FiltraGold Instructions
Setup
The
Shor FiltraGold Gold Recovery System
includes:
- tank with snap on lid
- cap with replaceable filtermesh bag
- filter chamber with replaceable 10 micron filter
cartridge
- submersible pump with integral float switch
Make sure the pump is not sitting on its side (otherwise the
float switch won't work). You can significantly increase the life of your
filtration system's pump and or reduce the maintenance on it by placing a
brick, crucible rest or similar item under the pump so that it rest above the
bottom of the tank and somewhat off to the side of the filtermesh bag. This
will reduce the amount of polishing compound that accumulates on the pump so
that it will need to be washed less often.
If using a Standard Sink
for your washout, remove the "u" trap from under the sink. Place the tank under
the sink so that the water from the sink's drain falls directly into the filter
bag. Place the hose from the recovery system's filter chamber into the drain in
the wall. Plug the pump into any standard 110 v outlet.
If Using a Washout Sink with (A)
Barrel(s) Underneath, first drain the barrel in which
the system is to be placed. Run a hose from the sink's drain to the filter bag.
Run the hose from the system's filter chamber to the drain in your wall or
floor. Plug the pump into any standard 110 v outlet.
Operating
Instructions:
Just wash your hands as normal, ignoring the system. As the
water passes into the system's tank, the float switch will automatically
activate the pump. When the tank is empty again, the pump will shut off. If
recovering from an ultrasonic, first drain the water and sludge into a bucket.
Give the sludge about � or more to settle. Pour the water into the sink but
leave the sludge behind in the bottom of the bucket. Leave the sludge in the
bottom of the bucket to dry overnight or longer. When the sludge has become a
caked powder remove it from the bucket and put it aside for refining. Consult
Shor's
"Polishing Sweeps Reduction to Metal" to
turn this material into a button of gold.
Recovery
of Gold and Maintenance:
Never dump alkaline or acid solutions into the recovery
system. This system is not designed to recover dissolved gold from cyanide
solutions and acid solutions (like pickling and investment remover solutions).
In addition, these solutions will damage the pump and void the warrantee on the
pump. For information regarding this kind of recovery, consult the
Precious Metals Recovery web page.
How often you recover gold and perform maintenance on your
recovery system will depend upon your use of the system and your preferences. We
provide you with recommendations based upon average use. You should use these
recommendations as a guide but tailor the recovery and maintenance to your
particular needs.
Once a week, remove the filtermesh bag, turn it inside out and
brush out the particles of gold, the gems and the debris. Leaving the bag inside
out, restore it to the cap and put the cap back on the tank.
We recommend replacing the filter cartridge (inside the filter
chamber) once a month or more often if you find that it backs up because it
becomes clogged. It is unusual to need to replace it more than once per 2 weeks.
To remove and replace the filter cartridge, first disconnect
the hoses that are attached to the filter chamber. Remove the filter chamber
from the tank and unscrew the chamber's cover. The filter cartridge slips right
out. Put a new filter cartridge in the chamber and replace the chamber in the
tank. The old filter cartridge should not be discarded. It is laden with gold
impregnated polishing compound. Put this with your paper sweeps to be refined.
We recommend, though it is not essential, that you recover the
gold laden polishing compound that has settled to the bottom of your tank
whenever you change the filter cartridge. To do this, first remove the tank's
cover by slipping a flat head screwdriver between the lid and the tank and
prying up. The lid will pop off very easily. Don't worry about any slight
distortion that may have resulted from this prying. It'll return to its original
shape. If there is polishing compound floating suspended in the tank water, give
it a few minutes to settle and then pour off the water. Wipe the compound out of
the bottom with a paper towel or allow the compound to dry overnight or over a
weekend and then wipe out the caked rouge.
To turn the caked polishing compound into a button of metal
consult Shor's
refining instructions for this material.
We strongly recommend washing any rouge that may have
accumulated on the pump whenever you replace the filter cartridge or recover the
gold laden polishing compound from the bottom of the tank. Keeping the pump
clean will insure that the float switch does not stick and the pumps impeller
does not clog. A sticking float switch and/or clogged impeller could result in
overflow of the tank or damage to the pump.
Give the pump (especially the pump's float switch) a rinse
with tap water at least once a month. If you not using a brick or similar
standoff to raise the pump off the bottom of the tank, we recommend rinsing the
pump more often-- at least once per week.
Troubleshooting:
In the unlikely event that you have a problem with this
recovery system, that problem will be overflow (the inability of the pump to
move water out of the tank as fast as it enters). There are several possible
causes of an overflow problem:
- Too much water-- if using a sink with more than
one faucet, the standard pump is too small. Larger pumps are available from
Shor (call
914-667-1100).
- Filter cartridge clogged-- remove and replace the
filter cartridge with a new one. This should be done routinely at least once
per month.
- Float switch stuck-- rinse the pump and its float
switch clean of polishing compound. The pump and float switch should be
rinsed whenever replacing the filter cartridge (at least once a month).
You can significantly reduce the likelihood of the float switch getting
stuck by placing a standoff (like a brick or crucible support) underneath
the pump. If the float switch gets stuck in
the up position, the pump will run continuously without shutting off,
damaging the pump and voiding the warrantee. Regular maintenance is both
very easy and very important.