Your truck mount carpet cleaning machine is the most important piece of equipment in your carpet cleaning van. Without it, carpets won’t get cleaned, customers won’t get satisfied and money won’t be made. It’s a simple equation. So it stands to reason that maintaining your truck mount should be of primary importance each and every day.
Truck mount repairs are costly and that’s not even counting for lost business. Like any large, stand-alone machine, a little preventive maintenance will go a long way towards keeping your equipment humming along and avoiding any nasty surprises. Let’s take a look at some of the things you can do to keep your truck mount in tip-top shape.
Read the Owners Manual
It is amazing how many operators don’t know the simplest things about their truck mounts. The single most important thing you can do is read the owners manual and keep it handy. Familiarize yourself with your machine so you understand how it works, learn where all the important parts are located and what kind of scheduled maintenance is recommended by the manufacturer. This step alone can save you thousands of dollars and untold hours of grief. Knowing your machine allows you to perform simple tasks and much routine maintenance by yourself. You’ll be saving your repair budget money for the big stuff that can only be done at a dealer or maintenance shop.
Keep a Maintenance Log
Keeping a log of all scheduled and performed repairs helps you stay on top of your maintenance plan. It’s too easy to forget or skip routine maintenance among all the other demands your business places on you. List all repairs and routine maintenance so you can be assured you are servicing your machine at the recommended intervals. This log should also include service for your carpet cleaning van as well. It’s a good way to establish a reliable maintenance schedule and communicate it to your employees so everyone sticks to it.
Do a General Inspection Each Morning
Perform a visual inspection of your truck mount every day when you first start it up. Check for loose fittings, oil leaks or other visual clues that something is not right. Listen to the engine. You’ll get used to hearing when it sounds right so pay close attention if something begins to sound different. This can often be an indication that a problem is developing and give you a chance to fix it before it turns into something worse.
Perform Routine Maintenance as Scheduled
As I mentioned before, it’s easy to skip routine maintenance in the hustle and bustle of running a business. It’s especially easy when things are going well and business is booming. Who has got time for maintenance when customers are waiting? Don’t fall into that trap! Perform your routine maintenance as scheduled according to your plan. This should include things like checking your filters and cleaning the ones that need daily cleaning. Inspect and replace your oil, fuel and air filters according to your user manual. Clogged filters are one of the most common causes of performance problems. Also, check the battery to insure you can get started every morning.
Finally, don’t forget to inspect your hoses and cleaning wands. Look to replace shabby looking or chafed hoses and look for holes in your vacuum hoses. Check the fittings on the wand to insure everything is tight and in proper working order. You don’t want a $20,000 machine running at half efficiency because a simple hose or connection was loose.
Keep Your Van Clean and Uncluttered
On a hot day, carpet cleaning van interiors can be 20-30 degrees warmer than the surrounding air and potentially cause the truck mount engine to overheat. Keeping it free of clutter helps improve the van’s air flow. You might need to install air vents depending on your setup. It also helps that you have the right size truck mount for your van. If it’s too big, it may not leave enough room for all the other tools and accessories you might need. It may also tend to run hot with limited room for air circulation. Finally, a clean and uncluttered van looks more professional and allows you to show-off your equipment to your customers.
Protect Your Equipment From the Elements
Where you park your van overnight is another important question. Just because your truck mount is inside the van does not mean it’s fully protected from the elements. Being able to garage your van overnight is the preferred solution to protect your truck mount from the cold. Truckmount engines are not as durable as car engines and more susceptible to damage from cold weather. Always anti-freeze your machine if it needs to be left outdoors in freezing temperatures. If you have to leave it overnight at a repair facility, ask how and where it will be stored. Finally, be careful when using heaters to warm your van and equipment overnight as power outages can leave them unprotected until morning.
Just as you can’t expect your van to run at peak performance without regular maintenance, the same applies to your truck mount. You need to be assured that everything is in proper working order every day. Given their critical nature to your business, taking the time to think through and build a maintenance plan is just common sense and good business.
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