# A little vacuum Excavation



## Cuda (Mar 16, 2009)

Interesting little job we started, house has been sold but must pass a prior sewer inspection to close. Sewer is 10 feet deep at it's shallowest point. The line has a huge hole in it's 6" line under the city street, it has 3 more fracture cracks in a few spots and no clean out (not even inside) Since they do not want to reline or burst in a new line we are using a vacuum excavator to make a nice little pit to open up the line for a outside cleanout. Then we will push a series of fernco pipe patches out to the bad spots in the line. Make a dvd proving this to the new owners showing the repairs have been done. We are using air to cut the ground so that it will be dry and we can re use it as fill. If we use the pressure washer that is built in it makes a sloppy mess. But using water is faster and cuts harder things. This 4 foot x 3 foot x 10 deep took about 4 hours to do. When done you won't be able to tell we where even there. I will post some before and after pics of the patch process tomorrow.


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## Cuda (Mar 16, 2009)

*few more pics*

few more shots


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## ChrisConnor (Dec 31, 2009)

What kind of CFM does your vaccum pull, what's the cubic capacity?


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## Cuda (Mar 16, 2009)

1050 CFM
880 gallon vac tank. 4 yards


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## gear junkie (Jun 20, 2008)

So when is this job going in the Cleaner mag?


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## Epox (Sep 19, 2010)

Impressive as h*ll!


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## ChrisConnor (Dec 31, 2009)

Cuda said:


> 1050 CFM
> 880 gallon vac tank. 4 yards


Nice, who makes it, what's one sell for new and is it blower driven or a three stage fan? Expensive filtration bags?


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## Cuda (Mar 16, 2009)

ChrisConnor said:


> Nice, who makes it, what's one sell for new and is it blower driven or a three stage fan? Expensive filtration bags?


It's called a Vaxinator and is from your neck of the woods! I can't remember the company name right now They got bought out by Mcglaughin and then they sold out to Ditch Witch. The one I have has some things that are now found in all the FX60 machines. Like an in the tank spray bar for easy cleaning. Mine is stamped prototype on the model and serial number plate. At first I was pissed because the company I bought it from had 2 and just assumed they where the same so they double posted the specs. When I went to get it, it was a lot more cosmetically beat on than the pictures they used to advertise it. But when I looked at what it was I was happy, they had advertised 55 hp diesel but mine is a 75 hp kubota diesel and the vac was brand new just replaced when I got it. I also have aux. hydraulics to run hydraulic tools. It is a roots type blower. New I think they around 75k.


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## justme (Jul 4, 2012)

Those vac trucks sure do make digging look easy. I had a company here do a 6' x 4' by 9' deep . Couldn't believe how fast it was . Awesome


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## AlbacoreShuffle (Aug 28, 2011)

I have never seen a " fernco pipe patch " how is it used ?
I am assuming it is applied from the inside of the pipe ?


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## Epox (Sep 19, 2010)

AlbacoreShuffle said:


> I have never seen a " fernco pipe patch " how is it used ?
> I am assuming it is applied from the inside of the pipe ?


I'd like to see that done.


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## Cuda (Mar 16, 2009)

AlbacoreShuffle said:


> I have never seen a " fernco pipe patch " how is it used ?
> I am assuming it is applied from the inside of the pipe ?


I should not call them Fernco anymore because Fernco now distributes them through Source One I believe. But they are fiberglass cloth that is wetted out with epoxy. Wrapped around a packer (like a long double test plug) that are 2 feet or 4 feet. Then pushed down the line and inflated for a couple hours till cured then release the pressure and pull the packer out! The main difference between the patches and lining is lining does not stick to the host pipe where the pipe patches actually bond to the host pipe.


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## Cuda (Mar 16, 2009)

Epox said:


> I'd like to see that done.


I started a separate pipe patch thread because the simple patch turned a lot harder than I thought as always.


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## deerslayer (Mar 29, 2012)

Nice work! I have done a little vacuum excavating and that hole scared me until I seen it shored! Glad to see you aren protecting your men.


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## Best Darn Sewer (Dec 23, 2012)

Good looking work. Reminds me of my time doing plumbing in Montana and replacing 10' deep sewers.


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## Plumberman911 (Dec 23, 2012)

That looks cool. Never heard of vacuum digging. Sounds interesting. I watched a show on that kin of repair material. I'd like to learn more about it. I'm like in a rut of fixing things he way I was taught and missing out on a lot of neat technology. Nice work


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## SewerRat (Feb 26, 2011)

AlbacoreShuffle said:


> I have never seen a " fernco pipe patch " how is it used ?
> I am assuming it is applied from the inside of the pipe ?


Albacore, I can show you a demo Pipe Patch someday if we ever get together. We do them.


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## AlbacoreShuffle (Aug 28, 2011)

SewerRat said:


> Albacore, I can show you a demo Pipe Patch someday if we ever get together. We do them.


Id like to se it.


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