where do yoh put hoses on mud pump quotation

Whether onshore or offshore, well drilling sites rely on a multitude of systems to successfully perform the drilling operation. The mud pump is a key component tasked with circulating drilling fluid under high pressure downhole. The mud pump can be divided into two key sections: the power end or crosshead and the fluid end. Proper alignment of the pump’s crosshead to the fluid end liner is necessary to maximizing piston and liner life. Misalignment contributes to

accelerated wear on both the piston and the liner, and replacing these components requires downtime of the pump. Traditional methods of inspecting alignment range from using uncalibrated wooden rods, Faro Arms and micrometers to check the vertical and horizontal alignment of the piston rod OD to the piston liner ID. These are time consuming and cumbersome techniques that are ultimately not well suited to troubleshoot and solve alignment issues.

A “Mud Pump Laser Alignment Kit” enables you to measure where the piston will run through the liner at various positions along the pump’s stroke. It will also project a laser centerline from the fluid end back towards the rear power end of the pump that can be used to determine how much shimming is required to correct any alignment issues. The kit can include either a 2-Axis receiver or a 4-Axis which accepts the laser beam and documents where it falls on the active surface of the receiver. The 4-Axis receiver can decrease alignment time by as much as 50% as it will measure angularity as well as X and Y while the 2-Axis does not and will need multiple measurement locations to get the same information. In addition, the alignment system is a non-intrusive service requiring the removal of only the piston rod which allows for much quicker service and less down time on the pump. As the mud pumps in question are located globally both on and offshore, having a small, portable system is another great advantage. Our recommendation would be Pinpoint laser System’s “Mud Pump Alignment Kit”. They are being used by many of the leading repair service companies and have been their main alignment tool for over 15 years. Manufacturers are also utilizing these for new pump set-up.

You’re researching foundation repair options and have come across the term “mud-pumping” and you want to know what it means. Or maybe you are thinking about when a foundation is lifted, what happens with the space underneath your home? There’s a void there now and does it get filled in or what?

Mud-pumping is a finishing step of foundation repair, but not every foundation repair contractor adds this final step. It’s not automatically done so you might be wondering why some companies would use this technique or what its advantages and disadvantages are.

At Anchor Foundation Repair, we have been repairing foundations since 1985 and began adding mud-pumping to all slab-on-grade foundation repairs in 1998. We decided to take every reasonable step to provide the most security and stability in foundation repairs to Brazos Valley homeowners and bought our first hydraulic mud pump at that time.

We know mud-pumping has great value and importance in a foundation repair project, it’s a standard part of our slab foundation repairs. But we can tell you about it in an objective way so that you can decide if it’s as important to you as it is to us.

We know that not everyone is trying to meet the same goals in selecting a foundation repair method or provider. We just want to give you all the information and options so that you can choose what works best for you and your home.

In a nutshell, foundation settlement coupled with foundation repair creates voids. Here’s why: a home with a slab foundation is built on the ground. Homes are heavy. Over time, the weight of the home will compress and compact the soil below it.

This initial compression causes the home to sink into the ground a bit. This is called settlement, and it’s not a bad thing unless it causesfoundation problemsfor your home.

Settlement can also occur because of the expansive clay soil we have in this area. Expansive clay expands when wet and contracts when dry. The drier the soil gets, the more it can contract, also causing a home to sink. It might not all sink evenly. This is how slab foundations can crack and possibly need repair.

During the repair process, the home is raised back up to its original elevation. So imagine that the home is lifted, but since the soil was compacted below it, now there is space between the ground and the bottom of the slab. This is also called a “void” which is a fancy word for empty space. I mean, technically there’s air in the space so it’s not totally empty but . . .

Now, you could just scream into the void underneath your home. But more productively, you can consider filling it with mud-pumping material so that there is not a bunch of empty space between the bottom of your home and the earth. Mud-pumping helps lessen the opportunity for more foundation settlement or problems to arise.

Mud-pumping is not typically needed for pier and beam foundations, but for slab-on-grade foundation repair, it is an option. While mud-pumping is not *required* in foundation repair, it has many benefits for the homeowner.

So no, mud-pumping is not necessary to complete a foundation repair project, and manyfoundation repair companiesdon’t do it. Even though foundation repair contractors often skip this final step, you may want to seriously consider it. All the “whys” are in the next section.

