We enjoy traveling the country meeting insulators. That means we glean a lot of information and tips/tricks from professionals across the US and Canada. We have found some crews who really have a system developed for maintaining their blowers and vacuums. Here is what we have learned.
First, Cool Machines provides a schedule of maintenance for their blowers and vacuums. Every machine comes with a booklet that has a section on maintenance. These machines are easy to fix and maintain.
Second, some companies have established a maintenance person for their equipment. We met with one company that has a dedicated employee that keeps schedules for maintenance and routinely fixes their machines.
Third, we recently met with a company that has capable team members who take care of their vacuums and blowers. EZ Attic Insulation is one of those companies. We met with them in Houston and worked with their team of people to go over the maintenance of their CM1500HP and their CoolVac23 vacuums. We were able to troubleshoot and find a problem with a vacuum that wasn’t running to its potential. We also changed the airlock seals and they did so very fast and well! This company is prepared for their jobs and has multiple team members ready to fix their machines and keep them running.
EZ Attic Insulation is based in Houston, Texas. They have a very active social media presence. Check out their Facebook, Instagram and TikTok profiles!
Ask us how we can help you develop your team! When we visit, it is great to have a number of your employees learn how to maintain your machines. That will keep your company running smoothly!
My daughter, Jenna, is a successful realtor in Coastal Alabama. She grew up in the insulation industry. She would work with me, sometimes, when she was a young girl. Her knowledge of buildings and how they are constructed helps her when selling homes. Now, she has put together a company to remove insulation.
Jenna stumbled upon the Cool Machine brand! 😆 She grew up with me selling machines, delivering machines and training people on how to use the machines. So, starting her own extraction business came naturally.
She is using the VacTrailer that we put together this past summer. The CoolVac37 has the power to extract batts and provides great suction to go distances that the smaller machines cannot. Everything goes straight into the dump trailer. This system keeps her efficient. Jobs are done quickly and disposal is easy.
Some spray foam contractors are using her to do insulation removals because they would rather follow her up with installations. Through her real estate contacts, she is able to get jobs to remove damaged insulation from attics and crawl spaces.
Recently, we were with her on a job for Fort Morgan Fire Department. They had nearly 3,000 sq feet of soiled fiberglass batts above suspended ceiling. It only took a few hours to remove the insulation and to replace ceiling tiles that were old and destroyed.
Attic Queen in Oldsmar, Florida is well-known for starting an extraction company and has done well with it. Jenna has had opportunity to work alongside her and they support each other in this industry. We really appreciate Jessica’s support. If you ever see them together, wear sunglasses…. Attic Queen is sporting Neon Green and Jenna is decked out in Hot Pink!
Austen Dahl, owner of Brush Creek Foam in Cashton, Wisconsin runs a spray foam business and needed to add the ability to fill attics with fiber insulation. Like many spray foam companies are finding out, customers want options. This setup gives Austen an opportunity to help customers with their insulation needs, whether it is foam, cellulose, fiberglass or any combination of both.
Austen also purchased a CoolVac37 so that he could extract old insulation and install spray foam in its place. This vacuum can handle any size fiberglass batt he finds AND offers a splitter so that he can have two people extracting at the same time.
“When I was looking into removal I needed a machine to do it all. I didn’t want to get caught on the job and not have the ability to do whatever came my way.”
The airlock size is just ONE FACTOR (of many) that makes the Cool Machine brand excel in performance. We are often asked if adding more blowers is the key. Actually, it is the airlock size. Here is why and how Cool Machines maximizes material production.
The Larger the Airlock, the More Material is Blown
The insulation blower has an auger system that stuffs the airlock with material. The bigger the airlock, the more material can be pushed into it. That is the key to production. Cool Machine blowers have some of the largest cubic inch airlocks on the market. Whether you have our small portable or massive CM4500, the airlock sizes are designed to produce.
The Larger the Airlock, the More Air is Needed
Let’s talk about the blowers. As mentioned above, many think that more blowers makes a machine more productive. That is not true, because if your airlock is too small, there is less material to be blown. The larger the airlock, the more material needs to be blown. Cool Machines matches the airlock size to the proper blower capacity. The larger the airlock, the more blowers/air is needed.
