I was once on a job site and noticed a decal on their blowing machine which read “This machine pays your salary, take care of it!” The crew leader said he puts this decal on every piece of equipment. All of them: trucks, blowing machines, spray foam rigs, etc. He’s found it results in better care and less downtime. He knows the real cost of insulation equipment maintenance.
REPAIRS ARE COSTING YOU MORE THAN YOU THINK
When a blowing machine breaks down, parts need to be replaced. Most people think of the cost of the part, some even add in the shipping costs and labor to repair the machine. What many don’t count are the missed profits, which can often be the largest cost. Consider the course of a year and machine breakdowns. As a rough number, say you charge $1/sq. ft for blown-in fiberglass. If you install 2,000 ft/day that is $2,000 in missed revenue. If you take a random number of 20% profit. That would be $400. Now imagine 20 days of breakdowns and how much bigger this number becomes. All of these profit losses can be avoided with a proper insulation equipment preventive maintenance plan.
DON’T LET MAINTENANCE SLOW YOUR CREW DOWN
No doubt that time is money and higher efficiency equals higher profits. So naturally, the faster a job is completed the faster you are making money on the next job. But busy times often lead to bypassing insulation equipment maintenance in order to complete more jobs. Unfortunately, without routine maintenance and an efficient preventative maintenance plan, machines and equipment become inefficient and slow crews down. If a machine needs new airlock seals or has a weak blower motor, this will absolutely increase your install times. That means extra time doing the same job. If your crew is hourly it costs you more money. If your crew is paid piece-rate then they are making the same money, but working longer hours.
IDI CAN HELP YOU MANAGE YOUR INSULATION EQUIPMENT
Inefficient equipment will cost you money. It can also cost crew members and make the grass look greener somewhere else. Crew members like using equipment that gets the job done fast. Keep your crews and your bank account happy by taking care of the equipment that makes everyone money.
Looking for help maintaining and properly operating your equipment? IDI offers trainings on how to manage your equipment and use it in the most efficient way. If you need help creating your own preventative maintenance plan for your equipment, contact your local IDI branch for friendly tips, spare parts and repair tools.