Pipe Cleaning Pros on the Road

Not all jobs for a pipe cleaning pro take place on terra firma. Such is the case for the technicians at Perfect Plumbing of Linthicum, Maryland, which serves the Annapolis and Linthicum areas. Here, Miguel, one of the company’s technicians is installing a supply line for hose connections and showers on a private dock in Annapolis. As the weather gets cooler, the technicians also handle winterization of

the systems.

Though the show is more focused on the underground infrastructure installation marketplace, the Pipe Cleaning PRO team did find some interesting things to see at the 2021 Utility Expo in Louisville, Kentucky. Super Products officially unveiled its Mud Dog 700 vacuum excavator (left and top left). The compact, versatile vacuum excavator is ideal for urban environments, featuring a 7-yd debris body and 600-gal water tank, allowing operators to maximize the legal payload.

We also stopped by the HammerHead Trenchless booth, which included a demonstration of its new SLX1300 trenchless pipe extraction system (bottom left) for small diameter steel natural gas services. The SLX1300 is a new method of replacing coated and bare steel gas service lines 0.5 to 1.25 in. in diameter, up to 100 ft in length. The hydraulically powered SLX1300 unit produces up to 13.3 tons of pulling force to extract the pipe from the ground while simultaneously pulling new HDPE or MDPE pipe into the same location as the existing pipe, reducing risk to surrounding utilities. While at HammerHead’s booth we also took a gander at the redesigned Bluelight LED cured-in-place pipe (CIPP) lining system (above). New features include, an intuitive touch screen interface, interchangeable reels available in 131- and 164-ft lengths, three light head sizes including a new 3-in. light head and a lightweight, ergonomic frame for easier maneuverability and portability.