The Larger the Airlock, the More Capabilities
Cool Machines’ largest airlocks are still able to perform the smallest of tasks – dense packing. All of Cool Machine’s airlocks are adjustable in size. Their machines can fill attics quickly and be dialed down to fill walls without blowing them out.
The Larger the Airlock, the More Engineering is Behind it
Cool Machines engineers know the physics of adding more material into an airlock. They do not simply make the largest airlock, add blowers and go. There are proper ratios required to maximize output. Dave Krendl and Andy Schulte have designed the airlocks to match the proper material to air ratio. Also, Cool Machines does not bend flat steel into a cylinder. No matter how carefully bent steel is shaped into a cylinder, there will be high and low areas around the circumference. This leads to premature seal wear and PSI suffers. Cool Machines extrudes their cylinders so that every machine is perfectly formed. This is where the Cool Machine has the advantage in the blower industry.
The CM1500HP, Cool Machines’ most powerful portable insulation blower, is capable of handling nearly every insulation method. Contractors use it for commercial spray applications in airport hangers and large industrial buildings. The portable size of this blower allows our customers to take them up elevators to insulation floors, 60 stories high. Truck-mounted units would not be able to reach many of these places. The cost of the CM1500HP also makes for a great, entry-level wall spray setup.
In Canton, Texas, we trained Stevenson Construction on wall spray cellulose. They built a dozen homes and needed equipment that was cost effective, while doing a proper job with wall spray.
They purchased a CM1500HP, M-03 water pump, Cool Tool wall scrubber and all of the items necessary to do wall spray. They used a couple of garbage cans to manually recycle back to the CM1500. The video below shows the process.
The CM1500hp does a great job because it provides enough air to push material 150 feet. It has two, 13.7amp blowers which push the dry and damp combination of cellulose.
In Knoxville, Tennessee, we trained a crew on installing Spider Fiberglass with the CM1500HP. Again, the material was manually sent back to the hopper.
If you are considering wall spray cellulose or fiberglass, and you have budgeting concerns and want to “test your local market,” the CM1500HP makes that possible.
The hopper extension by Cool Machines is a great add-on for the CM2400, CM3000, CM3500 and CM4500. There is more to this accessory than more cubic feet.
The main purpose of the hopper extension is to increase the cubic feet of the insulation blower. It typically doubles the hopper capacity and helps the loaders keep up with the performance of these machines.
Another purpose of the hopper extension is to provide a loading table that makes it easy to cut and load material at chest level. Fiberglass, especially, accordions out of the bag and expands greatly. The hopper extension not only allows for loading this bulky material, it helps guide it into the hopper for easier loading.
While the machines have augers out of reach of arms and hands, the extension provides an additional length of safety for your workers. It makes it very difficult to reach into the dangerous parts of the machine.
Alternative Hopper Extensions
CM700 hopper extension for plastic hopper. Helps load fiberglass bags.
Cellulose Hopper Extension: Cool Machines developed hopper extensions with vinyl curtains to help keep the dust down when loading the hopper.
Contractors ask us, “Where is the best place to position my insulation machine?” Both startup and long-timers ask us this question. While it does come down to preference, there are some factors to consider when making your choice. Here are the various positions where you can place your Cool Machine.
Rear, Driver’s Side
Mid Passenger Side
Front, behind cab
Cost: This first factor does not impede your creativity. Cool Machines offers a variety of choices and the awesome thing is THERE IS NO UPCHARGE. So, whether you want your machine up front or on either side, the control panels and adjustments can be configured to your desires.
Trailer/Truck Capabilities: The weight of the Cool Machines range from 300+ to over 1,600 pounds. The placement of your machine may be determined by the hitch weight limitations or sturdiness of your truck’s front-end components.
Loading Material: Since the back of your truck or trailer is where you will load material, having a very open/clear space to load up your material is important. The Cool Machine is very narrow in width for this reason. They do not take up much room. You can easily load a 7′ wide trailer from the back even with a machine and hose reel in the back. If your truck or trailer has a side door, all position options are still available.
Your Typical Jobsite: If you live in a community where you are typically not parking in driveways, placing your equipment in a position to get that extra 10 feet of hose may determine where you put your machine. In this case, it often makes sense to run the hose out the side door, instead of out the back of the truck or trailer.
