Sludge Sucker ?

[Rookie68]

Anybody try one of these power washer attachmets to clean their pits out with ?

I am being quoted 1500 per locaiton to clean 6 pits and dispose of the sludge.
Looking for a more cost effective solution.
Would love to hear how those more experienced than my self are doing this ?

 

[OurTown]

Anybody try one of these power washer attachmets to clean their pits out with ?

I am being quoted 1500 per locaiton to clean 6 pits and dispose of the sludge.
Looking for a more cost effective solution.
Would love to hear how those more experienced than my self are doing this ?

Around here that would be a very good price and might even question where they are taking it. What size are your pits?

 

[Rookie68]

Around here that would be a very good price and might even question where they are taking it. What size are your pits?

My pits are 3 feet wide by 6 feet long and I am told they are 4 feet deep. I have yet to see the bottom of one so not certain. I think like many other things cost is determined by location. I’m in a small town.

 

[MEP001]

I have used the sludge sucker. It does work, but it has several major drawbacks. You have to add a lot of water to get it to move the mud, you can't just drop it in the pit and have it pull, you have to manipulate the hose which gets very heavy and spray water into the mud to liquify it. Then what do you do with the pumped slurry? I thought about renting a dump trailer, pumping it full, letting the water drain off, dumping the mud somewhere (Remember it's illegal to haul it off your property and requires special permitting, testing and a CDL). Instead I got a 10' Handi-Clam to clean the one central bay which is 7' deep, Sunday night I dig out as much as my back can handle and let it dry on the bay floor, then I can legally put it in the dumpster.

$1500 to clean out six bays isn't too bad. They want $1600 twice a year to do mine.

 

[Rookie68]

I have used the sludge sucker. It does work, but it has several major drawbacks. You have to add a lot of water to get it to move the mud, you can't just drop it in the pit and have it pull, you have to manipulate the hose which gets very heavy and spray water into the mud to liquify it. Then what do you do with the pumped slurry? I thought about renting a dump trailer, pumping it full, letting the water drain off, dumping the mud somewhere (Remember it's illegal to haul it off your property and requires special permitting, testing and a CDL). Instead I got a 10' Handi-Clam to clean the one central bay which is 7' deep, Sunday night I dig out as much as my back can handle and let it dry on the bay floor, then I can legally put it in the dumpster.

$1500 to clean out six bays isn't too bad. They want $1600 twice a year to do mine.

I appreciate the feedback. I knew it was too good to be true.
So I called my local dump who directed me to the wastewater treatment plant.
They will take my mud for 50 cents per ton. Seems pretty cheap.
Now sucking it out of the pit and and getting it to the facility is the challenge.

 

[MEP001]

I appreciate the feedback. I knew it was too good to be true.
So I called my local dump who directed me to the wastewater treatment plant.
They will take my mud for 50 cents per ton. Seems pretty cheap.
Now sucking it out of the pit and and getting it to the facility is the challenge.

There are most likely going to be other challenges than just getting it there for 50¢ per ton. I don't know what state you're in or what the laws there are, some of the laws that pertain to this are federal and are to do with transporting what is considered hazardous waste on public roads. I'm in Texas and I can't remove the pit mud from the property unless it's dry. EPA says it must be allowed to dry on an impermeable surface with any liquid allowed to drain into the sewer before it's considered landfill dirt. For anyone to pump and remove it, it must be tested, it has to go to a landfill, and it ain't no 50¢ a ton.

 

[Rookie68]

There are most likely going to be other challenges than just getting it there for 50¢ per ton. I don't know what state you're in or what the laws there are, some of the laws that pertain to this are federal and are to do with transporting what is considered hazardous waste on public roads. I'm in Texas and I can't remove the pit mud from the property unless it's dry. EPA says it must be allowed to dry on an impermeable surface with any liquid allowed to drain into the sewer before it's considered landfill dirt. For anyone to pump and remove it, it must be tested, it has to go to a landfill, and it ain't no 50¢ a ton.

So my local landfill said they wont take it unless it is dry. So I agree with you.
But if i want to remove it and get rid of it same day I am told by city it must go to waste water treatment plant.
I explained that this is mud, and they said as long as its wet thats where it goes.
50 bucks a year for a permit to bring it there plus 50 cents a ton.

A 20x20 Concrete pad in back of my lot would cost me about $1700.00.
I could then shovel it out of the pits, put it on the pad, dry, shovel it again into a dump trailer and take it anywhere. Thats a lot of shoveling and I dont currently own a dump trailer.
Or just put a sign up saying "Magic Dirt " - $1.00 per bag and just kick back and relax as it all gets "Stolen".
I plan to improve my business and that means in the future I am going to have to clean these pits more often than I do currently.
Of course the RingOMatic options are very appealing. But the steep price tag is hard to swallow all things considered.

 

[MEP001]

I use the Handi-Clam to dig it out onto the bay floor and let it dry there. That's the worst of the work. I was doing this at another wash and only had to dig one pit a month. The dry mud is much easier to deal with.

 

[Greg Pack]

There was poster on the old forum by the name of WR that built his own drying area at one was. WR was great guy, I miss him.

In reality you can save money by DIY but if I could get someone else to come out and get rid of in in a lawful way I'd spend my time doing something else. Another option is an MEP indicated is to do pit clean out as part of a regular maintenance program in manageable amounts by hand.

The sludge sucker is a very handy device. I use it to move water mostly from pits or to access my sewer grinder pump but I don't think I'd try to clean out mud of an entire pit with it.

 

[MEP001]

The sludge sucker is a very handy device. I use it to move water mostly from pits or to access my sewer grinder pump but I don't think I'd try to clean out mud of an entire pit with it.

I wouldn't clean out a bay pit with one either, mainly because of the amount of water you have to mix with it, but I had one at a wash I ran many years ago and used it to clean out the silt trap. It was massive, about 12' across and at least as deep, so I know it will lift the sludge. I recently bought one to use for the same thing, the silt trap at this wash is in the equipment room, and my plan is to clean out the pit on one side and drill a hole in the wall to pump the slurry into the bay and hope the bulk of the mud will settle out in the pit before it re-enters the plumbing. I feel like I may have to cover the grate with plastic or plywood to let some of it settle out on the bay floor. The wash is so underperforming right now we're trying to save money wherever we can, and spending $6,000 to have everything pumped would be more than it's making in a month, thanks to the previous owner.

 

[mjwalsh]

We used to use a Suttner sludge sucker to transfer mud from a more shallow pit (the end one that goes directly out to the main) into a larger capacity pit ... to avoid calling the $$$ pit pumper too soon.

 

[traveler17]

At both my locations I have 2 different guys come in w a small backhoe , I back my dump trailer up and and have a place to dump it. If I didn’t I’d find a place. They only charge me $75 an hour and I usually pay $100 to $150. One location is 5 bays and another has 6. I’d look into especially if you’re in a small rural town. I’m done shoveling, I’ll rent a backhoe before I do that again!!