Sucker truck, Sewer Sucker, Hydro-Vac or Vac-Truck, Honey Truck, Honey Wagon, or the more mundane, Fecal Sludge Truck. Call it what you like, it is a vacuum truck and it does suck … and that’s a good thing. Taking on the least glamorous tasks in the construction and City maintenance world, it is an essential piece of equipment to clean up wet messes and make a site cleaner and safer to work on.
Considered an essential service, they vary in capacity from as small as 500 litres to well over 3,000 litres. They are used around the world and have a strong presence in India, where building complexes can house upwards of 15,000-20,000 people. Without a robust sewage management system, these trucks become key to maintaining a healthy, livable environment. Vacuum Trucks
What are they used for? Vacuum trucks perform vital services in the cleanup of: Human waste removal• Septic tanks• Communal latrines• Portable toilets• Airplanes• Cesspool spills
Toxic spills• Chemical or biological spills• Grey water from construction sites
Industrial liquid removal • Cleaning petroleum tanks• Remove drilling mud• Drilling cuttings• Cement• Brine water from production tanks
Public utility repair• When accessing cables or utility boxes underground, water is sometimes poured to loosen the dirt, the vacuum truck then comes in and removes the muddy water, safely exposing the utility where a backhoe or digger may have caused damage. Vacuum Truck for Sale
How do they work? The use a low-volume sliding vane or liquid ring pump to create negative air pressure. This pressure will draw the liquid up into the hose and in turn, into the holding tank. Hoses are typically 2 to 4 inches in diameter. Rarely is a hose longer than 50 meters. It would take a powerful pump to draw liquid into the tank over that length.
The pump is controlled from either the cab of the truck or a manual mechanism on the side of the tank, allowing the technician to see what he is controlling and to be able to throttle as needed.
So, the next time you see big vacuum truck rumbling past you on the street, know that it is serving a great service to your community. Truck Sales