When Industrial Equipment Meets My Desk (And My Learning Curve)
I manage purchasing for a manufacturing plant. We don't make the stuff you see on shelves—we make the parts that go into making that stuff. So when our maintenance team needed a replacement for a Howden Buffalo fan and a service kit for a Howden Roots blower, it landed on my desk.
I'm not an engineer. I'm the person who has to figure out if we're getting a fair price, if the specs are right, and—most importantly—if what we order will actually work. This FAQ is what I've learned after a few rounds of this. My experience is based on about 50 industrial equipment orders over 4 years. It's not exhaustive, but it's real.
Let's start with the questions I had, and the answers I found.
What's the Difference Between a Howden Buffalo Fan and a Howden Roots Blower?
This was my first question. They're both made by the same parent company (Howden), but they're different machines for different jobs.
Howden Buffalo fans are centrifugal fans—they move air or gas by spinning a wheel. You'll find them in HVAC systems, dust collection, and general ventilation. They're about moving large volumes of air at moderate pressure.
A Howden Roots blower is a positive displacement blower—two lobes rotate to trap and move air. Think of it like a pump for air. They're used for pneumatic conveying, aeration, and applications needing higher pressure like wastewater treatment.
The easiest way I remember it: a fan pushes air; a blower forces it. If you need to move air through a long pipe against resistance, you probably need a Roots blower. If you're just circulating air in a big room, a Buffalo fan is your guy.
How Do I Order the Right Howden Buffalo Fan Replacement?
First—get the model number off the old fan's nameplate. I cannot stress this enough. The first time I tried to order by just saying "it's a big fan," I got the wrong size.
You'll need:
- Model number (e.g., 30-50, 45-60, etc.)
- Serial number (usually starts with a letter and has 6-8 digits)
- Motor data (HP, RPM, voltage, phase)
Even with that, I call the distributor. They'll want to know your application—air volume (CFM), static pressure, temperature, and what the air contains (dust, moisture, chemicals). The fan that works for clean air will fail fast in a dusty environment.
One thing I learned the hard way: check the rotation direction. The fan I ordered was physically identical but spun the wrong way. We had to swap two motor leads to fix it. Cost us an hour of downtime.
What About a Howden Roots Blower Service Kit? Is It Worth Paying Extra for OEM Parts?
My short answer: for a Roots blower, yes. Here's why.
A Roots blower service kit usually includes seals, bearings, gaskets, and—if it's a major service—the timing gears and rotors. The OEM kit from Howden costs more. But the third-party kit I tried once had seals that didn't seat quite right. We had a leak three months later. The labor to redo the job cost more than the price difference.
I found a good mid-point: buy OEM seals and gaskets, but source standard bearings from a local bearing supplier if they match specs. Bearings are bearings. But the profile of a seal? OEM is safer.
My Oil Pressure Sensor Failed. Should I Replace It Myself?
I asked our maintenance tech this exact question. His answer: "Depends on the sensor."
On many single-stage Roots blowers, the oil pressure sensor is a simple analog switch. It's cheap ($30-80) and easy to replace: remove a plug, install the new sensor, tighten. If you can change an oil filter on a car, you can probably do this.
But on larger blowers (like a Howden 500 series or equivalent), the sensor might be integrated with a control module. Those cost $200-500, and swapping them without a tech present is risky. You might introduce an air bubble into the oil line, which can cause a false pressure reading and trip the system.
If you have the model number of the blower, search for the sensor part number. Most are standalone units up to about 50 HP. Above that? Call in a pro.
What's a 'Space Heater' Doing in an Industrial Blower?
I was confused when our order included a space heater for a Roots blower. It's not a room heater. It's a small electric heater that sits inside the blower's enclosure (or near the motor) to prevent condensation when the blower is idle.
If your blower is in a humid environment—like a wastewater plant or food processing facility—moisture can accumulate inside the motor windings. When the blower starts, that moisture can cause a short circuit. The space heater keeps the internals warm and dry.
It's a small cost ($50-150) that saves big repair bills. If your blower is outdoors or in an unconditioned space, I'd recommend adding one to the service order.
How Often Should I Replace the Oil on My Roots Blower, and What About the Oil Filter?
This is a maintenance question, but it affects my ordering schedule, so I learned it.
For a Howden Roots blower, the standard is: change oil every 500 operating hours or 3 months, whichever comes first. That's in a clean environment. If your plant is dusty, cut that in half. If it's hot (above 100°F), same.
Oil filters often come in the service kit. If not, get the OEM filter. A cheap filter might bypass oil flow and send unfiltered oil to the bearings. That's a $2,000 bearing replacement waiting to happen.
I keep a spreadsheet now. I know when each of our three blowers was last serviced. It took a few missed intervals to figure out I needed a system.
You Mentioned a Countertop Ice Maker. How Does That Relate?
It doesn't, directly—except it's another piece of equipment I'm responsible for. Someone saw "how to clean countertop ice maker" in our search terms and asked me about it.
We don't have one in our plant, but my experience in cleaning office equipment applies. For a countertop ice maker: use a vinegar solution (1:1 white vinegar to water) or a manufacturer-approved cleaner. Run it through, then two cycles with fresh water. Do it monthly if you use the machine daily.
The parallel: neglect the little things, and they become big things. Same with an oil pressure sensor, a space heater, or a service kit. The $50 clean saves the $500 repair.
That's it—my real-world tour of Howden Buffalo fans, Roots blowers, oil sensors, space heaters, and even that ice maker. I'm not an engineer, just a buyer who had to learn this stuff. Hope it helps someone else avoid my mistakes.
