Here Are Five Tips for Renting a Vacuum Excavator

Know Your Ideal Tank Size:

One specific item you will need to understand before renting a vacuum excavator is your ideal debris tank size. Landscaping, tree care and hardscaping jobs will have different requirements than an horizontal directional drilling (HDD) support job. For example, HDD jobs will typically need a larger tank since those jobs typically end up with a larger volume of mud being removed. Understanding your job, and the tank size required to complete it, will result in the most efficient vacuum excavation experience for renters.

Know What Your Ideal Power Level Is:

Similarly, vacuum excavator renters should understand the job they plan to complete with their vacuum excavator so they can get the most efficient horsepower. The horsepower of a vacuum excavator correlates to its water pressure and suction power. Renters that plan to do mud support and cleanup may not require as much horsepower in a machine as a renter that will be potholing every day. Mud support can be completed with a smaller, more economical vacuum excavator.

Know Your Soil Conditions:

As landscapers and HDD operators know, ground conditions on a job can range from sand to hard clay to rock and everything in between. Before renting a vacuum excavator, it’s important for an operator to understand their ground conditions. This information can help determine the ideal tank capacity and water flow. Some ground conditions require more or less water for the same volume of excavation, ultimately leading to the need for different tank sizes.

Know How to Dispose of Spoils:

First, spoils are either classified as wet or dry, and the manner in which they are disposed of depends on that classification. Regulations on how and where these spoils can be disposed vary from region to region. Your dealer will be able to clarify local regulations, so use them as a resource.

Be Sure to Follow Best Practices:

For renters, following best practices is always the way to go. Your local dealer will have answers to your questions around best practices, but there are a few things renters should always keep in mind. When hydro excavating, it’s important to never use the wand as a shovel, as this could cause dirt buildup in the nozzle and reduce productivity. Renters should always clean out their debris tank and dump the water tank at the end of every day. It’s also important to maintain basic machine best practices — check the oil, change fuel filters at the recommended times and follow the recommendations in the operator’s manual.

Chapman Hancock is the vacuum excavation product manager for Ditch Witch.