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Blogs About Troubleshooting and Maintaining Heavy Construction Equipment and More


About Me

Blogs About Troubleshooting and Maintaining Heavy Construction Equipment and More

Welcome to my blog. My name is Dan, and I used to work in the construction industry. There I wore a hard hat, but I also wore a lot of other 'hats', from labour to management. Now I've moved on from that industry, but as a property investor, I frequently hire construction crews or contractors. I have a few rentals and some homes that I fix up to sell. At any rate, I've been around heavy equipment for a significant part of my life, and now I want to create a blog to give back. These posts will be about troubleshooting and maintaining heavy construction equipment.

Tips for Installing a Dewatering Pump System Properly

Excavation projects on sites with shallow groundwater can be quite challenging. Contractors have to plan how to reduce the level of groundwater to allow for excavation and construction of a foundation. Luckily, dewatering pumps have made it easy for contractors to control groundwater levels. However, it is essential to note that the proper installation of a pump is mandatory for optimal groundwater draining. This article highlights vital tips for installing a dewatering pump correctly.

Ensure Airtight Wellpoint Hose — All parts of a dewatering pump are essential for optimal performance. It includes a wellpoint hose that connects a pump to a standard pipe above the ground. It is crucial for a connection to be airtight or else water being pumped from the ground will drain back. Some contractors choose wellpoint hoses with a narrow diameter and squeeze them around a wellpoint opening. While the connection might feel tight, there is no guarantee it will withstand the pressure of water gushing from below. An excellent installation tip is to tie a hose to a wellpoint using a connection clamp equipped with a screw adapter. It allows you to tighten the connection and make it completely airtight.

Inspect a Non-Return Valve — The primary function of a dewatering system is to drain groundwater wells to a predetermined level to allow for easy excavation. Therefore, water being pumped out must not return to a well. A non-return valve serves this purpose by ensuring that groundwater flows in one direction only. However, some contractors, especially those with inexperienced staff, to install a return-valve without inspecting it first. Notably, dewatering pumps are known to experience malfunction on the valve guide or spring, which renders the pump dysfunctional. For this reason, always inspect the non-return valve before running a dewatering pump and select a contractor who will inspect the non-return valve. Not only does it save you time and money associated with repairs, but it also ensures the continuity of a construction project.

Use a Jetting Tube — Manual installation of wellpoints (even on soft ground) is a challenging exercise, and it does not guarantee the achievement of the desired depth. Therefore, it poses a significant problem if groundwater is deep. A jetting tube makes manual wellpoint installations easy because it relies on pressurised water to make a pilot hole in the ground. Consequently, it becomes easy to push wellpoints into the ground, which fast-tracks project delivery and enhances the productivity of workers.

Reach out to a company like GSS Hire about dewatering systems.