Waterous Floto-Pump Floating Fire Pump - Any good for dredging?

[NeoTokyo]

Heya everyone;

I would like to go up to Oregon next year so I have been thinking about a Dredge.

A friend has a Waterous Floto-Pump in awesome shape for sale ($400) and I was wondering if this would be good for a dredge.

I think it is the standard version which is the 8hp motor and the Centrifugal pump has a 1.5" discharge and flows 140gpm at 105psi.

I will probably run a Keene A52 behind it.


It seems to me that this is a really great easy to pack setup.

Here are my questions.

1.) Will it work well?
2.) Will a 4" tube work well or should I go smaller?
3.) Should I use a nozzle or venturi tube and what size inlet?
4.) What is the best price & quality jet flare out there?


Thanks everyone.

Here is a video made by waterous to help give you an idea of this pump and the design.

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[russau]

to me it is to small for a 4 inch line. mybe a 2 - 2 1/2 inch .plus it looks like there isnt a throttel control, so itll be running wide open and youll not be able to controll your water. but since it is your friend, ask him if you could try it out.

[Goodyguy]

to me it is to small for a 4 inch line. mybe a 2 - 2 1/2 inch .plus it looks like there isnt a throttel control, so itll be running wide open and youll not be able to controll your water. but since it is your friend, ask him if you could try it out.

What Russau said, And using an A-52 I wouldn't recommend more than a 2" to 2-1/2" anyway.

1.) Will it work well? It should work ok, but for $400 you may want to look at a used dredge.
2.) Will a 4" tube work well or should I go smaller? You will have to go smaller: 2" to 2-1/2"
3.) Should I use a nozzle or venturi tube and what size inlet? I would go with a 2" to 2-1/2" suction nozzle.... with a 1" to 1-1/4" inlet
4.) What is the best price & quality jet flare out there? You wont need a jet if you go with the suction nozzle. but if you want to use a flair instead of a crash box, then a traffic cone works great, and can be found for free sometimes. See: Dredge Hopper Or Header Box?

GG~

[Jason in Enid]

You might want to investigate the pump a little more. I have doubts about the flow ratings you listed (unless you pulled them from a manufacturers website). The reason for my doubts is because that pump look VERY MUCH like rural water supply pumps used by fire departments. If so, it will most like put out a higher volume and higher pressure of water.

Edit - I just watched part of the video, so yes, this is a FD pump. This only thing I don't like about this is the pump intake. I would much rather have an intake footing that went down 6 inches to a foot to insure you didn't lose pressure from time to time, even though this is a self priming pump.

The topic of horizontal pumps has been discussed before. They are not "ideal" for dredging, but if you are creating a non-standard version, then I don't see why it can't work.
one more thought, this pump is probably too small for a 4 inch dredge, but should work on a 3 inch.

[Goodyguy]

Neo Tokyo,

After reading Jason's post I realized that 140 gpm would probably be enough to power a 3" suction hose although 150 gpm is what is normally used on a 3"
A 4" would require at least 200 gpm.

If you do go to a 3" then I would suggest a different sluice than the A-52 which isn't really designed for dredging.

GG~

[NeoTokyo]

Thanks for the replies guys.

The flow specs are from their website, there is a high volume/psi version but I doubt this is that one, they look the same though so I guess the change is in the pump itself.

I really wouldnt go over a 2.5" but the reason why I asked if it could do a 4" is because I would want that buffer of being able to flow enough for a larger size than just being able to flow enough for what I wanted.
So its good to know that you guys think it could do a 2.5" - 3"

I know this isnt an optimal design for a dredge but the reason why I like it is because it is so simple, small and quick to set up.
Sluice - Hose - Pump - GO!

This should also be California legal in the way I would use it.

I would dig out a large hole on the side of the creek and then after a nice hole is made I would dump the hose into the hole and fill it up with the material that I am sucking up.
After the hole is filled up I would shut the pump off and shovel right into my Bazooka from there.

This way it breaks what a suction dredge is because I am not directly going into a sluice and I also dont silt up the creek as much at once because I am loading into my sluice one shovel at a time.

What do you guys think about the California work around?
On Paper its legal but I am sure I might still have to fight a ticket or two and prove that it is.

The California work around is the real appeal for me with this setup.


He also has a home made (with keene pump and sluice) 2" Dredge that he is only asking $300 for but would probably get me into more trouble even if I used it the same way.

What do you guys think?

[Jason in Enid]

I think if you get caught sucking any bottom material with powered equipment you will get a fine / jailtime.

[Goodyguy]

I think ... ..... Get out of California !!!
Spend your money in a more mining friendly state like Nevada and others.

Life is too short to put up with their BS, and I see it getting worse there as time goes on.
You can always go back when/if it changes for the better.

Seriously....
GG~

[NeoTokyo]

Sucks.

Even with a work around they still kick our arses.

In that case I might just buy his $300 dollar 2" dredge. :P


Still the idea of the fire pump is appealing.

[stevemc]

I have used those. The pressure hose gets very hard, and actually pushes the pump under. The weight of the water filled hose and the pressure against the pump do push it under. Not all the way under, but the float part is fully under. I have had to have someone go out and actually hold it up. You might rig some kind of solid floats to assist floatation. They do have a lot of pressure for a fairly light pump. I dont know about California dredging laws.

[Hard Prospector]

I have used these things alot(fireman)and they do produce good volume and lift through 1.5" hose. BUT, most of them are powered by a 2-stroke Briggs which makes them very loud fuel hogs that don't idle very well and flood easily.

[omnicron]

If your going with an 2 to 2 1/2 dredge, save your money and buy a pump from harbor freight, this is what I use now. I run it at half throttle, get about 4.5 hours run time on a tank of fuel. A word of caution, watch your feed rate with the a52 with a 2.5" hose, it's very easy to overload the sluice and blow gold out the back.
Gas Water Pump - 2" Clear Water Pump w/ 212cc Gas Engine

[Oakview2]

I use the same pump, but the three inch model and I have been pumping water out of a old mind shaft and the water level is down 20 ft and I seldom run it over idle and have plenty of water. The fuel consumption on that floating pump and being unable to throttle down would sour me on that pump. If you can't control the throttle, it seems like you would tend to blow everything out of the box. JMHO

[NeoTokyo]

I think I am going to offer him some gold and see if he takes it.
He changed his mind on selling his dredge, his wife said she wasnt done with it yet!