What do you think??? i don't like it Thats where you pump the hopper down fill up with water take 2 strokes fill up again put tip hose in mixer pump till you see water a put in reverse What happen to contractor has a place to clean out.I rather do the ball thing What do you think???

works great its the only way to wash out the pipe line and make for easy and quick wash of hopper.

Word to the wise - never, ever do that with the tip hose on.  Take the whip off, and put the reducer down in there because if you get a soft plug, then that whip will flop out of the hopper and spray every single object within a 100' radius.  99.9% of the time this will not happen, but if this is your career, then it will happen sometime before you retire.  And one time is way too many. 

Other than that, there's no problem with cleaning it this way, do it every job in my opinion.  Fewer jobsite messes, and epa complaints. 

Also, I've never seen a boom where you had to take those first two strokes, then fill up with water again.  Every hopper I've seen has a large enough volume to blow the boom with one fill.  Just unneccesarily risking a plug.

That's how i waterwash a 61m.

to each his own.  if its safe and it works, why not?

thx for the safty tip cp1 :)

i have never water washed.  maybe one day in an open field with a roll n fold i'll work up the guts to try...

man that is a rock pack situation for sure suck a ball back slow or 2 like i do and it is all clean

Huh?Sounds like a everyday H2o wash.

water washing is good in the right situations and if you do it the same way everytime.  A lot of jobs just can't accomodate a washout such as a finished subdivision and you just have to deal with it.  If I am in an area where I can't wash out and may have to travel for up to an hour to my washout spot; I would rather have a hopper full of cool water than a hopper full of hot concrete.  I don't recall ever having to chip water.  I do this all the time and it has never failed me.

The tip hose can come out of the drum if you don't stick it far enough in the mixer.After you let the water drain & before you reverse the pump don't bring your hose all the way out but bring it back far enough so you don't suck back concrete thats in the drum.

water washing here is out of the question, the mixes seg too much good luck ppl

I have been water washing now over 37 years, Only 1 hopper will do up to 42 meter. Its inportent to get water over the top on the first hopper. Putting 2 strokes in and refilling the hopper was needed water wash pumps bigger.  I will say i do it even on 36 meters. You are ok to do this as long as you don't push water in to the turret.  If you need more info? Just email me.

Im really trying to understand the concept of water washing , im always looking for new things ...

I dont think it would work here most of the mixer drivers wont let you put the boom neer there mixer.

Personally if im looking for a no mess job witch is pretty much all the work i do , I pump the hopper low into the job then suck the sponge back then lay the tip hose down, fill the hose up with water and suck back again , it helps alot with the washout there is no mess at all and if you have to leave with your hopper full throw a two kg bag of sugar in your hose before you fill it with water , the sugar will give you ample time to get from point A to point B ...

Nothing is an absolute on this subject.For the most part every operator,local,rules dictate cleanout.If one is inept enough to watch the pump speed and the way the boom acts when doing it's pretty much trouble free.

I used the water wash the old thompsons all the time but had a phobia about rock valves.I learned from a west coast operator (thanks Vince) and learned allot of tricks.One was how wash a almost flat boom 52m rock,came in handy.

If one is unsure wait till you have experience by your side.Yes some places the mixes are terrible,one day maybe the plants will understand these are concrete pumps,not rock crushers.

Many, explain how you can wash out a flatsticked 52m? Just for curiosity. I've done it with a 36m a few times and a 42m once.

It's never perfectly flat,but no biggy.The standard 2 strokes and full hopper.Once I get it moving I always slowed it down,you get the feel after a few times of when to expect water out.When water hits,full reverse,throttle,main up 3-4 in.Never stop the movement,forward - reverse.Remember 3 and 4 always take care of themselves,deck,1 and 2 is where you get into trouble.

Everyone always teaches A Frame,a good choice.Most but not all operators are stuck on one way.Fortunatly I had a great teacher off the west coast.As you said,you have done it,just a smaller boom.I ain't sceeerrrt

I guess it does depend on where you are.In SoCal it's almost expected of you to water wash.In a years time I might suck a ball 2 or three times.

never had a mixer driver let me wash in the drum

Yes thats right. u can water wash with the boom out flat. Its not often u have to. But now and then. You can do it like he said 2 strokes and refill the hope. BUT If u can run one more hopper though if you can. Ether way it works, BUT DO NOT REIVERS the pump until u have 1 & 2 up and 3 & 4 down. and only them!!!  The biggest boom i ever did that with was a 52, You could do as big as u want. AS LONG as u have a big water hose :)

water washing beats the alternative "beatin pipe"

I didn't know water washing  was the last option for so many peaple.

 Snarf 

The end justifies the means.If I don't teach and help others than i'm just as guilty.

My Best

could some one video this water washing and put it on here ...

 You might as well be speaking chinese to each other because you're all in different areas, Different place=different mix. Areas with manufactured materials and nasty angular crushed rock crap, water wash'n is out of the question. Other areas you can water wash everyday and suck'n a ball is last resort. Hell I suck a 40 gal. bucket of water back where I am but I would'nt try it elsewhere.  

Rusty22  What's it like when 175,000 lb rig gets stuck? 70M boom in the wind?