Function testing of Hydraulic Settlement Cells


Introduction  

This article outlines ways to fault find Hydraulic Overflow Settlement Cells if you believe them to be giving inaccurate or anomalous readings

Fault finding steps

The air tube (please refer to figure 1 of the manual) could have water within it or could be blocked. To remove excess water or a blockage, close valve 3 on the reading panel, apply a pressure to the air tube in order to push/flush out the water. You would expect to see an output from the drain tube of either water or air. If pressure or resistance is present when pumping air into the air tube then this indicates a blockage and this requires to be resolved.

Ensure that the drain tube is clear. When flushing the system if no water exits the drain tube this indicates a blockage and requires to be resolved. If the drain tube is blocked the air tube will then fill with water and you would see water exit the air tube.

Ensure that the overflow tube has been thoroughly flushed and is free from air. Please follow instructions in section 3.02.2 of the manual to achieve this.

If any of the tubes are squashed and the inner profile has reduced the system will take longer to respond and settle.