Rental Boiler "No Surprise" Checklist
Inspection of Rental Boiler Equipment
Have you inspected the boiler for plugged tubes, age, electrical, etc? Some people think renting a boiler is like calling a used car lot, negotiating price and then making a deal over the phone. This can be disastrous. Nationwide Boiler welcomes any and all interested clients to visit our shop or storage facility and perform a full inspection of the equipment they are planning to rent or to buy. This way there are no surprises when the equipment arrives on site.
Rental Term Beginning and End
When does the rent start and stop? On rail shipment, delays are common and your rent can keep running for three or four weeks in each direction adding one-two month’s of unexpected rent. At Nationwide Boiler, the rental begins when the equipment leaves the storage facility, and will end upon arrival back at the storage site. Majority of our equipment is trailer-mounted or can be shipped by truck to avoid major delays and storage fees that can be common with rail shipments.
Freight Costs for Shipping To and From Storage Location
Are the freight charges firm? Some boilers may have to take indirect routes due to road clearance problems, which can cause extra time and additional cost. For this reason, Nationwide Boiler will often estimate freight charges but we always keep the customer informed of any changes throughout the shipping timeline.
Nationwide Boiler's Rental Guarantee
What will the boiler company cover on parts and callbacks? Some companies require that the customer returns the broken part to the factory and pays the freight and installation labor. Nationwide Boiler operates with "Integrity, Dependability, and Real Cusotmer Service". We will repair or replace in a timely fashion at no cost to the Renter (all labor and material) any defective item or part failure that occurs throughout the rental period, provided the defect was not caused by negligence or lack of maintenance. Ask about our "Rental Guarantee" for more details.
Pre-Rental Fire Testing
Has the proposed rental boiler been test fired recently? Is it coming direct from another job without shop check out? If this is the case, many start-up problems can develop causing delays. Nationwide Boiler strives to test all equipment after turnaround and prior to the next rental, and we will make all possible efforts to ensure reliable operation throughout the rental term
Rental Boiler Controls
Is the panel mounted on the boiler or shipped loose? Is it weatherproof? Is it PLC-based? Considerable time and expense in field wiring and tubing is common with remote panels. Nationwide Boiler mounts and wires all control panels to each rental boiler system for convenience. In addition, we design and build our own UL-certified panels at our fabrication facility in Washougal, WA and in 2019, we began working to upgrade all panels on our fleet of Watertube rental boilers with PLC-based touchscreen control panels.
Rental Boiler Steam Header Valves
Is a steam header valve included with the rental boiler? New ones cost between $2,000.00 and $8,000.00 each. A steam header valve is included with every rental boiler system from Nationwide Boiler.
Safety Valve Settings
Are the boiler safety valves set at the proper pressure to protect your steam system? If not, you may need new valves costing $200.00 to over $1,500.000 each. Nationwide Boiler supplies safety valves set at design for each rental boiler system. We can add an additional valve or the modify the set pressure based on job-specific requirements, as necessary and for an additional cost.
Oil Pump Availability for Oil Fired Applications
Is a pump set needed and is it included in the rental price? Is it pre-piped and wired as an integral part of the boiler unit? If not included, this could cost $500.00 to $5,000.00 material and labor over the rental cost. Nationwide Boiler maintains a fleet of boilers that range in size and operating capabilities to meet the needs of many different applications. For this reason, some equipment will be configured with oil pumps and have the ability to fire mutliple fuels including natural gas or #2 oil, while other boilers will be built for natural gas firing with the option of LPG. You can view each rental boiler specification for details on which fuels they are capable of firing.
Rental Boiler Voltage Requirements
Is the boiler set up for proper voltage prior to shipment? Is the fan starter included? These items can save you money on fieldwork. Nationwide Boiler provides a complete drawing package to clarify the voltage requirements, connection locations, and all equipment and components included with the rental system.
Rental Boiler Blowdown Valves
Are blowdown valves included with the rental boiler? New ones cost $200.00 to $1,000.00 each. Are they mounted or shipped loose? All boilers in our rental fleet include blowdown valves that remain mounted during shipment.
Rental Boiler Fan
Is the fan mounted permanently on the boiler or shipped loose on a separate truck? This can add cost for freight and installation at the job site. Our fleet of rental boilers up to 70,000 lb/hr can ship legally with the fan permanently installed. At 75,000 lb/hr and above, the fan is shipped loose due to road permit restrictions and must be installed at the job site.
Economizers for Added Fuel Efficiency
Is an economizer included and is it pre-piped? Or, do you have the option to add an economizer? Do you need separate support and transition pieces? Will it be costly to install and remove? All good questions for improved boiler efficiency and cost savings. Our fleet of rental boilers 75,000 lb/hr and above come standard with an economizer, and an economizer can be included as an option for watertube boilers that don't come standard with an economizer. For watertube packages up to 82,500 lb/hr, the economizer pre-piped and mounted directly above the stack; no support structure is requried.
Catwalks and Ladders
Is the boiler supplied with catwalks & ladders? Nationwide's larger watertube rental boiler systems do include these items, however, you will want to clarify this early on. These items can save you valuable time and money during installation and operation. Savings of $500.00 to $2,000.00 in man-hours are not uncommon.
Exhaust Stack / Stub Stack
Is a stack included with the rental boiler, and does it have properly sized transition pieces? Does it have to be shipped on separate truck? Freestanding stacks can be a real problem installing and removing. This can mean considerable fieldwork and expense. Nationwide Boiler includes a stub stack with every rental boiler system. For most boilers in our rental fleet, the stack can be mounted to the trailer for shipping.
Boiler Weatherproofing Requirements
Is the boiler designed for outdoor use? If not, additional cost will be involved to build an enclosure. Electrical controls could be water soaked during installation and shipping. The large majority of Nationwide Boiler's fleet of rental boilers are designed for use outdoor, with the exception of freezing conditions.
Loading of Equipmment / Shoring of Refractory
Will you be charged for loading at the storage location including blocking of the firebrick? This can cost $2,000.00 to $5,000.00 and the same when you load out at job-site. This could mean $4,000.00 to $10,000.00 of unexpected cost. Although the rental begins at the time the equipment leaves the storage facility, Nationwide Boiler does not charge for the time, labor or firebrick required for loading the equipment.
Shipping Damage & Insurance
Will you have to go back to the carrier to cover broken parts, etc. during shipment or will the rental company assume responsibility? Nationwide Boiler maintains gap insurance to cover any damages that may happen in transit to or from our customers site.
Hydrostatic Testing
Will you be charged for a hydrostatic test when the boiler is returned? At Nationwide Boiler, a hydrostatic test would only be required and charged if the boiler returned damaged and required tube work / repairs.
Post-Rental Equipment Maintenance
Will you be charged for routine maintenance when boiler is returned to storage? Some charge for new gaskets, gauge glasses, painting, cleaning, washout, and flat tires on trailer and refractory repairs. Nationwide Boiler does not charge for normal wear and tear, however, any repairs necessary due to damage that occurs from improper maintenance, poor water treatement processes, or negligence will be rebilled to the customer.