Experience with heat-treating (Pure Heat) a moving van

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Experience with heat-treating (Pure Heat) a moving van

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Started 3 months ago by Fearful_and_Buggy
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Fearful_and_Buggy

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Posted 3 months ago
Sun Jul 19 2009 23:49:33
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These posts will contain the following information:
First post: Preparation for the treatment - logistics
Second post (to come): Preparation for the treatment - packing
Third post (to come): Day of the treatment
Fourth post (to come): Results (!)

A really important note:

This is a work in progress. It's been less than 48 hours since the treatment ended as of 7/19/2009. We weren't getting many bites at the old place (1 every 2 days or so) and we still need to go to that apartment (with the appropriate clothing changes/showering/shoe cleaning) so we may get bitten in spite of a successful heat treating or may not get bites in the next few days even if it failed. In a few days, we'll have a better idea if this worked or not. My sense is it has, but that's my optimism (ha ha) and my faith in Pure Heat.

Also: disclaimer: this is my experience with Pure Heat. I am not affiliated with them in any way and do not endorse them, represent them, etc. beyond my position as a consumer. Do your own research and decide what's right for you. This is not a how-to or a replacement for an inspection and discussion with a licensed PCO.

Okay, done with the notes and disclaimers. On to the useful stuff (next formal post).
Fearful_and_Buggy

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Posted 3 months ago
Mon Jul 20 2009 0:39:38
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Thermal Heat Treatment in a Moving Truck: Logistics

This post covers the logistics of a moving truck thermal. This is not "how do I pack". This is more "how do I even get this done." It will include some fees. I am in Boston right now, so your mileage may vary, but I am betting there will be some similarities. This post will include:
1) Thermal reasoning
2) Finding a PCO who does thermal treatment
3) Various permits you might need
4) Tips for choosing a truck
5) Cost calculation

1. Thermal Truck Reasoning
We chose to go with a moving truck treatment for several reasons. One big reason was my suspicion that the bugs had been brought into the apartment building by another tenant. If that were the case, cleaning the items would have no effect if we picked up the bugs while moving out. We also decided to move, so it seemed like an opportune time to get the the treatment. Finally, we'd have to clear the treatment with the LL and that seemed unlikely given the situation.

It is generally recommended to have your stuff treated in situ because, among other things, you can control the heat a little better and you don't have to move. Discuss this with your PCO.

2) Finding someone who does thermal treatment
As far as I know, ThermaPure is the only company who officially sponsors heat treatment. Their website maintains a list of ThermaPure providers by location.

You might notice that Pure Heat is the only licensed provider in MA. That is correct. In fact, they're the only ones in the whole New England area. Raymond, the technician we worked with, said they'd been ridiculously busy. This might be the time for all of us to open up a western branch to pick up cases they can't get to. *grin*

Ken (from Pure Heat) and I communicated via phone and email. We had to discuss things such as whether I'd drive out to them (Cape Cod) for treatment or whether they'd come down to Boston. I decided to have them come down because the 2 hour round trip journey from Boston to the Cape was a lot of driving on top of a lot of packing and moving. Plus, the Cape traffic in the summer is zomgbad.

Traveling to me impacted the price quite a bit. I estimate it would have cost at least 100 dollars less to treat the truck at their location. That said, the mileage on the rental truck to and from the Cape would have matched that in cost (~.25 dollars a mile x 100 miles x gas = lots). Plus, the lost time traveling, the inconvenience, etc.

So, location is something you should definitely consider when determining whether you should treat in front of your house/apartment or at your PCO's location.

3) Various permits you might need for thermal treatment
If your moving van is being treated at your house/apartment/other nearby location, you may need various permits. You might not need these permits if you are being treated at the provider's location. Also, your provider might be able to handle the permitting as part of your contract. ASK YOUR PROVIDER. You don't want to have the Fire Department showing up and stopping your treatment.

Propane License: Pure Heat used a tank of propane to power the heater. In order to use propane in the state of MA, you need a permit from the local Fire Department for propane. This is no small task and varies widely from town to town. Ask your local FD if it is needed. I offered to get the permit for Pure Heat since I'm in the area. Ken adjusted the price as appropriate.

