What is a suction excavator?

A suction excavator is a combination of excavator and a pump for dual function of excavating earth and pumping the soil out. It has an air pump for generating the required flow of air, a nozzle through which air is drawn and a mechanism for separating soil from the air drawn through the nozzle. The excavator is provided with a fuel gas detector to detect the presence of fuel gas in the flow of air drawn up through the nozzle to avoid the risk of an explosion.