Istanbul Vacuum Truck Service
When you need a vacuum truck in Istanbul, Cantley comes to addresses where a septic tank is full, a manhole is overflowing or a basement has been flooded by rainwater. We pump out the waste and carry it away in a sealed tank. A vacuum truck is a lorry with a vacuum pump and a closed tank: through a hose it sucks up the wastewater and the sludge at the bottom of a pit, manhole or basement. Our combination trucks also carry a high-pressure water system on the same vehicle, so the pressurised water loosens and flushes the line while the vacuum collects the waste that has come free. We work in all 39 districts of Istanbul, every day of the week, day and night.
When you choose a vacuum truck company, the first thing to ask is where the pumped waste goes. We take it to authorised discharge points and licensed disposal facilities. We never empty it into a street grate, a stream or the sea. For owners of detached houses, building and site management, restaurants, businesses and building sites, we plan regular maintenance as well as one-off pumping. When you call, we first listen to the situation, then choose the truck that suits your street and the size of the job.
When should you call a vacuum truck?
Jobs that need a vacuum truck usually announce themselves with clear signs. Here are the situations we are called to most often and what the truck does in each one.
The septic tank is full
In detached houses, holiday homes or buildings with gardens that are not connected to the sewer network, a full septic tank makes drains slow, brings a smell and a wet patch to the garden, and lets water seep out around the cover. At this point the septic tank needs to be pumped out, because if you wait, the wastewater can come back into the house. During septic tank cleaning we also pump out the sludge that has settled at the bottom of the tank.
A manhole or inspection chamber is overflowing
If the water in the building's manhole has risen to the cover, or wastewater is running out of the cover into the garden, the waste that has built up inside must be pumped out first. Once the manhole is empty, it also becomes visible which direction the line is blocked in. Never climb down into a manhole under any circumstances, because toxic gas collects in closed shafts.
A basement or car park is flooded
When the water that fills an enclosed car park, a basement or a shelter after a downpour is more than a small submersible pump can handle, a vacuum truck for car parks is the answer. The truck pumps the water together with the mud and sand in it. Once the floor is clear, we also check whether the drainage grates and manholes are open.
A restaurant's grease trap is full
If drains in the kitchen are slowing down, there is a smell coming from the grease trap or a thick layer of fat has formed on top of the chamber, the trap needs to be pumped out. A full grease trap lets fat escape into the building's main line and quickly puts the whole building's sewer under strain. For restaurants and food production businesses, we put this pumping on a regular schedule.
The sewer is blocked deep in the line
If the blockage is deep in the building's line, between two manholes or close to the street connection, and the line is full of wastewater, we use a combination vacuum truck. Pumping the water out of the line makes it easier to reach the blockage, and the pressurised water strips the build-up from the pipe wall and carries it to the manhole.
Liquid waste has built up on a building site or at a business
Rainwater filling a foundation pit, muddy water collecting on a construction site or a business's wastewater tank all need to be emptied at set intervals. For this kind of work, as a vacuum truck for hire or a dedicated vacuum truck, we reserve the vehicle for the days and hours you choose.
How does a vacuum truck work, and which truck is chosen?
The main part of a vacuum truck is the vacuum pump. The pump removes the air from inside the tank, and the low pressure this creates draws the liquid and sludge at the end of the hose into the tank. Because the tank is sealed, the pumped waste is carried away without spilling or spreading odour on the road. The same method works in a septic tank, a manhole, a grease trap and a flooded basement. The only things that change are where the hose is lowered and how thick the waste is.
Besides the vacuum system, a combination vacuum truck carries a high-pressure water pump and a separate clean water tank. The crew sends a special nozzle into the line, and the water jetting backwards from the nozzle strips grease, sludge and sand off the pipe wall. The loosened waste flows towards the manhole, and the vacuum hose collects it from there. With our combination trucks we can both unblock and clean building main lines, car park grate channels and restaurant connections in a single visit.
A mini vacuum truck is a vehicle on a small chassis for places where a large lorry cannot get in. The narrow, steep streets of old neighbourhoods, roads inside housing complexes, entrances to enclosed car parks with low ceilings and courtyards closed to vehicle traffic are jobs for the mini truck. The standard truck comes into its own where access is easy and the volume to be pumped is large. Whichever is chosen, it matters that the truck stands as close to the waste as possible, because pumping gets harder as the hose gets longer and the height difference grows.
We choose the truck with a few questions on the phone. We ask what kind of waste is to be pumped, roughly how big the tank or flooded area is, how wide the street is, how high the car park entrance is, where the truck can park and how far the cover is from the road. A photo of the street and the cover sent on WhatsApp makes this decision much easier. If the job is too big to finish in one visit, we tell you so from the start.
