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I used to think pump packing was just a old-timer superstition until I pulled a worn set last Tuesday
Found a PDF from the USACE that showed a 20% efficiency drop from bad packing on cutter suction dredges. After I swapped mine out the suction gauge jumped 3 inches. Has anyone else noticed a big difference after a packing change?
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uma_baker991mo ago
Man that 4 inch vacuum jump is crazy, proves it's no old wives tale.
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kais671mo ago
Funny you mention that USACE PDF, I think I stumbled across the same one a few months back. A guy I used to work with swore by changing packing every 80 hours on our dredge, and I always thought he was being dramatic. Then I actually timed the suction loss on a worn set and it was almost 4 inches of vacuum difference after a swap on a 12 inch pump. Made me a believer real quick... that 20% number lines up pretty close with what I saw on the gauge.
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