with 2 sandbags on the top, this solution worked well. Things are going well now. We're just waiting for the water to go back down.

Thanks everyone!
 
#6 ·
Wish I was there to help. Go check out the local gold mining shop that sells dredges, they have screens that fit over the front of hoses (or should have), since I have one for my dredge to just pick up only smaller rocks and dirt and it helped keep a lot of grass and other crud out as well. In your case it will help keep out the larger junk as well, even if you are not gold mining. haha

Hope all turns out well there and hopefully the city will build a wall one year. It seems it is in the news every year North Dakota gets flooded, but they just never build any walls to keep the water out.
While you are there Robert, go rap on the Mayors door and give him an ear full. :D
You have my full support. God Bless
 
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