Tips for Purchasing a Good Quality Used Boiler

Over the last several years, we’ve shared with you why we like purchasing good quality used dry cleaning and laundry equipment over brand new.  Replacing your old, worn out boiler with a good quality used boiler is also an effective and efficient way to spend your resources.  There are typically two types of boilers that dry cleaners use – Vertical Tubeless Boilers and Watertube Boilers.  Before you start shopping for a used boiler, we’ve come up with a list of tips to help you with your due diligence.

Check the following on Vertical Tubeless Boilers:

1.    Was it chemically treated, and if so, do you have the routine water analysis reports?  If not, a trusted boiler technician can do an internal inspection and determine the current condition.
2.    What was its inspection, maintenance routine, and daily blow down regiment?  Proper boiler maintenance ensures it runs efficiently, keeps utility costs down, and most importantly – increases the life of the boiler.  Signs of improper chemical treatment and consistent blow down include pitting of the water jacket and scale build up. 
3.    Are there any leaks?  Leaks allow steam to eat away at the metal.  Specifically check for leaks between the boiler sections, hand-hole gaskets, and piping.
4.    Have the flues been properly maintained?  This is an area that is rarely checked or properly maintained but is still important as it significantly impacts the boilers performance and its ability to expel flue gas and build steam pressure efficiently.
5.    Are the controls in working order?  While the condition of the controls is important, it’s not critical as they are easily replaced.

Check the following on Watertube Boilers:

Determining whether a used Watertube Boiler meets the necessary criteria is a bit easier than for Vertical Tubeless Boilers.  First, start with investigating its chemical treatment, the water analysis reports, inspections, maintenance, and blow down regiment.  Next, do an internal tube and steam drum inspection to see if there is any pitting or scale buildup within the tubes and steam drum. 

On a side note, Tri-State Laundry Equipment likes Watertube Boilers for dry cleaning operations because of their fast start up time and ability to start and stop each day.  You also won’t have the flues to contend with if it’s an atmospheric tube type like with Parker Boiler’s Watertube Boiler.   If that is the case, then inspection, cleaning of each cast iron burner, and cleaning its gas orifice makes the burner system like new again.   But keep in mind that all other brands of Watertube Boilers that are not atmospheric will require the same attention as the Tubeless Boiler in respect to the flue system.

If you are in the market for a used boiler and have questions, please feel free to call our office at 866-885-5218.  We are happy to help.

Why We Seek Out Used Unipress Equipment

I love purchasing good quality used equipment.  In particular, I like to purchase later model Unipress Dry Cleaning and Shirt Laundry Equipment.  Let me just tell you why I seek out to purchase and refurbish this particular line of used equipment:

• Unipress is based in Florida, and all their equipment is Made in the USA.
• Replacement parts are readily available and reasonably priced.
• Repairs made to used pieces of equipment stick a good 5-7 years.
• Unipress carries the highest resell value.
• Most American dry cleaners are loyal to Unipress, and when they are looking to upgrade equipment they too seek out Unipress.
• Unipress spends a significant amount of money on research and development.

Speaking of research and development, Unipress is constantly tweaking and making advances in their technologies.  In the last 5 years, their advances have been noticeable changes but have not been so catastrophic as to change the way a plant operates.  Therefore, companies that are constantly going with the latest and greatest will benefit from these upgrades without impacting the setup of their operations. Companies that are looking to replace equipment from the mid-1990’s are recognizing significant increases in efficiencies when they upgrade to a good quality used piece of Unipress finishing equipment dated around 2005-10.

In September, I shared with you the reasons why you should consider purchasing used laundry equipment.  I touched on the fact that we clean and replace any broken or worn out parts on each piece of used equipment before placing them back on the market.  That’s just it – I touched on it.  I am certain that I didn’t stress how seriously we take this task, and I didn’t share with you the step by step process we’ve created for each category of used equipment – used laundry equipment, used coin operated equipment, used boilers, and used dry cleaning equipment.  We want every piece of equipment that comes from Tri-State to be in peak condition before it is installed in your place of business.