Nature doesn’t like empty things, nature wants to fill them up. This is that “nature abhors a vacuum” thing. If the void under your home doesn’t get filled with mud-pumping material. It will very likely get filled with something else, like:

PRO #1: So one of the pros of filling voids with mud-pumping is that it takes up that empty space and prevents those areas from getting filled with something less desirable. The slurry material flows and fills every little space, permeating even the smallest pockets of air. But there are a couple more compelling reasons for you too . . .

PRO #2: Empty space creates weaker points and added stress to the foundation where it is not directly supported. Mud-pumping provides extra stability and holding power to your foundation without empty spaces under it. Having something solid underneath your whole slab is more supportive than drilled piers or pressed piles alone.

PRO #3: Mud-pumping the voids under your foundation also minimizes the risk of further movement and settling. When things are all snug and surrounded by other material, it’s less likely for them to wiggle and move around. It’s kinda like tucking your kid in at night. You burrito that little one in good with the hopes that they will stop moving and fall asleep, right?

Side Effect Bonus PRO #4: The step before mud-pumping is testing your under-slab plumbing to make sure there are no leaks. If leaks are found, they need to be fixed first. So if mud-pumping is used on your foundation repair, you will have the added comfort of knowing that there are no leaks or that they have been repaired. This is another way to make sure that further problems don’t come up later for your foundation or underneath it.

Like anything else, there are a few cons to mud-pumping as part of your foundation repair. Even though we are a fan of mud-pumping, it does have some risks and downsides that we want you to be aware of.

CON #1: Mud-pumping costs more. This is an additional step that takes added time and more materials, SO there will be extra cost to you. Mud-pumping adds between $2,000 and $4,000 to the price of your average-sized foundation repair.

CON #2 (minor): There is a small risk of over-pumping the mud and adding too much material under the home. This can cause a hump in your floor. But with an experienced team working on your foundation repair project, this has a low chance of happening. Just want you to know this is a potential problem that could happen with an inexperienced or less careful contractor.

CON #3: Just like that kid that you tucked into bed with a burrito blanket, there’s no guarantee that no more movement will take place. Mud-pumping is a safeguard, an insurance policy, a risk minimizer, but it’s not an absolute settlement solution with no potential for failure.

Like many forms of insurance or safeguards, you don’t really know if you’re going to need it or not. You might only know the value of mud-pumping afterward in hindsight since we can’t predict what will happen later with your home.

As mentioned, mud-pumping is a final step in a foundation repair project, but it has a few steps of its own to complete the process. Here’s a breakdown of how it works:Raise the foundation and secure it in place with shims

The mud-pumping process takes about half a day or small projects and several delays for larger jobs at the end of a foundation repair project. So it doesn’t add a lot of time to the job but it can add some peace of mind.

What’s the worst-case scenario if you don’t do mud-pumping? Well, you could spend thousands of dollars on a foundation repair only to have it settle all over again due to missing that final step and leaving voids under your foundation.

On the flip side, your home can still settle no matter what you do (or it might not, there’s no way to know for sure) but the risk is minimized as much as humanly possible if you add mud-pumping to the repair. This seems like a tricky decision, so let’s try and make it a little easier with some “if-then” statements.If you love your home and plan to be in it for the long haul and want the very best, get the mud-pumping.

If you are selling your home and won’t be living in it any longer, then you’re not worried about the longevity of the repair and could skip the mud-pumping.

Here’s one more “if-then” statement for you: if you want to use Anchor Foundation Repair for your slab-on-grade foundation repair project, then mud-pumping is part of the deal. We don’t leave repair projects without the last step because we also have a lifetime warranty and service agreement.

At Anchor Foundation Repair, we have seen firsthand the consequences of not filling voids after repairs in our 35 years in business. We have inspected and repaired dozens of homes that had previous foundation repairs (by other companies) without mud-pumping. We have felt the hollow-sounding floors and seen homeowners having to go through the repair process again to get it right the second time.

To get it right the first time, Anchor employs more than one “risk-minimizing” tactic to provide the longest-lasting foundation repair possible. Check out our article highlighting4 service features that set us apartfrom other foundation repair contractors.

