Here at Southern Vac, we often have inquiries from customers who have been using Vacuum Trucks for years but still don’t know how they work! If you’re curious about how a Vacuum Truck functions, we’ll take a moment to explain.
The key to a Vacuum Truck is the powerful pump that pulls air out of the tank. Once the air is removed, a vacuum force is created. As soon as you open the 
primary and secondary shutoff valves, the vacuum force in the tank tries to equalize itself with the outside atmosphere and sucks up any fluids or liquids present.
If you were to hold the hose and lance up in the air, away from water or other liquids, the pressure in the tank would quickly equalize. If your lance is placed into a pool of liquid, however, the liquid is pulled into the tank instead of air.
While this may sound relatively simple, a Vacuum Truck is an advanced industrial vehicle. The performance of the vacuum relies on factors like:
- The quality of the tank and air seals
- The power of the vacuum pump
- The leak-free quality of the primary and secondary valves
- The resistance of the tank, pump and hoses to corrosion and deterioration
To keep our fleet of Vacuum Trucks running reliably and providing powerful vacuum suction, our team here at Southern Vac focuses on the service and maintenance of all of our trucks. Whether it’s a rental Vacuum Truck for your temporary use or one of the used Vacuum Trucks we have for sale, our technicians inspect all components and replace all worn-out seals, gaskets and valves.
Creating a Service Plan
If you own your own Vacuum truck or plan on purchasing one for your business, you should consider turning to Southern Vac for regular service and maintenance. We can help you determine the frequency of various inspections and point out the critical points.
The next time you hear a Vacuum Truck fire up, you’ll understand how it works. That loud noise is the pump’s engine spinning and using centrifugal force to empty the air from the tank. Every time you open your lance, you’re counting on the perfect void (vacuum) in your tank to suck up the water, mud, sludge and other liquid materials up through the hose and into the tank.
If you would like more information on how a Vacuum Truck works or want to know how you can get a quote for an industrial vacuum contact us today. Our experienced team will be happy to answer all of your questions and assist in reserving your rental vacuum truck today!