Tag Archives: Winter

Protect your heavy equipment during winter

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS

Winter has often caused enormous problems for heavy equipment owners. Construction companies have at times suffered huge losses as they were unable to get the machine to operate. This is therefore very crucial to protect your heavy equipment during this time of the year when there is heavy snow on the road and the weather out is absolutely chilled. One of the prime reasons why heavy equipment fail to work during winters is lack of maintenance. You have to make it a point to service the heavy equipment regularly or else it is bound to give problems at some point or the other and winters can be really vulnerable.

Heavy equipment like graders that are used to get snow off the road should be really well maintained. Right from the engine to its blades every part of the heavy equipment plays an important role in removing snow. Just before winter arrives, you should do some tests with the machine and check if everything is in order. If it gives slightest of indication of any issues, you should get it resolved from a mechanic. If at all you have the skill to fix heavy equipment reading the user manual you can try that out as well.

Read user manual to protect heavy equipment during winter:-

The user manual of particular heavy equipment is quite a crucial book and one should always keep it handy. It speaks in volumes about the way and methods that one can adopt to keep the machine active and running during any weather of the year. So just before the onset of winter the heavy equipment owner should check the manual and see what care has been advised by the book. Try to follow the user guide as much as you can. It will really help you to lengthen the overall life of the machine and also protect it during winter.

Keep your heavy equipment parts well lubricated:-

Start with the engine oil and end to the various crucial parts of the heavy equipment which require oil to stay lubricated. The oil that you use for the engine should match the outside temperature and try to use low viscosity oil that flows faster. Changing engine oil is most crucial and probably the most neglected part in this business. People have to compensate it with changing the engine or other vital parts which are damn expensive. Coolant is another thing that you must apply on the machine. Try to keep a mixture of 70% coolant and 30% water during the winters and in other seasons, it should be 50:50. Also you must ensure that the radiator is filled to the cap. This should be done before the start of the winter.

Apply tire chains so that it does not skid:-

While the heavy equipment is busy removing snow, there is a high possibility that it skids off from the road and hit the other lane. This could be dangerous and therefore applying tire chains is of utter importance. It will protect the tires from skidding and will ensure the safety of the operator and the machine.

Buy Now on eBay [ebayfeedsforwordpress feed=”” items=”5″]

 

How to protect heavy equipment during winter

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS

Heavy equipment has to go through a lot of hardships and unlike humans it does not complain. Well, it does break down when it is unable to take any further but it has a very high level of endurance which makes it the most important component of the construction industry. However, it also becomes futile in front of extreme weather and rough terrain. Be it the hot summer or the wet monsoon or the harsh winter, it is expected to perform throughout the year but there is always a chance of it breaking down if the weather becomes extreme. More so in the winter, when the weather outside is frozen and the inside of the machine needs to be hot. Most of the times, it cranks up and does not start. It is therefore that the heavy equipment owners have to take extra care when it comes to their heavy equipment operating in chilled winter season.

Check if the engine is well lubricated:-

Most of the parts of the machine need to be well lubricated in order to function without any hick-ups. Hence, the operator needs to keep a very close watch and check time to time if the machine is well lubricated and special care needs to be taken with the engine of the machine. The engine oil should be changed on a regular basis and especially during winters, it should be changed once in a month. Due to the frozen climate outside, the oil becomes thick and it does not act as a good lubricator then. This may also affect the health of other parts of the machine which will eventually lead to complete replacement of that part. It absolutely makes no sense to invest money on buying new parts when you can easily change the engine oil at regular intervals.

Clean the fuel tank:-

Cleaning the fuel tank may sound to be trivial but is very crucial when it comes to the overall health of the heavy equipment. You need to clean the fuel tank cap and ensure that the cap is doing well. The fuel should be clean and should not contain any sediment or water. The presence of these components can become a big problem pertaining to fuel injection system failures.

Ensure that the batteries are in good health:-

It is perhaps the batteries that are the affected the most with the beginning of the winter. In order to ensure that the batteries are doing well, the operator should check the battery electrolyte and make sure that it is up to the full indicator and also above the plates. Another trivial but important part is to clean the top of the battery. There happens to be a lot of dirt on the top of the stuff and that can result in energy drain. You can make use of baking soda and terminal bush to clean any corrosion that exists around the posts. If you see that the heavy equipment will not be used during the winters and will be needed some other time, you can just remove the batteries and keep them in a storeroom so that it avoids any direct contact with the outside freezing weather.