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This rig features a Mission 4-by-5 centrifugal pump. Courtesy of Higgins Rig Co.Returning to the water well industry when I joined Schramm Inc. last year, I knew that expanding my mud pump knowledge was necessary to represent the company"s mud rotary drill line properly. One item new to me was the centrifugal mud pump. What was this pump that a number of drillers were using? I had been trained that a piston pump was the only pump of any ability.

As I traveled and questioned drillers, I found that opinions of the centrifugal pumps varied. "Best pump ever built," "What a piece of junk" and "Can"t drill more than 200 feet with a centrifugal" were typical of varying responses. Because different opinions had confused the issue, I concluded my discussions and restarted my education with a call to a centrifugal pump manufacturer. After that conversation, I went back to the field to continue my investigation.

For the past eight months, I have held many discussions and conducted field visits to understand the centrifugal pump. As a result, my factual investigation has clearly proved that the centrifugal pump has a place in mud rotary drilling. The fact also is clear that many drilling contractors do not understand the correct operational use of the pump. Following are the results of my work in the field.

High up-hole velocity - High pump flow (gpm) moves cuttings fast. This works well with lower viscosity muds - reducing mud expense, mixing time and creating shorter settling times.

Able to run a desander - The centrifugal"s high volume enables a desander to be operated off the pump discharge while drilling without adding a dedicated desander pump.

6. Sticky clays will stall a centrifugal pump"s flow. Be prepared to reduce your bit load in these conditions and increase your rpm if conditions allow. Yes, clays can be drilled with a centrifugal pump.

7. Centrifugal pumps cannot pump muds over 9.5 lbs./gal. Centrifugal pumps work best with a 9.0 lbs./gal. mud weight or less. High flow rate move cuttings, not heavy mud.

The goal of this article has been to increase awareness of the value of the centrifugal pump and its growing use. Although the centrifugal pump is not flawless, once its different operating techniques are understood, drilling programs are being enhanced with the use of this pump.

If you wish to learn more, please talk directly to centrifugal pump users. Feel free to call me at 314-909-8077 for a centrifugal pump user list. These drillers will gladly share their centrifugal pump experiences.

When choosing a size and type of mud pump for your drilling project, there are several factors to consider. These would include not only cost and size of pump that best fits your drilling rig, but also the diameter, depth and hole conditions you are drilling through. I know that this sounds like a lot to consider, but if you are set up the right way before the job starts, you will thank me later.

Recommended practice is to maintain a minimum of 100 to 150 feet per minute of uphole velocity for drill cuttings. Larger diameter wells for irrigation, agriculture or municipalities may violate this rule, because it may not be economically feasible to pump this much mud for the job. Uphole velocity is determined by the flow rate of the mud system, diameter of the borehole and the diameter of the drill pipe. There are many tools, including handbooks, rule of thumb, slide rule calculators and now apps on your handheld device, to calculate velocity. It is always good to remember the time it takes to get the cuttings off the bottom of the well. If you are drilling at 200 feet, then a 100-foot-per-minute velocity means that it would take two minutes to get the cuttings out of the hole. This is always a good reminder of what you are drilling through and how long ago it was that you drilled it. Ground conditions and rock formations are ever changing as you go deeper. Wouldn’t it be nice if they all remained the same?

Centrifugal-style mud pumps are very popular in our industry due to their size and weight, as well as flow rate capacity for an affordable price. There are many models and brands out there, and most of them are very good value. How does a centrifugal mud pump work? The rotation of the impeller accelerates the fluid into the volute or diffuser chamber. The added energy from the acceleration increases the velocity and pressure of the fluid. These pumps are known to be very inefficient. This means that it takes more energy to increase the flow and pressure of the fluid when compared to a piston-style pump. However, you have a significant advantage in flow rates from a centrifugal pump versus a piston pump. If you are drilling deeper wells with heavier cuttings, you will be forced at some point to use a piston-style mud pump. They have much higher efficiencies in transferring the input energy into flow and pressure, therefore resulting in much higher pressure capabilities.

Piston-style mud pumps utilize a piston or plunger that travels back and forth in a chamber known as a cylinder. These pumps are also called “positive displacement” pumps because they literally push the fluid forward. This fluid builds up pressure and forces a spring-loaded valve to open and allow the fluid to escape into the discharge piping of the pump and then down the borehole. Since the expansion process is much smaller (almost insignificant) compared to a centrifugal pump, there is much lower energy loss. Plunger-style pumps can develop upwards of 15,000 psi for well treatments and hydraulic fracturing. Centrifugal pumps, in comparison, usually operate below 300 psi. If you are comparing most drilling pumps, centrifugal pumps operate from 60 to 125 psi and piston pumps operate around 150 to 300 psi. There are many exceptions and special applications for drilling, but these numbers should cover 80 percent of all equipment operating out there.

