Installing a flume outdoors can result in problems much different than you might experience when installing your device in an industrial setting. In particular, outdoor flumes are vulnerable to vegetative growth and other types of biological debris. When these items are allowed to accumulate in your flume unchecked, they will eventually block your flow, rendering your flume useless and interfering with your operations.
If you want your flume to function the way you need it to, you must be sure to keep vegetative growth away from your primary device throughout the year. Learn how vegetative growth can impact your flume and get a few flume maintenance tips so your primary device works the way you want.
Problems During Winter and Spring
Your flume can become clogged with debris at virtually any point during the year, but your device will be particularly vulnerable during the winter and spring seasons. During the winter season, it’s common for flow rates to be lower than they are during the other seasons. If the flow rate gets too low, sediments won’t pass as easily through your flume and may eventually accumulate to the point where your flume is blocked.
Plant growth should be your biggest concern when spring rolls around. As plants begin to grow around your flume, they can interfere with your flow, especially if they grow across the entrance and discharge sections of your flume. When spring arrives, you’ll need to be vigilant removing plants from the area around your flume and cleaning any vegetative growth that’s made its way into your device.
Watch Out for Falling Leaves
Autumn can be just difficult for your flume as the winter and spring. That’s because when leaves start to fall off of the trees around your flume, they can easily make their way into your device and cause serious problems.
Early in autumn, leaves fall relatively slowly, so you may not have trouble keeping your flume clear. As the season goes on and leaves fall in larger quantities, it becomes much easier for your flume to become blocked, especially if you’re not checking it every day. It’s also possible that small branches will fall along with the leaves, increasing the likelihood that your flume will become clogged and nonfunctional.
Keep Your Flume Clear
As you can see, your flume can become blocked with vegetative growth almost any time of the year, which means you must be vigilant about keeping your flume clear. The best maintenance tip when it comes to blockages is to regularly check your flume to make sure that flow can make its way through the device unimpeded. During the spring and fall, when vegetative blockages are most common, have your operators frequently examine and clear your flume so your system stays up and running.
Shop for Flumes
Flume maintenance is much easier when you’re working with a quality fiberglass flume, and shopping with Tracom, FRP is the best solution for finding the right one for you. Our flume inventory includes the most popular, dependable styles on the market, and our team would be happy to help you choose the flume that best matches your needs. Contact Tracom today to get a quote or to ask questions about our product catalog.
