In Greater Vancouver, winter excavations come with unique obstacles that most excavation methods deal with. While hydro vac services stand out for their safety, efficiency, and adaptability, you may wonder if harsh weather conditions affect their effectiveness. So, can you hydro vac in winter?
The cold months in Greater Vancouver bring frozen ground, wet, waterlogged sites, equipment maintenance challenges, and greater safety concerns. However, with proper strategies, hydro vac excavation in winter remains a reliable option. By using heated coils, anti-freeze, increasing water pressure, and pre-planning the excavation, hydro vac trucks ensure year-round excavation solutions for clients in the Lower Mainland.
In this article, we’ll give you a brief overview of the environmental hazards of winter in Greater Vancouver and surrounding cities. We’ll then explore the challenges of winter excavation and the unique advantages of hydro vac services during the cold season. Read on to discover why hydro vac trucks are the only reasonable choice for excavation in the winter.
Winter In Greater Vancouver: Environmental Hazards Excavation
Greater Vancouver is prone to heavy rain storms and frequent cloud coverage, leading to an overall soggy environment. In winter, the Lower Mainland experiences the following 4 issues:
- Cold Temperatures: Temperature in winter usually ranges from 0°C to 8°C. In cities located in the Fraser Valley east of Greater Vancouver, such as Abbotsford and Chilliwack, it can get as low as -4°C to 6°C. Low temperatures such as these can affect equipment performance.
- Snowfall: For most parts of Greater Vancouver, snow pile-up is a mild concern. However, for cities with new mountainous terrain such as Abbotsford and Chilliwack, snowfall is a severe issue that can hamper excavation and transit.
- Rainfall: Cities such as Aldergrove and Langley face rainfall more frequently in the winter, causing roads and sites to become muddy and waterlogged. Finding purchase in wet soil to excavate poses a higher risk.
- Road Conditions: While snowfall is not a huge concern for most parts of Greater Vancouver, it causes the roads to become icy, slippery, and muddy. Travelling on these roads can be hazardous, especially with heavier excavation equipment.
For traditional or mechanical excavation tools, digging in the winter becomes unsafe, long, and arduous. However, let’s explore if hydro vac excavation in winter is a bit more viable.
Do Winter Months Impact Hydro Excavation?
Cold weather brings specific challenges to hydro vac excavation. As the process involves using pressurized water and negative vacuum pressure, the following 4 issues may plague hydro vac trucks:
- Water Temperature: The freezing temperature of winter may cause the water stored in the truck to freeze, or become slush, struggling to move through the jetter.
- Tougher Terrain: As the ground becomes icy, the hydro jetter may have a tougher time breaking the soil.
- Engine Performance: Low temperatures can cause the engine to have a harder time remaining operational.
- Road Conditions: Even the smallest hydro vac trucks are behemoths that carry around 1000 to 1200 gallons of slurry or water. Icy, muddy, and slippery roads are more challenging for such large machines to drive on.
While this list of challenges may seem insurmountable, hydro vac trucks can easily address all of these issues if they are winter-ready. With some simple changes and modifications, a hydro vac truck can trivialize these concerns.
How Can You Hydro Vac In Winter?
Winter-ready hydro vac trucks are well-equipped to tackle the wet and frigid conditions of Greater Vancouver. The operators also change their approach to excavation and safety. Here’s how professionals ensure effective results in cold weather digging:
- Heated Water Systems: Hydro vac trucks equip themselves with heating systems to keep water at optimal temperatures. This allows the pressurized water to break through frozen soil effectively.
- Increased Water Pressure: Usually the jetter of the hydro vac shoots out water with 1500 to 3000 PSI of force. However, in winter, hydro vacs raise the pressure to 4000 PSI if needed.
- Anti-Freeze Additives: Hydro vac trucks add anti-freeze solutions to the water system, preventing it from freezing within the equipment. The hydraulics are also insulated further to ensure smooth operations.
- Anti-winter Equipment: Operators plug in the engine block heater to keep the truck engine warm and start up faster. The tires are also changed, air pressure is checked, and heated valves are added for safer driving conditions on icy, slippery roads.
- Pre-Planning: Projects are scheduled during the warmer parts of the day or in milder weather conditions to maximize efficiency and minimize downtime. Also, operators may remove excess snow and debris from the site to reduce the risk of accidents.
If you wish to know more about how a hydro vac truck works, or what they are capable of, you can click on the linked articles. But rest assured, only hydro vac excavation can offer you this versatility for cold weather digging.
Benefits of Hydro Vac Excavation in Winter In Lower Mainland
Hydro vac services aren’t simply resistant to winter conditions, they offer unique advantages that other digging methods cannot. Winter-ready hydro vac trucks offer 3 advantages that make them ideal for cold weather digging:
- Minimal Soil Disruption: The jetter of the hydro vac truck is so accurate that frozen soil retains its structure, reducing mess and making cleanup easier compared to summer excavations.
- Precise Utility Access: Hydro vac excavation using heated water and negative vacuum pressure minimizes the risk of damaging underground utilities, even in challenging conditions.
- Availability: Winter months won’t delay emergency repairs, utility maintenance, or construction projects, especially in Greater Vancouver cities like Burnaby, Delta, and Coquitlam. Other excavation equipment requires special care to transport on icy roads, while hydro vac trucks can reach it with ease.
Winter-ready hydro vac trucks can take on Greater Vancouver’s challenging conditions like no other. However, the operators must also come with significant experience to provide maximum safety and efficiency. No matter how capable a machine is, it’s only as good as its operators. And at Inflow Hydro Vac Services, we only offer you the best machines and the best operators.
Inflow Hydro Vac Services Ltd. Efficient Excavation In Every Weather.
Whether it’s for cold weather digging services or daylighting frozen utilities, Inflow’s hydro vac trucks ensure accuracy and reliability throughout the winter. Our winter-ready hydro vac trucks come with operators who have over a decade of experience working on projects in Greater Vancouver. So, if you’re looking for a reliable hydro vac service near Greater Vancouver or Fraser Valley in the cold months, call (604) 913-7276.
Conclusion
Winter excavation doesn’t have to be a challenge. You can tackle even the toughest cold-weather projects with proper techniques, equipment, and professionals. Trust hydro vac services for safe, precise, and year-round solutions to all your excavation needs.