5 common myths about temporary heating, site productivity and costs

Summer may be over but fall and winter bring their own temperature challenges. Cold weather can affect both workers and equipment and have a significant impact on your construction capacity and capability. At this time of year, your approach to industrial heating becomes critical.

Temporary heating can overcome these challenges, but sites often overlook it due to incorrect perceptions of the cost and effectiveness of these solutions. Here we look at the most common myths around temporary heating and why you should ignore them.

Myth 1 - Productivity will always fall in winter

Remarkably, it’s still a commonly-held belief that lower productivity in cold months is simply a fact of life to build into business plans. In the past, it may have been, but with the heating technology available today, innovative site managers can always find a way to maximize production in the winter.

Whether it’s equipment or people that need to be kept warm (or both!), small or large spaces, there are a variety of solutions available now that can allow sites to maintain productivity rates all year round.

Myth 2 - Increased fouling in winter is inevitable

Many operators believe that their industry expects product quality to be hit in winter but this needn’t be the case with modern heating solutions. By keeping equipment within its optimum operating temperature range no matter the weather, it’s possible to ensure consistent high quality throughout the colder months.

For oil producers, if the outdoor pipes and valves which keep their product flowing become too cold it can lead to blockages, equipment failure, and significant increases to operating costs. To avoid this, they can proactively install temporary heating to ensure the temperature never gets too low and that they have a top-quality, cost-efficient product all year round.

Myth 3 - Temporary heating solutions are not worth the cost

Of course, there’s no point investing in temporary heating if the cost is more than the value of recouped production. And many people believe that short-term rentals over the winter are too expensive to be worthwhile. But that should never be the case. Aggreko has carried out analyses of plants across various industries that show with proper evaluation and careful planning, operators can ensure a high ROI.

The times when temporary heating solutions like gas-fired heaters or commercial electric heaters have been too expensive is when they have been implemented reactively rather than proactively. Sites end up paying a premium for an immediate solution to get work back up and running whereas a preventative heating plan would be much cheaper and avoid any downtime.

For airplane manufacturers, space is critical. To make the most of this, they will typically move planes outside to work on the interior so that the building of the next aircraft can begin inside. Temporary heating from Aggreko inside the planes allows this process to continue during the winter months rather than having a huge slowdown in the production line when it’s too cold for workers to be outside. Building more hangars or accepting this slowing of production in winter would be much more costly than the temporary solution implemented.

Myth 4 - Rental companies don’t know what’s best for my business

If you’re not careful about who you choose then this may well be the case. But the leading providers of temporary heating will be experts in their field and should take the time to understand your business before recommending a solution. It’s easy for an operation to favor familiarity over experimenting with new technologies which ultimately can hold productivity and profitability back. An experienced, expert heater rental partner will be at the cutting edge of heating solutions and able to deploy the ideal, most cost-effective package for any site. Just make sure they clearly document their analysis of your processes and provide guarantees of the cleanliness and operational readiness of all the equipment being installed.

Myth 5 - Significant capital expenditure is needed for a worthwhile temporary heating solution

It’s easy to assume that capital outlay will be required to address winter temperature issues and use this as an excuse for not investigating options. But this is simply not the case. Aggreko’s modular, mobile temporary heating solutions can be acquired purely on an OPEX basis, with no up-front investment.

We have provided temporary heating for outdoor medical facilities during the COVID-19 outbreak, for manufacturing customers affected by the lack of boiler parts due to supply chain problems, and for construction sites that experience sub-zero temperatures in winter. All without any CAPEX. And with these rental solutions now more cost-effective than ever before, it’s possible for operations to consider making these temporary solutions permanent if they’re willing to challenge conventional thinking.

Final thoughts

Modern temporary heating can be an absolute game-changer across a range of industries in terms of maintaining or increasing production levels. But only if you find the right partner. It’s not only about finding the best price - it’s imperative that your solution provider understands your requirements and has the right procedures in place to avoid costly safety issues, equipment failure, and loss of productivity. Get in touch with Aggreko today with any of your heating concerns and we’ll find the optimal solution for your business.