The pumped waste is taken directly to authorised discharge points and licensed disposal facilities. Greasy waste from a grease trap goes to a facility suited to its type. Emptying waste into a rainwater grate, a stream or the sea harms both the environment and the health of everyone around. Do not hesitate to ask the crew you call where the waste will be taken.
We also provide regular service for building and site management, business centres and restaurants. Having a septic tank, grease trap or car park manholes pumped at set intervals is far less trouble than calling an emergency vacuum truck after an overflow. For building sites, long renovations and venues that host events, we can also reserve the truck and crew for set days as a vacuum truck for hire.
How does the vacuum truck service go, step by step?
On every job our aim is to pump the waste without it touching the surroundings and to leave your address as clean as we found it.
We listen to the situation on the phone
When you call 0212 923 66 85 or write on WhatsApp, we first ask what has happened, what kind of waste it is and how the address can be reached. An overflowing manhole at midnight and a planned septic tank pumping need different preparation, so we talk about the urgency from the start.
We send the truck that suits the address
Based on what you tell us, we choose a combination, mini or standard truck and tell you why we chose it. In places like Adalar, where motor vehicle use is restricted, we first plan the job with you on the phone.
We set up the hose route
The crew parks the truck at the nearest suitable point to the cover and lays the hose so that it blocks shared areas and the neighbours' passage as little as possible. Before opening the cover, we protect the surroundings and, if needed, mark off the entrances temporarily.
We pump the waste and, if needed, flush the line
In a septic tank we pump the liquid part first, then the thick sludge at the bottom. If the line is blocked, we flush the pipe with the combination truck's pressurised water and collect the loosened waste from the manhole.
We clean up and hand the area back
When pumping is finished, we close the cover and wash the places the hose has passed and the area around the cover. We check the emptied tank or manhole together with you and, based on what we see, tell you how long you can wait before the next pumping.
We discharge the waste at the authorised point
The waste leaves your address in a closed tank and is taken to an authorised discharge point or a licensed disposal facility. It is not emptied on the road or anywhere else.
What you can do before the crew arrives
- Clear the route the truck will use: move cars parked in front of the gate and items in front of the garden door, and let the site security or car park attendant know the truck is coming.
- Find the septic tank or manhole cover and remove any plant pot, rug or material on top of it. If the cover is under soil, it is enough to mark its position. Do not try to lift heavy covers on your own.
- If the hose will pass through a shared garden, a stairwell or a car park, tell the management and your neighbours in advance.
- If the septic tank is full or a manhole is overflowing, use less water in the house until the crew arrives and do not run the washing machine or dishwasher.
- If the basement is flooded, switch off the electricity to that floor at the fuse box if it is safe to do so, do not enter an area where sockets are in contact with water, and move valuables upstairs.
- Keep children and pets away from an open cover, and never climb down into the tank or manhole under any circumstances.
Pictures from the field
Rear view of the red vacuum truck 
Red vacuum truck and its tank 
Red combination jetting and vacuum truck
Vacuum Truck Service by district
We provide this service in all 39 districts of Istanbul. Choose your district.
Frequently asked questions
How often should a septic tank be pumped?
How often a septic tank needs pumping depends on the size of the tank, the number of people living in the house and whether the tank is a leaching type or a sealed one. It should be pumped before it starts to overflow. Slow drains, a smell in the garden and wetness around the cover show that the time has come. At the first pumping we see how full the tank is and suggest an interval that suits you.
Can I call a vacuum truck at night or on a public holiday?
Yes. We provide a 24/7 vacuum truck service, so you can call at night, at weekends and on public holidays too. An overflowing manhole, a flooded car park or wastewater coming back into the house cannot wait. For emergency vacuum truck calls, we listen to the situation on the phone and direct the most suitable truck.
Can a vacuum truck get into a narrow street or an enclosed car park?
Yes, we use a mini vacuum truck for narrow streets and car parks with low ceilings. If the truck cannot enter the area, we park at the nearest point and extend the hose to the cover. Telling us the width of the street and the height of the car park entrance on the phone lets us choose the right truck.
Can a vacuum truck unblock a blocked sewer?
A combination vacuum truck can unblock a blocked sewer, because it flushes the line with pressurised water and collects the waste with the vacuum. A vacuum-only truck does not clear the line, it only empties the water in it. If the cause of the blockage is a tree root or a collapsed or broken pipe, we also inspect with a camera and work with motorised machines.
Why call a private vacuum truck when the municipality has one?
Some municipalities provide a vacuum truck service, but its scope, queue and conditions differ from one municipality to another, so you need to learn the details from your own municipality. A private vacuum truck can be more practical for jobs where you want the truck to arrive at a specific time, for problems that happen at night or for work that needs combined jetting.
