46
TROUBLESHOOTING YOUR HYDROSEEDER
®
Because of the tremendous work load usually placed upon the HydroSeeder
®
, minor malfunctions
will occur from time to time. If these are not remedied immediately, they could lead to poor
performance and damage to the equipment. This section describes symptoms, possible causes, and
the corrective action(s) to take.
1. Foam in the tank and air entrainment.
The mixture of dry materials with water will sometimes cause excessive foaming while other dry
materials-with-water mixes will cause air entrainment. These situations will reveal themselves
with the occurences of an erratic slurry discharge, a drop in the pressure of the discharge, and
a drop off in distance of slurry discharge.
Some solutions are:
A. As slurry level drops in the tank, slow the agitator speed.
B. Add 2 to 3 oz (6 to 9 cl) of an antifoaming agent to tank.
C. If you can determine which additive is causing the air problem, either add it last or not at
all – unless it’s the water.
D. Limit recirculation time as much as possible.
E. Open pump suction bleed valve to exhaust air trapped in the pump or suction line. Close
valve as soon as the air stops.
2. Plugging or clogging:
Turn off engine and disconnect battery cables before working on
equipment. Failure to comply WILL result in severe personal injury or
death.
Sometimes, when a stoppage occurs, you will not be able to find anything in the line. When this
happens, it means that the system became airbound instead of plugged. To remedy this, see
FOAM IN THE TANK AND AIR ENTRAINMENT section. Plugging can occur in any one of four
places: the valve and recirculation nozzle, the discharge nozzle, the slurry pump area, and the
sump area. The plugging is caused by either foreign objects or dewatered mulch.
A. Obstruction in the discharge nozzle is determined by a change in or stoppage of the spray
pattern.
a) Disengage (turn off) the slurry pump clutch and shut down the engine.
b) Make certain that pump has stopped rotating.
c) Slowly and carefully remove nozzle.
d) Using the nozzle cleaning rod attached to the underside of the guard rail, clear the
nozzle.
Before loosening any clamps, determine if the pipe is hot. If so, let it
cool before attempting to perform repair. Failure to comply WILL result in
severe personal injury or death.
B. If the recirculation system is not working:
a) Disengage (turn off) the slurry pump clutch and shut down engine.
b) Remove two clamps on each side of the recirculation valve.
c) Slide rubber seals back and remove valve assembly.
d) Check valve assembly, recirculation nozzle in the discharge pipe, and the recirculation
pipe going into tank. Clear any obstructions.
e) Replace valve assembly and slide the seals back into place. Lubricate the outside of the
seals with grease.
f) Re-install the clamps.
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