This article originally appeared in January 2005 issue Plumbing & Mechanical
Creatively blend proven technologies with intimate market knowledge. Add a dash of innovating thinking — and a business can really grow fast!
Just ask Preston Hall of All Pro Water Flow. In less than two years, the Colorado-based entrepreneur has revolutionized how the world cleans RV, aircraft, and boat holding tanks. And that’s resulted in authorized service centers and training operations in six states — with more on the way.
An RV owner, Hall grew concerned with inadequate, unsanitary chemical treatments for vehicle holding tanks. As a professional plumber for 25 years, he then used video inspection equipment to confirm his worst fears.
Forget foul odors. Hall discovered that conventional chemical cleaning failed to remove the appalling risks of dangerous disease contamination. “Our cameras clearly proved that chemicals don’t do the job,” he says, “What we saw of the typical RV holding tank sanitation was absolutely horrid.”
Choosing the right equipment
So he marshaled his professional and technical experience to devise a safer, more competent and thorough solution. And that launched what Hall claims is the “biggest untouched service industry in the United States in 50 years.”
Working with General Pipe Cleaners, Hall incorporated General’s proven “Jet Set” technologies with his proprietary equipment to found All Pro Water Flow.
General’s gas- and electric-powered water jets — with on-demand Vibra-Pulse® for greater nozzle thrust around tight bends and down long lines — have long offered professional drain cleaners indispensable weapons against grease, sediment, ice and other soft blockages.
With a wide variety of “Jet Set” models available, Hall admired the company’s reliable, rugged technology, transportability and safety features. He chose General’s J-2900™ gas-powered water jet as his “power” source.
Reliability proves critical
An economical alternative to larger gas-powered jets, the J-2900 is lighter and more maneuverable, yet maintains the same pressure and flow rate as other jets in its class.
Power comes from an 11 horsepower Holda engine connected directly to a 3,000 PSI, 4 gallons/minute triplex pump. The 300-foot capacity hose reel with a reel brake and brass swivel is mounted on a heavy-duty frame with two pneumatic tires for maximum stability and easy handling.
That proved the launching pad for Hall’s new business. He then developed a dozen custom adaptors — all patent-pending — and adapted the J-2900 for All Pro Water Flow’s proprietary cleaning system,
“We employ a variety of special hoses and nozzles for various holding tank cleaning jobs,” Hall says. “But the J-2900 is the power behind the technology we developed.”
Environmentally sound solution
With All Pro Water Flow, RV owners need no longer rely on chemicals to rinse holding tanks of odors and disease-causing waste material. “We’ve proven that friction from water flow, under carefully regulated pressure, thoroughly cleaning hold tanks,” Hall points out.
He noted that harsh chemical cleaners eventually enter municipal sewage treatments plants. So All Pro Water Flow’s proprietary approach makes environmental sense, too.
“Depending on holding tank size, we hydro-jet in fresh water at thousands of pounds of pressure per square inch,” he says. “And everyone knows that clean water is better for the environment than chemicals are.”