Many maintenance and operations budgets work on a simple rule: spend it by year-end or lose it. If your department has funds left, furnace and heater hardware is one of the most practical places to put them.

These parts wear out on a predictable schedule, and replacing them on your terms costs far less than replacing them during an unplanned shutdown.

Refinery turnarounds are scheduled months in advance. Crews are booked, permits are lined up, and the scope is set long before the unit comes down. Furnace hardware often gets ordered last, and that is where schedules slip.