Hamilton vs. HTP vs. NATCO

[bls632005]

Hey all,
I know this subject has probably been run into the ground plenty of times, but while searching the forum I couldn't come up with all the answers that I was looking for.

1) Which do you prefer and why? (how is customer service? are they easy to get serviced and fixed? What about glitches? etc...)
2) What about cost of the units?
3) Does (if you own one) the unit produce like you were told or thought it would or does it lag behind in peak hours?
4) What about longevity?
5) Are any of these companies close to going out of business to where you can't retrieve parts later on down the road?

I know this is a lot of questions, but I am getting ready to drop quite a bit of money on a new unit and would like to be educated by the outside world as well as by the distributors.

My 2 cents from researching already is that NATCO's customer service is not very good, and they do not have many dealers, which bothers me for service / competition reasons. Also, my distributor quoted me 26K for 2 NATCO super-e 80 gal tanks and 14+K for 2 NATCO wallnat units plus a 115 gal storage tank just delivered not installed. This seems outrageous to me.

I have a State Sandblaster unit that is 10+ years old and am ready to get something that is more efficient and modern.

[Adamski]

Originally Posted by bls632005

... 1) Which do you prefer and why? (how is customer service? are they easy to get serviced and fixed? What about glitches? etc...)

I have 2, one year old HTP 199,000 btu, 119 gal units. I had an initial glitch with one on start up but that was fixed within a couple of days. No further issues. They're great so far.

2) What about cost of the units?

Roughly $5,000 each plus tax, freight and installation.

3) Does (if you own one) the unit produce like you were told or thought it would or does it lag behind in peak hours?

These 2 units supply all the hot water I need for my 34 washer store. I'm not disappointed in that regard either.

4) What about longevity?

Too soon to tell.

5) Are any of these companies close to going out of business to where you can't retrieve parts later on down the road?

There's usually no way to know the financial condition of the distributor you're doing business with. You'll know he's going Out of Business when you go there one day and the doors are locked.

I recommend you get a price quote for HTP units from your local plumbing supplier and plan on buying them direct rather then through your plumber/installer. The fewer mark ups, the less you'll pay and your plumber won't be able to fix any issues that come up with the units anyway.

[Howard]

I had two of the Natco Super-E 199-80 units for 10 plus years and had minimal issues. I think they are great units, but you can buy them cheaper by dealing with the company that actually makes them.

All of these companies that sell to the laundromat industry have huge mark-ups and really provide you with no additional value. Find the actual companies that make the equipment and deal with their industrial distributors - you will get better service and save money.

[mjwalsh]

Originally Posted by Adamski

I recommend you get a price quote for HTP units from your local plumbing supplier and plan on buying them direct rather then through your plumber/installer. The fewer mark ups, the less you'll pay and your plumber won't be able to fix any issues that come up with the units anyway.

Larry, Howard & others,

In our city, if you buy the unit outside of licensed contractors ... they have been known to get somewhat nasty ... & even refuse to do installation work with a firm price. Which of course can be fun when you see their "time & material" bill. And we have the advantage of being a "Right to Work" state! 100% pre-engineered systems suddenly become much more attractive?

It is nice to hear that your local permit people, insurance people are really understanding & extra good to you though!

Healthy sarcasm in order? Has anyone seen a worthwhile court challenge when they go too far & try to break the camel's back.

mike

[Adamski]

Mike,

Michigan has suffered a lot of population decline in recent decades. As a result, local and state officials have learned to work with business and industry instead of against them. Obviously, all commercial installations must meet code requirements but plumbing shops have learned that they must treat their customers fairly if they want repeat business.

With all the rapid communication systems available today; I'd think all businesses would be leary of getting a bad reputation by harrassing or over-charging their customers.

[Howard]

Originally Posted by mjwalsh

Larry, Howard & others,

In our city, if you buy the unit outside of licensed contractors ... they have been known to get somewhat nasty ... & even refuse to do installation work with a firm price. Which of course can be fun when you see their "time & material" bill. And we have the advantage of being a "Right to Work" state! 100% pre-engineered systems suddenly become much more attractive?

It is nice to hear that your local permit people, insurance people are really understanding & extra good to you though!

Healthy sarcasm in order? Has anyone seen a worthwhile court challenge when they go too far & try to break the camel's back.

mike

I have no clue what you are talking about. When you install a hot water unit in a commercial establishment you must use a licensed plumber and possibly an electrician. You also need permits. What does that have to do with buying the unit from a "normal" distributor rather than from a Laundromat distributor?

Are you saying a plumber won't install something you buy? If so, those days are long gone. Heck I recently went to the local Toyota dealer and they were now even willing to do work on my car with parts that I supplied.