Choosing the Best Boom

A clean sewer system creates a healthier community. Sewer cleaners are used to efficiently remove blockages and prevent buildup. Breaking up blockages often demands a combination approach that includes the use of a boom.

That means using water jetting to break up the blockage and vacuum technology to suck up the debris that created the blockage in the first place. For a combination sewer cleaner truck, this requires the use of a hose reel to manage water jetting and a 6-to 8-in. vacuum hose to enter the sewer to suck the debris through a boom and into a debris tank on the truck.

A boom is a mechanized arm that can extend off a sewer cleaner and be easily maneuvered, allowing the operator to precisely position the suction hose to reach hard-to-access locations and depths common to underground sewer lines and catch basins.

Vactor has options including fully hydraulic, extendable, telescoping and 360-degree rotation booms in a variety of lengths to tackle any sewer maintenance challenge.

But choosing the best boom for a given application or situation can be a challenge. Vactor has a few tips for getting it right.

• Consider the application. Booms have multiple applications, most commonly sewer line maintenance, hydro excavation and catch basin cleaning. When removing debris and blockages from a sewer line, the boom is crucial for directing the high-pressure water jet while simultaneously vacuuming the loosened debris. Choosing the right boom for the job will increase efficiency and effectiveness. The Vactor 2100i 10’ telescoping boom, for example, is ideal for sewer cleaning and hydro excavation of blockages, while Vactor’s RDB 1015 is great for catch basin and lift station cleaning.

• Know the depth of the site. Booms vary in both their reach from the truck and their depth into the ground. A Vactor 5×5 boom may be effective for a shallow site, while a deeper site might require the 15’ depth.

• Consider time constraints. In most cases, it takes several minutes to lift additional tubing off the rack to extend a truck’s boom. Vactor’s rapid deployment booms, like the RDB 1015 boom, increase operator convenience and reduce set-up and tear-down time. The RDB 1015 telescopes 10 feet out and extends an additional 15 feet down for faster cleaning of catch basins, sewer lines and utility holes without taking the time to manually assemble and disassemble added tubing between locations. The RDB 1015 boom can be added to the 2100i and iMPACT combination sewer cleaners to optimize performance.

• Get to know the location. Booms are designed to work with the existing landscape and infrastructure. In areas with dense vegetation or tree canopies, a longer boom may be needed to reach the worksite without risking worker and truck safety. In more condensed urban areas, a smaller boom like a 5’x5’ or 7’ telescope model may be the safest option to minimize disturbance. The Vactor 7’ hydraulic model features 360-degree rotation, maximizing efficiency on complex sites.

In addition to choosing the right boom for the job, ensure operators are properly trained before beginning operation. Operators control the boom using a remote or joystick from the truck’s cab. This allows for precise positioning of the boom while allowing operators to maintain a safe distance.

Vactor is revolutionizing sewer cleaning through the continued development of new and improved technology. For more information on how sewer cleaning can be better, faster and safer, visit Vactor.com. Tags: Vactor