Bildge pumps for Highbankers?

[Goldkid55]

So im trying to figure out what pump I want to use on my first highbanker The draw of gas is there but I dont like to deal with the noise the oil and to a point more breakdowns. So what do people think or have you run bildge pumps for your highbankers I was thinking one or two 4000 GPH bildge pumps on my highbanker its 12 inches wide and about 36 inches sluice but will be adding more sluice area.

 

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[goldenIrishman]

Well GoldKid, the answer is quite simple here. The LENGTH of your highbanker has nothing to do with how much water flow you need! The part that sets how much water is needed is the WIDTH and what type of riffles you're using! 99.9% of highbankers and sluices are a constant width along the entire length so what's enough water at the top is going to be enough at the bottom end of the run. A good rule of thumb is to try to have the water at least an inch or two over the top of your riffles.

A highbanker or sluice needs to be "Tuned" when you set it up. Usually they're set up for one inch of drop per foot of length. So on a 3 foot box, the bottom should be about three inches lower than the top end and they should be as close to dead level across the width.

Learning to use a highbanker or sluice is not all that hard but you will need to experiment a little to find that perfect angle and water flow combination. Things like riffle height, type of matting and even the materials you're running can change what's needed for catching the most gold. After some time using your gear, you'll know what works best for just about any conditions.

As far as powering a sump/bilge pump goes there are a couple of options. You can use a marine battery (deep cycle type), a generator with some kind of power supply or solar. I've seen and tried about every possible way and each one has both good and bad points to it. You have to allow the dig site determine what equipment is needed. Larger pumps are always a good idea because you can adjust the flow with a simple valve setup. As long as your riffles are clearing out in 12-15 seconds you've got enough flow. If they're not, you're either feeding the material to fast or you don't have enough flow.

You didn't say if you're setting this up as a recirculating system or drawing water from a stream and letting it flow right back into the stream. If you're doing a recirc system you'll need to have some kind of filter around your pump to keep it from clogging up with plant materials.

If you've got any more questions, feel free to PM me and I'll do my best to answer them.

G.I.

 

[davin]

goldenirishman, I to was also wanting the answer to this question and thank you for the advise and sharing your knowledge with us.
when running the highbanker at river/stream side what size pump would work best for 10 in. wide sluice using battery power?
thank you ,
davin

 

[goldenIrishman]

Hey Davin,

Again the answer is very simple. Get the largest pump you can lay your hands on! You can always add a simple ball valve to the line to control flow. It's always better to have the ability to move water and not need it than to need it and not have it.

When using battery power, you have to remember that the larger the pump the more juice it's going to draw. This means that a 4000 GPH pump is going to drain your battery much faster than say a 1500 GPH unit will. If memory serves me right, most 4000 GPH units will draw about 16 amps while a 1500GPH will pull about 8 amps or so. The 4000 GPH is only going to last about half as long off the same size battery. If you're going out for extended trips, you may want to bring a couple of batteries or have some way to recharge them like a solar panel with a charge controler. THen it's nice to have two batteries so you can have one charging while you are using the other. ALso don't leave your pump running if you're not actually feeding materials into the highbanker/sluice.

If you're doing a lot of trips out to the field, you really REALLY want to get a marine deep cycle type of battery. They are designed to discharge and be recharged more often than your typical car battery. Car batteries will give out after so may recharge cycles and will no longer accept a charge. It's better to spend a bit more and get a battery that wil last you for a couple of seasons than to get one that will only last for one. ALso get the highest amp rating you can afford as they'll last longer.