Already in Fort McMurray and coming soon to Grande Prairie, the Toaster fever is spreading.

“Come in and see the Toaster at these great stores or call them to set up a ground thaw demonstration,” urges Dale Befus of Serious Thermal Products Ltd. ”There’s still a lot of frozen ground between here and spring thaw.”

The CSA-approved heaters are fueled by clean-burning propane and run off standard 110-volt electricity provided by either generators or permanent power. Since the units don’t produce an open flame, they can also be used near buildings and utility pedestals.

The patented infrared technology of the Serious Toaster involves using targeted reflectors to direct heat into the ground with high efficiency—the Toaster thaws ground at least twice as fast as what can normally be accomplished.

To see the Toaster™ at work in Grande Prairie the week of February 18th, 2013 call The Cat Rental Store for time and location (780) 513-1245.

Contact any of The Cat Rental Store locations for more information about putting a Toaster to work for you.

FOR RENTALS IN CANADA:

CAMERON EQUIPMENT RENTALS
5 – 285145 Wrangler Way SE Calgary AB
www.cameronequipment.ca
Phone: 403-476-1380

4 – WAY EQUIPMENT RENTALS
8430 – 24 Street Edmonton AB
www.4-way.com
780-464-4929

FOR SALES IN CANADA:

FOR SALES INFORMATION IN ONTARIO, MANITOBA, SASKATCHEWAN AND BC
CALL CAVALIER INDUSTRIES AT 888-483-4843

FOR SALES IN U.S.:

FOR SALES INFORMATION IN ALASKA, OREGON, WASHINGTON, IDAHO AND MONTANA
CONTACT DIRECT SALES LLC BY PHONE AT 503-925-0304 OR EMAIL

FOR SALES INFORMATION IN ILLINOIS, INDIANA AND WISCONSIN
CONTACT CAM ASSOCIATES AT 815-485-5700 OR EMAIL

CALL 403-671-7393 or EMAIL Serious Thermal Products Ltd. FOR PRODUCT, DEMONSTRATION, OR PURCHASE INFORMATION and to find out more about putting Toaster™ infrared ground thawing equipment to work for you.

EDMONTON, Alberta — There’s an old saying that if you want something done right, you should do it yourself. It’s a terrific thought for anyone with unlimited time and talents, but in reality, we live in a world where it’s often more prudent to tap into people and resources that are better positioned to take on a given task.

When it comes to energy and telecommunications line distribution across Canada, Valard Powerline Contractor has proven — over almost 35 years — to be a go-to resource for public and private electric utilities, municipalities, cooperatives, independent power producers, mining operations and oil and gas companies. Based in Edmonton, Alberta, Valard has more 1,200 trades-related employees specializing in everything from engineering and construction to testing and maintenance.

Janssen “Red” Curtis is a 25-year industry veteran who has spent the last 12 years as a supervisor for maintenance and construction with Valard. Curtis’s main responsibility is civil construction and maintenance for Enmax, the city electric utility for Calgary, Alberta. It’s a task that sounds straightforward for a crew with the appropriate expertise, but it does have an added wrinkle when winter arrives and underground jobs suddenly involve digging through frozen ground in order to service existing utilities.

“Back in the day, ground thawing was done by burning coal and straw under barrels,” said Curtis, referring to a practice that went by the wayside as environmental and safety regulations were enacted. “Then we went to a tube and hose system with a glycol tarp. And we’ve also done hydrovacing in instances where we didn’t have time to thaw the ground.”

Last winter, Curtis was approached about a new ground thawing solution ideally suited for trench thawing, the Toaster™ infrared ground thawing equipment manufactured by Serious Thermal Products. The CSA-approved heaters are fueled by clean-burning propane and run off standard 110-volt electricity provided by either generators or permanent power. The Toaster’s patented infrared technology uses targeted reflectors to direct heat into the ground with high efficiency, wasting very little energy in the process.

