Pit for a bucket elevator

Fritz Maurer · Mar 31, 2013

I would like to install a bucket elevator for my bin this summer. How do you stop the pit from filling up with water? I can put a roof over it, to stop it from running it there, but the ground water will still seep in. I've got plenty of fall for a drain, but how would you keep the grain out? I asked a couple guys at local elevators, but they don't know either.

IaGary · Mar 31, 2013

Shallow pit with a auger or conveyor to feed the leg. Or a pit on a hump so it water table stays below.

Plug in the drain while in use. Pull the plug when not in use.

Gary

LonM · Mar 31, 2013

Grain legs that have the boot sunk in the ground with gravity-fed dump pits sit in a metal box called a pan. This is welded on all sides to prevent groundwater from seeping in. As long as that never rusts through, you will be dry and happy. At least that is how it was at the elevator where I used to work- one of those leg boots was 13 feet below the ground. Newer style legs usually have the boot above ground and are fed by an incline drag conveyor that is shallowly set in a trough so that it can be driven over, or some have deeper dump pits with augers feeding the leg- personally I like the drag conveyor setup over the deeper dump pit/auger combo- in my opinion it is a simpler, longer lasting system, and the newer ones are fast enough that you won't be at any disadvantage to a pit (time wise for dumping). Either way, a dump site outside can be covered with a thick rubber mat to keep out most of the rain/snow, but a sump is still necessary below the conveyor or auger so that it can be pumped out now and then.

Pit for a bucket elevator

Fritz Maurer

Well-known Member

IaGary

Well-known Member

LonM

Member

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