March 20, 2018
By: Chad Ewing, Hartzell Fan
Every fan needs periodic upkeep, especially if you work in an environment with dirty air. But when it comes to maintenance, some fans save you time and money; unfortunately, many others don’t.
Let’s say you run a food or paper processing business. Which of these choices would you pick every time you have to perform maintenance?
- Rent a crane (cost: $10,000 to $20,000 a day), pull the fan off the curb, spray the fan down, and lose ½ to a full day of productivity from downtime.
- Build a scaffold up to the fan and spray it down, losing ½ to a full day of productivity from downtime while setting up and taking down the scaffolding.
- Go up to the roof, open a swing-out panel, spray down the fan, close it up, and return to production in five minutes.
How much money and time could you save with option 3?
YES, YOU HAVE THE CHOICE
The simple secret behind option 3 is a swing-out fan design. These pre-assembled units open up easily, swinging the motor, drive components and propeller clear of the roof opening. That means no more cranes, no more scaffolding, and a lot less downtime. Add in guards that automatically slide into place and the swing-out design is a lot safer for maintenance personnel too.
BUT WON’T IT COST MORE?
If you’re only thinking about the upfront cost, then yes, you’ll pay a little bit more. But factor in all the money you won’t lose on future crane rentals, scaffolding or downtime and it becomes a different story. If you perform fan maintenance once a month or more, you’ll probably make back the extra upfront cost in one to two months. That’s right — months.
A VARIETY OF SWING-OUT MODELS GIVES YOU FLEXIBILITY
You have choices when it comes to swing-out models. One of the most popular is the Hartzell 69S Series of belt-drive upblast roof ventilators, available in sizes ranging from 12 to 60 inches. Belt-free, direct-drive options are also available.
For more information about how swing-out fans can slash your maintenance costs, Contact Us for a no-obligation consultation.