Curtis was somewhat skeptical at first, but decided to give the Toaster a trial run on a rental basis through Cameron Equipment Rentals. “They told me the ground would thaw at a rate of about one inch per hour,” said Curtis. “I just shook my head and said alright, let’s go give it a try. And sure enough, it did what they said it would do. I was actually blown away by the speed of the Toaster.”

According to Curtis, the Serious Toaster thaws at least twice as fast as conventional methods. Having been sold on the performance of the product, Valard wound up renting the heaters for six different projects over the remaining winter months of 2012.

A typical hot dig for Curtis and his crew to cross existing utilities involves digging a trench approximately 15 meters, or 50 feet, in length. Individual Toaster units measure 10-feet-long by 2-feet-wide, so multiple units can be lined up to cover the total distance needed for a project. Valard will also occasionally have units placed side by side to expand the trench width to four feet if a bigger hole is required.

While heating performance was certainly a major factor in Valard’s decision to use the Toaster, environmental and safety considerations came into play as well. Since the units don’t produce an open flame, there’s no concern about damaging anything in the ground, and they can also be used near buildings and utility pedestals.

“It’s got 100-percent protection against blowouts and fires,” said Curtis. “We love that there’s no direct contact with underground gas or power lines. Most of the time those lines are buried at least a meter deep, but sometimes they’re only a foot deep — so it’s good to know that there’s no threat of an existing utility getting burnt up.”

The client Curtis is serving most often, Enmax, has also taken notice of the Toaster and the advantages it provides. Looking at both the speed of a ground thaw and the inherent safety benefits of the product, Enmax is considering writing the Toaster into their job procedures for winter work.

According to Tony Canevaro at Cameron Equipment Rentals, Enmax isn’t alone. “The safety officers of the companies we do work for are big proponents of Toaster equipment and how thorough of a thaw it provides,” said Canevaro. “By thawing the entire dig, they know the odds of an accident are greatly diminished.”

Though Curtis won’t call it an inexpensive solution, he says that the cost-effectiveness afforded by the Toaster is comparable to other options. And he acknowledges one past instance where it certainly would have been nice to have Toaster units available.

“I had one job where we were in a time crunch and we opted to hydrovac the entire thing,” said Curtis. “It took five or six days to hydrovac and it probably cost about $80,000, where with the Toaster I’m sure it could have been done for $20,000 or $30,000. On top of that, between three days of thawing and one day of digging, we could have gotten it done a day or two faster.”

Another challenge Valard would encounter with previous heating methods was having to expose utility lines by hand digging in ground that wasn’t entirely thawed. “Now it’s just like digging in the summer,” Curtis said about the ground conditions when thawing with the Toaster. “It’s kind of nice to go out there in the middle of January and do some old-fashioned hand digging. You show up, your boots are warm, and it’s just easy, comfortable digging.”

Curtis also pointed out that the overall setup and use of Toaster units is easy. The infrared heating technology doesn’t require snow and ice to be cleared from the ground before getting started. The units are simply put in position, and then connected to propane tanks and a power source.

It is worth noting, however, that Curtis is basing his ease-of-use opinion primarily on observation. Aside from occasionally moving units and monitoring fuel levels during the overnight hours, Valard hires Cameron Equipment Rentals not just for Toaster units, but for the manpower to handle all jobsite setup and operation, including supplying the diesel generators and propane that power the equipment.

“We’re more focused on our main objective,” said Curtis. “I’ve got enough tools and equipment around already, so we’re content to rent instead of purchase. We prefer to roll in on a project ready to go with frost-free conditions. It’s worth it for me to have the thawing portion of the job taken off our hands and turned over to people who specialize in the heating process.”

As Valard enters its second winter of utilizing the new heating solution, it’s obvious that Curtis takes a more relaxed view of the old “do it yourself” axiom. Sure, there’s nobody ahead of himself he’d rather have handling his primary responsibilities, but when it comes to transforming a frozen jobsite into a worry-free digging experience, Curtis is happy to outsource the work — and share his trust with equipment that’s clearly getting the job done right.

