Drain Jetting – Van Packs

Having the jetting unit mounted in the back of the van is a great benefit particularly when it comes to parking in towns and cities and in being able to get as close to the property you are working at as is possible.

They are designed to fit medium sized and larger high top van and obviously the unit you require will be dependant on the kind of works you undertake.

If you specialise in domestic blockages or you just want to flush through a drainage system as part of inspection works then a smaller unit will be sufficient, if you undertake contract jetting works or want to undertake descaling or root cutting operations you will probably require one of the larger units.

Things to consider when purchasing or hiring a van pack jetting unit

• There are strict rules on van axle weights and putting a jetter unit over the rear axle can easily take you over your vans legal limit, it is possible for your van to be under its gross vehicle weight (GVW) but exceeding its rear axle weight due to undue loading.
  
  
• Your van pack supplier will of course of taken this into consideration when designing your unit, however they will not have allowed for you running between jobs with your water tanks half full to save you time on the next site !
  
  
• The trade off for easier parking is a loss of internal van space, if the van is used for drain cleaning only this is not usually a problem but if you intend to carry a drain camera, generator etc. it can get a bit crowded in there.
  
  
• If your van breaks down you have just lost the use of your jetting unit as well, if your jetter breaks down you are a van down until it is repaired, to be fair a lot of these units are designed so that the jetter can be removed and worked on out of the van if you are desperate to keep it on the road.
  
  
• You also have to consider a decent anti-freeze system on these units as unlike trailer jetters you often don’t have access to pour anti-freeze into the tanks due to a lack of head room in the van, there is also a wear and tear on the van itself, fuel economy etc..
  
  
• Last and not least Training, these are powerful machines working in unpleasant circumstances and only trained operators should be using them.