Cleaning a small culvert with 3PH sprayer

[lhfarm]

A series of heavy downpours this spring and summer washed gravel and mud into one of the small culverts crossing our drive. I should have caught this earlier, but the end result was the culvert was filled at least 5 feet from the outlet end. Did a search here and found some good suggestions, including the use of a high pressure water hose, such as a pressure washer. The culvert is located several hundred feet from the house (600-700'), so I need another option to hooking up my pressure washer.

My wife asked if I could use the 50 gallon tank on my old boom sprayer, so I dragged the spray out of storage and mounted it on the tractor. The sprayer has a 20' handheld line with a small brass fire hose style nozzle, so I thought I'd try using that before I re-plumbed the tank to hook up to the pressure washer. On a side note, the sprayer has been in storage for 3 years or so. I had put oil in the pump and capped the ports, so I was sure it was good to go. Filled the tank and no pressure. Found a cracked fitting on the inlet side and after replacing that, the pump worked perfectly.

I had dug as much of the gravel as I could from the outlet side. Fired up the sprayer and it was clear that the pressure from the nozzle would work, if not especially fast. I had a 10' piece of cooper pipe and I taped the nozzle to one end. I used that setup to wash the clay along the face of the blockage and used a regular garden hoe to pull the gravel to the outlet. It was slow going, but certainly worked. I pumped water from the inlet side to be sure the blockage was cleared.

I still need to drag more gravel out and will be looking for ideas on that. But another problem solved with help from TBN!

 

[Baby Grand]

Well done, Gary!
This one is getting saved in my "toolbox" for the future.

 

[boomer1025]

You need to put a trap in front of the opening to catch the gravel before it goes in

 

[wmonroe]

I'm going to remember this one in case the drain pipe under my driveway ever clogs. Thanks!

 

[wmonroe]

You need to put a trap in front of the opening to catch the gravel before it goes in

What do you mean by a trap? Just a dog leg or zig zag type of thing?

 

[boomer1025]

A box covert in front of the tile opening, water comes down the ditch fills the box covert then flows out, rocks flowing in the water going over the box covert sink to the bottom of the box covert thus being trapped in the box. Which should keep the rocks out of your tile. Clean the box covert out with a shovel.

 

[lhfarm]

A box covert in front of the tile opening, water comes down the ditch fills the box covert then flows out, rocks flowing in the water going over the box covert sink to the bottom of the box covert thus being trapped in the box. Which should keep the rocks out of your tile. Clean the box covert out with a shovel.

Sounds like a great idea. Have any pictures? How big does the box need to be?
Thanks!

 

[boomer1025]

You want it wide enough that it catches all the water coming off the road and the bank. Long enough that the stones flowing in the water have a chance to drop to the bottom of the box. I would try making it 2 or 3 foot deep maybe and maybe 4 to 6 feet long. It's hard to tell without being there to see. All your doing is building a box and setting it down in a hole. You might want to make a grate for over the top depending on how deep you make it.

 

[k0ua]

To get more of the gravel out, how about running a strong rope thru the culvert with enough rope on each end still stick out to run the rope back and forth with a loop made in the middle, and a burlap bag doubled over in the loop. That way you can drag the rope back and forth thru the culvert to remove gravel. Use the tractor to pull it if need be. Use as many burlap bags as necessary to act as a swab, like swabbing out a rifle barrel. To get the rope initially thru the culvert, you could use an electricians "fish tape" or perhaps some of the chimney cleaning push sticks. Harbor freight has some push sticks for not a whole lot of money.