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Had a suction line clog on the old 8-inch cutter in the middle of a big channel job

We were pulling good yardage near the mouth of the Mobile River last Tuesday when the pump pressure spiked and the whole rig shuddered. Shut it down and found a solid mass of old roots and plastic bags wrapped around the cutterhead intake. Took my diver and me almost four hours to cut it all free with knives and a sawzall, losing a full shift. What's the fastest way you all clear a bad clog without having to send a guy down?
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3 Comments
nancythomas
Ever try a high-pressure water jet from the surface? We rig a hose off the fire pump and blast the intake from a workboat. It's messy but beats a four-hour dive every time.
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sarah_mason
Totally get what @nancythomas means. We added a rotating nozzle to ours, cuts through the muck way faster. Still a mess but you're done before lunch.
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kim.zara
kim.zara10d ago
Remember when we tried that and just made a giant muddy soup for miles.
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