Just found a simple fix for suction loss on my Ellicott 370

Last month I was pulling my hair out with suction loss every 20 minutes. I tried adjusting the cutterhead speed and messing with the ladder angle nothing worked. Then an old timer at the yard told me to check the suction inlet screen. Turns out there was a buildup of debris that was partially blocking it. I cleaned it out with a pressure washer and now I'm getting consistent flow on my channel job near Mobile Bay. Has anyone else run into this issue with the 370's screen setup?

3 comments

Log in to join the discussion

Log In

3 Comments

kimr743mo ago

Not sure that's the real fix, I think you just got lucky.

3

vera_robinson363mo ago

Man I wish my luck worked on anything else besides clogged screens and bad poker hands. If I could gamble that trick would actually save my pump from dying mid season I'd be all in. Guess I'll take the win where I can get it though.

6

milarodriguez3mo ago

Wait what? Did you really just get lucky with that screen fix? I have had that exact same problem on my 370 for years and everyone I know in the dredging community swears by that screen cleaning trick. Like that old timer knew his stuff because those screens clog up with all kinds of crap that messes with the suction. I had a buddy who ignored his screen for a whole season and his pump wore out way faster than normal. That's not just coincidence, that's a real maintenance thing. Sounds like you found the real deal fix, not luck.

3