Part of A-1 Pump & Jet’s formula for success centers on investing in quality equipment that opens up new markets and amps up productivity and profitability. A good example is the company’s latest water jetter, a model 4025 trailer-mounted unit made by U.S. Jetting (4,000 psi at up to 25 gpm).

“I believe that with the ability to generate pressure of 4,000 psi, this machine will be a game-changer for us going forward,” says Ronald McCoy, who co-owns the Emporia, Kansas-based company with his wife, Judith. “For instance, there’s a nuclear power plant about 50 miles away that needs a lot of high-pressure cleaning that we couldn’t do before with our other jetters (which generate 2,000 psi). But a machine with 4,000 psi will open a lot of doors to business we’ve been unable to do before.”

The company took delivery of the jetter last September. To boost the water volume, McCoy specced a 5/8-inch-diameter hose instead of a 1/2-inch hose.

“We wanted higher pressure while still maintaining maximum water flow,” McCoy says. “We’ll use this jetter mostly for cleaning process drainlines at food-processing plants. The lines typically are 4 to 6 inches in diameter, with a lot of 90-degree turns, and are filled with grease and fat. Those conditions made it difficult for a larger hose coupled with lower water pressure to get the job done. A smaller-diameter hose with extra high pressure can navigate those turns and tight spots that we couldn’t get through before with a larger-diameter hose.”

One of McCoy’s favorite features is an adjustable-pressure function that enables A-1 crews to utilize a wide range of water pressures, depending on job conditions.

“You don’t always want to be at 4,000 psi,” he notes. “With this machine, you can dial it down depending on the specific task at hand. Before, the only way we could regulate water flow was to slow down the engine, which would cause us to lose pressure, too. But with this jetter, we literally just turn a dial to set the pressure we want. It’s newer technology and much more responsive.”

The machine also features two 375-gallon water tanks, 500 feet of 5/8-inch hose and a hydraulically operated retractable reel that also swivels 180 degrees. It’s designed to work in pipes from 1 to 48 inches in diameter.

The unit cost $70,000. While noting that’s a considerable investment, McCoy says the machine has already paid for itself.

“When you can buy a piece of equipment that pays for itself in six months, I’d say that’s a really good investment,” he says.

Read more about A-1 Pump & Jet in the June issue of Cleaner magazine.