Ive never heard of that ive always sucked back a sponge with 5 gallaons of water do you guys just suck back a bunch of water  with no sponge???

No, you pump your hopper down like you would do normally, then you fill your hopper all the way with water, then pump in forward until you get water out the end of your hose, throw it in reverse and wait until your sucking air in your hopper, youll know when you are. It makes washing out alittle easier as you will only have water and rocks. If you have any doubt you didnt get the system clean when doing this just throw a ball in, cheap insurance. Dont be suprised if you get a little rock when you do tho. Its always a good idea to tap your deck pipe with a hammer very lightly, if you get a thud you know its not clean, if you get a ping your golden. let us know how it goes

No, a water wash is when you fill your hopper with enough water to pump through the boom, when the concrete turns to water , throw it in reverse FULL VOLUME. Whoever said faster was better, good advice.

Like dickie said sucka ball back for ins. I always do even if I know its clean.

But the sucking alot of water back only, thats a SEATTLE BUCKET WASH..

hey pm they forgot to tell u to turn off the agitator and vibrator if u dont the concrete will seperate and u will plug up. also u much be A framed. if u have a z boom A frame it and dont water wash flat out.  if u were to water wash a big boom then u do more than one hopper. it is not as simple as fill ur hopper and pump the water through.

dont just pump foward untell it pops and fill with water ! that will rock pack and mabey even hurt some one! the right way to water wash is pump foward untell it pops, a the boom nice  and tight, drop the hopper and wash it clean and closeit up and fill to the brim, pumpfoward fast tell it pops and fill once more, pump foward fast untell it pops and pump in reverse untell u get air open back and pump foward w/ open .   your real clean no worrys

I water wash pretty much on every job. It makes it so i can put the left over where i want it. Just count your strokes, if you keep pumping till you see water you will "rock" yourself out for sure. With a  39m i'll fill the hopper and take 1 stroke forward then fill it to the top. Take 5 strokes forward or until you're about to suck air and throw it in reverse at wide open volume. The water will slowly come out.

ive never had problem with pumping out compleatly on the first hopper, as long as u have a full colume of water be hinde the mud in the the pipe and u dont mix it up with whats in the pipe already and u got the boom a'd up nice n tite the mud just falls and out the tip

Just keep sucking on that sponge. It's faster and safer. Water washing just is not worth it.

have you ever tried to suck a sponge with a flapper valve?

Thommy: That one is not gonna happen!! Unless you use air ! We use to air charge our 2001 ! Sponge in ,air blowout on, pump in reverse ! When the air pops in the hopper, you're done! We also waterwashed!! But with a Thompsen YA GOTTA PUT THE AGITATOR IN REVERSE FIRST!!!!!!

Given the option, I will "Seattle Bucket wash. Down here in florida, (expecialy in middle of summer) after finishing the tail end of big pour where patio's breeze-way etc. are be-ing pour at a slow pace and mud is hot sucking back that water makes my clean out easier.  I always have a barrel filled during the pour and ready.  It takes NO extra time. If I have acouple minutes and a place to blow mud and the water Ill water wash with regular method, i have a long rock and if i fill the hopper there is plenty of water to blow the boom. unlike other who count or reverse as soon as get water i stroke till she blows air several times before reversing. this really makes clean out simple but  takes a lot of water..

The seattle wash- after sucking back I wouldf rather deal with sand pack in hopper than set up mud when its 90+ and mud was 2 hours old..  And IF your in the right conditions open the bottom of the hopper and dump while reversing.. then you realy dont have anything to deal with.. did I just say that?

Not sure my method is called but this seems to work really well.  You first pump down hopper like you would when sucking ball, then arch the hose in a u shape.  Add about 10 to 20 gal. of water insert ball then pull back slowly.  Works very well.  The amount of water is not that important, an operator that has to change everything does same method with about 2 gals of water, and as painful as it is for me to say same result.  VERY CLEAN PIPES with nothing in them.  He said you don't need all that water.  He was right damn it.  If anyone knows what this method is called let me know please?

LOL. Rockhard Your way is ok LOL Just to much work. I been water washinh for 40 years now, And yes you can water wash a thomson. I learnd on a 74o. And I even ran the first 2001 ever built. That was a pile of shit LOL. the 90 on the boom were shape like a ? they had to be 6 feet long stright out flat LOL. The only thing i would add is to make sure your deck pipe is running back words, You wouldn't want to water wash on a down hill slop. I water wash a 63 meter. 2 hoppers . Rich  PS I Hate to suck back a ball.