Flusher Eliminates Plugged Center Pivots

Flusher Eliminates Plugged Center Pivots IRRIGATION Maintenance 5-5-32 A York, Neb. farmer has devised a simple solution to the problem of sand and dirt that plugs up nozzles on center pivots. Rex Geiger was fed up with the sand-flushing systems on his center pivots soon after he installed them in 1977. His two new wells were pumping too much sand which clogged the sprinkler nozzles faster than he could unclog them. "There are sand traps on the ends of the pivots, as on most systems. You just unplug them and let the sand drain out. They don't hold enough sand, though, and if I didn't empty them every hour or so they would back up and plug my nozzles," Geiger told FARM SHOW. To solve the problem, he came up with a sand and silt eliminator called the "Flusher". It requires no regular maintenance and expels potential nozzle plugging material continuously. The device consists of 4 ft. of 1-in. pipe, a brass valve and a round steel plate. "We pull out the sand trap plug and screw the pipe into the hole, with the valve on the lower, opposite end. The steel plate is suspended below the valve to deflect the sand and water as it comes out," he explains. The operator adjusts the valve to the right opening to get rid of the sand in his particular system and then lets it be. Because of the 4-ft. pipe, you don't even have to climb on a ladder to adjust the valve. Without the steel plate below the nozzle, Geiger says the stream of water shooting out will cut a deep trench in the field. With the plate, he says the existing water helps irrigate an area under the pivot which often doesn't receive adequate water. The plate hangs from the pipe on a U-shaped hinge, which allows it to swing when passing through tall corn. Geiger's "Flusher" is being manufactured by Even-Temp Co., a wood-burning stove manufacturer in Waco, Neb. The deflector plate on the Flusher is actually the 8-in. exit port on the company's stoves, allowing them to make use of scrap materials. Geiger says the Flusher will sell for $30 to $35. For more information, contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Even-Temp Co., Waco, Neb. 68460 (ph 402 728-5255).

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