In the city of Boston, I went to the Special Hazards Unit of the Boston Fire Department to get an application. For the application, I needed the specs on the heater, a description of what was being done, a filled-out application including my name, address, Pure Heat's name and address, etc. Since I was doing my treatment on the street, a public place, I did not need permission from my LL. If your treatment is being done at your apartment, house, etc. you will need permission from the building/land owner.

The permit can take up to 5 days to be prepared. In my case, it took 3. The lieutenant there was quite skeptical about the use of propane on a public street; the secretary was downright rude and dismissive about the propane's use. The lieutenant talked it over with his colleagues at the station and they thought it was an okay idea. However, they wanted to contact the local commissioner of my district as a "professional courtesy". That took a few days.

Total cost: 85 dollars for the permit

Be warned: Not all cities will allow this propane permit! Boston seems to be okay with the propane use. In a nearby city, Somerville, apparently Pure Heat would have needed a full fire detail (~400 dollars) on site as well. Apparently, Cambridge (home of Harvard!) won't allow the propane version at all. In this case, Pure Heat uses electric heaters.

Parking Permits: If your moving truck is on private property that allows parking for non-residents, this is a non-issue. However, in major cities and other areas, you may need a permit for parking.

In Boston and other cities, you can contact the Department of Public Works to get a temporary parking/construction permit. This permit will "reserve" an amount of space under your name on a certain date and time. People who park in that space can get towed, though it may take a while. This is definitely worth the money, though. No worries about whether the truck can get in or if you'll be in the middle of the street.

I reserved two parking spaces: one for the moving truck and one for the heater. That cost $68 dollars for the spots themselves and the signs. (Note that in Boston, you have to get a sureity bond in order to reserve these spaces if you're not part of a moving company. That cost me 100 dollars, cash).

Total Cost: 168 dollars for bond + spots

4) Tips for Choosing a Truck
In short: get a bigger truck for a longer period of time than you otherwise would.

Don't use the apartment size guidelines that Penske/U-Haul/Budget gives you. Why? Remember that thermal treatment relies on air flow. Normally, you can pack a truck from ceiling to floor and be on your way. With thermal, you want space between the items and along the top so air can circulate. You also want enough room for the techs to walk through your items to put probes and check for cool spots.

We had a 1-bedroom apartment that had a bedroom, bathroom, kitchen (we didn't take fridge/stove), living room, and small study. We thought a 16' truck would be enough. It wasn't. A 1-bedroom apartment really deserves a 20' truck to get all the furniture cooked. In order to fit what we wanted in the truck, we needed to toss some bookshelves, our desks, miscellaneous small shelves, two end tables, an ancient TV, and a futon to name the biggest pieces. If you don't have much stuff, this won't be a problem.

Also remember that your move will be different from normal due to the bugs. Usually, I can bring a few trip's worth of clothes, utensils, and other small items to the new apartment in my car. Not with bugs. The only things in the car were clean-ish items that I could bake in the sun for extra insurance. In other words, you'll have more crap in your truck than normal.

Your move will take longer than normal, so rent the truck for longer. Remember: Thermal takes at least 4 hours to cook all your stuff. If you can pack the truck one day and then cook it on the next day, your life will be easier.

As a side note: you're driving a truck. You may not be able to take your normal routes home or this might happen. Yes, Storrow Drive is right near Boston.

5) Cost Calculation
For the non-Pure Heat parts of the treatment, the costs were:
85 - propane permit
68 - parking permit
100 - bond for parking permit
119.98 - Rental truck for 48 hours (Friday to Sunday)
~20.00 - gas for truck
________________
392.98 in logistics

I hope this has been helpful so far. More to come.
spideyjg

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Posted 3 months ago
Mon Jul 20 2009 1:05:21
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Looking forward to the rest. Thanks for the tale of the experience.

Jim
Monica120

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Posted 3 months ago
Mon Jul 20 2009 19:32:39
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This is really valuable!
Fearful_and_Buggy

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Posted 3 months ago
Sun Jul 26 2009 15:56:04
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Thermal Treatment in a Moving Truck: Preparation for the Treatment - Packing

As of today, 7/26/2009, I have had two suspected bites. One might be mosquito and one might be from the old apartment, since I went in there yesterday to clean it. There have been no bugs visible, no casings, etc. Just FYI.

