General and Mechanical Contractors: 3 ways boiler bypass systems help you solve your customers’ heating challenges

Heating systems are integral to the way we live and work. From health and hygiene to comfort and safety, heat and hot water are critically important.

No wonder why, when a boiler requires repair or decommissioning, a build rapidly approaches deadline, or an emergency strikes, your client’s top priority is to bring their heating system online, as soon as possible.

It’s easy to fall for the assumption that downtime or delays are unavoidable. However, it is possible to solve your client’s problems faster and more efficiently than they’d expect.

How? With boiler bypass systems.

General and mechanical contractors familiar with boiler bypass systems and their most efficient applications are in the perfect spot to exceed their client’s expectations, establish a reputation as the go-to for urgent heating problems and accept more work in less time.

In this post, you’ll learn the basics of water boiler bypass systems, and how they are a top option for solving your client’s heating problems for planned maintenance, new builds and emergencies.

What are boiler bypass systems?

Boiler bypass systems are temporary supplemental water heating equipment for emergencies and planned maintenance purposes.

There are two types of boiler bypass systems:

• Potable: hot water for bathing, consuming and other domestic purposes
• Non-Potable: hot water for heat, utilities and industrial purposes

How do boiler bypass systems work?

By directly interfacing with a property’s permanent distribution systems, boiler bypass systems make it easy to replace heating and hot water utilities with minimal interruption to occupants. They use natural gas, propane or diesel fuel.

Benefits of boiler bypass systems

Contractors get a whole host of benefits and advantages from working with boiler bypass systems, including:

• Fuel efficiency and flexibility: Boiler bypass systems feature smart controls to optimize temperature and minimize emissions; and can run on natural gas, propane or diesel fuel.
• Simplicity: Boiler bypass systems leave a small footprint and directly and intuitively interface with a building’s permanent distribution systems, vents and radiators. Making them a simple, rapid and complete solution for heating problems.
• Cost-effectiveness: Because of their open atmosphere ventilation, there’s no need to hire an on-site boiler technician. And because of their inherent simplicity, boiler bypass systems eliminate the need for costly and complex additional equipment.

The benefits are strong. As are the applications. Below are three common, urgent use-cases clients face where boiler bypass systems are the most efficient solution.

1. Maintain continuity during renovations and heating system maintenance

Whether you’re on a residential or commercial project, occupants depend on heat and hot water. And with water being the most fundamental of all utilities, it’s understandably a massive issue when lost.

This can create resistance with potential clients, who are afraid of the repercussions of losing hot water. Some may even push off necessary maintenance in response.

Trust and confidence are the best resources for overcoming resistance or inertia. And when clients need help with heat, familiarity with boiler bypass systems build both for you. Here’s why:

• Boiler bypass systems ensure continuity, virtually erasing downtime
• Because they work with the building’s existing infrastructure, occupants won’t know or feel the difference. From the contractor’s installation to the occupant’s experience, the process is seamless.
• Boiler bypass systems are a cost-effective, convenient and simple solution, addressing most clients’ biggest obstacles and objections head-on.

2. Take new builds live on-schedule with temporary boiler bypass systems

New builds come with a lot of moving parts — and expectations. Between a wide range of suppliers and subcontractors, it’s easy for one delay to hold back an entire project.

Especially boilers.

But with occupants ready to move in and investors eager to earn returns, there’s almost no wiggle room. And if the rest of the project is complete, it becomes much harder to justify delays to tenants and stakeholders.

Boiler bypass systems allow you to open new builds for occupancy by temporarily heating water for all uses. And since they’re easy to install, it makes it easy to replace them without an interruption when the boilers finally do arrive.

Making it a near-immediate solution — that won’t create more problems down the road — when time works against your client.

3. Quickly and easily install emergency heat systems

Heating systems fail. Severe weather happens. Health crises can spread at any moment.

Unfortunately, emergencies are a reality of life. And it can feel like emergencies interfere with the exact things people need when they depend on them most: people always need heat and hot water, but need them more than ever in times of emergency.

Boiler bypass systems install rapidly, and run on readily available sources like propane, natural gas and diesel, helping people-in-need get their heat back as soon as humanly possible.

We suggest contractor take a three-step approach to emergency heat situations:

1. Gain a deep understanding of both potable and non-potable boiler bypass systems, including their applications, advantages and benefits for the client.
2. Earn trust and top-of-mind for rapid emergency heat response.
3. Help your clients create or update their contingency plan. While you can’t predict an emergency, you can prepare for one. Highlight the availability and efficiency of boiler bypass systems for their power generation and HVAC recovery strategy.

Final thoughts

When it comes to heating, clients feel one of two ways: weary or afraid. And it’s no wonder. Heat and hot water are inseparable from our everyday lives. We simply can’t afford to lose our heating systems and, if we do, every minute with lost heat is painful for the client and their building’s occupants.

Boiler bypass systems are a highly efficient and effective solution for circumstances where downtime is a core concern. And the general and mechanical contractors that can provide the continuity their clients need quickly have the best to offer — and most to gain.