Therma Corp. operator David Maurice runs the Vac-Con unit the company purchased last year. Its versatility has created new opportunities for the company.
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Inspection + Get AlertsTherma Corp. is constantly looking for ways to improve the capabilities of its plumbing and drain cleaning department. That search led to the purchase of a Vac-Con unit complete with a hydroexcavation package in July 2016.
In the year since, the truck has delivered big gains in productivity and helped Therma Corp. generate a lot of repeat business, says Mike Fisher, the chief operating officer for the full-service mechanical-engineering company based in San Jose, California. And when paired with an Envirosight Rovver X inspection camera system, the Vac-Con unit has been even more productive.
“The combination of the robotic camera and the hydroexcavator has greatly decreased the amount of time it takes to do a repair,” Fisher says. “The ability to quickly and accurately locate and identify the problem with the robotic camera and then safely expose the line through hydroexcavating has reduced a typical two- to three-day project into a half- to one-day job. The time and cost savings can then be passed on to the customer, which goes a long way toward establishing the client as a solid repeat customer.”
Built on a 2016 Peterbilt chassis, the unit features an 11-cubic-yard debris tank, a Roots 827 blower, a 1,300-gallon water tank and a Giant pump (80 gpm at 2,500 psi). The Roots blower was an upgrade that gives the unit extra tunneling capabilities. The Rovver X camera system is deployed from a Ford F-450 truck outfitted by Haaker Equipment Co.
Fisher lauds the hydrovac truck for its versatility, which enables crews to use it for applications other than cleaning lines.
“We are finding that the hydro/vacuum application has opened up new opportunities for us,” he says. “We dispatch the unit on most water and fire-main emergency repairs because of its ability to quickly and safety expose the location of the pipe break. It has added to our reputation as the go-to contractor when clients have an emergency that’s affecting their facility.”
Therma Corp. chose to invest in a Vac-Con after talking to officials at area public works departments.
“They had nothing but good things to say about the quality of the equipment,” Fisher says. “Other than a few expected bugs to work out, the unit has met our expectations.”
Read more about Therma Corp. in this full profile featured in the June issue of Cleaner magazine.