The restriction of putting a piston-style mud pump onto drilling rigs has always been the physical size and weight to provide adequate flow and pressure to your drilling fluid. Because of this, the industry needed a new solution to this age-old issue.

Enter Cory Miller of Centerline Manufacturing, who I recently recommended for recognition by the National Ground Water Association (NGWA) for significant contributions to the industry.

As the senior design engineer for Ingersoll-Rand’s Deephole Drilling Business Unit, I had the distinct pleasure of working with him and incorporating his Centerline Mud Pump into our drilling rig platforms.

In the late ’90s — and perhaps even earlier —  Ingersoll-Rand had tried several times to develop a hydraulic-driven mud pump that would last an acceptable life- and duty-cycle for a well drilling contractor. With all of our resources and design wisdom, we were unable to solve this problem. Not only did Miller provide a solution, thus saving the size and weight of a typical gear-driven mud pump, he also provided a new offering — a mono-cylinder mud pump. This double-acting piston pump provided as much mud flow and pressure as a standard 5 X 6 duplex pump with incredible size and weight savings.

The true innovation was providing the well driller a solution for their mud pump requirements that was the right size and weight to integrate into both existing and new drilling rigs. Regardless of drill rig manufacturer and hydraulic system design, Centerline has provided a mud pump integration on hundreds of customer’s drilling rigs. Both mono-cylinder and duplex-cylinder pumps can fit nicely on the deck, across the frame or even be configured for under-deck mounting. This would not be possible with conventional mud pump designs.

Centerline stuck with their original design through all of the typical trials and tribulations that come with a new product integration. Over the course of the first several years, Miller found out that even the best of the highest quality hydraulic cylinders, valves and seals were not truly what they were represented to be. He then set off on an endeavor to bring everything in-house and began manufacturing all of his own components, including hydraulic valves. This gave him complete control over the quality of components that go into the finished product.

The second generation design for the Centerline Mud Pump is expected later this year, and I believe it will be a true game changer for this industry. It also will open up the application to many other industries that require a heavier-duty cycle for a piston pump application.

Electronic Pump Stroke Counters are a vital part to any drilling rig operation. When a mud pump is in operation, the driller must know how much mud is flowing down hole in order to keep the operation running at peak efficiency. Pump stroke counters assist the driller by measuring the mud pump’s strokes per minute and total strokes. So, how does a pump stroke counter tally the mud pump’s strokes

Electronic Pump Stroke Counters are a vital part to any drilling rig operation. When a mud pump is in operation, the driller must know how much mud is flowing down hole in order to keep the operation running at peak efficiency. Pump stroke counters assist the driller by measuring the mud pump’s strokes per minute and total strokes. So, how does a pump stroke counter tally the mud pump’s strokes, and why it is important? In order to understand that, you’ll need to know some basic information about mud pumps.

Knowing how a mud pump functions is important in understanding the role a pump stroke counter plays in rig operations. Mud pumps act as the heart of the drilling rig, similar to how our heart works. Just as our heart circulates blood throughout our bodies, a mud pump circulates essential drilling mud down the hole and back up to the surface. Mud tanks house drilling mud, and a mud pump draws the fluid from the mud pump. A piston draws mud in on the backstroke through the open intake valve and pushes mud through the discharge valve and sends it towards the rig. By circulating fluid, the mud pump ensures that the drill bit is cool and lubricated and that cuttings are flushed from the hole. The two main kinds of pumps used are duplex and triplex pumps, where the duplex pump has two pistons and the triplex pump has three. Whether the rig is using a duplex or triplex pump, it is important to know how many strokes per second the pistons are moving. The driller monitors strokes per minute to determine how much costly, yet essential, mud is being pumped into the system with the use of a mud pump stroke counter system. Now, that you know about mud pumps, you’ll need to know what’s in a stroke counter system.

