Bilge pump GPH

[Denny45]

I just purchased a goldhog stream sluice with power pig header box and need a bilge pump. What GPH pump should I buy to move unclassified material 3000-3500 GPH?

 

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[russau]

Yes but screen your cons down into different mesh sizes and run them separately you could always slow it up with a rheostat to slow the pump rpm down for finer material.

 

[Underburden]

Sounds like you want to make cons from raw pay dirt so get the biggest bilge pump and power source you can find. I'd go with a gas powered Honda wx15.

 

[Jason in Enid]

You aren't going to find a bilge pump big enough. The name of it should be the clue that this is meant for being in a stream. Even many streams wouldnt provide enough water and require building wing-dams to get the proper flow. You need a 2-1/2" dredge/highbanker motor and pump to push water for that. Then you also need a header box to channel the water correctly and a frame to set the angle.

 

[Denny45]

You aren't going to find a bilge pump big enough. The name of it should be the clue that this is meant for being in a stream. Even many streams wouldnt provide enough water and require building wing-dams to get the proper flow. You need a 2-1/2" dredge/highbanker motor and pump to push water for that. Then you also need a header box to channel the water correctly and a frame to set the angle.

I’m also purchasing the pig header box converting sluice into a high banker.

 

[winners58]

it's not a high-banker it would be a power sluice with the header, 10" wide and it comes with two mats hi-flow and lo-flow
because these are rubber mats the flow requirements can be adjusted by the angle of the sluice
start out about 8 degrees and can be adjusted from there, 2000 to 3000 gph with the power head will work fine
the mat's will allow larger rock to flow on out of the sluice, run some test material through it to learn to "dial it in"
more water means you can use the aggressive mat, less water less angle and would do better with classification.
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[Denny45]

it's not a high-banker it would be a power sluice with the header, 10" wide and it comes with two mats hi-flow and lo-flow
because these are rubber mats the flow requirements can be adjusted by the angle of the sluice
start out about 8 degrees and can be adjusted from there, 2000 to 3000 gph with the power head will work fine
the mat's will allow larger rock to flow on out of the sluice, run some test material through it to learn to "dial it in"
more water means you can use the aggressive mat, less water less angle and would do better with classification.

Ok not a high banker but a power sluice. Works for me. I want to use the aggressive mat so I could run unclassified material. Only take out large rocks out by hand. Thanks for posting the video links that should help if others are thinking of purchasing one.

 

[Capt Nemo]

I've got the Stream Sluice and powerhead combo. The powerhead with a 1200 GPH pump will be like using a Multi Sluice for cleaning cons. It's not going to be fast enough for shovelfulls.

 

[Denny45]

Made up my mind and going to buy a 3500 or a 3700gph pump. But not a cheapie.

 

[Jason in Enid]

Made up my mind and going to buy a 3500 or a 3700gph pump. But not a cheapie.

Watch the video Winner posted. Look at the pump (and GPH) being used to straight run raw material. The 3500 bilge pump was being used with low-flow mats and pre-screened sands.

 

[Denny45]

Watch the video Winner posted. Look at the pump (and GPH) being used to straight run raw material. The 3500 bilge pump was being used with low-flow mats and pre-screened sands.

Yes he was using low flow mat for all pumps shown. But you can start using aggressive mat at 3700gph for pushing 1-2 inches rocks maybe some round 3 inch ones that get past me. Low flow mat is used 3000gph or less. I’ll try both mats to see what works best. I’m a rookie and still learning. The reason for wanting a bilge pump is because it isn’t noisy like a gas pump.

 

[et1955]

Something to consider, having large rocks go threw your sluice can cause you to lose gold, picture a large rock sitting on your rubber mats disrupting the flow and causing different flows, best way to run a sluice is to classify your material to the size of your riffles, I always classify to 1/2 inch or better yet to max size of gold found in the area, another reason to classify is that were you can run your sluice most probably is not where the gold is and my case it is usually 50 to 100ft away, better to carry 10 classified buckets that 50 unclassified. good luck

 

[BustedShovel]

This topic has been beaten to death, but what the heck lol. I have the same set up, GH stream sluice with the powerhead. While a bilge will work, I'd recommend gas powered if feasible. Bilges will work, but they're rough on a battery, so.be prepared for that. I have used a 2000 gph bilge on my sluice with the low flow mat, and even with a steeper angle, it had some trouble exchanging material, material being classified down to 1/4 inch before being ran. It works, but is slow and the incremental processing time takes longer, time equals drain on your battery. A 3000+ gph bilge offers a little more *mmph* for processing, but more wear on your battery. Remember, Docs mats love fast "hot" water, not deep. So the smoother, low flow matting is great for bilge work. Using the regular mat with a bilge for smaller placer gold is like using a shark hook to catch a bluegill, its overkill and slows your flow down a bit and hold up the processing speed.

It comes down to your willingness to classify before you run. With a bilge, youll have to classify, with gas you wont, except pulling out giant rocks. I have mine running 2" semi trash pump with the regular mat, just shovel and forget. Those mats will catch gold, even sub-100 fly poo in the regular matting with screaming hot water with imperfect pitch and water flow. With slower water, just make sure you give your mats time to exchange before you feed more. I go off of a 5 second rule, if my mats clear out in less than 5 seconds, im too hot, if longer, im too cool or my pitch is too low. Thats not solid science lol, but it works for me. Good luck!

 

[Goldwasher]

40 gpm minimum.

fast water an inch deep off of the riffles. As level as you can set it while still pushing golf ball size rocks through.

I like et1955 so, I'm not trying to start an argument.

I have sluice tons and tons of gravel....When I stopped classifying below an inch my daily take increased.

The key is to have the water deep enough that it isn't pushing the lowest layer hard. The water at the top of the flow is fastest, get it deep enough to move larger less dense material and there is ample slower water to let finer gold settle.

The only time I classify smaller is when I don't have the water to move larger material.