What determines the cost of calling a vacuum truck?
The cost depends on the amount and type of waste, how the address can be reached and the distance to the point where the waste will be taken. Whether the line needs to be flushed with a combination truck and how far the hose has to be laid are also taken into account. Once we have this information on the phone, we give you clear information.
My basement is flooded. What should I do until the crew arrives?
First, if it is safe, switch off the basement's electricity at the fuse box and do not walk into the water. Clear leaves and rubbish from the drainage grates at the building entrance, and if the water keeps rising, inform the management.
What jobs is a vacuum truck for hire suitable for?
A vacuum truck for hire suits housing complex, business and building site work where regular or long-term pumping is needed. We reserve the truck and crew for the days you choose and put septic tank, grease trap or site water pumping on a schedule.
Do you provide a vacuum truck service in Adalar?
Because motor vehicle use is restricted in Adalar, we first plan the job with you on the phone. We talk through the position of the tank or manhole, the access and the amount of waste, and work out together what can be done.
Our other services
No-Dig Drain Unclogging
We locate the blockage with a camera, then clear it with a drain snake and pressurised water. Your tiles stay where they are.
See detailsToilet Unclogging
From an overflowing toilet to the building's shared stack, we clear the toilet drain.
See detailsWashbasin Unclogging
Whether the blockage is in the trap or in the line inside the wall, we clear it cleanly.
See detailsKitchen Sink Unclogging
We jet the whole kitchen drain line with high-pressure water to remove built-up grease and starch.
See detailsCommercial Kitchen Drain Clearing
In restaurant and cafe kitchens, we clear the floor drain, grease trap and shared line without interrupting service.
See detailsShower and Bathtub Drain Unclogging
We clear the hair and soap that build up in floor drains, shower channels and bathtub drains.
See detailsBalcony Drain Unclogging
We clear balcony drains clogged with leaves, soil and sand before the rain arrives.
See detailsDrain Unclogging
We work out which drain is blocked, then clear the line in your home or workplace.
See detailsBlocked Drain Clearing
Is the blockage in the trap, the shared stack or the building outlet? We find it and show you the cause so it doesn't come back.
See detailsPVC Drain Pipe Unclogging
We clear PVC drain pipes without breaking anything, using heads that won't damage them.
See detailsPipe Unclogging
PVC, cast iron, galvanised or concrete pipe: we clear the blocked pipe with a head suited to its material.
See detailsCCTV Drain Unclogging
We look inside the pipe together on a screen and clear the blockage exactly where it is.
See detailsManhole Unclogging
We clear the inlet and outlet lines of an overflowing manhole and get the flow moving again.
See detailsSewer Line Unclogging
We clear the building's main sewer line all the way to the street connection.
See detailsChannel Drain Unclogging
We use high-pressure water to clear garden lines, ramp and car park grates, and storm drains.
See detailsSewer Cleaning
We regularly clean out sludge, grease and root build-up with high-pressure water jetting.
See detailsSewer Camera Inspection
We find cracks, collapses and root intrusion with a CCTV drain camera and show you the footage.
See detailsSewer Line Renewal
We locate the damaged section with a camera and replace only the part that needs it.
See detailsBackflow Valve Installation
We keep water that comes back up from the street in heavy rain out of your basement and ground floor.
See detailsPVC Drain Pipe Replacement
We replace PVC drain pipes that are cracked, leaking or laid with the wrong fall.
See detailsSeptic Tank Pumping
We empty full or overflowing septic tanks by vacuum and take the waste to an authorised disposal point.
See detailsSeptic Tank Cleaning
We clean the sludge at the bottom, the crust on the walls and the inlet and outlet pipes with high-pressure water.
See detailsCombi Vacuum Jetting Truck
One truck jets the line clean and vacuums out the sludge, for blocked main lines and full manholes.
See detailsMini Vacuum Truck
Our small truck gets into narrow streets, steep hills, courtyards and low garage entrances.
See detailsCar Park Vacuum Truck
We pump out an enclosed car park flooded after rain and clear the grate and ramp channels.
See detailsVacuum Truck Hire
We assign an operator-driven vacuum truck to construction sites, factories and housing complexes for scheduled or regular work.
See detailsPrivate Vacuum Truck Service
A vacuum truck for your own property that comes on your schedule, with no waiting in a queue.
See detailsVacuum Truck Company
A vacuum truck company that asks about the job over the phone, picks the right truck and transports the waste according to the rules.
See detailsLet us choose the truck for your address
For a septic tank, a manhole, a grease trap or a flooded basement, call 0212 923 66 85 or write on WhatsApp. We listen to the situation and send the truck that suits your street and the size of the job. We work in every district of Istanbul, day and night.