A Costly Scam: Rick Ness Loses $150,000 on a Faulty Pump – Can He Turn the Tide?
Rick Ness has been working tirelessly this season on Gold Rush to get his mining operation up and running. In a bold move, he sold everything to invest in a $150,000 12-inch pump for Monster Red, believing it was the key to achieving his ambitious goals. However, there was one major problem—he had purchased the wrong pump.
At Duncan Creek, Rick NES and his crew are ready to jumpstart their season and catch their first gold from Rally Valley. With 5,000 yards of pay stockpiled after weeks of early delays, the anticipation is high.
“We’re spending a lot of money right now trying to get this pay out,” Rick admits. “I know I need to fire up Monster Red as soon as possible to start putting money in the bank.”
Despite the stockpile, Rick’s operation hinges on a critical piece of equipment—a massive 12-inch pump, which he invested $150,000 into to bring his wash plant, Monster Red, to life. “This is the heart of the operation,” Rick says as the pump arrives on site. “It’s a beauty. This pump could be the Ferrari of my garage, but out here, it’s what keeps the operation running.”
This pump is no ordinary addition to Rick’s setup. Capable of processing 300 yards of dirt an hour, it has the potential to revolutionize his gold recovery operation. “Actually, we could probably run two plants at once with this thing,” Rick speculates. However, with his water license for next year still uncertain, time is of the essence.
“At the moment, our 1,500-ounce gold goal seems a long way off,” Rick concedes. “We need to process as much gold as we can, just in case this is our last chance at Duncan Creek.”
The arrival of the pump also brings a sense of urgency. “We need to get our asses in gear, get this hooked up, start running that pile, and actually start putting some gold in the box,” says Buzz, who built a custom reducer to connect the 12-inch pump to Rick’s 10-inch suction line.
“The piece I built goes from 12 inches down to 10 inches. Put it in place, and she’s ready to rock and roll.” The pressure is on for Rick, as the pump is a significant investment that must pay off quickly.
“We’ve got to make that up in gold just to pay off this pump,” Rick acknowledges. To break even, he needs to pull in at least 6 ounces of gold during the first week of running.
As the crew finalizes the setup, Rick supervises closely. “Can it move a quarter-inch your way? This way about 3 inches. That’s it,” he says as the suction line is secured.
Finally, the moment arrives to fire up the pump. “I’m so excited,” Rick exclaims. With the system primed and ready, the pump roars to life, and water begins flowing toward Monster Red. The team is energized as they see the water moving, but the excitement is short-lived.
“We’ve got no water anywhere,” Rick says, frustration creeping into his voice. “That is scaring me. Where’s the water?”
With so much riding on the pump, the unexpected issue is a gut punch for Rick and his team. The race to resolve the water flow problem is now critical, as every minute of downtime eats into their chances of hitting their ambitious gold goal.
“We got no water anywhere,” Rick said, clearly frustrated. “That is scaring me. Where’s the water going?”
The crew quickly shifted into troubleshooting mode, suspecting a blockage at the source. “There might be something plugging up our intake,” Rick explained. “We’re going to go lift the suction basket and start at the source before we get all goofy up here.”
Their investigation uncovered a serious issue—cracks in the weld of the pump’s connection to the intake hose. The custom reducer, built by crew member Buzz to transition the pump from 12 inches to a 10-inch suction line, had failed under pressure.
“That’s where we’re sucking air in,” Buzz pointed out. “Now that you’ve got water to it, it’s completely leaking everywhere. This whole piece is cracked.”
The cracks created an airlock, preventing the pump from drawing water. “It’s like a straw with holes in it,” Buzz explained. The solution was to weld the cracks shut and seal the intake line to stop air from entering and allow the pump to function properly.
While the setback delayed their operation, Buzz remained optimistic. “This is easy to weld. This is not a big deal,” he assured the team. Rick, however, admitted he had been nervous. “I knew I didn’t have a reason to be, but I couldn’t think of anything else,” he said.
With Buzz leading the repair, the team moved quickly to resolve the issue. “So far, it’s looking pretty good,” Buzz remarked as the weld was completed. He emphasized the importance of patience. “We just need to let this thing cool naturally before we start running freezing cold water through it; otherwise, it’ll definitely fracture again.”
Once the weld cooled, the crew prepared to restart the pump. Optimism filled the air as they got ready to fire it back up and finally get water flowing to Monster Red. With time ticking away, every moment counted in Rick’s quest to hit his ambitious 1,500-ounce gold goal for the season.
The moment of truth came as the pump roared back to life. “I hear water,” Rick exclaimed, a spark of excitement breaking through the tension. But the celebration was short-lived. Despite running the pump at 1,400 RPM, the water flow to the plant was far below the 3,500 gallons per minute required for Monster Red to function properly.
Frustrated and confused, Rick expressed his disbelief. “I could piss more water than that,” he remarked. The crew immediately began inspecting the system for the cause of the inadequate flow. Their investigation led to a significant discovery—a pinched section in the intake hose caused by a temporary repair from the previous season.
“Oh, that’s a big hole,” mechanic Ryan pointed out, emphasizing the severity of the damage. The compromised hose collapsed under suction, drastically reducing the water flow. “Actually, you can see through it,” Rick added, highlighting the urgency of the situation.
To fix the problem, the crew decided to cut out the damaged section and re-end the hose, even though it would cost them 4 feet of length. “We just cut the bad part of the hose out that was collapsing under suction,” Ryan explained as they worked to reposition the hose in the water.
Despite the team’s hard work, the repaired system still failed to deliver sufficient water. Rick, visibly discouraged, struggled to understand the root cause of the problem. “Where is the hang-up? What am I missing?” he wondered aloud.
With no obstructions in the intake and the pump in perfect working order, the crew faced an unresolved mystery. The stakes couldn’t be higher. No water means no gold, and Rick’s entire season depends on getting Monster Red running at full capacity.
As the delays mount, Rick and his crew remained determined to find a solution. “We figure it out,” Rick assured himself, his resolve unshaken despite the mounting frustrations.
The pressure is on as the team battles time and equipment failures, hoping to turn setbacks into success.
