Heads up on that 'quick fix' for pump cavitation noise

A mechanic in Mobile swore that just backing off the throttle a hair would stop the rattle on our old Ellicott 12-inch cutterhead. Tried it for a week and it just masked the issue until we blew a seal and lost a full day of production. What's your actual first step when you hear that high-pitched whine from the suction line?

4 comments

4 Comments

fionam112mo ago

That "backing off the throttle" trick is a classic band-aid. My buddy's crew did the same on a dredge pump and it ran quiet for a day before the impeller looked like Swiss cheese. Your actual first step should always be checking the strainer for a clog.

paul_ramirez2mo ago

So they checked the strainer... did they pull the whole basket or just eyeball it from the hatch?

phoenix_singh2523d agoMost Upvoted

Ugh, that backing off the throttle move is such a short term fix. Seen it fail so many times.

nancy_wood2mo ago

Swiss cheese impeller" - did they check the suction line joints too?