KNOWLEDGE GUIDE — COMBINATION SEWER CLEANERS
ALL MAJOR CCTV INSPECTION BRANDS
NEW ENGLAND · TEXAS
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Equipment Knowledge · Sewer Cleaning

Combination Sewer Cleaners — The Complete Guide

The jet-and-vacuum machine that keeps municipal sewer lines flowing — how it works, what to look at, and what it costs to own.

01

What Is a Combination Sewer Cleaner?

One truck-mounted machine that combines high-pressure water jetting with high-flow vacuum — clearing blockages, cleaning pipe walls and collecting debris in a single pass.

The Jetting Side

High-Pressure Water

A triplex plunger pump drives water at 50–120 gpm and pressures up to 3,000 psi through a nozzle at the pipe end. Forward jets cut the blockage; rear jets pull the hose deeper and scrub the pipe wall.

The Vacuum Side

Positive Displacement Blower

A PD blower (16–27 in. Hg) pulls sludge, sand, roots and debris through the suction hose into the debris tank — capacities from 6 to 12 cubic yards.

Water Supply

1,000–1,500 Gallon Tank

Fresh water tank capacity determines how long you can jet before refill — the single biggest driver of daily productivity.

Debris Tank

6–12 Cubic Yards

Larger debris tanks mean fewer dump trips. High-dump options raise the tank 75 inches above ground to dump into roll-offs without leaving the site.

The Boom

Front or Rear Reel

Front-mounted reels (P Series) suit conventional street work; rear-mounted reels (R Series) keep the operator away from the engine for manhole-focused work.

One Operator

Everything From The Ground

Modern units control jetting, vacuum, boom and reel from a ground-level panel — no climbing on the tank.

02

Why Combos Beat Separate Machines

A dedicated jetter plus a dedicated vac truck means two operators, two engines and two trips to the same line. A combination machine finishes the line in one setup.

One Setup

Half The Traffic Control

Crews spend less time on open manholes — a safety and productivity win on busy streets.

One Engine

Lower Fuel + Emissions

Modern combo designs drive jetting and vacuum from a single engine — the core of Vacall's "Green That Works" advantages.

One Truck

One Insurance Policy, One Driver

Municipal fleets cut owning-and-operating costs by consolidating two machines into one spec.

One Maintenance Plan

Predictable Downtime

A single service schedule beats two overlapping ones — our repair division plans PM programs around exactly this.

03

Water Recycling — The Recycler Option

Introduced on AllJetVac machines in 2016: a five-step filtering system that recycles water vacuumed from the sewer line back into jetting.

Step 1

Debris Separation

Vacuumed slurry enters the debris body; solids settle out first.

Step 2–3

Screening + Weir

Progressive screens and a weir strip floating solids and fine material.

Step 4

Filtration

Water passes through the final filter stage, ready for reuse.

Step 5

Reuse

Filtered water feeds the jetting pump — one machine now does the work of three without recycling.

The Payoff

Millions Of Gallons Per Year

Eliminating refill trips cuts water consumption dramatically and keeps the crew jetting instead of driving.

3:1 Advantage

One Machine = Three

A Recycler-equipped AllJetVac can do the work of three conventional jet-vacs — the math that sells the option.

04

AllJetVac — P Series vs R Series

As an authorized Vacall dealer we stock and quote both configurations. The difference is where the hose reel and boom live.

P Series

Front Reel

Conventional front-mounted hose reel and boom — efficient for street-level line cleaning where the operator works beside the truck.

R Series

Rear Reel

Rear-mounted reel and boom introduced in 2011 for operators who prefer to work away from the machine's engine — quieter, cooler, safer.

Both

AllSmartFlow Standard

CAN-bus intelligent control with automatic water pressure compensation — standard on every AllJetVac, an option elsewhere.

Both

Lifetime Warranties

Since 2010, specific debris bodies and water tanks carry lifetime warranties on AllJetVac models.

Spec Help

We Quote Both

Tell us your pipe sizes, crew habits and garage constraints — we spec the right reel for you.

Trade-In

Current Fleet Value

We evaluate trade-ins against new AllJetVac configurations.

05

Buying Checklist — The 10 Points That Matter

What our sales division checks with every municipality and contractor before quoting a combination machine.

1–2

Water Capacity + Pump Curve

Match tank size to line lengths and pump flow (gpm) to pipe diameter. Under-pumping leaves grease; over-spec wastes money.

3–4

Debris Volume + Dump Height

Size the debris body to your routes; high-dump saves roll-off fees.

5–6

Boom Reach + Hose Diameter

Manhole spacing drives boom reach; hose ID drives vacuum efficiency.

7–8

Blower Rating + Controls

16–27 in. Hg covers municipal work; insist on ground-level smart controls.

9

Recycler Need

If you jet long lines far from hydrants — stop reading and order the Recycler.

10

Dealer Support

Who answers the phone at 6 a.m. when the blower fails? That is us — sales and the same-company repair division.

06

Costs — Purchase, Own, Maintain

Honest numbers our customers plan around.

Purchase

Spec-Dependent

Combination machines are quoted by configuration — pump package, tank sizes, reel type, options. We quote per fleet need, never "one price fits all."

Fuel

Single-Engine Advantage

Green That Works single-engine designs cut fuel versus two-engine competitors.

Maintenance

PM Is Everything

Daily water pump checks, blower oil analysis, boom greasing — our repair division runs these programs.

Downtime

The Real Cost

A down combo truck can idle a crew. Lifetime warranties on critical components + same-company repair = your hedge.

Parts

Stocked Locally

Wear parts for the lines we sell — pumps, nozzles, filters, seals.

Training

Operator + Service

We train crews on the units we deliver.

07

Who Buys Combos?

Our customer base for these machines.

Municipal

Public Works + Utilities

The core user — scheduled line cleaning, emergency blockage response, pre-rehab inspection prep.

Contractors

Sewer Service Companies

Line cleaning contracts for municipalities, pre-camera cleaning before CIPP work.

Industrial

Plants + Terminals

Process and storm line maintenance at facilities with their own collection systems.

Rental Fleets

National Accounts

Vacuum Truck Rentals converted an entire 300-unit fleet to Vacall — the strongest field validation there is.

New England

CT · MA · RI

Our authorized Vacall territory — demos and spec help available now.

Texas

Authorized Areas

Ask about coverage for your county.

08

Respect — The Engineers Behind It

We are a dealer, not the factory — and we honor the people who design these machines.

Vacall Since 1951

An American Legend

The brand has served the industry for seven decades — we represent it accurately and with respect, and we point customers to vacall.com for the manufacturer's own words.

Gradall Industries

New Philadelphia, Ohio

The plant that builds every unit — ISO 9001:2015 certified manufacturing since the Alamo Group acquisition in 2006.

Our Role

Authorized + Honest

Authorized dealer for CT/MA/RI. We never overstate the relationship — and we service every brand with the same respect.

Their Media

Their Machines

All product imagery on our site comes from manufacturer-published materials, used respectfully for dealer representation.

09

Your Fleet Has One Job. So Do We.

Equipment that works — sold by people who repair it, supported by people who answer the phone.