A veteran operator in Mobile told me to check the suction line every shift, and it saved my pump.

He said, 'Listen for a change in the hum, then feel the hose.' Last Tuesday, the engine sound got a bit higher pitched. I shut down and found a softball-sized rock jammed in the elbow joint of the 10-inch line. If I'd run it another hour, the impeller would have been toast. Who else has caught a problem just by sound before it got bad?

3 comments

3 Comments

phoenix_singh252d ago

Got to disagree a bit. Relying just on sound can be risky. I've seen guys miss a clog because the background noise on site was too loud that day.

the_nancy2d ago

Yeah, that hum trick is solid. @murray.robert is right about backing it up with a look though. I caught a split hose coupling on a dewatering pump last month because the sound went flat, like a dull thump instead of a whine. The visual check showed the crack before it blew.

murray.robert2d ago

Listen for the hum but always back it up with a quick visual check too.