Response to “Carefully Select Sewer Nozzles to Optimize Productivity and Profitability” Article featured in June Cleaner 2021

I read the article in this months (June 2021) Cleaner magazine and had to author a response. I have been a long time subscriber to the publication and think a lot of the crew at Cole Publishing. I feel that this article would fit better as Sponsored Content as opposed to Tech Perspective. I would like to respond to the claims that caught our attention:

“While there are many nozzle options available in a variety of configurations, the standard nozzles that typically are supplied with the purchase of a sewer truck are only rated as 50-60% efficient.”

KEG claims that the “standard nozzles that typically are supplied…” are 50-60% efficient. We believe they are referring to the lowest cost nozzle provided with many manufacturers equipment, the drilled nozzle. This nozzle style has the shortest life expectancy of all types. We challenge their “guess” at its efficiency. This “efficiency” measurement is a large source of debate. It is referred to as the Tier System by some industry groups. 

“In contrast, the most effective nozzles have tight water patterns that efficiently clean the pipe wall and create a powerful water stream to move debris long distances and propel the nozzle. Crucially, these nozzles provide efficient fluid mechanics to prevent the wasteful use of water (gpm) and operating pressure (psi).”

The underlying assumption here is that KEG’s nozzles feature a “tight water pattern”. We refute this and disagree that they set the standard in this area. We would like to help establish a standard in this area. 

”There is tremendous force and pressure created in an extremely efficient nozzle. It is often what is needed to get the most out of the Vactor sewer trucks we represent, which are considered the ‘Ferrari’ of the industry. To extend the analogy, you cannot go 200 mph in a Ferrari with the cheapest tires available,” Woods says.”

We think the analogy of a Ferrari is accurate, but for different reasons than Mr. Woods claims. We liken the cost and reliability of Ferrari and Vactor to be very similar. The exotic electronics for Vactor can only be troubleshot and sourced through a dealer. In every territory in the country, this is the most expensive shop providing this type of equipment. Ferrari shares much of this same sentiment. We don’t think you will find any Ferrari owner that will claim reliability above all, most will negatively comment on the cost of ownership (as will Vactor owners). 

Vactor’s equipment pumps that same water that all other combo manufacturers do, and at the same volume and pressure. More efficient nozzles can improve a combo truck’s performance, but KEG and Vactor would lead you to believe that they are the only vendor for such tools. We think the problem regarding the productivity of sewer cleaning equipment lies in other areas (methodology, jet cameras, etc.) 

“Utilizing such high-performance nozzles has benefits that go far beyond conserving water to protect the environment. Reducing water use also minimizes trips to refill the sewer truck water tank and keeps crews effectively cleaning to expedite work completion. By decreasing unnecessary travel, the approach also reduces the cost of vehicle fuel and maintenance, which further boosts profitability.“

We won’t argue that conserving water is an important practice, we disagree with the proposed tactics and results. We would argue that municipalities would benefit from better tool selection, rather than the “most efficient” tool. Also, some better thinking regarding maintenance tactics and tools might be a better track for improved productivity. 

This response delves into a larger industry issue, promotion of oversized equipment. The underlying assumption here is that you will purchase Vactor and KEG. Vactor (and their dealers) are guilty of promoting a one size fits all solution across the country. They would like every city to purchase equipment grossly oversized for the work they encounter every day. Most municipalities don’t need a 1” 80 GPM truck to do the work they encounter everyday, we argue that they need 25-40. Outdated thinking has led many cities into the trap of “more truck” is what they need most days. We can safely argue that this thinking is dated and won’t get the county to where it needs to be for smart water conservation. 

“In the case of top-notch nozzles that provide up to 98% efficiency, the high-performance fluid mechanics design leaves little room for power losses and excessive turbulence. After exiting the jetter hose, water travels into the body of the nozzle before moving through smooth, curved channels. This design enables the water to maintain its power and speed before entering the nozzle’s replaceable titanium ceramic inserts. Next, the water is funneled from a short conical shape to a larger, longer cylindrical shape, allowing a tight water pattern to emerge.”

We challenge the idea that KEG’s nozzles as a whole, or even in part, are 98% efficient. This claims that only 2% of the horsepower being translated to the nozzle (hose and fittings aside) is lost, only 2%. These are not realistic numbers for efficiency. Here is the issue with this, fluid dynamics are a theory. High-end software is utilized in this area to simulate fluid paths and identify problem areas. It’s obvious that smoothing edges and transitioning volumes will improve nozzle efficiency. Engine builders have been blueprinting and porting engines for a long time, none of this is new. Anyone who has gone through this on an engine is also aware of what it costs.

Titanium Ceramic inserts are simply Alumina Oxide orifice plates installed in a stainless steel body. There is no magic here for longevity or stream integrity. Almina Oxide has long been used for it’s wear abrasion resistance characteristics. The naming would lead you to believe it was different from other ceramic offerings. 

In conclusion, I completely agree that more efficient nozzles improve the operator's world for many reasons. What we can’t let lay is bad claims taken to market. Most end users aren’t ready to have a debate about the intricacies of nozzles. We believe the efficiency needed to accomplish the busy work of operators can better be accomplished with critical thinking, not fancier nozzles. The end goal of a reduction in SSO’s should be the target, not more expensive trucks and tools. More expense in these two areas don’t correlate to better management of drainage system maintenance. 

 This has ignited in us the effort to establish more industry standards when it comes to pipe cleaning tools. I would welcome the opportunity to discuss this further. I can be reached via email at [email protected] or 281-485-9513. 

Response to this artcile: https://www.cleaner.com/editorial/2021/06/carefully-select-sewer-nozzles-to-optimize-productivity-and-profitability