If it’s not broken don’t fix it! Some things are better left undisturbed. Your vacuum tank manway that hasn’t been opened in 10 years is probably one of those things. Some tank entrances, such as your larger rear vacuum tank manway, may need to be opened on a weekly basis for proper cleanout. Once you have opened it, here are a couple of things to keep in mind.

Various components may need to be replaced when you try to open the manway. Wing nuts and bolts can be rusted and brittle after years of corrosion. Consider replacing them; this can save a lot of frustration and will help provide a secure seal.

Your vacuum tank manway gasket is the most important thing to check. Visually inspect the rubber gasket, and if in question use a flat head screwdriver to carefully pry it out. Check it for dry rot, tears, cracks or debris. You can use a hand held wire brush to remove heavy debris from your gasket. If you need a new gasket you can order it by the foot or as a specific size. When ordering rubber by the foot, be sure to order enough material so that when you install it the ends meet snugly. A gasket sealant compound should be applied at the joint to bond the two ends. Use of some grease all the way around will help the gasket install easier, enable the tank to seal better and provide corrosion resistance.

Older manways have the gasket installed in the neck. The newer styles usually have the gasket in the lid. Either way, be sure to visually inspect the metal surfaces that contact the gasket. If they are rough from rust or corrosion, you can use a wire brush or grinder to restore the smooth surface. If the rust is significant you may need to have a completely new manway installed.

If you do not hear your manway hissing when you run your vacuum pump, and if it is not leaking fluid, then you probably do not need to do anything to it. If you do open your manway be certain you get a proper seal when you close it. These simple procedures can help your tank perform better and save frustration and money over the long haul.

Pik Rite, Inc is proud to announce that Company President Elvin Stoltzfus has been named 2017 Small Business Person of the Year in Pennsylvania by the U.S. Small Business Administration.

………“These small business owners define entrepreneurial spirit and best represent the 28 million small businesses that are the backbone and economic engine for today’s economy”, said Linda McMahon, head of the U.S. Small Business Administration, in the March 16, 2017 announcement of winners.

Small Business Person of the Year winners from the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands will converge in Washington, D.C. April 30 – May 1.  Winners will be honored with their individual award, along with the recognition of three runners-up and the naming of the 2017 National Small Business Person of the Year.

In response to being named 2017 Small Business Person of the Year, Stoltzfus said, “I don’t want it to be about me as much as about the employees, the organization, and the products we build. To win this award is an honor, but it’s all about my faith, the employees and my family supporting me over the years.”

Steven Stumbris, director of the Bucknell University Small Business Development Center nominated Stoltzfus for the award.  The relationship between Pik Rite and the local SBDC began 15 years ago when two mechanical engineering professors from Bucknell helped Pik Rite in the design and development of a vegetable harvester.  Pik Rite has since engaged the SBDC’s Engineering Development Services as well as the Environmental Management Assistance Program, he said.

“Elvin’s leadership of Pik Rite, as demonstrated both through his commitment to his employees and his dedication to exceeding the needs of his customers made him an excellent candidate for this award. He’s a true champion for his employees and not only helps them to develop as individuals but also supports their efforts to volunteer in the community,” Stumbris said in a Daily Item article.

Pik Rite Inc., recently celebrated 30 years of USA manufacturing. Product lines range from the namesake “Pik Rite” vegetable harvesters to agricultural spreaders and in recent years, commercial vacuum tanks and truck bodies. The company employs 70-80 people at its 64,000 sq ft facility in Lewisburg, PA and has exported equipment to 27 countries. Striving for a new sales benchmark of $25 million, the company is seeing growth and continuing to expand into new markets.

Pik Rite products are constructed from raw material; start to finish, on site. This includes employees fabricating, welding, sandblasting, painting and assembling the finished product. More than 90 percent of the materials used are American-made.  “It gives us a lot of pride,” said Stoltzfus, who also is a Kelly Township supervisor.  Pik Rite hopes to add a new product to its sales catalog. A melon harvester is in development with a prototype to be tested in California in the summer of 2017, he said.

