Truckmount Maintenance: Make it Routine

Your truckmount is an investment in the future of your business. Proper maintenance should be part of every business’s daily routine and the job of the cleaning or restoration technician who is operating the unit. So, just what are some of the most important truckmount maintenance chores that must be performed?

Check your oil

Without power, the rest of your machine cannot work, so the first recommendation for truckmount maintenance is to do daily engine oil checks and periodic engine and oil filter changes. Air-cooled engines rely on the oil to cool the engine, so generally, it is vital to change the oil and filter every 50 hours and ensure the oil dipstick is at the full mark every day. With a liquid-cooled engine, change the oil and filter every 100 hours. Make sure you follow the oil change intervals recommended by the engine manufacturer of your truckmount.

Clean your filters

A second essential maintenance item is daily maintenance on your recovery tank. Clean out your waste filter basket after every job. Keeping your filter clean will allow for maximum airflow and result in the ultimate vacuum for extraction. Check and clean your blower flat filter and be sure the filter is properly seated in place. This filter protects debris from entering the blower. Observe the condition of the recovery tank lid gasket and repair it if necessary. The lid gasket provides an airtight vacuum seal. Any tears in your lid gasket can cause a vacuum leak and result in poor vacuum performance. That can cause customer complaints about the carpet taking too long to dry.

Then, observe and assess the recovery high-level tank shut-off float. To do that, turn the machine on, then lift the float switch manually and verify that it shuts the machine off. The high-level shut-off float turns the vacuum off to prevent wastewater from sucking through the blower. Lastly, leave the recovery tank lid open when not using the machine. This allows airflow inside the tank, preventing moisture and condensation from wicking into your blower cast iron lobes.

Don’t forget to lubricate

Finally, the third most crucial step is lubricating your vacuum blower at the end of every workday. Lubricating your blower at the end of the day prevents the blower from locking up, which is a costly repair to fix. Load the vacuum on the tank at full throttle and spray lubricant (HydraMaster recommends LPM TKX) for 5 to7 seconds. Let the machine run for 1 to 2 minutes under load after spraying. Remove the load and let cool air displace any moisture for a minute or two.

Make service schedules visible

A list of maintenance chores is easy to find or make. The key is to build them into your regular routine specifically. Ensure anyone operating the truckmount is carefully trained on daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly maintenance/service chores, as well as how to read and follow the maintenance schedule chart. Also, take advantage of any video training that the manufacturer of your truckmount has for maintenance chores. Seeing the necessary actions taken is a fantastic way to train new technicians and even refresh your own knowledge if it has been a while.

We recommend using the maintenance hourly interval service schedule chart for each truckmount (usually located in the machine manual or owner’s guide). The maintenance schedule chart provides a list of maintenance and service items and the hourly interval that each item needs to be performed, so using this chart will keep your machine on schedule for optimum health.

We have always found that the more you make these recommended tasks visible, the more likely technicians will remember to do them. Some companies have operations and maintenance apps you can download to your smartphone or tablet, providing constant access to this information. You can usually also download these charts from the website of the manufacturer of your machine.

Make maintenance a regular part of your schedule. Overlooking periodic maintenance chores because you are too busy will lead to premature wear and replacement of expensive components. Remember, “Maintenance is cheap. Repairs are expensive.”