Saw a guy running a dredge pump dry on the Missouri River last week

I was out near Sioux City checking on a job site and watched a guy let his pump run for almost 10 minutes with no suction. That impeller is probably toast by now. Has anyone else dealt with a rookie making that mistake on site?

2 comments

2 Comments

ruby_grant3d ago

Might be a little early to call it toast, those old impellers are tougher than people give them credit for. Seen guys run them dry for a while without much damage.

lisa_jones213d ago

My last boat had one of those old bronze impellers from the 80s. I ran it dry for about 45 seconds once while testing the raw water line and it barely made a squeak. Thing was still going strong TWO YEARS later until I sold the boat. Guess I'm the dummy who panics over nothing while those old pumps just keep on trucking.