Having just completed the third phase of facility expansion in July 2016, there are no plans for further building expansion in the near future, and there are no plans to sell the company, either. Stoltzfus wants the company to grow, and he believes Pik Rite can reach $25 million in gross sales by building on established relationships and creating new ones. It’s all part of continuing to foster the company culture of hard work and positivity, he said.  “That has probably been the single thing that has changed here in our culture. People have a buy-in. They feel safe here and part of a family,” Stoltzfus said.

A vacuum pump rebuild kit can make daunting vacuum pump service projects much easier. The temptation is to ignore your vacuum pump until it fails.  Vacuum pumps are the heart of the liquid waste transport vehicle. Often they seem to work tirelessly with little or no maintenance. However, an ounce of prevention may reveal a significant problem just before it costs a pound of cure!

The rotary vane vacuum pump is a workhorse machine that is fairly simple and very dependable. However the internal moving parts are all subject to wear. You probably will not notice decreased performance until it is too late to avoid costly repairs. A vacuum pump rebuild kit contains components you need to keep your vacuum pump in peak condition. Once a year it is a good idea to take an extra close look at these components on your pump. Every pump manufacturer varies in their approach to pump wear parts. Some pumps have small ports allowing you to easily measure vane wear. Others require removal of the housing cover which also allows you to examine for rotor contact and check the gaskets and bearings. Provided that nothing is wrong, removal of the housing cover and re-assembly is a relatively uncomplicated procedure with a good owner’s manual for reference.

The parts most likely to need replacement are the rotary vanes. The vanes are designed to slide in and out with each rotation of the pump. As the vanes wear down they are more susceptible to breaking. A broken vane can jam between the rotor and pump housing causing pump failure and possibly a cracked housing. Remove the old vanes when they begin to de-laminate or show significant wear. A generous application of lubricating oil will help the new vanes from your vacuum pump rebuild kit slide in easily. This maintenance procedure will save you a lot of costly down time in the event of a broken vane and subsequent cracked housing!

Other parts that may require attention are the seals, gaskets and o-rings. These parts are included in a vacuum pump rebuild kit from Pik Rite, Inc. or individually from the pump manufacturer. A vacuum pump rebuild kit is a good items to keep in stock in your facility. Having the full set of needed parts will minimize the amount of time and frustration involved in a quick vacuum pump rebuild. Individual parts are also available to make your daily routine easier. Even seemingly insignificant things like a stiff or broken pump valve handle can be easily replaced in your shop. Any extra care that you give your pump in house will save costly repair bills incurred by a lack of maintenance.
Remember, your pump may not complain about worn parts until they break! You won’t know the problem exists until you go looking for it. Keeping a good supply of pump replacement parts or a vacuum pump rebuild kit will save you time and frustration when you perform regular maintenance checks. “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”

For more information on our vacuum pump rebuild service click here.

Equipment breaks! That’s a quick lesson from the school of hard knocks. However vacuum tanks are set up with a variety of protection components to take the sting out of your repair bill. The coupler between your gearbox and vacuum pump is one of these components.

Couplers take the stress every time you engage the PTO to start your vacuum pump. There are multiple styles, but all of them are basically designed to dampen the shock when you start your vacuum pump, lengthening the life of your equipment.
Although it’s mostly out of sight and out of mind, your coupler insert is slowly wearing down. At some point it will need to be replaced. Preventative maintenance is not necessary often, but periodically checking the teeth for wear and the rubber for dry rot or cracking may save you down time in the future.

If you are replacing your coupler, there are two very important concepts that will significantly increase the life of your equipment. The first one is verifying the alignment of the metal coupler housing. Use a straight edge to verify top, bottom, left and right sides of coupler housings are perfectly aligned with each other. If the housings are not perfectly aligned, your rubber coupler insert will quickly wear and fall far short of its intended lifespan.

