maintenance services
jetting & vacuuming
Typical main line cleaning involves propelling a water hose with attached 6” to 24” nozzles at high pressure, through the sewer line. This process brings the heavy debris from the higher manhole toward the lower manhole, where it is either jetted further down the line or sucked out of the sewer system using a high-powered vacuum. McCann’s Underground, Inc. uses Jet-Vac combination trucks, or Vactors, to achieve the best results.
McCann’s Underground Inc. often uses VACTOR brand sewer cleaning equipment, such as this 2100 Series combination jetter & vacuum machine shown here on municipal assignment.
In order for our high-powered vacuum to reach the debris at the bottom of the manhole, our crew selects appropriate lengths of pipe.
The lengths of pipe are then fitted together and lowered into the sewer below, delivering suction to clogged sewer thereby cleaning debris and obstructions from the flow.
As the vacuum removes debris from the manhole below, our crew runs a high-powered water nozzle upstream through the sewer to then pull any remaining debris inside the line down to the vacuum.
Strong suction from the vacuum hose can remove even heavy concrete chunks from the pipeline. The piece of concrete shown below is nearly a foot and a half in diameter. Before vacuuming, this 36" inch pipe was more than half-full of rocks and debris.
root & grease removal
In order to remove grease and roots in 6" to 24" pipelines, McCann’s Underground uses a powerful cutter shaped in the style of a circular saw. Pressurized water propels it through the sewer and rotates the blade at very high speeds to quickly and effectively remove large tap roots, heavy grease deposits and other impediments, without damaging the pipeline itself.
The image at left shows a root cutting tool slicing through a mass of roots as it approaches the camera.
Tree roots can make their way into the smallest cracks in a sewer line. Over time, they can significantly impede flow. This photograph shows a clump of roots that has almost completely blocked the pipeline.
Grease build-up and mineral deposits are another common problem. Just as tree roots can find their way into a sewer line, ground water easily seeps through cracks and joints in old sewer lines. Given enough time, the growing mineral deposit at left will begin to restrict flow.
trimming service connections
Occasionally, when service connections are added to an existing mainline the laterals extend into the sewer main and can reduce flow, cause obstructive material to accumulate, and block cleaning and inspection equipment operations.
McCann’s Underground, Inc. uses a (“LumberJack” or “Kangaroo”) cutter to remove the protruding portion of these lateral connections, thus eliminating problems. The cutter is attached to a sled system that uses pressurized air or water in order to rotate the blade at high speeds. This system is also capable of removing roots and other obstructions from service connections. Capabilities range from 6” to 24” mainline pipe.
The image above shows a service connection protruding into the mainline. At left, the Lumberjack cutter is shown in the process of trimming the service connection.
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This raccoon was found in a storm drain.