Driver's Rear Hose out Back Door
Pros
When backed into a driveway, this allows for quick access.
Weight can be distributed over the wheels in this position.
Hose reel can be placed in front of the machine.
There is room to load material with a forklift.
Cons
When material is loaded by forklift, it needs to be unwrapped, carried to the front of the trailer/truck and stacked.
Can shorten the overall length of the hose if parked on the street.
Reversed, Passenger Side hose
Pros
This is a common set-up in Europe. Many use trucks with drapes on the side which roll up exposing the entire truck. So, this position is more common with soft-sided, curtain trucks.
Keeps weight distributed over the axles.
Can make for an efficient layout with a hose reel on one side of the machine and room on the other for a generator.
Cons
Reduces the amount of space in the truck/trailer for material.
Material will fall around the machine making it inaccessible right away.
Since the hose comes from under the control panel, it does shorten its length a few feet.
Front, Behind Cab or Hitch
Pros
Provides the most room in the truck or trailer for loading material in the back.
You can leave the material palletized.
Requires a side door where hose can run through, maximizing the length.
Cons
If you have a larger CM3000XL, the weight for a trailer may be too much. Forward weight creates an unstable pull which can result in a trailer swaying out of control.
If you mount this in a truck, make sure that your front end suspension is heavy duty. Over time, this placement can put too much weight on the front axle. This is unlikely a problem, but can be in a smaller truck.
We, here at, InsulationMachines.net, provide equipment solutions to the pest control industry. As a pest control professional, you are in a key position to offer insulation removal and installation services.
Remove Damaged/Toxic Insulation with an Insulation Vacuum.
Bat guano, dead rodents and insects create a toxic environment that often can only be resolved by removing the soiled insulation. Also, an insulation vacuum allows you to remove all of the loose debris and decomposed pests. A newly cleaned attic gives you an opportunity to find more entry points for pests. Use disinfectants to treat the attic and look for damage.
Our vacuum system has options that allow you to protect your equipment and employees by using a debris catcher to filter out the skeletons and debris that could become a projectile from the rear of the vacuum.
Consider the Cool Machine brand as your vacuum to remove these pests. Our vacuum systems include the following:
High performing vacuums that have the highest CFMs and Water Column Rates in the industry.
Durable vacuums made with AR400&AR500 metal material (armor plating) to protect your equipment from damage.
Fast processing vacuums. We have vacuums that allow MULTIPLE people extracting in the attic to speed up the removal process.
Efficient vacuum system. One of the time-wasters is shutting down your vacuum to change bags. We have a diverter system that allows you to quickly switch bags, remove and replace without shutting down your vacuum. This saves at least one minute per bag change. That adds up!
Add New Pest-Resistant Insulation to Replace What You Removed
Besides the obvious opportunity to add another service, you are providing a “one-stop” operation for your customer. You are in a key position to provide a convenience factor that will enhance your pest control company.
Pest Control Companies can purchase and install specialty cellulose products like TAP® and InCide® insulation. These products have additional boric acid to provide a natural pest-resistant product. Your customers will appreciate the fact that their house has not only been ridden of the pests, but is protected with an additional barrier.
Add Pest-Resistant Insulation to Whole House
Attics receive most insulation installs. Bat, raccoons and various critters settle in the attics. Termites, ants, silverfish and many creepy crawlers settle in the walls. Here is another opportunity for you to provide a drill and fill service for the walls. You can inject the pest-resistant cellulose into wall systems that lack or have minimal insulation.
The CoolVac23 is a great production vacuum.
The CoolVac37 allows for TWO people to vacuum at the same time to double speed your removal process.
The CM1500HP is a favorite blower for pest control companies. It is portable.
The CM2400 is perfect for great performance with larger homes and commercial buildings.
OCCASIONALLY, we hear, “[Another manufacturer] gets way more production than your machine for the same price.” Production rates, published on websites and sent in PDF emails, can be pernicious and sometimes misleading. So… how can you work through the fluff production rates?
