Post by spartacus on Oct 30, 2010 18:48:33 GMT -5
Had to go to another old gate where again there was a flooding issue in a swilley, but this one was at a junction where the air doors were before the return airway.
I was told to stay with the pump and keep moving the suction into the water to get the swilley cleared, they were drawing off the next day.
"Bugger that" I thought, "I can't be arsed sitting here watching the water level drop"...4 old "Century Oils" A11 cans, a sleeper, some rope and a few cable ties later I had made a little raft that I could use to position the pump in the middle of the swilley, and reasoned that if I hung the cable up in the middle of the puddle at the deepest part it would help hold the thing at the deepest part of the water. Job jobbed. I could get my head down whilst the swilley pumped itself out.
So. With due ceremony the good ship Mono 1 was launched and tied off in the middle. Floating well, if a bit wobbly with water level about half way down the oil cans, pump sat on the sleeper, a few tie wraps around the cable, the suction pipe modified so that it sat to one side of the frame of the pump, the pressure bagging clipped to the water main and valves open, I put the starter pummel on another sleeper to keep it dry. It was one of those brass things that you had to hold past it's run position to get the pump to start?
I had my back to the pipe when I turned it on, only to watch the whole assembly slowly capsize as the suction of the pump priming and torque reaction overcame the ability of the barrels/sleepers to remain stable. Sank without trace it did as the barrels filled with water.......
I made a phone call telling them I thought the water level had got too high and soaked the motor because it kept tripping the GEB...
I was told to stay with the pump and keep moving the suction into the water to get the swilley cleared, they were drawing off the next day.
"Bugger that" I thought, "I can't be arsed sitting here watching the water level drop"...4 old "Century Oils" A11 cans, a sleeper, some rope and a few cable ties later I had made a little raft that I could use to position the pump in the middle of the swilley, and reasoned that if I hung the cable up in the middle of the puddle at the deepest part it would help hold the thing at the deepest part of the water. Job jobbed. I could get my head down whilst the swilley pumped itself out.
So. With due ceremony the good ship Mono 1 was launched and tied off in the middle. Floating well, if a bit wobbly with water level about half way down the oil cans, pump sat on the sleeper, a few tie wraps around the cable, the suction pipe modified so that it sat to one side of the frame of the pump, the pressure bagging clipped to the water main and valves open, I put the starter pummel on another sleeper to keep it dry. It was one of those brass things that you had to hold past it's run position to get the pump to start?
I had my back to the pipe when I turned it on, only to watch the whole assembly slowly capsize as the suction of the pump priming and torque reaction overcame the ability of the barrels/sleepers to remain stable. Sank without trace it did as the barrels filled with water.......
I made a phone call telling them I thought the water level had got too high and soaked the motor because it kept tripping the GEB...
