today I had 36 ft off rubber off the tip rock block in the reducer i was back to pumping in 10 min. i used slik pac II no grout, ive had up to 60 ft and no issue sometimes works sometimes doesnt just curious on different ways to prime the rubber i take 5gal of water to soak the hose but doesnt always work im looking for ideas if anybody has any i would appreciate it.I know grout always works but sometimes you must do w/o it

....line pumping is an art....

I always just fill the hopper up a little more before  the prime like instead of half way up the cylinders cover them up then prime out all the water ahead of the mud stop then hook your hose up and that wet stuff you usually put on the ground should slide right thru ive done this with about 90'

ok bis that really doesnt help me i know about line pumping i just want some input on how others prime with a little line on past the boom any thing more than 40ft i usually use grout i know that i dont know everything ive only been pumping 4 about 8yrs so help me out a little

I use bentonite mix a little up in a 5 gal bucket pour some in your hose then stick your sponge in the bentonite put it the hose hook up to tip and off you go good stuff and cheap just don't put it in the pour if there is plastic down roll it back shot it under.

Try priming the boom first before hooking up to the system then dump a 5gal bucket of water into the system then hook up and pump away. 

I do the same thing as Shrek said. I go ahead and prime out the boom and before i hook up my line, ill take in a 5 gallon bucket of water and pour into the line if its only a few sections. Done it like that for a while now and havent had any problems. But i NEVER argue if the contractor offers to get a yard of grout. lol. I have seen guys take and mix water with dawn dish soap and pour into the systems. i just hadnt ever done it.

Like shrek said prime boom then hook system you can use bentonite bag of dry cement mix with water to a paste i like to use lime mixes better and bag of it is lighter than cement put a bucket under hose about 8 feet down line then poor into hose and hook up to boom pump on

I use bentonite quick jell like ED. Prime the boom first for sure, then dump your primer in the hose and hook up. The benefit of quick jell is its thick, your slick isn't. It runs ahead of your mud and plugs. If you don't have quick jell, mix up something thats as thick as a milk shake. Masonry cement and sand, or even slick with some sand in it or cement to thicken it. it also helps to put a bucket under the hose every 20 feet to keep the slick back.

That line pump stuff is definitely an art!! Not to mention hard ass work!!! If i have a lot of rubber hose (and no grout) my very best route is to prime out the boom, then put a 4" sponge in the line. Then push it down a few feet with my cleanout bar. Then fill the pipe with water/cement mix then connect them vertical (as not to lose your mix) then you're golden. Its a lot of hastle and messy but it never fails.

Sometimes you get a picky bonehead that wants you to get rid of your primer and you need to catch it in a wheelbarrow like this. In that case, you charge for the wheelbarrow rent (round it off to $80) + $2 per step +$50 disposal(out the door) and $80 for the pain in the ass!!!lol 

mudcup- if you are running a 32/36 ? then a bag of slick pak is good for about 40m of line so you have used the bulk of it by the time you get to the end of the boom,  as per cement,50kg for the same. Try adding a little more on a line, if you are using a small bore line then prime it separately ,especially if you got a coarse mix. When using cement to prime ,a couple of shovels of soft /building sand helps a lot in the primer.

It also is affected on what and how you stick the first bit of concrete into the hopper, if it sounds a bit coarse in the mixer, get up and have a look in the back, tip the first blade into a barrow, it may be rougher than the rest of the load. When the concrete hits the hopper push the chute to the side of the hopper where the valve is and use the remixers in reverse to properly mix the first bit off the chute.

After all this sometimes its just not your day and as they say..$hit happens!

 I like to use the type s cement and, I mix in dishwashing liquid. I use 3/4 of a bag to make a pastethen add some more water. I prime through the boom first though and, then hookup after dumping the mix in. The dishwashing soap or hell even any liquid soap, acts as a suspension agent keeping the mortar mix from turning to a clay blob. Also makes your lines smell sunshine fresh.