How many of you guys suck a sponge back, water wash or seattle-bucket wash?? im going to try the seattle bucket wash tomorrow. i'll let you know how i like it. I like water washing but it works a lot better when you put the mess back in the mixer.

suck a sponge...always. Water wash is a wast of time.

I use to use just one sponge.  Then I read on one of the postings here that, "if one is good, then two is better".  I like the idea behind it.  Insert a sponge, suck it past the first elbow, fill the tip elbow with water, insert the second sponge, raise boom up and suck the sponges back....very slowly, tap until the ping sound.....if you suck back slowly, you can actually hear the first sponge and then the second one pass.....I haven't had a bad prime beginning the next day since doing this method, for two years now.  I think the reason is my pipes are squeaky clean.  The sponge-water-sponge method gets the pipes really clean, and also the prime method I learned from this website. 

Fill the hopper, pump forward slowly until the concrete is almost to the prime port (bout a stroke and a little bit more), put water into the prime port ahead of the concrete, begin pumping medium speed/volume.  I don't use any slurry, bentonite clay, or anything else.

As most everyone knows, it's Seattle bucket for me. Sponge is a pain in the a** - not very clean, 2 sponges, double pain in the a**. Water washing takes too long. I know some like to take as much time as possible to clean out (more hrs) but I like to get to the washout pit ASAP. I also NEVER have a problem priming out. I have taken elbows off just to see how clean the system was. There's nothing left. It couldn't get any cleaner.

water wash is the only way to go.  Our concrete is too sticky and rocky and that dam sponge always gets stuck.

I suck a sponge, I put the volume control at the lowest setting and bump the rpm until the pump engages this way the pump is stroking in reverse as slow as possible, I put my sponge in a plastic grocery bag and stuff it in the end of the 5inch tip hose. I tap on the deck pipe when it rings I let the pump stroke twice and the sponge is always in the transition elbow when i break the ass end apart. I use this method everyday on my 55m. and never ever have had a problem priming out the next day.

To prime out I throw 2 shovels of sand in the bottom of the hopper and then fill the hopper till the water covers the cylinder ports then shift the rock valve once. I tell the mixer driver to start discharging, as soon as the mud hits the shoot I start the pump and dont turn it off till good concrete comes out the end of the hose. I have used this method for the last 10 years and never had a problem..

Jeff

My company has been sucking one 6" Soft Sponge back for 25 years now.  from a 28m to 52m and everything in between.  Won't say never had a problem, but they are very few and far between. I have used a square sponge elsewhere and they seem to work the same.  There is never any concrete in our booms when we take the elbows off.

I use a soft ball first then if space allows i will invert my hose fill it with water then put a sponge in I listen at the tip hose for the echo, then tap my pipe to make double sure, of course everyone does things different, it is only when you get in a hurry or take short cuts that you start to encounter problems, a minute save today could cost you hours tomorrow.

I used the bucket wash method today. I must say it was too easy. It left  very little mess when i washed out. the only problem was the left over water in the bucket. luckily the guys on my first job needed some water so it worked out perfect, the second job i just left it on my truck.

Hello

The company I work for now water washs and the owner showed me how he does it pump down the hopper to near the bottom and then fill your hopper to the bottom of the rubber around your hopper. A FRAME IT dont do it in a Z it wont work.

 Depending on the mud if it is stiff you will have to pump it 6 strokes and let it drain when you see the water come out stroke it back on full till you see the water bubbling or hear it I am new to water washing but this works great my wash time is down  by 15 minutes.

Now I was told when my boss first tried this it came at a price he had to open pipe for 3 days but he has been doing this now for yrs and has it down to an art. The pipe is clean and a way to tell if you have some still in the lines is if you see more than a hand full of stones in the elbow when you break it open to clean it but so far so good and we have sponges just in case. I know this works well up to a 40m pump anything larger I dont know...

I know (crazy) people that water wash every day .......... for years with a 52m and no problem. Go figure?????

from a dedicated sponge/water/sponge man - Bob

thats me, sponge-water-sponge, then suck.....and move on to the wash out area, or back to the yard to wash out....

I know a guy who water washes his 58m every day,no problem. I do it if  it's convienient, otherwise I just suck a sponge. Once in great while i'll suck a sponge back a couple strokes, put my water blow out cap on, put about 30 seconds worth of water in, stand it up and suck er' back. Just as clean as water washing.

Water washing is okay if the mixer will let you put your tip hose in his truck. the reason i like the "seattle bucket wash" then suck a sponge back is that it leaves nothing on the job site except in the wash-out area.

I've heard of it,but exactly how is done? I'm always looking for a better way.

This subject seems to come around about the time the post with the instructions on how to do it falls off the end of the thread list.

Maybe Todd will add it back on?

hell every chance i get ill w/wash my 41m never had problem but some days ill suck a ball