INDUSTRY STANDARD TESTING. For blowing machines, the measurements that should appear in websites and literature are rates that come from a common measurement. When testing machines for production, manufacturers should be using real-life situations. That means, they attach 100 feet of hose with a lift of 12 feet. That is what a person typically uses. Since contractors always use hose it is not accurate to test a machine’s production capabilities without hose.
PHYSICS determine production rates. There is no “magical machine” that defies the math and science of production. This levels the playing field for all manufacturers. This does not prevent some from making wild production rate claims. Physics cannot prevent biased information. So, how can you make an accurate choice and understand production rates and not be disappointed by “fluffed-up” production rates? Here are the main factors:
Airlock Size: This determines the maximum amount of material that is able to be blown.
Airlock Rotor Speed: This is how fast the airlock spins and sends material down the hose.
Airlock Feed: This is how fast and how much material is actually fed into the airlock.
Yes. The common denominator is “the airlock.” The airlock is the main component that determines production rates.
BLOWERS, why are they not in the bullet points above? Because blowers do not contribute to the amount of material being processed by the machine. They simply blow what is in the airlock. You cannot add additional blowers and expect more material to flow when the airlock is a certain size.
What blowers do is enable you to push your material. If you have a long distance to go, THEN, you will need an additional blower to MAINTAIN the production rates. If you are exceeding 200 feet on a regular basis, you will want to consider an additional blower. The airlock will not empty completely if there is not enough air supplied.
Simply put, no matter how many or big your blowers are, you cannot blow what is not in the airlock.
OUTPUT HOSE DIAMETER does not have a measurable increase in production rates. The output is determined by a relationship to the size of airlock. The larger the airlock, the larger output you will have. If you put a large output on an undersized airlock, you will never get more material into the hose.
ABOUT THE FEED. Not all machines feed the same. Most machines use gravity to feed the airlock. The material is beat by beater arms. These arms do not actively feed the airlock. Since they are passively feeding material into the airlock, the feed is inconsistent and production rates are lost. In general, the airlock rotation is a bit slower to allow as much material as possible to fall into the airlock veins. Another factor that results in lower production is that the beater arms often create a bridging effect. Have you ever used an insulation machine that you had to use a stick to push material into? THAT is a gravity-fed machine.
You want a machine (plug for Cool Machines is coming), that has an auger system that not only pulverizes your material, but force-feeds the airlock. The Cool Machine brand has a dual auger system designed to force-feed the airlock as full as possible. Also, the airlock rotor speeds are increased so that they are fed as full as possible.
Note well… just because a machine has one or two augers does not mean that the machine will feed in the most efficient way. Also, there is a speed at which the airlock rotor should not exceed. Too fast, then the material does not fill the airlock veins. There is a “sweet spot” in rotational speed. It is truly a science to the way the augers are designed to feed correctly and efficiently.
“MY MACHINE LOST PRODUCTION” Yes. The physics law of entropy means that everything wears down. Has your machine lost production? Are you not able to achieve published productions rates? Consider the following:
Head pressure. This is the pressure being exerted on the material that is at the bottom of a hopper. Have you ever loaded your “last bag of the day,” and it seems to take twice as long? Well… there is no longer “head pressure.” Material feeds better when the hopper is full. The head pressure keeps the material going into the airlock.
Airlock Seal Wear. Airlock seals keep the material going in one direction… out the output. They maintain the air pressure so that it cannot back up into the hopper. When these seals wear, the air pressure may back up into the hopper. Those loading cellulose into machines quickly realize that their machine seemingly burps air back up into their faces. That is time to check the integrity of the airlock seals.
Material changes. Fiber manufacturers always “play” with the density of their packaging… especially when fuel costs rise. They want to compress their material tighter and tighter. Some materials, like fiberglass, are cut in different lengths. The smaller portable machines sometimes need help in processing different brands of fiberglass. Cool Machines offers a variety of options to help you achieve production rates when material manufacturers push out their changes.
Summary: So, you have done your homework and compared machine after machine. You see some very different numbers. Unfortunately, there is nothing the industry can do to force everyone into compliance.
There is something Cool Machines IS doing. They are willing to back-up their published production rates with a real-time video. If you are considering purchasing a Cool Machine, just ask, we will provide you a video achieving the published production rates, minimally.