Protect Your Equipment: Five Simple Tips for Storing Your Heavy Machinery This Winter

With farming season over and construction season done, it’s time to bunker down for the long winter ahead. Winters in New Hampshire can be harsh and take a toll on our cars, homes and even our heavy machinery and farm equipment. In fact, both farmers and contractors spend thousands of dollars every spring on mechanical maintenance in New Hampshire to repair equipment that was damaged during the winter.

Even if you won’t be using your heavy machinery or equipment during the winter months, that doesn’t mean that the winter weather can’t still take a toll on your vehicles, especially if you are forced to store them outdoors. To help protect your equipment and machinery this winter and save money on your mechanical maintenance in New Hampshire, here are five simple things you can do when storing your equipment:

• Top off or stabilize the fuel: As temperatures rise and fall during the winter and as we transition into spring, condensation can occur, which can cause water to enter you fuel lines. To avoid this, top off any fuel or hydraulic oil tanks before storing your equipment. You can also add a stabilizer to your tank.
• Clean and grease moving parts: You should thoroughly clean all the moving parts of your equipment so that some dirt or debris doesn’t become a serious blockage from being left to harden onto the surface during the winter. You should also consult your owner’s manual and properly lubricate any moving parts before storing your equipment.
• Repair previous damage: Any damage that occurred to your equipment over the working season may seem minor now. But left unattended over the winter months, even a minor repair can degrade and become a major problem. To avoid costly repairs in the spring, be sure to attend to minor repairs now before storing your equipment for the winter.
• Check the tires: Obviously, not all large equipment has tires, but if yours does, it’s important to check the tire pressure prior to storage. Check your manual for proper tire pressure. However, slight over-inflation may help to prevent flat spots, especially if storing your vehicle on a cement floor. You may also want to consider jacking up your tires for best results.
• Prepare a storage place: If you are storing your equipment inside, prepare a space that is clean and dry. You may want to invest in some protective floor coverings, depending on the type of floor you have in your storage building. If storing outside, investing in a quality tarp is a smart idea. This will help to prevent rusting caused by freezing and thawing water on the surface of your vehicle.

When the winter is finally over, you’ll want to get right back to work. Don’t let costly repairs and maintenance slow you down. By following the few simple steps above, you can help ensure that your equipment is ready to get back on the job when you are. For more information about how we can help you with mechanical maintenance in New Hampshire, please reach out to the experts at ARC Electrostatic Painting today.

Categorised in: Mechanical Maintenance

This post was written by Writer