Top 5 Year-end Equipment Tips

Spray professionals should use the slower time at the end of the year to ensure their equipment is in tip-top shape for the coming year. These tasks need to be done anyway. Do them when business is slow and when they won’t negatively impact your customers and schedule.

1. Inspections. Use slow periods to perform thorough inspections of vehicles, power sprayers, hand sprayers and backpacks. Is everything clean, in the proper place and in proper working order?
2. Clean it out. Run clean water through power sprayers, hand sprayers and backpack sprayers to prevent chemical buildup. Inspect and clean out spray tanks. Thoroughly clean filters and replace bad filter screens if necessary.
3. Winterize it. The best way to prevent freeze damage is to ensure your sprayer equipment isn’t exposed to freezing temperatures. If you can’t do that, do the next best thing: Get as much water as possible out of the sprayers. Use a compressor to blow the air out of the hoses. Open all valves. Remove filters, spray guns and anything else you can to prevent freeze damage. Run a little antifreeze through the system. The pump on a power sprayer is the greatest risk; remove it and store indoors if possible. If not, hang a utility light over the spray pump or wrap it with an electric battery warmer to prevent freezing. Never put anything hot on a frozen pump in an attempt to defrost it. It won’t work, and you might destroy the pump. Starting or using frozen equipment will result in expensive damage.
4. Preventive maintenance. Slow periods are an ideal time for preventive maintenance. Because of hard use and harsh chemicals, all pest control equipment needs maintenance. Don’t wait for equipment to break or wear out. Service it now so you don’t have downtime and missed appointments during your busy season.
5. Training. Train during slow periods. Truck and equipment inspections will identify training opportunities. It’s important to remember that just because you trained Joe on day one, it doesn’t mean he’s still doing it the way you want him to do it. You can never do too much safety training.

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