Getting Heavy Equipment Ready for Winter
If you rent or own heavy machinery, then you need to face the reality that winter is heading this way fast and you need to prepare. What happens to machines as temperatures drop? What preventative steps should you be taking before running machines in the winter or storing them until spring? To keep machines running well throughout the colder months, follow the advice of Company Wrench.
Many machine parts can be affected by cold weather. The cold will drain the energy from machine batteries. It can also interfere with the fuel system. If water is present in the fuel system, it can turn to ice and create low fuel pressure. For the general construction, demolition, and scrap industries which operate year-round, this can pose problems.
If you do use heavy machinery in the winter, to keep it up and running in peak condition you should:
- Treat the fuel during extremely cold conditions to avoid fuel gelling,
- Drain the fuel/water separator daily,
- And fill the fuel tank after the shift to prevent moisture from entering the fuel tank.
Other industries, such as agricultural businesses and farms, slow down in the winter and need to store their heavy machinery. There is some simple maintenance you will need to perform before storage time to ensure your machines are ready for spring thaw.
To prepare your machine for spring, you should:
- Treat the fuel system and keep the fuel tank full,
- Disconnect the batteries to remove any unneeded draw from the machine’s onboard controllers or GSP devices,
- Apply grease to any exposed cylinder rods to prevent rust,
- Drain any water or sediment from the bottom of your fuel tank,
- And power wash the machine.
During storage, you should exercise the machine at least once a month to work out any air that could have entered the hydraulic system. This will also charge the batteries.
If you want help prepping your machine for winter usage or winter storage, call Company Wrench. Company Wrench runs a fleet of fully stocked service trucks to help prepare for cold weather operations or storage. Our Service Department can also help if your machines suddenly break down this winter. Call us today!