I have seen plenty of conversations in regards to the best procedure for cleaning out. I understand the safe procedure for cleaning out with air. I am a little fuzzy and how you would correctly do a water washout on a line pump without making a big mesh? 

Would love any input. 

Thanks

honestly to me its less mess than having a big pile of hard concrete at the end of the day , you do push quite a bit of water out but so much it usually washes most cementuous material out the concrete , and usually I only do a water wash on small diameter line jobs , I have had issues with rock packing trying to water wash 4" line and bigger

dump the hopper in a pan. use 2.5 inch hose and wash hook back to the truck. you can break your line 2/3 out and swing it around. grab your tip all double ended and hook it up elevate your coupler as you disconnect to keep the water in the line. quickly roll the sand and water out the one you break off. 

Water washing or pumping out with water only works with ball valve pumps unless you use a sponge .

With a "S" tube or rock valve you: Clean out the hopper fill it with water, stuff a sponge in the hose hook back up and pump until the sponge and water comes out. If you try to water wash or if the water gets by the sponge the water will go through the concrete, segregate and plug the whole system up!! Yep you will be pounding hose for the rest of the day...

have no problems washing with the ball pump. now with the s-tube if we still have concrete in the hopper when we push out that is very common cuz we do not dump the hopper. enough material can go down the line and depending on how much line if i have to stop to get more water, yea could do the rock pack thing. but clearing the line is what we do.

now my friends trick is to suck back the line and slump it like a ten so when he dumps the hose it flows out fast. other wise he has slumped material in the hopper to the next job and uses that slurry to prime out the lines.

if you are paying attention to people that do this all day long, its about time and money.

Actually, it's all about safety. Stick to water for clean out unlenn you're set up correctly for blow out . As in all pipe and contained.

Just started blowing out my line (3") with air last summer.

Wouldn't even think of going back to sponge/water washout.  JMO

I do attach a ball catcher.

Thanks for all the input. I will stick with air for now.  I understand there are those that are dead set against it, and I understand why. I use a blowout cap with a release valve for a quick air dump. I also have a third bung welded onto the cap where I attach a gauge to monitor pressure to be able to dump the air with any pressure spikes. Ball always just falls out the end like butter. I run 2 balls with 5 gallons water between then push with air. 

So I'm not familiar with running two balls. do you pressure the first one then dump your air and insert the other ball then air up again?

I've had ok luck with one ball. but always looking for a better job. Thanks

I run a swing tube and I do both air and water wash depending on the job. If there is adequate water on site and somewhere to wash I will run the hopper down to the top of the bores, fill with water and pump out. Cutting ring must be set correctly though. I'll then fill hopper with water again and push through. I change my hydraulic fluid in the lube box a lot more if I'm water washing though, every 2 weeks, starts getting a bit thick.

Most of the time I suck back to the hopper and drop the concrete into a flexible bin when done. Then i'll blow through the rest of the concrete in the lines into another flexi bin covered with a tarpaulin with air and 2 sponges. Takes a little longer but, easier to control in built up residential areas. No one likes unnecessary clean ups.

What is your air source? Pump truck or outside air compressor? t

I run a little Transcrete P35 alpha with built in compressor. Frame of the trailer is the tank. 

nice feature