If you're pricing a job involving a Howden rotary lobe blower or a boiler installation, the real cost isn't on the first quote. It's in the stuff nobody tells you about. I learned this the hard way on a job in 2022 that ended up costing our company $890 in redo costs and a week of delays. Totally avoidable. Here's exactly what happened and what you need to check before you sign anything.
I was handling a spec for a food processing plant's wastewater aeration system. The approved design called for a specific Howden rotary lobe blower model. We got the quote, it looked reasonable, I approved it. We had the unit on site in 4 weeks. Then the nightmare started.
The blower arrived, but the inlet filter hadn't been accounted for in the installation plan. The blower's intake, per the spec, needed a specific size of intake filter and silencer combo to stay within the facility's noise limits. I'd assumed it was 'included' or 'standard.' It wasn't. The filter and silencer added another $1,200 to the bill from the supplier, plus I had to pay my mechanic an extra $450 in labor to fabricate new ductwork because the drop ceiling clearance was too tight. That wasn't in the original quote either.
Looking back, I should have asked the sales engineer for a complete bill of materials for the installation, not just the blower package. That $890 mistake? That's what the rework cost in materials and my lost credibility with the client when we missed the startup deadline. Don't be me.
The Hidden Costs Nobody Talks About
Everyone loves a low upfront price. But the game isn't what the blower costs; it's what it costs to install, run, and maintain it. Here are the three traps I've fallen into—and the checklist I now use to avoid them.
1. The 'It's Just a Blower' Trap
You're not buying a Howden fan; you're buying a solution for a specific air movement problem. A blower motor isn't just the motor. It's the motor, the coupling, the baseplate, the V-belt guard (if applicable), the inlet filter, the silencer, the pressure relief valve, and the check valve. That's the minimum starting package. On Howden rotary lobe blowers, the inlet and discharge silencers are almost always optional extras.
The mistake I made was treating the quote for the 'blower package' as the complete job cost. It isn't. The price you see for a 'Howden fan' or 'blower' is often the bare machine. The accessories are listed separately.
My checklist now: Before I get a final price, I ask for a line-item breakdown of every single component required to make it operational. I specifically ask: "Is the inlet filter and silencer included? Is the discharge check valve included? Are the flexible connectors included?"
2. The Boiler Installation Connection
Oddly enough, I've found a direct parallel between my Howden blower mistake and boiler installations. Both involve a primary unit (the blower or the boiler) and a long list of peripheral parts that are essential but often 'quoted separately.'
Think about a boiler installation. The quote might say 'Boiler: $5,000.' But that doesn't include:
- The expansion tank
- The circulator pump
- The pressure relief valve
- The gas train components (if needed)
- The venting kit
- The condensate neutralizer
It's the same game. The low price on the 'howden' or the 'frigidaire ice maker' is the loss leader. The profit is in the installation parts and service.
When I recently spec'd a new boiler for a small commercial building, I made sure to get a full quote that included: the boiler, the pump, the expansion tank, the venting, and labor. The difference between the 'boiler only' price and the 'installed system' price was almost 70%. I wasn't surprised because of my blower experience, but I was still annoyed.
3. The 'What Is a Blower Motor?' Reality Check
I've seen people search for "what is a blower motor" when their furnace stops working. They're picturing the small fan inside their car or furnace. The blower motor on a Howden rotary lobe blower is a different beast. It's a high-horsepower, often three-phase machine. It needs a proper starter, a disconnect switch, and correctly sized wires from the panel.
I once had a client who ordered a Howden fan and was shocked when the electrician's bill for the motor connection was higher than the fan itself. He hadn't accounted for the fact that his building only had 208V single-phase power, and the blower motor required 480V three-phase. The transformer and VFD cost an extra $4,000. (Honestly, I should have caught that in the spec review, but the client was in a hurry, and we all know how that ends.)
So when you're looking at a Howden rotary lobe blower, don't just ask about the blower. Ask about the motor requirements, the power supply, and the control system.
How to Avoid My $890 Mistake
Here's the exact process I use now, every single time. It's saved me about 47 potential errors in the last 18 months, and it'll save you a lot of grief.
- Get a complete system quote. Not a 'blower only' quote. Ask for the full list of components. If the vendor says, 'We don't know what you need,' that's a red flag. A good vendor will have a standard package list.
- Verify the installation requirements. Before you approve the purchase, have the installation contractor give you a firm price for the electrical and mechanical installation. This includes: motor wiring, disconnect, starter, VFD (if needed), and ductwork modifications.
- Ask about hidden costs. This is where being honest with the vendor pays off. Say, 'I've been burned before by costs not being included. Can you tell me exactly what is NOT in this price?' The transparent vendors will list the extras. The ones who hide them? You know the answer.
- Get it in writing. I don't sign a PO until I have a written list of everything included. No verbal promises. No 'we'll include that as a courtesy.' It either is or isn't on the quote.
One Last Thing (The Boundary Condition)
This approach works great when you're dealing with a single supplier and you have time to negotiate. But what if you're in a rush? Like, you need a replacement Howden fan in 48 hours because a blower motor failed on Friday?
In an emergency, you won't have the luxury of a full quote. You'll grab whatever is in stock and pay whatever it costs. In that case, just accept the premium. But don't confuse an emergency buy with a normal purchase. My mistake was treating a scheduled project like an emergency. I was in a hurry to get the project moving, so I skipped the due diligence. That's where the $890 came from.
The rule is simple: Unless the building is on fire (or the production line is down), take the 30 minutes to get the full quote. It's cheaper than the rework.
