Anyone Use a Trash Pumpt to Clean pond?

[scesnick]

I have a nice pond that is spring fed that we swim in every summer. The kids love it. It is very old though and is getting pretty full of silt. I have posted here in the past about using a trash pump to clean it out but still haven't got around to it. Well, since the kids are a bit bigger now the wife is on me to clean it out this spring.


A pump would be ALOT cheaper than draining the pond and excavating it. Also, I am worried that the dozer would screw it up and hit shale or something on the bottom and the pond would no longer hold water. This pond is the focal point of my property. It is right in front of our house and if it was just a dry pit, that would not be good.

Has anyone used a pump ( diaphragm or trash) to clean out a pond? I was wondering how well it worked. Or maybe even an aggitator pump.

 

[moored4]

Have you got a picture of the Pond. How big is it? and how Deep?

 

[ken4831]

I use a trash pump driven by a 3 hp honda engine. several times have used this pump to drain my 75'X50' foot spring pond. to clean out and check the jet pump piping. usually takes 2 days to drain. I now have a 4" line to drain it takes same length of time just doesn't need a pump.

Also cleaning the sediment will allow water to become dingy due to minerals in soil until a layer is again deposited to settle.
ken

 

[20 20]

I have a nice pond that is spring fed that we swim in every summer. The kids love it. It is very old though and is getting pretty full of silt. I have posted here in the past about using a trash pump to clean it out but still haven't got around to it. Well, since the kids are a bit bigger now the wife is on me to clean it out this spring.


A pump would be ALOT cheaper than draining the pond and excavating it.

I am some what are you wanting to use the trash pump as a muck remover? If so I don't believe you'll get the results you're looking for. If you're thinking about draining and digging, which is what most do then it will work.

Also, I am worried that the dozer would screw it up and hit shale or something on the bottom and the pond would no longer hold water. This pond is the focal point of my property. It is right in front of our house and if it was just a dry pit, that would not be good.

Well 1st we need some info, what is your land{soil} like? Do you have any info on when the pond was orginally dug? I won't dig a pond unless I do a soil check 1st to know what has to be done. A dozer won't hurt anything UNLESS you didn't have optimal soil in the 1st place. Either way if you suck, dig, push, grade the layer of seal away then you'll have a leak. Now with that said if your pond is in clay then dig dig dig. We need some more info if you have it? I think you'll find out the best way to clean up a pond is drain dig fix and let refill.

Has anyone used a pump ( diaphragm or trash) to clean out a pond? I was wondering how well it worked. Or maybe even an aggitator pump.

I'm sure you have been told this about ponds, digging isn't the issue getting rid of the spoils is. How deep, and how big an area, are you planing on dredging?

 

[scesnick]

The pond is about 3/4 of an acre. It is 50+yrs old and my grandfather build it. I'm not 100% sure of soil make up. I do have a creek that runs right by this pond ( to the right in the pic ) It has a clay base and it is alot deeper than the pond. Meaning that although the creek runs close to the pond the pond is up on a hill.. .

I was referring to sucking the sediment off the bottom with some type of pump. Not necessarily a trash pump possibly one of these view category | BJM Pumps Electric Submersible Pumps


here is a google map pic of the pond

Frostburg, Allegany, Maryland - Google Maps

 

[955Lincoln]

Never done it before but in theory it should work with some special set-ups. However, it may be too much work depending on the size of your pond. The suction end of the hose would have a sharp edged pipe attached to it so you could scrape along the bottom to get the silt broke up and flowing out with the water. You would need a way to catch the debris but also allow the water to drain back into the pond. Something like a FEL with holes, dump trailer, dump truck, etc. Sounds like a mess. Anyway, some ideas.

Did you make it out Sunday? The riding was actually loads of fun but sitting around really sucked because of the rain, snow, and cold.

Edit: slow typer here

 

[scesnick]

Never done it before but in theory it should work with some special set-ups. However, it may be too much work depending on the size of your pond. The suction end of the hose would have a sharp edged pipe attached to it so you could scrape along the bottom to get the silt broke up and flowing out with the water. You would need a way to catch the debris but also allow the water to drain back into the pond. Something like a FEL with holes, dump trailer, dump truck, etc. Sounds like a mess. Anyway, some ideas.

Did you make it out Sunday? The riding was actually loads of fun but sitting around really sucked because of the rain, snow, and cold.

Edit: slow typer here

Hey,
I was just planning on pumping all the sludge over the hill and be done with it.
I didn't make it out. My buddy Shawn made it down there I think. It was too cold and snowy for me.

 

[xkbal]

While I haven't used these they do look like what you're describing so it should be possible.