Stroke Counter — The stroke counter stainless steel box is mounted on the driller’s console and is either square or rectangular in shape, depending on the number of pumps it is monitoring. Stroke counters will show strokes per minute and total strokes, and when a particular mud pump is operating the strokes/minute and total strokes will be displayed. Power is supplied by a 3.6 volt lithium battery, and the counter contains a crystal-controlled real time clock with 100 parts per million accuracy or better. Each counter is mounted to the console with 1/4” stainless steel hex head bolts, lock washers and nuts.

Micro Limit Switch — The micro switch is connected to a c clamp near the mud pump piston. The micro switch stainless steel rod (sometimes called a whisker) sticks out in the piston housing near the piston. As the piston passes the rod, it moves the rod and the switch sends an electronic signal back to the counter. The counter increases by one each time the piston moves the rod, counting the mud pump’s strokes. The switch’s signal is then transmitted to the stroke counter. These micro switches are built to stand up to demanding outdoor conditions. They can withstand shock, equipment vibration, extreme temperatures, water and dust.

Cable and Junction Box – A cable is connected to the back of the pump stroke counter and then to the junction box. From the junction box, the cables travel to the limit switches.

Pump Stroke Counters are like a blood pressure machine. Each time our heart pumps, a blood pressure machine reads our systolic and diastolic blood pressure by way of our pulse. A mud pump stroke counter functions in much the same way. Just as a blood pressure machine detects our pulse so too does a limit switch rod detect the movement of the piston. When the stainless steel rod is moved, the micro limit switch detects the movement. The signal is sensed as a contact closure, and it is transmitted to the stroke counter where the contact closure is converted to a logic pulse. The pulse feeds two separate circuits. The total strokes circuit reads and displays the closures one at a time, totaling them up to reveal the total strokes in the LED window. The second pulse is sent along a separate circuit which is a rate circuit. This rate circuit will average the closures against the real time clock. The result is displayed as the total strokes per minute.

Pump stroke counters are essential to drilling rig operations because they measure the efficiency of mud pumps. Knowing strokes per minute and total strokes of the pistons helps the driller to determine if the correct amount of mud is going down hole. Having this information aids in running a drilling rig at peak efficiency, assists in extending drill bit life, and avoids costly overuse of drilling rig mud. Unsure which pump stroke counter is right for your application? Give our friendly, knowledgeable staff a call or email. We’ll keep you turning right.

Centerline Manufacturing has been involved in the design, manufacture and production of drilling equipment and tooling for the water well industry. I have had the pleasure of knowing and working with Cory Miller of Centerline Manufacturing over the past 15 years. As the Senior Design Engineer for Ingersoll-Rand’s Deephole Drilling Business Unit, I had the distinct pleasure to work with Cory and integrate his Centerline Mud Pump into our drilling rig platforms. I am recommending Cory for this award and recognition because after decades in this business, I have not seen such an innovative design become a reality and commercialized such as the Centerline Mud Pump.

The true innovation is providing well drillers a size and weight solution for their mud pump requirements. Centerline Mud Pumps integrate into both existing and new drilling rigs. Regardless of drill rig manufacture and hydraulic system design, Centerline provides mud pump integration on hundreds of customer’s drilling rigs. Both Mono Cylinder and Duplex Cylinder Pumps can fit nicely on the deck, across the frame or even under deck mounting configurations. This would not be possible with conventional mud pump designs.

The design features of the Centerline Mud Pump include a matched displacement ratio between the mud pump cylinder and the hydraulic drive cylinder. This is critical to the constant and smooth transition of movement back and forth.  It provides a steady discharge flow of mud.

What I dignifies Cory Miller and points to his character? It is how Centerline stuck with their original design through all of the typical trials and tribulations that come with a new product integration. The first several years were challenging. Cory found out that even the best quality hydraulic cylinders and valves and seals were not good enough quality. He then set off on an endeavor to bring everything in house. He began manufacturing all of his own components including hydraulic valves. This gave him complete control over the quality of very component that goes into the Centerline Mud Pump and the finished product.

By the late 90’s, Ingersoll-Rand had tried several times to develop a hydraulic driven mud pump. The goal was to create a mud pump that would last an acceptable life and duty cycle for well drilling contractors. With all of our resources and design wisdom, we were unable to solve this problem. Not only did Cory Miller provide a solution, thus saving the size and weight of a typical gear driven mud pump, he also provided a new offering of a mono cylinder mud pump. This double acting piston pump provided as much mud flow and pressure as a standard 5 X 6 duplex pump. It also came with an incredible size and weight savings.

