A Vacu-Boom joiner clip, manufacturer part C-4. Clips hold the 1.52 m (5 ft) sections together to form a continuous run, and they are the consumable of the system.
The 20 ft kit ships with five, the 25 ft kit with six — one more than the number of sections in each case. At a fraction of the cost of any other part in the range, clips are the item most likely to strand a crew on site. Carry spares.
How a Vacu-Boom is assembled
A Vacu-Boom is built from 1.52 m (5 ft) sections into whatever configuration the job needs, rather than supplied as one fixed length.
The manufacturer's range comprises six basic parts. CCW stocks four of them:
- 5 ft mid section without port — extends the run
- 5 ft mid section with port — extends the run and provides a take-off point
- Cap end — closes the run and provides a vacuum connection
- Centre tap — T-shaped fitting placed near the centre of a layout so suction is distributed evenly in both directions
- Joiner clip — holds sections together
Two further parts are made by the manufacturer but not currently held by CCW, and both are needed for closed-loop or long multi-vacuum layouts — square corner fittings for squares and rectangles, and divider plates, thin flat plates fitted between sections to isolate internal airflow. We can order both. Ask us before specifying a perimeter or a run over 40 ft.
Cap ends and centre taps carry adjustable air vents, which prevent excessive vacuum pressure when the boom is connected to a large vacuum system.
Every joint is part of a vacuum manifold. A joint that is not properly seated is an air leak, and an air leak anywhere weakens the seal along the whole run, not just at that joint. Seat every clip and walk the line before switching on.
Why clips matter more than their price suggests
A Vacu-Boom run is a vacuum manifold. Every joint is either sealed or it is an air leak, and an air leak does not just weaken that joint — it weakens the seal along the whole run, because air drawn in through the gap is air no longer holding the boom down elsewhere.
That makes clip condition a performance issue rather than a housekeeping one. A clip that has been driven over, distorted or partly seated shows up as a boom that will not pull down properly, and the fault is easily misdiagnosed as insufficient vacuum.
Two habits worth forming:
- Walk the run and check every clip is fully seated before switching the vacuum on, not after.
- Keep spares on the rig. Clips go missing during pack-down more often than they fail in service.
Vacuum and surface requirements
The boom seals by airflow, not weight. The manufacturer's minimum for a 20 ft run and longer is 202 CFM (approximately 343 m³/h) at 6.5 in Hg (approximately 22 kPa), through a 50 mm (2 in) hose. Keep the full 2 in bore through to the machine — restriction costs seal faster than distance does.
A relatively smooth, hard, non-porous surface is required. No crack or roughness tolerance is published, so prove the seal on site where pavement is aged or broken.
Important: the Razorback Floodmaxx Auto meets these figures at 275 CFM and 11 in Hg. Standard Razorback fibreglass portables with 2 x 5.7 in vacuum motors — Flood Mate Auto, Balboa 700 and Drago 1600 — deliver 185 CFM and are not suitable for a Vacu-Boom. Only the MAXX machines, with 2 x 6.6 in motors, reach the required airflow.
Chemical exposure and care
The manufacturer states general tolerance to alkalines, acids, petrochemicals and solvents when diluted at concentrations normally found in aqueous cleaning effluent, and excludes undiluted or concentrated aggressive chemicals, flammables and hazardous materials. Acidic chemicals require extreme dilution.
Chemical attack, where it happens, happens mostly in storage rather than in use. Rinse thoroughly after any use involving detergent or chemical, and never let chemical dry and harden on the sections. Done properly, the manufacturer reports service lives beyond ten years.
Warranty
The manufacturer's limited warranty covers the boom system against defects in materials or workmanship for three months from date of purchase, and the vacuum recovery unit with pump-out system for twelve months, provided the equipment is used in accordance with the written operating and maintenance instructions. It is a factory return warranty and excludes field labour, freight, ordinary wear, and damage from misuse or lack of maintenance.
These manufacturer terms are in addition to, and do not limit or exclude, your rights under the Australian Consumer Law. Our goods come with guarantees that cannot be excluded under the ACL. Talk to us about your situation — a three-month factory warranty on an imported product is not the whole picture, and we would rather discuss it before you order than after.
Manufacturer documents
- Component identification drawing (PDF)
- Technical Bulletin 1174 — special applications and configurations (PDF)
- Technical Bulletin 1176 — chemical compatibility (PDF)
- Technical specifications — VB20-VR1B system (PDF)
- Manufacturer limited warranty (PDF)
From the workshop
[Technician's Note — replace before publishing: two to four sentences of first-hand CCW field experience relevant to this product. A pattern you see, a mistake customers make, or something learned from servicing or selling it. Not spec repetition, not a sales pitch, not invented.]
Related products
- Vacu-Boom 20ft Kit — 6.1 m run
- Vacu-Boom 25ft Kit — 7.6 m run
- Razorback Floodmaxx Auto — 275 CFM automatic pump-out wet vacuum that meets the boom's requirements
- Complete Vacu-Boom component range