The next important part of your move will be packing up all your stuff in a way that is acceptable and helpful to the thermal treatment. Here are the things we found most helpful. This post will include:

1) Deciding what to put in the truck
2) Preparing your boxes to move
3) Things that might be destroyed or damaged
4) Things to double-check pre-truck

1. Deciding What to Put in the Truck

In theory, almost everything in your house or apartment can go into the moving truck for cleaning. Your PCO will give you a list of things that should be excluded.

Before I get into that in point 3, I want to tell you about higher-risk items that did survive the treatment. Note that these might not be covered by the warranty, so these items are at your own decision.

Remember that the PCO can monitor the temperature of areas in the truck. Let your operator know where the more sensitive items are located. He/she can put probes there to keep the temperature on the lower side of effective, e.g. 150 degrees instead of 175.
- Computer monitors - We had two flatscreen monitors that came through just fine.
- Computer towers - Remember that the components have been soldered at very high temperatures. If you're worried though, back them up.
- Computer peripherals (mostly) - The housing on my already-damaged keyboard warped more, but the mice and intact peripherals for the other computer made it through.
- General electronics - The speakers, printer, turtle tank filter, blender, etc. all work just fine.
- Cords - We only lost 1 power strip of about 10. The extension cords are fine.
- CDs and DVDs - They play fine.
- VCR Tapes (maybe) - They look fine, but might have been damaged. We don't have a TV ATM, so we can't tell
- Delicate items - Glass candlesticks, a glass mezzuzah, a ceramic mezzuzah, and other precious things were not melted, though a goblet broke. :(
- Books and papers - Everything looks fine.
- Rubber tubing - I have a filter for a turtle tank and it came out fine.
As I said, you'll get a full list of things to put in. Ask the PCO. See point 3 for things that didn't survive.

If you underestimate the size of your truck, you may need to accept that some items will be thrown out. We didn't include 2 bookcases, 2 desks, a rug, and a futon, as well as a bunch of knickknacks, clothing, pictures, etc. The best way around this is to aim for a larger truck. The extra size will cost less than the new furniture. On the other hand, this is a great excuse to replace old things. I got a new, less-falling-apart, desk!

2. Preparing Your Boxes to Move

The general rule is looser is better. Thermal treatment works through circulating hot air. Air needs to be able to flow through your items. If air can't circulate freely, there will be cold spots to which bugs could escape. Bad news!

Take your looser packing into account when you rent your truck. Some tips now:
- Pack loosely, especially cloth products - Don't cram lots of clothing into a single box or bag. Don't put cloth items around non-cloth items to fill space. Too tightly packed means less air flow.
- Use cardboard boxes - The reason is that cardboard is porous and the heat will pass through more easily. Yes, bugs love wood-based products. However, the boxes are being toasted, so who cares?
- Take the lids off your rubber tubs - Although you have loved and adored these tubs throughout your infestation, the heat will not permeate the tub as well as the boxes. Taking the top off will help this problem.
- Remove your sealed clothing from the bags - I know, it made me cry too. However...remember that you put your clothes into the bags fresh out of the drier. I've experienced on many occasions that sensation of fresh, warm drier clothes coming out of a zippy bag I sealed over a week before! That means heat will not get through those bags. You need them open at the very least.
- Don't pack into garbage bags, if at all possible - Again, heat will not permeate garbage bags very well.
- Take drawers out of desks and open doors - Yet again, the name of the game is airflow. More sealed places are bad for your airflow.
3. Things that Might be Destroyed or Damaged

Most things are designed to exist at around room temperature. At 175 degrees or above, some things are going to bite the dust. Here's a small list of things we definitely lost in the move and then a list of things that you should get out of the truck.

Note: This list isn't necessarily complete. We've not fully unpacked and we might find more.
- One drawer on a dresser cracked.
- The cardboard backing and flooring on a few drawers warped. They had been dampened with pesticides before, however.
- Cheaper wood furniture warped. Mostly press-board and cardboard. Harder wood did not.
- An unfinished bookcase leaked sap.
- One power strip was impressively warped.
- A goblet and two pictures shattered. This is a truck packing issue and not a heat issue.
Some things that definitely should not go in will include:
- Anything flammable, combustible, or under pressure - Hairspray, fire extinguishers, rubbing alcohol, batteries, lighters. This should be obvious.
- Food - 175 degrees is just not good for most food in cans, bottles, the freezer, etc. Chocolate will melt, fresh fruit will desiccate, and cans could explode. Dry food, such as pasta, will probably be okay.
- Fine or antique items - The glue or paint on such items might dissolve. In our case, untreated wood bookshelves did leak sap.
- Anything that involves a melted, and then dried, adhesive - The fish tank uses silicone, so it didn't go. Anything held together by hot glue guns. Even the adhesive used to hold together some furniture.
- Candles and anything petroleum based - They will warp and melt. Trust me. This includes makeup and perfume.
- Medications - The chemicals therein will denature, causing them lose their efficacy.
- Flimsy plastic - The plastic could melt and/or warp.
You'll get a list. Check with your PCO.