When operating an equipment rental company in Canada, by definition you had better have a good handle on the concept of heat. That is, if you have any intention of staying in business through the winter months.

Based in Calgary, Cameron Equipment Rentals technically is a new company in the Alberta construction scene — opening in August 2011 — but it’s owned and operated by an experienced team of rental industry professionals. The diverse expertise of the company is reflected in its multi-faceted product offering, with various groups focused on providing anything from generators and tanks, to remote site equipment and camps, to heavy equipment staples like bulldozers and excavators.

And because the Cameron team knows exactly what kind of weather-related challenges a typical winter can present to construction and utility firms, the company also has a group that is primarily dedicated to supplying a wide range of heating equipment.

“The group I oversee is mainly focused on temporary heating and construction heat,” said Tony Canevaro, director of service and marketing for Cameron Equipment. “Providing heating solutions makes up about 75-percent of our division’s business. So we’re familiar with all types of equipment in that arena, and we’re always looking for the ideal piece of equipment for what a particular customer needs.”

With so many different sizes and types of job applications that require heat, Cameron understands that settling for a one-product-fits-all approach isn’t practical. A high value is placed on delivering the right solution to meet the needs of a given niche, so customers can get the job done as efficiently as possible.

A common heating application during Alberta winters is ground thawing over existing utility lines that require service. Traditionally, the most efficient way to tackle this task actually didn’t involve a piece of equipment at all, but rather required the burning of coal underneath beds of straw — a practice that was outlawed several years ago due to environmental and safety concerns. Fortunately for Canevaro and his team, Cameron had become aware of a new infrared heater ideally suited for trench thawing, so the company found itself well prepared for its first winter.

“This is the best tool I’ve ever found for thawing ground in this specific application,” said Canevaro of the new heating solution — Toaster™ infrared ground thawing equipment manufactured by Serious Thermal Products. Individual Toaster units measure 10-feet-long by 2-feet-wide, and multiple units can be lined up in a series to accommodate the length of a given project.

The CSA-approved heaters are fueled by clean-burning propane and run off standard 110-volt electricity provided by either generators or permanent power. Since the units don’t produce an open flame, they can also be used near buildings and utility pedestals. With a safe, efficient, environmentally friendly solution in hand, Cameron wasted little time in beefing up its fleet to a total of 27 Toaster units.

“Our typical trench thawing job is about 50 feet in length and requires five Toaster units,” said Canevaro. “But the biggest job we did last winter was for a 200-meter trench. We had to set up all 27 units, and then leap-frog all of them to begin thawing a new section while trenching began on the first 270-foot section we had heated.”

The patented infrared technology of the Serious Toaster involves using targeted reflectors to direct heat into the ground with high efficiency, losing minimal energy in the process. According to Canevaro, the Toaster thaws ground at least twice as fast as what can normally be accomplished in the industry.

“On average we’re able to thaw about four feet of frozen ground in about two days using the Toaster, compared to about a foot a day previously,” said Canevaro. “There are so many variables that can impact the thaw rate — compaction of the ground, moisture content, soil substrate — and we were too busy to do thorough testing the first year. But we know the ground was thawed at least that deep every time.”

Cameron’s crews have seen the Toaster equipment at work more than a typical rental center would, because in many cases the company doesn’t just simply rent out equipment. They actually handle the jobsite setup and even supply operators for many different situations, from running heavy equipment to 24-hour heater watch.

“When we thaw ground, we’re often asked by our clients to just come out and thaw it,” said Canevaro. “That means we do basically everything. We supply the power, the diesel for generators, the propane, the tarps, the Toasters themselves, and then the manpower. Rather than structuring it like a rental rate, we estimate a cost based on thawing a certain amount of frost over the whole job. In many cases we’re essentially acting as a subcontractor. Offering turnkey solutions is our primary differentiator in the marketplace.”