The second generation design for the Centerline Mud Pump is coming out later in 2018. It will be a true game changer for this industry. It also will open up the application into many other industries that require a heavier duty cycle for a piston pump application.

I have had the unique opportunity to work alongside Cory Miller for many years now. I hope to work alongside him for many more. His innovation and tenacity is infectious. Cory is a true inventor at heart. We are blessed that his passion is focused in the ground water industry. Cory has had a long history of mission work. He recently spent several weeks in Mexico. There, he provided new water wells for small villages and towns that were desperately in need. It is hard to sum up a person as Cory Miller in a few words. However, the best way I know how is to say that he is “Gracious Gentleman known for Innovation and Excellence.”

Greetings Tim & Charlott, below is a GPS link and information on the well we just installed in the honor of Tim & Charlott King! Your love and commitment has allowed our Clean Water 4 Life ministry to sink over 500 water wells for those in need here in the Solomon Islands! Here is a link to read my current newsletter with lots of pictures! http://www.rickrupp.com/newsletter.php

Togokoba SSEC Church & Community is approx 58 kilometers east of Honiara. It was a long bumpy drive to this village. I had to walk a long way to get to the place where they lived. They explained that their source of drinking water was the stream. They were so happy when I explained that our CW4L team was going to come sink a well right in their village. I tasted the well water several weeks later after our team had blessed them with a water well. It tasted so good! It was nice clean & cold water! It never ceases to amaze me that there is such a nice water table here in the rural areas of the Guadnacanal plains! I counted 10 houses in this community and the population is approx 80 people. Now they finally have a source of clean drinking water! These people have suffered for many years either drinking from an open hand dug well or from the stream. Togokoba SSEC Church & Community is very grateful to our CW4L sponsors.

You’re researching foundation repair options and have come across the term “mud-pumping” and you want to know what it means. Or maybe you are thinking about when a foundation is lifted, what happens with the space underneath your home? There’s a void there now and does it get filled in or what?

Mud-pumping is a finishing step of foundation repair, but not every foundation repair contractor adds this final step. It’s not automatically done so you might be wondering why some companies would use this technique or what its advantages and disadvantages are.

At Anchor Foundation Repair, we have been repairing foundations since 1985 and began adding mud-pumping to all slab-on-grade foundation repairs in 1998. We decided to take every reasonable step to provide the most security and stability in foundation repairs to Brazos Valley homeowners and bought our first hydraulic mud pump at that time.

We know mud-pumping has great value and importance in a foundation repair project, it’s a standard part of our slab foundation repairs. But we can tell you about it in an objective way so that you can decide if it’s as important to you as it is to us.

We know that not everyone is trying to meet the same goals in selecting a foundation repair method or provider. We just want to give you all the information and options so that you can choose what works best for you and your home.

In a nutshell, foundation settlement coupled with foundation repair creates voids. Here’s why: a home with a slab foundation is built on the ground. Homes are heavy. Over time, the weight of the home will compress and compact the soil below it.

This initial compression causes the home to sink into the ground a bit. This is called settlement, and it’s not a bad thing unless it causesfoundation problemsfor your home.

Settlement can also occur because of the expansive clay soil we have in this area. Expansive clay expands when wet and contracts when dry. The drier the soil gets, the more it can contract, also causing a home to sink. It might not all sink evenly. This is how slab foundations can crack and possibly need repair.

During the repair process, the home is raised back up to its original elevation. So imagine that the home is lifted, but since the soil was compacted below it, now there is space between the ground and the bottom of the slab. This is also called a “void” which is a fancy word for empty space. I mean, technically there’s air in the space so it’s not totally empty but . . .

Now, you could just scream into the void underneath your home. But more productively, you can consider filling it with mud-pumping material so that there is not a bunch of empty space between the bottom of your home and the earth. Mud-pumping helps lessen the opportunity for more foundation settlement or problems to arise.

Mud-pumping is not typically needed for pier and beam foundations, but for slab-on-grade foundation repair, it is an option. While mud-pumping is not *required* in foundation repair, it has many benefits for the homeowner.

