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c/commercial-diversnancyjonesnancyjones2mo agoProlific Poster

I finally got a good handle on silt control after a job in Mobile Bay last month

We were working on a pipe survey and the viz went to zero in minutes. I started using a small bilge pump to push clean water from above right at my work spot. What's your go-to method when you're working in mud?
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4 Comments
kim_ramirez3
@owens.anthony that bilge pump trick saved me too. I was doing a pipeline tie-in in some real silty bottom and the mud just kept rolling back over my work. I tried the garden sprayer method Michael mentioned and it worked pretty well, but I kept having to refill it. Ended up using a small trash pump with a short hose and a nozzle on the end. That constant flow let me see the weld prep area the whole time. I set the flow just enough to push the silt away without blasting the whole bottom apart.
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michaelgrant
Yeah, that bilge pump trick is smart... I've done something similar but with a garden sprayer rigged to a surface air supply. It gives you a steady, gentle flow you can aim without stirring everything up. Makes all the difference when you're trying to see a weld or a valve.
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owens.anthony
owens.anthony2mo agoTop Commenter
Nice, @michaelgrant. That sprayer idea is way better than my bucket method.
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emery290
emery2902mo ago
Actually a bilge pump is way stronger than a garden sprayer lol
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