At the UAMCC convention in Houston Univar came as an exhibitor and brought attention to a product many large pressure washing contractors might never have thought of or known was even available.
Univar has a program called the Mini Bulk Service containment system. This is where they will deliver right to your location a specialized tank, sizes start at 200 gallons, that they will then fill with bulk liquid chemical that you purchase from them.
Think of it the same as when a propane gas company puts in a large tank and then comes and fills it up once or twice a season. These tanks are set up for Sodium Hypochlorite and Sodium Hydroxide, the smaller one holds 200 gallons the larger one 600.
Univar offers a wide selection of chemicals delivered via Mini-Bulk, Sodium Hypochlorite being one that most exterior cleaning contractors would be using. For the complete product list, contact a Univar representative.
Now pricing will vary depending on your location and you must take into consideration a few things when making a cost analysis between buying chemical and getting it your self vs. bulk delivery.
1. Do you have the room and proper security for a bulk tank?
2. Do you use the chemical up fast enough to need at least 200 gallons or more at a time?
3. How much does it cost you in time and gas to get the same volume of chemical to your location any other way?
4. What is the cost with each delivery and price per gallon with the Mini Bulk Service? Buying in volume can save money.
5. Will you have to take time away from other work to get a delivery?
There are positives above monetary for using a bulk system:
Eliminates multiple smaller containers, i.e. 55 gallon drums stored at your location freeing up space.
Reduces the size needed for a tank on your rig since you can refill daily at your location.
Drums that need to be moved around can be a danger due to their weight and higher possibility of accidental spills. Bulk tanks reduce the potential for uncontained spills with some larger tanks even having their own spill container base.
Protects your employees by minimizing their exposure to hazardous materials.
Stops the need to clean/rinse and return emptied drums to get back a deposit or lower the cost for refill if that is what you are having to do now. That takes employee time and again can be a safety issue.
Reduces the number of times you have to stop and go get or take delivery of chemicals.
So if your business uses a lot of Sodium Hypochlorite you might want to call your local Univar location to check in to their Mini Bulk Services to see if it could save you time and money.