I need some advice for priming uphill. 3/4" to 1" 6sk mix. 3" hose, line pump. When I tried to prime my usual way, I only got about 50', the rest of the way I had to prime 1 stick at a time. I used portland, no ball ahead of mud. It seems like when the mix started its way uphill, the prime slid back into the mud and seperated the mix. Once I got up the hill all was fine. Should I seperate the mud and the prime with a ball/sponge/empty cement bag or something. If I did that placing the ball behind the prime and in front of the mud wouldn't the ball "wipe" all the prime off before the mud got through. I thought about mixing the prime thicker so it wouldn't run back and "filter" through the mix and seperate.

Have some more uphills coming soon, Please help.

Redman1, I noticed you operate a smaller schwing. not a good idea to seperate the prime and mud I would mix prime thicker 1/2 bucket of water the rest portland. Prime with volume control wide open.

if im going up hill and not reducing i put 2 bags of cement with 30 to 40 litres of water, make it as thick but still creamy as i can, in the past ive had to wait for the prime to slide down the pipe to get the rest in, might sound wrong but it didnt plug on me, going down hill is when you need your ball, chasing the hare if i remember right,  they call it!! if im going 100 mtres or 30 mtres, 2 and a half inch or four inch line i still use 2 bags of cement. hope that helps you.

I have gotten so sick of bad line prime outs that I now slick the line once before priming. The last two times after a pre slick I put a ball of insulation at the  beginning of the 3" system. It has worked well. I HATE PLUGGING!

I personally like products such as slick pack or it's counterparts,available on right sidebar.

What is the consensus on putting slick pack into a floor. Guys here say if it gets to the surface it finishes out hard? This is why I  use the Portland cement for priming on floors. If it is not a floor I do use the snot.

Here in Texas we get the customer to order grout, we add water to it on site for for thickness,but to prime uphill I will use two to three 10 gal buckets with two slick pack each and pour in it form end going back toward the pump, fill the hopper with grout,and pump with the volume half open, of course we mostly use 5 inch to 4 inch pipe and hoses, seems to work every time. 

Here for priming, Line pours = grout +,- water depending on distance. Boom priming Bentonite great stuff, One large coffee cup any amount of water, doesn't seperate concrete, will not affect walls or floor finish's, $23.00 50lb bag... cost $.85 to prime a pump charge $20.00...Get a bad load of mud, mix it in the hopper as you go it will get the load through..

I carry primer packs with the trucks for the just in case senario's The guy's won't use them anymore. unless they have to..$3.00/ pack.

I use 1 half sack of cement plus  about half bag of slick pack to help thicken it up right before priming.

Royal Concrete Pumps bentonite is dirt

it is not cool to put it in concrete structures

Bentonite is an absorbent aluminium phyllosilicate generally impure clay consisting mostly of montmorillonite. There are a few types of bentonites and their names depend on the dominant elements, such as K, Na, Ca, and Al. As noted in several places in the geologic literature, there are some nomenclatorial problems with the classification of bentonite clays. Bentonite usually forms from weathering of volcanic ash, most often in the presence of water. However, the term bentonite, as well as a similar clay called tonstein, have been used for clay beds of uncertain origin. For industrial purposes, two main classes of bentonite exist: sodium and calcium bentonite. In stratigraphy and tephrochronology, completely devitrified (weathered volcanic glass) ash-fall beds are commonly referred to as K-bentonites when the dominant clay species is illite. Other common clay species, and sometimes dominant, are montmorillinite and kaolinite. Kaolinite dominated clays are commonly referred to as tonsteins and are typically associated with coal.

prime each piece of hose before you hook it up or dump it down the tip and bust a clamp twards the pump to see how far the primer made it. run the pump say half speed so the mud does not come to a complete stop between shifts. but all in all if the driver feeds me a 5 inch slump it is boney and plugs but if it is a 6.5 inch slump it is not problem or if there is a plug like allways at the tip the plug is easier to clear at the wetter slump. primer, slump and pump speed.  

Hey: My "BEST" primer consists of Home Depot mortar mix & powdered bentonite! Its an "OUTSIDE" primer ,but it replaces the three key elements lost during prime-out, water, sand,& slurry! A 1lb coffee can of bentonite mixed in two 5 gal buckets with 5 cans each of mortar mix will usually prime out 200' of 3" hose! I've also used the insulation pig and it works well ,and goes away easily

here is a trick idea that i have done a few times. put what ever type of primer in each hose seperatly, when you clamp each hose together put a plastic grocery bag around the end of the hose before you clamp it. this will keep a little primer in each hose. when you prime it will break thru each bag insuring that you alway have primer in each hose the whole way. try it it works great.

Bob,

It only goes in WITH the concrete when it is absolutely no other option. The supplier told me that it will not affect strength or curing time. Please remember it is a cup not the 50lb bag.

If it came between the pump plugging up or a bag of ben. I'm not worried about the concrete quality(customer is alway's asked before it goes anywhere near there finished product). PUMP COMES FIRST!.If they can't supply a spot for priming that is there choice. It will be there problem.

When you in the middle of a congested area with obstacles everywhere We have primed back in to the ready-mix truck. They don't care That's why we have to do this.

Thanks for all the advice. Primed all the way out today no problem. Mixed my portland a little thicker. I think the mix also had a water reducing chemical in it. Tetra-gaurd? Anyways pumped smooth and cleaned up real nice. I will be sure to try some of the other priming techniques next time I think I will have a problem gettin her out the other end.

Royal Concrete Pumps

Yea, I know how it goes. We do what it takes to get the job done.

I worked for a company that had 2 barrels on the wash-rack that had pre mixed bentonite in them. It was nice; scoop out a 5gal bucket of it and throw it in the hopper and go. That all went very well until the day an operator did his bentonite prime out into a column. When they stripped the column the next day part of the mud just slumped out on the ground. Needless to say we had to buy the column.............. and that was all of the nice bentonite prime. All it took was one guy, one time to squash that program for us all.

Nuff said.  ;~)

For pure distance and as close to a guarantee as you can get Masonary Cement mix is the best. It is like the energizer bunny; it keeps going and going and going

hey man im new here but goto home depot and get 2 or so bags of spec mix add water and send it put aout 10 gallons ahead of it then the pec mix it has sand and cement . so when you start off you get slurry in the hose ahead of the concrete . depending on how far you go is how much you use 1-90# bag about 150 feet

Guys ! If your on a big job just order slurry like one other person said, But you sound like your just doing small home jobs? Yes Bentonite is a out side prime. Just tell them that and move on LOL It only takes a few cups in a five gallon buket. Put in your hopper with water . About 20 gallons and run your pump in revise to mix it up. U don't want a thick prim. Back your load up. Turn the pump up ! Pump the prim down and fill it up and go like hell.