The PT13-LR long reach valve operation and maintenance trailer from Pacific Tek combines valve exercising and maintenance in a towable trailer.
“The trailer keeps you from having to dedicate a vehicle,” says Dan Skorcz, president. Systems also can be mounted on flatbed trucks.
The exerciser’s extendable arms can reach out 13 feet to operate valves in the street, median or off the road. The single-axle trailer measures 10 feet from hitch to taillight, while the double-axle model measures 16 feet long.
The smaller unit can be used in confined spaces, residential neighborhoods and alleys. Both units have a vacuum system for cleaning out valve and meter boxes and a high-pressure waterjet for potholing to locate lines or valves. Five vacuum tank capacities (66-, 100-, 150-, 220- and 250-gallon) are available. The 66-, 100-, 150- and 220-gallon units have fixed-angle tanks, while the 250-gallon unit can be hydraulically tilted and has a full-diameter opening. The 66- and 100-gallon tanks also have a 3-inch hose connection, while the larger tanks have a 4-inch hose connection.
A single 20 or 25 hp Kohler gasoline engine powers the Roots vacuum blower and water pump. The jetter delivers up to 3,000 psi at 4 gpm.
The electronic torque meter is adjustable from 0 to 800 ft-lbs. The electronic counter records 1/10 of a turn for data accuracy.
The basic system features a data logger, similar to an Excel spreadsheet, that automatically captures the number of turns it took to close the valve and the amount of torque. Users can manually enter such information as valve identification number, condition of the valve box or location hints, such as distance from a fire hydrant. Information can be downloaded at the end of the day.
The advanced unit includes a Spatial Wave GIS infrastructure management system (Field Mapplet) that communicates with the valve operating machine.
“You have your entire piping system, every valve and pump station on the screen,” Skorcz says. “You can track the vehicle as it moves through town to exercise the valve. It can also do calculations on fire flow … and line isolation trace. If you have a broken water main, it’ll calculate which valves need to be closed to isolate the area, and which customers might be affected by the shutdown. You also can do a wireless transfer from your field computer to the home office.”
The exerciser’s chain-drive aluminum head is capable of 1,200 ft-lbs but is rated at 800, Skorcz says. “The thing that is going to give way when we exceed 800 pounds is not the power head — it’s the aluminum valve key. It’ll twist like a barber pole once you get over 1,000 ft-lbs. We also have a universal socket that will break at the joint at about 1,200 ft-lbs.”
Maintenance primarily involves lubricating the exerciser’s articulating joints. The hydraulic system also has a suction strainer and return line filter. A gauge indicates when the filters need changing. 800/884-5551; www.pacific-tek.com.