For information on how we go about refurbishing used Unipress Dry Cleaning and Shirt Laundry Equipment, and all other pieces for that matter, check out our Process for Cleaning Used Equipment found in the resources section of our web site. 

Why Choose Used Laundry Equipment Over New Laundry Equipment

I had a brand new car – once.  Now we always purchase vehicles that are approximately one-year old.  We have a commercial grade zero-turn lawn mower.  We bought that used too.  I could continue on, but I think you get the idea.  Let’s go back to the car.  We have now purchased our third vehicle from a local business that has proven itself to be trustworthy.  On each vehicle we did our due diligence, researching both the make and model of the car as well as that particular car’s history.  For the mower, we did our due diligence there as well.  If you are like me, no matter what you are purchasing, you want to get a great deal without sacrificing quality or service.

You know, the same thought process and method can be applied to a piece of dry cleaning or coin laundry equipment.  You could purchase new.  Keep in mind that sometimes a new piece of equipment has a manufacturing lead time of 3-6 months.  You could wait and still purchase new, but don’t forget the freight costs that the manufacturer will pass on.  You could wait and pay the freight costs, but think about the long-term implications.  You’re paying a premium for that new piece of equipment that may or may not last just as long or perform just as well as a good-quality used piece of equipment.

What if you did your due diligence and got a top-notch piece of used equipment at a great price?  Both used laundry equipment and used coin operated equipment can save you hundreds of dollars over the price of purchasing new which translates to more money that can either be saved or put toward another project.  Plus used equipment, when properly maintained, can last for years before needing to be replaced.  That’s where Tri-State Laundry Equipment comes in.  We reveal the type of work that’s been done to restore every piece of used equipment to peak physical and functional condition. We like for our used equipment to look new again, too, so that you or your customers can tell the difference.

Not only can we help you with both used laundry and used coin operated equipment, we can help you with replacing your worn-out boiler with a refurbished used boiler so that your business can continue on with all the hot water you need to keep your laundry operating in the black.  What about dry cleaning equipment?  We can help there too.  We refurbish used dry cleaning equipment by cleaning the piece and replacing all the worn-out parts to keep it running in tip-top shape.  And we offer a 90-day parts-only guarantee on every piece of used laundry equipment that we sell.

For more information, please check out the resources section of our web site.  Contact us today if you would like to begin your search by browsing our used dry cleaning equipment products.

Should You Consider Purchasing Used Laundry Equipment?

In my first blog post, I shared how my obsession with mechanics began. That life-long passion has translated into this philosophy for me -- If is it mechanical and parts are available, it can be repaired. That translates into good news for you. There is an opportunity in our industry to buy both good used commercial laundry equipment and used dry cleaning equipment, but you need to know what you’re getting.

Here's a huge tip to help you make a wise purchase on good used dry cleaning equipment - get the serial number and do some research. Here's why - on some used commercial dry cleaning equipment, such as a used Unipress laundry legger, parts are no longer available. If it's a machine where the parts are no longer available, I would recommend stopping the process right then. It doesn't matter how good the deal or how good of an electronics whiz you are, it's not worth it.

If the parts are still available, the seller has knowledge of the operation of the machine, and you believe the machine to be in good condition, then the next step is to determine if the price is fair. Once you settle on a price, then ask for a 30 day parts warranty. If they refuse to do that and it's not but a few years old, take a pass. There's a red flag there.

Used commercial washers are a little different. You'll still need to get the serial number to check for parts availability. Most parts increase in price with the age of the washer because they cost more to stock and are difficult to obtain due to low sales volume. Here are two huge tips on used commercial washers. First, you also need to consider removal and reinstallation costs. Second, be sure to check out the bearings and seals. If they aren't good, you'll have no platform to work from. At best it will turn into a big, expensive job from a labor and parts standpoint. To check for bearing wear, lift up on the drum at the door. If there is any play, then take a pass. Again, ask for a 30 day parts warranty if you decide to purchase the machine.

The bottom line is this - I would not hesitate to purchase a used piece of equipment as long as parts are still available, the operator shares first-hand experience and pictures, and there is no sign of excessive wear. Now go out, do your homework, and get a great deal!