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HEATER RENTALS - From Hot Rocks to Magnetic Heat.
Heating technology has come a long way in the past 50 years. As with many construction products, the rental industry has been one of the primary drivers and innovators.
Manufacturers have relied on the advice and marketing channels of rental companies to bring their new ideas to market.
Out here in Western Canada, many of us have grown up with stories of parents warming up rocks before long sleigh rides or tucking rocks under blankets at the foot of their beds.
The rental industry was a little more advanced, but for years our temporary heat was basically a tiger torch in a tube.
We now have natural gas heat, propane heat, diesel heat, kerosene heat, radiant heat, hydronic heat, flameless heat, steam heat, electric heat, magnetic heat, friction heat, direct fired, indirect fired, open flame and I'm sure many more I have missed.
Hopefully you weren't reading this article to find the right heat for you. I don't believe there is a perfect heat but would like to give you a couple simple tips on taking advantage of options available to you.
Stay up to date on technology
Take advantage of the various rental magazines, trade shows, you tube videos, manufacturers and other rental houses. Ask questions of your heat suppliers. Most good suppliers are trained on their heat and their competitors heat. Make sure to ask questions that can be answered with measurable data. If a manufacturer cannot answer one of your questions and back it up with hard numbers, ask more questions. Measurable numbers regarding heat include btus, cfm, degrees, fuel capacity and consumption. Never be afraid to ask for references from rental houses outside your market.
Consider safety
Keep in mind the safety of your customers. Heaters and torches burn down a lot of construction sites. You don't want your heater to be the ignition source of a fire. Make sure your suppliers can offer you training on use and maintenance of their heaters.
Understand local bylaws and regulations
Stay up to date on what regulations are in place and potential changes to bylaws. There is nothing worse than buying a new product and finding out it is not allowed on construction sites in your trading area in the following season. Your local construction association is a great resource for rules and upcoming changes.
Ease of maintenance
A new technology can be the most efficient and safe heat available, but if you can't fix or maintain it when it comes off rent or breaks down on site, it is not much good to you. Your people will naturally select the unit out of your fleet if they don't understand the technology or have the tools to work on it. Also consider availability of parts. If your parts have to come from Florida and you are in Alaska - reconsider. P.S. If the heaters are built in Florida, you may have more questions to ask!
Calculate overall cost - not just rental rate
Figure out how much the unit will cost your customer per hour including fuel and power required. Take into account maintenance and manpower to refuel. This will also allow you to get a higher rental rate on a more efficient piece of equipment. In our local market, we are seeing a lot of customers requesting natural gas over diesel heat to realize the overall savings.
Roll the "well researched" dice
After asking the questions and getting the answers you need, take a chance and be the first to market. I was lucky enough to be one of the first players in Western Canada in the Hydronic Heat market. By jumping in early, our organization realized 150% return on investment in the first season. Plus customers saw us as "innovators" or "ground breakers" in the equipment industry.
Do remember that you once everyone else jumps on the bandwagon you may need to reduce rates. Take that into consideration when calculating the risk. The premium rate will not last forever.
Hopefully these simple tips will allow you to make a better decision on your heat needs.
If you are looking for a "pro" to talk heat, give us a call and we can put you in contact with some great specialized temperature control professionals.
You can call us at 780-405-3173 or email at jim.boddez@fiveboinc.ca
Together, let's make our industry better and warmer.
JimBo