Boiler unloading

Chuck_23

What's the easiest method for getting a boiler out of the back of a truck? How do installers do it? A truck with a liftgate or ramps and a pallet jack,etc.

J.C.A._3

Easiest?

Open the tailgate, backup REAL fast and hit the breaks hard! Well, you asked for the easiset! Safest would be the power tailgate followed by ramps and a hand truck. One thing to always keep in mind is that gravity is ....the LAW. It works 24-7-365. Chris

Chuck_23

Boiler unloading

Thanks for the reply, I knew SOMEONE was going to make that 1st suggestion! I should have said BEST way. Gravity is the one thing I'm concerned with using ramps. I may have to do it alone.

Mike Reavis_2

Meet your delivery from the wholesaler at the jobsite is safe

and sensible.

If you can't get it into the job in one piece find out if the boiler is available to be built on site, or if it is availble as an "assembled section block"

Getting them down cellar stairs is a bit trickier. Usually requiring the attachment of 2 by 10's to the stairs, and or to the floor. Sometimes you need to make the boiler crate into a sled, so that it cooperates. Safety ropes rapped around a tree, or a truck makes sure no one gets squished. Move slowly, remove all trip hazzards, give yourself lots of room. Take a minute to talk to the crew about what you are going to do, what are the expected results, and what the potential hazzards are. Get them to then tell you what is going to happen. When you have alot of weight coming at you it is not the time to be trying to clarify terms such as: up-down-sideways- slowly- stop-to you-to me-hold back-etc.


Mike

jerry scharf_3

electric hand trucks

A number of people here praise their electric hand trucks for this particular job.

jerry

Rodney Summers

Don't you use telekinesis, like the magicians?

Please be careful.

I would never go down a steep ramp behind your truck with a boiler on a wheeled pallet jack. You won't be able to hold anything back unless you use a rope and block pulley. Still, it seems dangerous.

J.C.A.'s got the only simple solution.

If you need to, the only way to lower the load in a manageable way without tools would be to stack a pile of wood, or two piles of skids. Then move the boiler horizontally on top of it, then tilt the boiler and remove the woods side by side. At truck bed height, this is scary and dangerous. Egyptians buit pyramids this way.

I have heard of using an engine lift. The thing that looks like a boom on three wheels.

We use a mini fork lift. It is hand/foot operated, can lift 1000 lbs (and a little more) and is not too big and heavy that it can be loaded on the same pick-up truck or van as the load. Here, one guy does the job alone, including loading the hand truck in the van. It rolls great on concrete, otherwise we use a piece of sheet metal.

It does not work in stairways, but things go down stairways all by themselves anyway...

Moving things requires only little muscle power, the brain is far more effective, think levers, tools, jack. Mind your back and mind your hands and feet.

Good luck.

JeffD

Christian is absolutly right!! Be very careful. Do not try to do this by yourself, you can't. A lot of the cast iron boilers made today are 500 pounds and up, once they get moving one guy isn't gonna stop it. At minimum you will need three guys including yourself, plus the proper ropes, ramps etc. Think safety first before you do anything.

bob young

boiler delivery

first rule of thumb SCHMEAR the driver or he will have no insentive to help you.two strong can usually wrestle any residential boiler to its final resting place. removing the old one is a different story. a plank works wonders.

Unknown

Dropping it by yourself

I would back up to the driveway and stop when the wheels meet the lower end of the curb . That gets you maybe 1/2 foot closer to the ground . Then I would have some used tires , lay em flat on the ground and let the berler fly .

I got bit a few weeks ago . While taking a 4 section Burnham off the back of my van , they guy helping me slipped and a cleanout bolt caught my palm . Ripped a gash deep into the meaty part . Since then I refuse to take those things off the back of my truck .

Rodney Summers

A deal sealed with blood

That's more than an ouchiwawa, Ron. Boy, I hope your hand grew back. After the fact, it is never worth it to hurt oneself, don't you think? Hurting others, well...

A chipped nail is worth a scratch on the boiler. Eye for eye.

I wish manufacturers would put lots of thought into crating that makes carrying the thing by hand real easy and pleasant. Like providing handles and safe spots for hands and rounding sharp corners.

You can grow an intense dislike for a product just from having been bitten by a tiny nasty splinter or just because it fell on your foot. It has nothing to do with the quality of the goods but it leaves a bad memory.

Chuck_23

Boiler unloading

Thanks to all for the replies,much appreciated.
Here's my situation;house is a split ranch with boiler downstairs.Only access is by a twisting stairwell or through the slider on lower level.There is a hill on either
side of the house,with woods and ravine behind.Only one side of the house has enough clearance for a truck.So here's
my plan;back the truck down the side of the house to the lower slider.Use an engine hoist to lift the boiler enough
to move the truck forward.Then,lower the boiler to the ground and use a pallet jack to move it in the house.I'll
probably put plywood down on the grass so the pallet jack will roll.(I do have a level backyard but its small and no way to access it from the neighbors house.)If this method works,I'll let ya know...I'll be trying it Thursday!
Sidenote to J.C.A.;I think you meant to say,go FORWARD
really fast,and then hit the brakes!

Richard_4

lift gate

and a power hand truck stair climber was one of my best investments

J.C.A._3

If ,

You were to be driving forward when attepting this manuver,you would be hit in the back of the head so hard your relatives would feel it! Broken rear window and bent rear of the cab would also be side effects. You DO want to UNLOAD it....right? Chris

tgm

In my area of southern maine we subcontract to a group of junk metal scrappers that will haul the old boiler or tank out and away for 150 and for 50 more drop the new one in place while they are there. well worth it in my book to not lift a finger but still get a boiler in the basement

Chuck_23

Boiler unloading

First off,my apologies to JCA for neglecting to use my brain!Thought about that one today,once my mind had room
for thought and was not beer influenced.Yer right,the idea
WAS to unload it.Which was a success by the way,with the
engine hoist and pallet jack method described earlier.
I did manage to pull it off by myself,but in hindsight,
probably wasn't the best idea. Just in case I did run into
problems.It went fairly smooth,but took a while and made me a little nervous.I'm not a contractor or in the heating
profession so investing in equipment wasn't really an option.This boiler is for my own house.Rental stuff came to
36.00 even,not too painful.Thanks to all for the ideas,
keep this one in mind - would have been much easier if I was
unloading on a level,hard surface.