VACDRILL for HVAC installers
Hanger arrays in soffits, drilled to a set depth every time.
The job
HVAC installation lives on the underside of slabs: drop rods for duct and pipe, anti-vibration mounts, plant supports. It is overhead, repetitive, and the fixings are safety-critical because they carry suspended services above occupied space.
Where the tool fits
Overhead anchor patterns are where hands-free anchoring and depth control pay for themselves most obviously. The consistency of a machine-set depth translates into consistent anchor performance across the whole run.
Extraction at the hole keeps spoil out of open ductwork and out of your eyes.
Coordination
Soffit congestion means drilling near other trades' services. Capture-at-source dust control is often what makes drilling acceptable in a shared or partly commissioned space.
Substrate
Slab soffits are usually good vacuum surfaces once swept. Sprayed fireproofing, insulation or shuttering release agents are not — see porous vs non-porous.
Typical holes on this work
- Drop-rod hangers for duct and pipe runs.
- Anti-vibration mounts for plant.
- Support brackets for AHUs, FCUs and terminal units.
- Seismic restraint fixings where required.
Before you attach on this substrate
- Slab soffits seal well once swept — but sprayed fireproofing, insulation and release agents do not.
- Check slab thickness before setting depth; over-drilling a thin slab breaks through.
- Coordinate with other trades before drilling in congested soffits.