To service the New England area, Stewart’s Septic Services in Bradford, Massachusetts, owns a lot of equipment, including 13 vacuum trucks. But one of its smaller pieces of equipment is big on versatility, productivity and profitability: a hot-water jetter made by Hot Jet USA.

Equipped with a 350-gallon water tank, the unit is used mainly for cleaning grease traps. But in winter, it does double-duty when crews use it to thaw frozen pipelines, courtesy of an onboard boiler that heats the water to roughly 180 degrees. “It’s a very versatile piece of equipment,” says John Divincenzo, who co-owns the company with his wife, Jane. “The hot water really does a great job.”

Divincenzo always intended to invest in a hot-water jetter because frozen pipelines are a common problem during the frigid New England winters. But over the years, he found it difficult to find one with all the features he wanted. “I’m a fussy guy when I buy equipment,” he admits. “Our specs are very tight – we want to be sure things will work every day.”

Technicians can unclog frozen lines with cold-water jetters, but Divincenzo says hot water allows the Hot Jet unit to thaw frozen lines 75 percent faster.

The company purchased the unit at the Water & Wastewater Equipment, Treatment & Transport (WWETT) Show in 2015. It features a cold-weather package that keeps the unit from freezing up on the job, a hose reel that can hold 300 feet of 1/2-inch-diameter hose, another hose reel with 100 feet of hose for pressure washing and a portable reel that holds 100 feet of 1/4-inch hose.

Crews use the 1/4-inch hose to unclog interior sanitary sewer lines, grease lines and floor drains. “It’s a lot easier for our guys to use that portable reel with 1/4-inch hose (instead of 1/2-inch hose) to do those kinds of jobs,” he says. “You add water to that 1/4-inch line with a foot pedal, and a remote control allows us to (power) on and off from wherever we’re working. Everything features quick connects – the unit is very well thought out.

“It’s a very valuable piece of equipment that brings in a lot of revenue for us,” he says. “Every time my guys use it, they say it’s the best investment we ever made.”

For more on Stewart’s Septic Services, read the full profile in the February issue of Pumper.