Whether you’re an OEM pricing a regenerative blower for your product or an operations manager in need of a quick replacement for a pump that has failed prematurely, one of the first questions you may ask is, “what’s it going to cost?”
It isn’t easy to estimate the cost of a regenerative or side-arm blower, especially with all the features and technology available. For example, a Becker blower can vary from about $500 to $8,000 which is a huge range that’s affected by many factors.
In this post, we’ll identify the most important variables that go into a regenerative blower price, so that you can make the best selection for your application.
THE COST OF CHOOSING A LOW-QUALITY REGENERATIVE BLOWER
Your first instinct in selecting a blower might be to look for one with the lowest possible cost of ownership. However, going for the absolute cheapest price isn’t always wise.
A low-cost generic blower may come with limited data sheet information and minimal customer service. These blowers are generally louder, forcing customers to require more PPE to protect workers. Cheap blowers also can have hotter air outputs, which affect performance and may even damage your product.
Consider that a well-designed blower will keep up much of its speed throughout its operating range, while a cheaper pump may tout the same specs but deliver an inferior performance, quickly dropping its flow rate to below specification.
The most expensive pump you’ll ever buy is a cheap pump that has been built poorly. It won’t work at high tolerance for long and will tend to fail early. Therefore a higher quality pump is a better investment. .
TECHNICAL FACTORS GOING INTO BLOWER PRICING
There is no one-size-fits-all regenerative blower. To realize good efficiency and functionality at the best cost you want to match your requirements to the pump that most closely meets your specifications—without paying for more capacity than you need.
The main variables affecting regenerative blower price are pressure difference, flow, and size of the pump. The difference in pressure between an evacuated area and the ambient atmosphere is known as the vacuum level, measured in Hg or Torr. Regenerative blower vacuum levels are grouped broadly as Low/Rough, Medium, or High.
Lifting and work-holding—including secondary-packaging or CNC—typically use a low-to-medium vacuum system, while thermoforming often requires a high vacuum level.
A pump’s flow rate or speed is the amount of air or gas volume it can move in a given time interval, measured in cubic feet per minute (cfm). Flow is not constant because the more air (or gas or vapor) a vacuum pump removes, the harder it must work, therefore the flow rate decreases as the pump works to form a perfect vacuum.
Your application will specify a minimum flow rate that a pump must deliver to achieve the desired vacuum level. If you’re using a blower that can’t generate enough flow, the unit may take too long to complete its job.
When specifying the motor size for a regenerative blower, you must match the available voltage level, which depends on application and location. The voltage affects the size and positioning of pump parts and influences the motor’s power efficiency. Properly sizing the motor, without selecting a larger one than necessary, will save you energy and money.
SINGLE-STAGE VS. DOUBLE-STAGE BLOWER PRICING
Depending on your requirements, you may choose a single-stage or a double-stage blower, which will be reflected in the price. Single-stage blowers are less expensive and produce lower pressure and relatively lower vacuum levels.
Double-stage regenerative blowers cost more but can provide higher vacuum levels because air rotates around the inside of the housing twice before being exhausted.
EFFECTS OF AMBIENT TEMPERATURE AND PRESSURE ON REGENERATIVE BLOWER COST
Heat, whether generated by the unit itself or from ambient sources, will affect the service life and performance of the pump. Purchasing a pump that is too small for the job may cause it to generate too much heat and burn out the motor too soon.
At the same time, a pump’s vacuum potential is reduced about 30 percent for every 1,000 feet of gain in elevation. For higher altitude applications, you may need to purchase a blower with a greater pressure rating.
ACCESSORIES TO CUSTOMIZE YOUR BLOWER
Your specific application may require the use of accessories such as filters, check valves, gauges, or starters—all of which may affect the price. Options from Becker Pumps include clear polycarbonate filters which offer easy visual maintenance inspection of the filter element and a double filter surface which allows for significantly longer maintenance intervals.
In order to meet OSHA noise requirements, you may need to add the cost of an acoustic enclosure or other soundproofing. Becker Pumps offers enclosures that can reduce vacuum pump noise by up to six times, without adversely affecting efficiency.
COST OF MAINTENANCE FOR A REGENERATIVE BLOWER
Typically, maintenance should be considered in a regenerative blower cost estimation. In general, the majority of oil-lubricated pumps are the most expensive to maintain. But, regenerative blowers are oil-less and contact-less and therefore require relatively small maintenance costs.
ADDITIONAL COSTS TO CONSIDER
When budgeting the total cost of a regenerative blower, remember to include sales taxes, shipping and insurance fees, plus assembly and installation costs.
GET THE BEST BECKER REGENERATIVE BLOWER PRICE
Becker systems are designed to maximize the life of the pump. We offer regenerative blowers with highly efficient IE3 motors in 11 different power ratings. This variety of choices allows you to hone in on the ideal pump size for your application without overbuying.
At Becker Pumps, we’re known for supplying reliable units at a fair price, along with exceptional customer service. We work with price-conscious buyers to provide tradeoffs that will keep costs down while still providing the quality, high-performance Becker pump they know and love.
Don’t pay more in the end by buying a cheap pump now that isn’t going to last. If you want to buy the best option in regenerative blowers, choose Becker Pumps.