The other concept to consider is allowing endplay on both ends of the rubber insert. When the insert heats up it will expand significantly and push on your pump rotor. The pressure can force your pump rotor into the pump housing endplate. As mentioned before, every coupler can vary but on a common #9 Sure-Flex coupler you should have approximately 1-7/8” total distance between the steel flanges (smaller for a #8 and larger for a #10). This will allow room for the coupler to expand without putting pressure on your pump rotor. For exact measurements refer to the instructions that come with your new coupler.
Hydraulic motors may use a coupler style that allows metal teeth to interlock. This is acceptable because of the hydraulic relief valves. Direct drive PTO systems should never use this type of coupler. A complete rubber insert should be used allowing the coupler to shear if something in the pump locks up.

Attention to the small details will often pay large dividends. Giving your coupler some attention today will put you ahead of the game and save you costly down time in the future.

Ike Martin -Pik Rite, Inc.
Ike has been servicing and rebuilding vacuum pumps for the past 13 years. His experience and expertise in the service department at Pik Rite, Inc. is highly valued. Pik Rite manufacturers and services commercial vacuum tanks, hoist units, roll-offs, slide-ins, portable toilet service units and tank trailers ranging in size from 300 to 6,500 gallons. Our 15 year steel tank warranty sets us apart from the competition. Tanks are available in steel, stainless steel and aluminum.

Call 800-339-3840 and mention promo code ALW for a 10% discount on pumps and pump parts during the month of February.

Some things in life do not get a lot of attention until they break! If you’re like most busy pumpers, you probably haven’t given your tank valves much thought over the holiday season. However, there are some options that will come in handy if you are fixing a broken valve or compiling your new tank wish list!
The four main types of valves installed on vacuum tanks include lever valves, piston valves, ball valves and butterfly valves. They all have unique features to accompany their pros and cons that contribute to their relevance in the water and wastewater industries.
Butterfly valves are the least utilized valve type in the grease and septic liquid waste industry. The valve features a paddle type stopper that swivels in place allowing fluid to flow around it when open. Debris can easily get caught on the stopper in the open position. This valve type is more commonly used in the oil and gas industry for water haulers and liquids that do not contain debris or solids.
Lever valves are more common and universal because of their friendly price point and full open design. Commonly these are brass valves, but are also available in stainless steel or with stainless steel components, if you’re willing to pay for the upgrades. The lever pulls the stopper completely out of the line of flow and allows liquids and solids to pass through easily. This valve design has become the workhorse solution for many pumpers; however care should be taken to prevent damage to the stopper. When closing the valve, check for small rocks or hardened debris that can collect in the valve body as these could mar the surface of the stopper if forced shut, which could cause leaks and valve failure.
Piston valves also feature a full open design much like lever valves. The handle on a piston valve is larger and easier to operate but can be bulky on trucks with multiple valves in close proximity. Many options for automation make the piston valve desirable for those needing remote control options or for land applicators. They can be powered with air or hydraulic allowing the valve to open and close from a control module. More expensive than brass lever valves, brass piston valves are a middle of the road option from a price perspective, unless adding stainless steel or automation components.
Brass ball valves carry a hefty price tag and are the endangered species of the liquid waste valve options. Most commonly available in brass these valves also have limited stainless steel upgrade options. They feature an enclosed ball with two openings allowing liquid or solids to pass when rotated to the open position. The ball sits on a Teflon seat and has seals that wear over time. This design can also break if it freezes in either the full open or full closed positions. When operating in cold weather, ball valves are best maintained in the half open position or closed with heated options.
Regardless of the valve type, repair or replacement will be needed at some point. Replaceable components are often more hassle to tear down, fix and reassemble than replacing the entire valve. Keeping some valve money in your budget is a wise consideration.
Hopefully this article finds you contemplating your new rig set up rather than nursing repairs on old faithful. Either way, be sure to keep an open mind when it comes to valve configurations.

Submitted by Tim Lightner
Tim is a sales associate for Pik Rite, Inc. His expertise in the vacuum tank product line has been sought by local operators as well as multiple international and military accounts in both septic and gas and oil industries. Pik Rite, Inc. is a custom manufacturer of commercial vacuum tanks. Pik Rite hoist units, roll-off units, slide-in units, portable toilet service units and tank trailers come in sizes ranging from 300 gallons to 6,500 gallons. Our 15 year steel tank warranty sets us apart from the competition. Tanks are available in steel, stainless steel and aluminum.