Vactor vs. Vacuum Truck

With new technology comes a new method or system to make a job easier as well as faster. For example, Henry Ford created the first moving assembly line, thus creating the system of mass production for the Ford automobile. This system made assembling cars easier and faster; it cut down the time it took to assemble a car from 12 hours to 1 hour and 33 minutes. Mass production became an automobile industry standard. This same idea can be applied to any industry. The invention of a truck that could suck wet or dry materials is another invention that has revolutionized the excavation process. This truck has been called a vactor and a vacuum truck. Although they are similar, in that they both have suction capabilities, they are different. Let’s break down each vehicle.

A vactor (or Super Sucker) is used to suction wet and dry materials. It gets its name from the manufacturer Vactor, which created the first vactor with water jetting and vacuum features. This type of truck pneumatically loads materials with a suction line (pump). The suction line is used to empty the air in the tank, which is attached to the truck. The centrifugal force creates a void in the tank, filling it up with liquids, slurries or sludges.

These features led the way to hydro excavation, a new method of excavation. Pressurized water is used to break up soil and then the soil is sucked up. This method is safer than traditional excavation, since it protects workers from electrocution, trench cave-ins and damaging underground utility systems. A vactor can reach hard-to-access places and can dig holes (soft digging) of various diameters as well as break through frozen ground.

Unlike the vactor, a vacuum truck can only suck up liquids due to its suction capacity. It has a pump and an air tank, but no water jetting feature. Vacuum trucks have many uses, such as pumping out septic tanks, sucking up hazardous waste spills and removing water to protect humans and wildlife. A vacuum truck can also store liquid.

At Elk, we have both types of trucks. Our Presvac truck has a high-volume blower attachment and is designed and built to handle sludges, solids and liquids. It can be used with a secondary containment vessel, such as a vacuum box, or elevated and opened to dump solids. The Presvac can handle both hazardous and non-hazardous materials, while minimizing the release of air borne particles. Our bottle vacuum truck can hold 4650 gallons of non-hazardous liquids and has an HX400L mass pump designed and built to suck up liquids. We use them for municipal, industrial and commercial projects, all while providing proper disposal of waste in compliance with local, state and federal regulations.

From pumping out a storage tank to hydro excavating an underground utility system, our team has the experience, equipment and training to get the job done. Contact us today to learn how your company can benefit from our vacuum services!