A Good Generator is Worth its Weight in Gold to Gold Miners

There is a popular TV show that follows the fate of gold miners in the Alaskan wilderness as they hung gold through the summer months. Gold mining in Alaska requires incredible amounts of machines and manpower. Digging through several feet of frozen mud is a monumental task that only the largest most powerful bulldozers are capable of. After the dirt and the rocks have been pried from the ground they then have to be processed in a machine in a sluice box that separates the dirt from the gold. Besides massive bulldozers and backhoes the most important tool is the generator that powers the machines the sluice boxes. Without the automated ability to process tons and tons of dirt gold mining would be essentially futile. In the middle of the Alaskan wilderness there are essentially zero support systems other than the small town and the once a month fuel drops. A reliable, powerful generator is worth everything to the gold mining process.

When the sluice box stats a load of dirt and rocks is poured into the first section that weeds out the largest material like boulders and large rocks requires a constant stream of water. This is another invaluable reason to have the best generator you can find. Pumping water from a pond or river requires a powerfully water pump which requires a generator to keep it running. Not having enough water makes the gold and dirt separation process nearly impossible. A consistent clean water supply is absolutely critical. A generator that can reliably power a water pump makes a huge difference for gold mining in Alaska.

Besides the mining equipment and water pump the actually living quarters that the miners sleep in can require basic electricity needs. A generator not only makes mining possible it makes living at the mine possible. Having a great quality generator is the insurance policy for miners in Alaska. Electricity can power cooking stoves, basic water and recharge batteries on walkie-talkies or cell phones. If you cannot produce electricity while mining in the Alaskan mountains then you are running a serious risk. The machines that do the heavy lifting and sorting are a miner’s only source of income. Without machines running properly no gold can be sorted or found.

Often times the electricity being created comes from either an industrial size diesel generator. Fuel for the generator is brought in by truck on a set monthly schedule. The diesel fuel is obviously highly important to the operation, but the generator that requires the fuel cannot let down the mine or the miners. That includes the generators that help the water pumps. A steady supply of clean water is pivotal for separating the dirt from the gold. Gold is heavier than dirt so when water is washing over the dirt the gold sinks down into specially designed ripples that catch the heavier gold particles as the lighter dirt and mud slides over the ripples and out of the process. After the gold has been collected other machines are utilized to separate the gold and dirt more finely leaving the miners with pure gold.