Piranha Mini Dredges: small & compact dredges for sand, mud, & muck

 

[scesnick]

While I haven't used these they do look like what you're describing so it should be possible.

Piranha Mini Dredges: small & compact dredges for sand, mud, & muck

I seen those before. I really like them and they look like they would work well but the $9,000 base price for the small one turned me off in a hurry.

 

[MMagis]

There are companies out there that will suck the muck off of the bottom of you pond for you. I can't remember any of them off hand, but my buddy had mentioned it. I don't think you'll be able to do it well yourself, without spending a lot of money.

 

[scesnick]

There are companies out there that will suck the muck off of the bottom of you pond for you. I can't remember any of them off hand, but my buddy had mentioned it. I don't think you'll be able to do it well yourself, without spending a lot of money.

I would love to find one of those companies in my general area.

 

[scesnick]

O.K. after doing a bit more searching I found this

FA Series Diaphragm Pumps - Mud Sucker Pumps

This is in the FAQ section.


What kinds of fluids does a diaphragm pump transfer?

Diaphragm pumps transfer almost any kind of slurry, debris laden waste, food processing residual, liquid, stones, sticks, sugar, oil sludge, refinery waste, mud, clay pharmaceutical, industrial fluids and much more. For

 

[955Lincoln]

O.K. after doing a bit more searching I found this

FA Series Diaphragm Pumps - Mud Sucker Pumps

This is in the FAQ section.


What kinds of fluids does a diaphragm pump transfer?

Diaphragm pumps transfer almost any kind of slurry, debris laden waste, food processing residual, liquid, stones, sticks, sugar, oil sludge, refinery waste, mud, clay pharmaceutical, industrial fluids and much more. For

That is your basic "trash pump" and the diaphragm style is what I would choose for silt and mud. Since you have an easy solution for the debris I would go ahead and rent one for the weekend and see if you are happy with the results. At least you could tell the wifey that you tried

 

[MMagis]

I would love to find one of those companies in my general area.

I know this isn't close, but maybe these guys can lead you to someone closer.

Contact Us

 

[20 20]

I vaguely remember some of your older post/pictures. It sounds like you may have a good base soil{??} If it were me I'd do the job once do it the best way possible and be happy for years. I hate to discourage your idea on a mud sucker, but I still think drain and dredge would be the answer. have you talked to any local folks with an excavator and or dozer? I've found an excavator will work much faster then a dozer especially for what your wanting to do. The 2 together would be great.

I seen those before. I really like them and they look like they would work well but the $9,000 base price for the small one turned me off in a hurry.

wow, unless you had many jobs or could hire out, that is crazy.

 

[CollinLeon]

How deep is it and how clear is the water? Check some of the local dive shops around your area. There are some guys out there that will look for any excuse to go diving... If you offer to pay for their air fills and provide them all the beer they can drink, they'll help you out. With respect to air fills, you could probably save some money there by rigging up an air hose to a oil-less compressor. It sounds like what you are wanting to do is similar to what some of the underwater archeologists use for excavating sunken ancient ships that have filled with sand.

 

[CurlyDave]

Where are you intending to put the spoils?

This is going to be a big pile of stinky muck -- the more success you have, the bigger the pile.

A lot of dredges use a bubble pump, where air is injected at the bottom of a tube and the air bubbles carry water and mud with them as they rise in the tube. The true beauty of this system is that no solids or other material ever enters the air pump.

I haven't really looked into it very thoroughly, but I don't think it is very good at transporting things horizontally, only vertically, so the spoils go onto a barge.

If the pond isn't too deep you wouldn't need a real compressor for the air supply, a blower would do just fine.

 

[MarkV]

Might want to check over at the Pondboss web site for advice. If it has to do with a pond someone over there has done it.

MarkV

 

[CollinLeon]

This is going to be a big pile of stinky muck -- the more success you have, the bigger the pile.

But it will probably be fairly fertile given the fact that it is probably made up of various organic debris that has collected over the years.

Having stepped in waterways before where the muck was 3 ft deep, let's just hope that he doesn't have that level of muck at the bottom of his pond or he's going to be pumping quite a bit...

If there is any chance of removing the sealing layer of the soil at the bottom of the pond, he could just replace it with bentonite.

Bentonite :: Leaking Ponds :: Pond Sealant

 

[MarkV]

If there is any chance of removing the sealing layer of the soil at the bottom of the pond, he could just replace it with bentonite.

Bentonite :: Leaking Ponds :: Pond Sealant

That is correct and I understand that bentonite is readily available in Texas at a reasonable price. Here in Georgia where it is not a natural resource and has to be trucked in the price for a 3/4 acre pond is way up there. We looked into it for a smaller pond on another property.

MarkV