If you are a contractor, city/town manager, or municipal worker, chances are incredibly high that you are at least familiar with what a vactor truck is and what they do. That being stated, have you ever wondered why a vactor truck is actually called a vactor truck? What exactly does vactor mean? Vactor trucks are simply vacuum trucks that are manufactured by the famous brand Vactor. In essence, vactor has become synonymous with vacuum trucks since its early conception, much like any brand of facial tissue is referred to as a Kleenex since the Kleenex Company is by far the most famous manufacturer of tissues. Enough about tissues, let’s get back to vacuum trucks.
As you are aware, vacuum trucks or vactor trucks are utilized to pneumatically load materials such as sludge, slurries, liquids, and solids with the use of a suction line. The vast majority of people do not care much about vacuum trucks unless they are experiencing a situation where they need the service. However, most contractors, city/town managers, and municipal workers should have a grasp of the mechanical aspects of these useful machines. The bottom line is that from a mechanic standpoint, vactor trucks are genius by nature. Although the basic principal behind a vactor is simple to understand, the best way to truly appreciate how they work is to see it in action. First and foremost, a vacuum pump is utilized to completely empty the tank of air.
The tank is attached to the truck. This happens due to the use of centrifugal force that occurs in the machine’s rotary veins. In essence, it creates the ideal void within the inside of the vactor truck’s tank. The tank is then filled with the sludge, slurry, liquid, or solid material until the tank is full. At this point a primary and secondary shutoff system is activated to ensure the prevention of spilling any of the material to the pumps. That is why the primary and secondary shutoff valves are considered two (2) of the most important pieces of the vactor truck system. The shutoffs must be properly maintained on a regular basis in order to avoid failure.
The effectiveness of vactor trucks are actually measured by the amount of cubic feet of air that the pump can shift at any time the truck is in action. Vactor trucks have a great deal of uses for both private industries and municipalities in New England. For example, they are the most effective method of cleaning catch basins, culverts, and storm drainage systems in order to avoid stormwater and snowmelt runoff from flooding properties and going into the street. If that occurs, the contaminated water can easily pollute the environment by entering into the water systems such as ponds, streams, and rivers.
In conclusion, vactor trucks meet the wide variety of cleaning needs of cities, towns, municipalities and private industries throughout New England. If you have any questions about how vacuum trucks can help you, or would like to schedule service we are glad to help. Jolin Paving & Excavating, Inc. is your New England connection for a vast variety of environmentally related services. Our company has been serving Boston Massachusetts, Southern NH, VT & ME as well as Northern CT & RI since 1952. Please Contact us to learn more today.
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