This feature in Pumper reports noteworthy conversations that take place at the Pumper Discussion Forum, an online forum for industry professionals found at www.pumper.com. Pumper Discussion enables exchange of information and ideas on septic and drainfield installation and maintenance, trucks and equipment, portable sanitation, chemical and additives and much more. Information and advice in “Overheard Online” is offered in good faith by industry professionals. However, readers should consult in depth with appropriate industry sources before applying such advice to a specific business situation.

Question:
What are your thoughts on my current truck setup, and any ways that might improve my suction/speed of pumping? I have a 1,000-gallon tank on my truck that uses a Conde Super 6 pump. I pump tanks with a 3-inch hose connected to a brass 3-inch gate valve on the bottom back end of my tank. A very basic setup, but I was just pondering the thoughts of boosting my vacuum pull a bit.

I pondered the idea of hooking up the suction hose near the top of the back of my tank rather than the bottom. That way when I’m pumping a tank, it doesn’t have to get pulled through the stuff already in the tank, so in a sense it would be sucking unrestricted air until the tank is almost full. Does this make sense?

Answer:
What you suggest is what I do with my tank, except the valve is at the bottom of the tank and I put a pipe inside the tank on an angle that stops about 6 inches from the top of the tank. This is so I still have easy access to the valve and there are no external pipes to get caught on anything.

The only downside is you lose some lift, which is the height of that internal pipe. It’s only a problem if you are trying to suck from deep wells or up a hill. One other thing you could try is using larger hoses. I have found using 4-inch hoses is a lot better than 3-inch; I reduce the last section to 3 inches and make the majority of the hose run 4 inches. With this method, it’s easy to find and clear blockages too.

I just looked up your pump. The Conde Super 6 pump is rated at 70 cfm free air. With a 1,000-gallon tank and 3-inch hoses you are asking a lot of that little pump. Make sure you have no leaks. Any little leaks will cause problems. Also check your pump speed. The Conde Super 6 pump is rated 70 cfm at 1,750 rpm, but only 48 cfm at 1,200 rpm. As much as you probably don’t want to hear it, you may need a bigger pump.

Baffling Situation

Question:
I’ve just purchased a used tanker with a 2,600-gallon tank. The tank has no baffles. Do I need some? It appears that the tank has never had any since [it was] new. My trucks are all 3,000-plus gallons, so maybe my experience is a little different. I would say yes, though. It’s much safer.

Answers:
I used to drive a 6,500-gallon milk tanker. It had no baffles. Food grade tanks never have baffles. It’s not that bad. Just take it easy.

Internal tank baffles not only provide stability during transport, they make your tank longer-lasting by protecting it from vacuum damage as the tank gets older and more prone to [collapse].