Regardless of the type of flood extraction equipment you use, some common-sense techniques can significantly increase your overall extraction performance:
- When excessive contents are present during restoration, extract the center of the room first to minimize content handling and speed the process. Then move contents to the center of the room, protect contents, and extract the perimeter.
- Keep the extraction hose as short as possible because resistance increases with hose length. Use the largest diameter of extraction hose approved for the tool and vacuum (refer to the manual). For portable deep extraction tools it's usually 2 in. (5 cm). Some truckmount units use 2½ in. vacuum hoses.
- As much as possible, avoid loops and bends—they reduce extraction efficiency.
- Hose reels, while great for carpet cleaning, shouldn't be used for extraction. The long coils of hose and internal hose couplings can significantly reduce vacuum and airflow.
These techniques will help ensure you're operating efficiently and removing as much liquid water as possible.