4.Things to Double Check Pre-Truck
These are just things we had to deal with before the heating started that I didn't think of before I loaded the truck.
- Remove ink from the printer.
- Remove batteries from your phones, alarm clocks, remote controls, and flashlights. Anything that is not obviously battery powered.
- Remove mothballs. They'll probably melt.
- Go through your "junk drawer" box to get rid of any remaining flammable things.
- Scrape or oven off wax from tables and candle holders. This will melt into a mess on the floor.
- If you used petroleum jelly on your bed frame, wipe that off very well.
- Check for alcohol-based products still in your items.
- Turn off anything in the truck that could be on, but removing the batteries should fix that.
The next installment, coming Soon(tm), will be what to do on the day of the move.
spideyjg

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Posted 3 months ago
Sun Jul 26 2009 16:12:37
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My opinion is that clothes that were dried to temps of 150+ and instantly bagged can be considered BB free and don't need to take up space in the truck.

Great followup and looking forward to the next installment.

Jim
Nobugsonme

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Posted 3 months ago
Sun Jul 26 2009 18:54:45
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This is wonderful! Thanks!!!
Fearful_and_Buggy

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Posted 3 months ago
Sun Jul 26 2009 22:18:21
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spideyjg - 6 hours ago »
My opinion is that clothes that were dried to temps of 150+ and instantly bagged can be considered BB free and don't need to take up space in the truck.
Great followup and looking forward to the next installment.
Jim

I agree, but I'm telling people what to do so they stick within the letter of the law. If the company suspects that new bites were brought in by cross-contamination, ie you brought things into the new apartment from the old and didn't put them through the truck, you may void your warranty.

We did something similar with our sealed clothing, cleansed tubs of poison, etc. But that might have been our doom, since I'm petrified I have a new bite.
spideyjg

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Posted 3 months ago
Sun Jul 26 2009 22:41:54
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Well if the provider insists on certain terms for warranty then certainly they take precedence.

Jim
InsaneInTheMembrane

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Posted 3 months ago
Mon Jul 27 2009 21:33:20
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Hi, I've been reading up on this site ever since I realized I moved into an infested apartment building two months ago and starting seeing them in my own unit.

I'd like to add that I will also be using a thermal treatment on a moving truck this coming weekend (the treatment will take place on Friday). Fearful_and_Buggy gave an amazing synopsis of the process of getting ready for this particular treatment. I'm located in Chicago, IL and I'll be using Gold Seal Pest Control, which so far has proved to be a good experience. Also, I did rent a 24' truck for my one bedroom apartment (erring on the side of overestimating).

After months of literally losing my mind, going to psychotherapy, and crying night/day, I'm hopeful for the success of the moving truck heat treatment. After all is said and done, I'd like to post the results here alongside Fearful_and_Buggy's to encourage anybody currently dealing with bed bugs! (of course, that's assuming the results are good)
InsaneInTheMembrane

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Posted 3 months ago
Mon Jul 27 2009 21:38:52
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Oops, I also wanted to post this checklist (sort of redundant in light of Fearful_and_Buggy's post). It's in PDF form from the ThermaPureHeat website. It's a nice, concise checklist to have on-hand if you're preparing for heat treatment.

http://www.thermapure.com/pdf/HeatSensitiveItems.pdf
Fearful_and_Buggy

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Posted 2 months ago
Mon Aug 17 2009 4:59:46
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A brief update before I bring in the larger one (with pictures!) in the next few days:

After a harrowing week in which I was convinced we'd gotten reinfected, we had Badger the bed bug dog come down with Mike from the Cape. He certified us bug free. We're still not living totally normal yet, but this is a good sign that the heat treatment worked.