I  no waterwashing,isn't the best way ,but i still want too know how to do it properly;I HAVE A ELBA 32M RS2000 S-TUBE WHAT IS THE, WATERWASHING PROCEDURE.???? plz!

everybody has there own way of waterwashing I run a s61sx I usually scrape the ready mix's shute perfect. then pump the hopper all the way down to where it about to suck air, then turn the agitators off put the water hose in the hopper towards the sides so it's not going straight down towards the barrels which depending on your water hose pressure like a fire hose could cause seperation between the rock and sand. once my hopper is full of water I turn the throttle to about half way maybe a little more and my pump speed 3/4 so on my pump it's at about 1500 r.p.m's and on 7 on the remote, then I usually give it three strokes just enough to get my barrels full of water and a little in the line. you also want to make sure the truck is jacked up in the front a little bit so you have a slope on the pipe angel if you don't and the truck is level it could cause seperation and you want your boom A framed. Then fill your hopper up again and pump it all the way down I usually let it suck air one time then I turn the strokes all the way up and throw it in reverse till I see bubbles coming up in the hopper and the hopper is full of water you know your boom is clean then I usually tap on the deck pipe with a hammer to see if theres anything in it, there never is but I just do this to make sure. Just remember every pump is different and every operator has there own way of doing it this is my way of doing it and I do it this way on every pump I run from a 23 meter to my 61. you also want to make sure you cover your hopper with something like your tarp or a piece of plywood that sits down on top of the grate because if you dont concrete and water goes everywhere

   Where do you get all of your water?Once you water wash what is left in your hopper?What happens if you can't A-frame the boom?

Pump your hopper down until you suck air. SHUT OFF vibrator and aggitator! so you dont rock pack. Fill your hopper all the way up. With a 32 thats all you need, if you were to run something bigger then you would want to take a couple strokes and top it off again so you have enough water to get through the boom. I pump at 3/4 volume when I see water out of the tip hose throw it in reverse and turn the volume all the way up, and wait for bubbles in the hopper. If you've never done this before I would recommend sucking a ball when your done as cheap insurance, but always lightly tap your pipe and listen for a ping!

Then if you have to hurry to another job you can use this to prime with. Take a couple strokes in reverse to loosen everything up, have the mixer roll the mud all the way to the top and then stop him. Start pumping and just before you get to your cylinders have the driver in discharge as fast as he can. If hes not fast enough he'll know it by the explosion of water lol.

anyways hope this helps, everyone has their own way. take some here and there and make it your own.

ya better be real stinkin carefull if you are water washing without pulling your tip hose off. I have seen the explosive hose whip that the rubber can do. I personally suck a bucket back, have done it on putz and schwings. It's safer and a whole lot less mess on the ground. plus ya don't have the chance of rocking out your deck pipe. They both get the boom clean but everything I have ever learned is get the rubber off the boom if ya wanna water wash.

I never even tried to water wash. No guts. But I do have a question.

Can you use water out of the mixer drum? Have him load it up and let it fly or is that water too funky to use?

Bob

I would never try doing this because you have a good chance of rock coming down the chute from the end of the load then say the driver only has 30 gallons or even 120 you have a big chance of rock packing your boom I wouldn't even take that chance. Thats why I always clean the chute down perfect before I pump the hopper down just so I don't have that chance of rock packin my boom before the driver washes out in to me.

You could Take the hose off the boom but unless you have the hose stuck in the ready-mix too far in the concrete theres a rare chance that you'll plug up I've been running a pump for six years and have had this happen to me two times, and make sure before you put your pump in reverse that you pull the boom up to where you can see about 5 ft of your hose out of the truck.

Another thing you want to make sure of is that all of the ass end is tight and is not to worn out to wear when you pump the water forward the water all comes back in to your hopper for instance your kidney seal, mirror plate, e.t.c,

bob thats the quickest way if you empty out the last truck you might get some stone at the end but whats a little stone to 100 gal of water

I usually only water wash when I have an empty mixer at the end of the job. We have our ready mix drivers trained  well so everything works very quickly and efficiently when the mixers fill their drums with water and pour into the pump. How do you all fill your hoppers with water if you don't fill the ready mix truck drums with water?

Thanks for the info. I just couldn't get my mind around the idea of filling up the hopper with the water hose. ;~)

THANK YOU GUYS,SHOULD I SUCK BACK THE LAST OF MY LOAD AND WET IT A LITTLE BEFORE PUMPING MY HOPPER DOWN?

I've only water washed when I was in a bind.What is the upside rather than sucking a pig? 20 years and I've never seen the need for it,just seems with water consevation and the stormwater concerns what they are that it wouldn't be a very practical way to do it,not dogging on anyone just saying I've never seen the need  

  To me there seems too many variables in a water wash,of course it would be very helpful in an emergency situation.The point of sticking the hose back in the drum,what happens if you can't.If a driver won't let you put the hose back in his drum,as far as water on a jobsite,not all the time.Most of the jobsites are not the perfect situation to water wash,say that you have houses on either side,like 10 feet away,where does all this aqua go?I use a pig,and my clean-up gear is always ready,no need to depend on anyone but myself,when the pour is finished I stuff a pig,fold up,dump it on the ground.As far as environmental issues, the ready mix truck has to discharge his drum somewhere.I have cleaned a few "problem" booms with water,yes it worked good,but if the spectacle plate and ring are not 100%,problems can occur.

Hi guys I'm new to this game, we run a 15m and 29m vacumn squeeze pumps here in NZ and we use water, we usually empty hopper out of concrete put sponge up intake full hopper with water and push conc out either on site or into the back of the mixer truck sponges are cheep but the drivers usualy catch up and give them back,we replace them after 5-8 times other wise you get water going past and :(

worst case when we are in a built up residential area we cup the end of the reducer or hose and go back to the concrete supplier and pump out there,max you can travel is about 8ks other wise it settles in tubes:(

and priming - ok with the 15m you have to go flat out or you get the washed out blockages but never with 29 you are just asking for trouble

I have water washed flat stick in a 61sx before. I didnt like it so Isucked a ball just to be on the safe side.

I'm new to this site and to the whole pumping business as well. I read this article a couple of weeks ago and decided to give this a try. Unfortunately the PM I operate didn't appreciate this new concept ( or I messed up...go figure ) and at 5:00 on a friday decided that jamming my pipes was a far better idea. To make a long story short after removing half of the pipes on my 36 and a long 5 hour ordeal, I think it will be some time before I try water washing again. The sponge ball works well for me and it is going to for quite some time.