So no, mud-pumping is not necessary to complete a foundation repair project, and manyfoundation repair companiesdon’t do it. Even though foundation repair contractors often skip this final step, you may want to seriously consider it. All the “whys” are in the next section.

Nature doesn’t like empty things, nature wants to fill them up. This is that “nature abhors a vacuum” thing. If the void under your home doesn’t get filled with mud-pumping material. It will very likely get filled with something else, like:

PRO #1: So one of the pros of filling voids with mud-pumping is that it takes up that empty space and prevents those areas from getting filled with something less desirable. The slurry material flows and fills every little space, permeating even the smallest pockets of air. But there are a couple more compelling reasons for you too . . .

PRO #2: Empty space creates weaker points and added stress to the foundation where it is not directly supported. Mud-pumping provides extra stability and holding power to your foundation without empty spaces under it. Having something solid underneath your whole slab is more supportive than drilled piers or pressed piles alone.

PRO #3: Mud-pumping the voids under your foundation also minimizes the risk of further movement and settling. When things are all snug and surrounded by other material, it’s less likely for them to wiggle and move around. It’s kinda like tucking your kid in at night. You burrito that little one in good with the hopes that they will stop moving and fall asleep, right?

Side Effect Bonus PRO #4: The step before mud-pumping is testing your under-slab plumbing to make sure there are no leaks. If leaks are found, they need to be fixed first. So if mud-pumping is used on your foundation repair, you will have the added comfort of knowing that there are no leaks or that they have been repaired. This is another way to make sure that further problems don’t come up later for your foundation or underneath it.

Like anything else, there are a few cons to mud-pumping as part of your foundation repair. Even though we are a fan of mud-pumping, it does have some risks and downsides that we want you to be aware of.

CON #1: Mud-pumping costs more. This is an additional step that takes added time and more materials, SO there will be extra cost to you. Mud-pumping adds between $2,000 and $4,000 to the price of your average-sized foundation repair.

CON #2 (minor): There is a small risk of over-pumping the mud and adding too much material under the home. This can cause a hump in your floor. But with an experienced team working on your foundation repair project, this has a low chance of happening. Just want you to know this is a potential problem that could happen with an inexperienced or less careful contractor.

CON #3: Just like that kid that you tucked into bed with a burrito blanket, there’s no guarantee that no more movement will take place. Mud-pumping is a safeguard, an insurance policy, a risk minimizer, but it’s not an absolute settlement solution with no potential for failure.

Like many forms of insurance or safeguards, you don’t really know if you’re going to need it or not. You might only know the value of mud-pumping afterward in hindsight since we can’t predict what will happen later with your home.

As mentioned, mud-pumping is a final step in a foundation repair project, but it has a few steps of its own to complete the process. Here’s a breakdown of how it works:Raise the foundation and secure it in place with shims

The mud-pumping process takes about half a day or small projects and several delays for larger jobs at the end of a foundation repair project. So it doesn’t add a lot of time to the job but it can add some peace of mind.

What’s the worst-case scenario if you don’t do mud-pumping? Well, you could spend thousands of dollars on a foundation repair only to have it settle all over again due to missing that final step and leaving voids under your foundation.

On the flip side, your home can still settle no matter what you do (or it might not, there’s no way to know for sure) but the risk is minimized as much as humanly possible if you add mud-pumping to the repair. This seems like a tricky decision, so let’s try and make it a little easier with some “if-then” statements.If you love your home and plan to be in it for the long haul and want the very best, get the mud-pumping.

If you are selling your home and won’t be living in it any longer, then you’re not worried about the longevity of the repair and could skip the mud-pumping.

Here’s one more “if-then” statement for you: if you want to use Anchor Foundation Repair for your slab-on-grade foundation repair project, then mud-pumping is part of the deal. We don’t leave repair projects without the last step because we also have a lifetime warranty and service agreement.

At Anchor Foundation Repair, we have seen firsthand the consequences of not filling voids after repairs in our 35 years in business. We have inspected and repaired dozens of homes that had previous foundation repairs (by other companies) without mud-pumping. We have felt the hollow-sounding floors and seen homeowners having to go through the repair process again to get it right the second time.

To get it right the first time, Anchor employs more than one “risk-minimizing” tactic to provide the longest-lasting foundation repair possible. Check out our article highlighting4 service features that set us apartfrom other foundation repair contractors.

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