The arrangement Cameron has with its customers in these circumstances fits within the typical mold for utility work in Alberta. Most utility companies don’t handle their own trenching work, instead opting to subcontract that portion of a job to excavating companies. Often it is these subcontractors that Cameron works with directly to rent Toaster equipment. That being said, the utilities themselves are not only aware of the new heating solution, but are actively pushing for its use on their jobs.

“The safety officers of the companies we do work for are big proponents of Toaster equipment and how thorough of a thaw it provides,” said Canevaro. “The biggest problem with digging in frozen ground is the possibility of rupturing a gas line or hitting an electrical or telephone line, simply by having an excavator unexpectedly slip off a frozen rock or something like that. Even when hydrovacing a hole through the frost to see exactly where the services are below, there was a risk of damage with the ripper digging down. By thawing the entire dig, the safety officers know the odds of an accident are greatly diminished.”

Jobsite logistics with the Toaster equipment are relatively straightforward in most instances. Unlike traditional methods, there’s no need to clear snow and ice from the surface before getting started. Cameron’s crews are usually able to simply drive a truck along the area to be thawed and use a picker to set the units in place.

For areas that present access issues, the 345-pound units can still manageably be carried or rolled into place with carts. Once in position, the heaters are connected to propane tanks by certified technicians, and then hooked to an available permanent power source or to small generators.

“The Toasters don’t require much electrical power, so small generators do the job,” said Canevaro. “A traditional generator runs for about eight hours, so at first we would have to re-visit the jobsite at night to top off the generators. Since then we’ve developed some fuel tanks that provide a standby diesel supply to extend the run times on the small generators. Even then, we’ll still come by to monitor the propane levels in the tanks to ensure everything looks good. From there it’s really about just moving the equipment.”

Though the most common application for Toaster equipment is trench thawing in one straight line, Cameron has encountered a couple instances where customers required a four-foot section of frozen ground to be thawed, which simply dictated placing two units side by side. “It’s nice to have the flexibility to make easy adjustments like that,” said Canevaro, “But it’s still that long, trench thawing situation where the heaters really shine.”

Cameron is working hard to corner the regional market on this highly productive tool. “I believe there are some units in a fleet in Edmonton, but essentially we’re the sole rental provider of Toaster equipment in the province right now,” said Canevaro. “That caters well to our business model of supplying a higher level of customer service.” Thus, as Cameron Equipment Rentals braces for its second winter, one expectation is practically a certainty — business will be hot.

To request more information about Toaster™ infrared ground thawing equipment and the Complete Heat system click here.

“The infrared units provided a safe, quiet heat source, allowing Dunwald to place the heaters against buildings and fences, and let them operate overnight without close supervision.”

“Not only did the infrared heat system increase Dunwald’s productivity, but it also helped his crew work safely next to the existing utility lines.”

Dunwald & Fleming Enterprises Ltd of Calgary Alberta, uses Toaster™ equipment, and has this to say about the product:

“We have been installing gas lines for over 30 years, and this is the best piece of equipment we have found to thaw ground. It thaws fast, flexible, and an easy set-up for the guys. With the added bonus of no complaints about open fires, smoke or fumes like we used to get from burning coal.”

The Toaster™ unit was designed to be flexible and easy to set up.  Place the units end to end for trenching, side by side for connections, right next to buildings, utility pedestals, power poles or other obstacles.

The system includes:
Trailer – capable of hauling up to 8 Toaster™ units (80 feet of trench or 160sq ft)
Generator – supplies 15Amp Inverted power to multiple units, run time 12 hours per fill
Propane Tank – 250 pound tank-mounted and heated
Regulator – for up to 8 units
Propane Hoses
Power cords
Manifold
Locking tool boxes
Loading/unloading system

Now Seriously –

A Toaster™ unit can thaw ground at measured rates of one-and-one-half inches per hour in live tests, so you can quickly thaw an area for quick trouble free interments, this eliminates the need to haul away frozen ground and bury material.

Economical to run. (1 pound propane per hour @ 75,000 Btu).  Has a sleek clean look.