Repair or Replace Cleaning Equipment: Retire the Old Unit, Then Accept the New One
Author: SIBEN Publish Time: 2026-10-21 Origin: Site
Most fleets do not fail at buying; they fail at retiring. A machine that still turns may no longer belong on that floor, and an old unit that is hauled away without records can return as a liability. This guide gives four tests for keep-or-replace, three price anchors for resale, the fork between scrap and transfer, battery handover, star clauses in tenders, and a three-sign-off acceptance.
Step 1: Separate "worth repairing" from "allowed to stay"
These are different questions and they get merged too often. Worth repairing is about structure, parts and downtime. Allowed to stay is about the zone the machine works in. A scrubber can be mechanically sound and still be wrong for a dust-rated area, a wash-down bay or a battery storage room. Ask both, in that order, and write two answers rather than one.
Step 2: Run four tests before authorising any repair
| Test | What to Check | Fail = Replace |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Structure | Cracked frame, deformed brush deck, leaking tank body, worn drive or steering that cannot be adjusted | Structural failure |
| 2. Parts | Squeegee blade, brush, drive motor, controller availability, lead time and price | Parts unavailable or uneconomical |
| 3. Admission | Does the machine still meet the electrical and protection requirements of its zone | Fails zone compliance |
| 4. Downtime | What area and how many shifts it carries, and what a week without it costs | Downtime cost exceeds repair value |
A repair that passes all four is usually the cheaper path.
Step 3: Split a repair quote into four lines
Labour and call-outs, parts with part numbers and warranty, transport and lifting, and the downtime plus the substitute machine. Quotes that arrive as one number hide the last two. Compare total cost of ownership over the remaining service life, not the invoice in front of you. When transport, a five-day gap and a repeat failure are added, a modest repair can approach half the price of a new unit.
Step 4: Price the old unit with three anchors
| Anchor | Method | Limitation |
|---|---|---|
| Appraisal value | Valuation date and method by a qualified appraiser | Often below book value for public bodies |
| Public sale results | Closing prices from public listings and auctions | Closing prices often exceed opening bids |
| Scrap weight | Weight-based scrap pricing | Undervalues machines with plastic housings, tanks, electronics and batteries |
Keep both a whole-unit figure and a dismantled-parts figure in the disposal note, so the number can be defended later.
Step 5: Decide between scrap and transfer early
Scrap goes through solid waste and, for public bodies, appraisal, filing and public trading rules. Transfer goes to a related site, a contractor or a dealer, and the risk sits in the contract.
1. Delivered as seen.
2. No warranty of completeness, quality or fitness for the original purpose.
3. The buyer confirms its own operating conditions and qualifications.
Attach a handover list with serial numbers, accessories and photos.
Step 6: Treat the battery as a separate stream
1. Power down and disconnect in the order the manual gives
2. Remove the battery pack
3. Isolate swollen or leaking packs away from combustibles
4. Label each pack with source machine and date
5. Hand to a unit with the required permits
6. Keep the charger with the pack or recycle separately
Do not sell a lithium machine as one piece of scrap. Permit categories, storage rules and transport requirements follow local regulation, not site habit.
Step 7: Use star clauses only on verifiable specifications
A star clause usually means non-responsive bids are rejected outright. Put stars on what can be checked on a nameplate or in a test report.
| Star-Worthy (Verifiable) | Keep in Scoring Section (Assumed) |
|---|---|
| Cleaning width, squeegee width | Productivity claims (area/hour) |
| Tank volumes (clean/recovery) | Labour savings |
| Voltage and power | Payback period |
| Battery specification, runtime | Water or energy saved |
| Airflow, vacuum, filtration rating & area | |
| Debris capacity, hose diameter | |
| Rated pressure, flow, noise | |
| Explosion protection, ingress rating |
Starring an assumption either voids the tender or invites inflated numbers. Bidders must state their assumptions in the scoring section.
Step 8: Accept in three sign-offs, and close the loop
| Sign-off | What to Verify | Record |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Unboxing | Model, serial, accessories, documents, nameplate against contract | Photo + checklist |
| 2. No-load test | Travel, steering, brush and squeegee lift, water flow, recovery, emergency stop, measured noise, actual runtime and charge time | Test report |
| 3. Load test | Agreed area, agreed stain, agreed number of passes, run by the person who will operate it | Operator sign-off |
Then hand the old unit over against a list, update the asset card and the spare-parts ledger, and brief operators within the first week. Schedule the old unit's exit after the load test passes, never before.
Frequently Asked Questions
No single figure applies. Judge structure, parts availability, zone admission and downtime together, and record the conclusion in writing.
The same component failing twice within a year. It usually means structural margin is gone, not that the last repair was poor.
No. Book value is accounting; resale value is what a buyer pays. Public disposal notices often show appraisals far below book value.
As a reference only. Plastic, tanks, electronics and batteries make weight-based pricing understate a machine that still works.
Transfer if the unit still has use and the receiver is competent; scrap through the proper waste and asset route, with appraisal and public trading where required.
Delivered as seen, no warranty of quality or fitness for the original purpose, and the buyer confirms its own conditions and permits.
Not advisable. Remove the pack, isolate damaged cells, label and register it, and hand it to a permitted unit with the charger accounted for.
Verifiable ones: widths, volumes, voltage, power, airflow, vacuum, filtration, pressure, flow, noise, plus explosion protection and ingress rating.
Three: unboxing, no-load test and load test. Each needs its own record, or later disputes become a matter of memory.
After the new unit passes the load test. Too early leaves a cleaning gap; too late blocks aisles and storage.
