How to check long-term operating costs for low purchase price plans?

When purchasing clean equipment, low purchase price options are very attractive. But the purchase price is only part of the project cost. Installation support, operating energy consumption, consumable replacement, maintenance costs and subsequent expansion will all affect long-term costs.

Cheap does not mean low cost of use, nor should it be assumed that low-priced products are unreliable. Judgments need to be based on configuration and data, not price tags. The following will focus on functional equivalence, operating energy consumption, consumables maintenance, and compatibility expansion.

First confirm whether the solution is functionally equivalent

Before comparing long-term costs, confirm whether the options are functionally equivalent:

• Are the protection objectives and cleanliness levels consistent?

• Whether the air volume and static pressure operating points are the same;

• Are filter and control configurations equivalent;

• Are the installation accessories and service scope consistent?

The scope of delivery is different and price comparison is meaningless. To check the quotation range, please refer to Which items need to be listed separately in the quotation of clean equipment? , first unify the caliber.

Installation package fees may offset the price difference

Low purchase price plans may not include installation accessories, commissioning services or shipping costs. When these costs are incurred later, they may offset the purchase price difference.

Should check:

• Whether lifting parts and seals are included;

• Whether installation and debugging are included;

• Whether shipping and taxes are included;

• Whether additional structural changes are required.

For installation and maintenance conditions considerations, please refer to What later expenses will be increased due to insufficient maintenance channels?。

Operating energy consumption is calculated based on actual operating point

Energy consumption is a major component of long-term costs. When comparing, the input power of the whole machine at the same operating point should be used, and accumulated according to the running time.

Things to note:

• Use the whole machine input power instead of the motor nameplate power;

• Calculated separately according to working and on-duty status;

• Use the actual electricity price of the project;

• Consider the change in power after dust accumulation on the filter.

For the boundaries of power data, please refer to What is the difference between FFU rated power and actual power consumption? , you can refer to it when confirming the working point. Why should we look at the complete performance curve when selecting FFU?。

Consumables and maintenance costs

Filter and maintenance costs, which may be higher on lower purchase price plans:

• Filter replacement frequency and price;

• Replace labor and leak detection;

• Impact of downtime;

• Maintain channel conditions.

For comparison of consumable costs, please refer to How does the cost of filter consumables factor into purchasing decisions? , the impact of maintenance channels can be referred to What later expenses will be increased due to insufficient maintenance channels?。

Control expansion and future compatibility

Low purchase price plans may have differences in control interfaces and expansion capabilities:

• Whether to support group control and partition;

• Whether it supports adding equipment later;

• Whether the communication protocol is compatible;

• Whether there is margin for distribution and structure.

Insufficient expansion conditions may lead to increased later renovation costs. For relevant considerations, please refer to What are the expansion conditions for using independent modules in clean systems? , the selection of control method can refer to FFU group control system。

Compare total costs by uniform period

When comparing long-term costs, be consistent:

• life cycle;

• operating hours and electricity prices;

• Maintenance intervals and costs;

• Filter replacement frequency;

• Installation and service scope.

Data from different cycles or working conditions cannot be directly compared. Comparisons of full-cycle costs should be based on confirmed data and assumptions. For the comparison method of equipment unit price and total cost, please refer to How do equipment unit prices compare with total project costs?。

Use data instead of price tags

Whether the low purchase price option is more economical depends on the specific configuration and usage conditions. Judgments should be based on data, not preconceptions.

Upon request the supplier shall provide:

• Performance data at target operating point;

• Machine power and noise data;

• Filter and consumable specifications;

• Control and expansion instructions.

Only when the data are comparable can the long-term costs be judged.

Project judgment example

In a certain project, the price difference between the two FFUs was obvious. The low-priced model had insufficient air volume and the number of units needed to be increased. After comparing the total number of units, total power and running time, the long-term cost of the low-price solution is higher. Adjustment method: Re-compare based on unified working point and cycle.

The low purchase price plan for another project does not include installation accessories, which will incur additional costs later. Adjustment method: Include installation, commissioning and accessories into the quotation range, and re-compare the delivery content.

These two situations illustrate that the long-term cost of the low purchase price solution needs to be checked together with the cost of functions, energy consumption, consumables, maintenance and expansion.

Key points for selection and acceptance inspection

Aili industrial equipment supporting support

Whether a low purchase price is more economical depends on the configuration and usage conditions. Aili Industrial has collaborative capabilities in fans, motors, filters, control systems and complete machine assembly links. It can provide data on complete machine power, filtration specifications, control interfaces and expansion capabilities based on the project's working point, operating time and maintenance conditions, helping to check low purchase price plans into the full cycle cost, rather than just judging based on the first quoted price.