Tired of the BS
screemindeemin 06-14-2010
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2 weeks ago I applied for a boom job. The employeer loved my resume and payed for me and my family to come up to there state and run his pumps for my job interveiw. Had fun doing this, got payed, and I knew I had the job in the bag, I have been running pumps for over 10 years, I was the operations manager for a year, it was a slam dunk or I thought it was. The last day I was there one of his guys went out with me to a job and on prime out the pump pluged. No big deal I stuck the boom in the air, sucked it back and went on with my day. The next job I went to the boss took me to  and says that his guy said I just need to learn to prime out wide open 100% volume and I would be good. I told the boss that I did not agree with that statment, and told him if you prime wide open you have less reaction time to catch a plug and have a greater chance of blowing a weak pipe and or wipping the hose and maybe even hurt or kill someone. He said ok and left. A little later his guy calls me and I explane this to him and he says ok and I finish my day. I get back to the shop and the boss pulls me into his office and says he does not need any trouble between his operator and I said "what are you talking about" he tells me his guy called him mad as hell. I told him I was not trying to step on any toes I was just trying to be informative that was all.

Now becouse I knew something his guy didnt know. I am not getting the job. This is just not right lets not hire someone becouse they know to much what is this world coming too.


pink panther 06-14-2010
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Sounds like there is more to the story. Obviously that was not the job for you. There are plenty of good companies out there that would rather have a good cautious operator, rather than a throttle jockey that solves problems with full volume.

Many 06-14-2010
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This is for everyone.There's such a glut of operators out there it's wise to dazzle them with brillience.At what point does a top notch employee become a hazzard?It only reminds me of an old adage

The meek shall inherit,take it or leave it,just an educated opinion.


pumpjockey 06-14-2010
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I'd rather bust a reducer apart to shake out a plug than have the hose whip if it were to release. I've had both happen, more of the former, thankfully. The hosemen got a little scraped up is all, but it could easily have been worse.

spaz 06-15-2010
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Do what you do best your job. Not all pumps operate the same , each has its own personallity. What works for me may not work for you ,it's trial and error. You are correct you do not have to go full nuts to prime or pump for that matter. I get asked a few times why I don't have my pump screaming like some of the others they have seen. Well as you said if I have higher flow and less thrttle if it plugs I have time to react and it will stop with out hurting anyone. I run a 89 32m Schwing oldie but a goodie. Keep pumping and don't let the little thinks get you down

concreteanimal 06-15-2010
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    I would have to agree with you on this. when I prime the pump is turned off before any mud comes out of the hose..

Dipstick 06-15-2010
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hehe. So you really sayd it in a verry nice way? Sounds like your lucky than that you didn't get the job. Not verry nice people. But remember.. Every pump is different. Normaly I would agree with your strategy on the prime but I had 1 pump (52m schwing 4 led with the stupid horizontal pipe just after the 2nd led) which needed to be primed with much higher pump volume and revs than all the other pumps i drove. Otherwise there was a big chance on packing in that horizontal pipe. and because it was in the beginning of the 3rd led it didn't help to pump back and often it didn't help to raise the boom. After I started priming at almost full speed I never had problems again. 

So now you see... Nobody knows everything. That includes you ;-) 


screemindeemin 06-15-2010
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I agree that every pump is diferent, but I was beeing told that I needed to prime that way in general for every pump and that is an incorrect statment.

screemindeemin 06-15-2010
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And yes I said it in a very nice and respectfull way just trying to be informative.

Dipstick 06-15-2010
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Ok. Im with you. What a d'ckhead then. Some people just can't stand it when someone new has a better idea than them. Just like some people never want to give a compliment because they think you'll get arrogant. Screw them. Like i said. Just be happy you found out what kind of people it where before you moved down there.

rusty22 06-16-2010
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He want"s to prime wid open .Hand him the box and walk away I would

boony 06-19-2010
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different pumpies pump different ways in the end you do it the way you feel is easiest and safest for you.but just one thing and that is if pipeline too thin that it can't handle plug when puttining thru fast you shouldn't be putting it thru at all.anyway all the best mate

Dipstick 06-19-2010
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You're right boony. And than I'd rather discover that my pipes are so thin before actually starting the poor than maybe half way the poor and while I stand behind a wall or something so I can't see the leak and spray a kubic of concrete over my pump before i figure out why there comes so litle out of the hose. The pipes on your boom should be able to handle the 80 bars easy at all times. 

Only thing I do agree on is that you shouldn't prime flat out untill the concrete actually comes out of the hose. When you hear its come over the top and is well on its way down than you should screw down the pressure. Before that, everybody should do it at the speed he/she thinks is best for his/her pump :-)