Related articles across the web

Do not let winter eat away your heavy equipment

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS

Winter is a major cause of concern for both heavy equipment manufacturing companies as well as construction companies. Once it starts snowing, things become very difficult for them to carry on. The ongoing projects come to a standstill and there are high chances that the construction companies may not be able to deliver the work in time and due to this they may incur heavy losses. No business would ever like to make losses just because the weather condition is hostile and it did not allow the men to work. Other than that, the construction companies are also at risk as far as their equipment are concerned. Most of the equipment during winters just do not want to start. So the operators also face a tough time in getting the equipment started. A lot needs to be done to take care of the machine during the winters. Heavy equipment are at their worst during this chill season and if proper care is not taken then there may be lot of complications which will ultimately result in a bigger mess.

Check if the engine oil is in order:-

We tend to remain so busy with our work that we fail to give the required attention to the machines. Changing the engine oil at least once in 2 months should be done without fail. However especially winters, they should be checked more frequently and made sure that the engine oil is in good shape. In case, if the oil becomes thick then it is time to change the oil. Any delay in that situation will only cause problem to the machine reducing its longevity.

Get the equipment serviced by an expert mechanic:-

Just when the winter is knocking the door, it is advisable to get the equipment serviced by an expert mechanic. It would be prudent if you do not get the machine serviced by anybody other than an expert. Just when the winter is at the corner, a lot of things need to be checked in the machine which may often get skipped by a routine mechanic but may hardly skip the eye of an expert.

Painting the machine will be a good alternative:-

If you have an old machine and it needs urgent attention of the mechanic, get it checked first and then get it paint for once. Painting the machine will give a new look to the machine. You can also put some stickers or logos especially in areas where it is slightly dented and has scratch marks on it. Painting the equipment may also protect it from getting rusted during the chilled season. It acts as a good alternative when you are short of money.

Get the faulty parts replaced:-

Just in case if any part of the machine (attachable or not) goes faulty, it should be replaced as soon as possible. Just in case, if it is not replaced in time then severe cold may cause further problem which may become irreparable.

Related articles across the web

Shield Your Heavy Equipment From The Deadly Winter

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS

Winter is welcomed in many parts of our country but in some parts, it is indeed a pain as one has to go through a good deal of trouble to protect themselves from the ferocious weather. It is just not for us that this season comes with pain but also for the construction segment as a whole. Imagine in cities where it snows for most of the time in the year, winters are just deadly. Folks from the construction domain are more worried about their heavy equipment as this season not only dampens their business but also the working capability of their machines. It just takes away the power from the equipment leading to enough complication once the weather changes. This leaves them with a damp business and few rotten machines. Though, the equipment can be fixed, it takes time to get them back on their toes.

What should one do to winterize their equipment?

The owner of the construction equipment needs to follow some very basic principles. The first would be to lubricate the machine before the start of the season. It would be practically impossible to do the lubrication thing once it starts snowing. No one can dare to deal with the machines in such a rough weather. Therefore, it would be prudent to do away with the oiling and maintenance stuff at the very beginning and before you start feeling the cold breeze swaying your cheeks.

Winterizing your equipment begins with checking each point of your machine that you feel should be lubricated. It would be wise if you prepare checkpoints before you begin working with it. The checkpoints will help you identify the various points in the machines that you need to work on. As you keep completing the work, keep ticking the checkpoints. This will ensure that you leave nothing behind and have taken care of everything mentioned on the list.

Get a good mechanic to get this job done

One of the most important steps towards shielding your construction equipment from winter is to get the overall machine checked by a good mechanic. It may not cost you much to hire an experienced mechanic who knows the in and out of the equipment and knows what needs to be done to protect them from winter. If he finds any part of the machine to be faulty, that should be replaced immediately. There are instances where the equipment owner gave the job of winterizing the equipment to the operator and they with their limited knowledge tried doing everything possible to prevent the machine but eventually, it took its toll. The machine weren’t working with the beginning of the next season and the owners were left puzzled. Had they given the work to an expertise, things would have been favourable to them.

Once you are done with the repair job, the next thing is to store the equipment in a cool and dry environment. It should not be exposed to outside climate or else it might develop complications.

Following these steps will ensure a safe winter for your heavy equipment.