How to Properly Maintain Your Industrial Vacuum Truck

Your industrial vacuum truck is the cornerstone of your business. It is the lifeline that keeps you on the road and working, and in turn, money moving through your account. So it’s only obvious that protecting and maintaining your key tool is incredibly essential – we here at Flowmark know this better than anyone. 

So what tips do we have for keeping up on routine maintenance? Keep reading for advice on daily, weekly, and monthly maintenance. 

 

General Preventative Maintenance

To start off with general maintenance, prevention is key. You can do this by paying close attention to the correct lubrication of the unit, along with routine cleaning and upkeep of the hydraulic system. By keeping up on this, you are able to avoid operation difficulties and any sort of extended downtime. Maintain a detailed maintenance schedule and ensure you’re keeping proper and detailed records of any and all maintenance performed. This will help you identify any anomalies should any occur. 

 

Daily Preventative Maintenance

There are a few things you should do each and every day to maintain your truck. These are just a few that we think are worth mentioning:

• Shut It Down

One important thing that you need to make sure you do at the end of each working day is that you are properly shutting down your equipment. To do this, empty the water by opening all the waster system drain valves and opening the debris body to allow for some air circulation.

• Nightly Storage

If you are storing your truck for longer than a night, such as a weekend or a holiday, be sure that the tailgate is propped open with the rear door support and the debris body is partially raised and blocked.

• Check Storage Temps

Extreme temperatures can certainly compromise equipment. If your truck is going to be stored in temps that drop below freezing (32*F), make sure that all of the water has been drained completely from the water system and debris body. Proper lubrication of the truck and checking all fluids will also help.

 

Weekly Preventative Maintenance

While this isn’t a fully comprehensive list, making sure you’re doing each of these tasks weekly will certainly make a world of difference in the upkeep of your industrial vacuum truck.

• Check Fluid Levels and Air Breather

When you are checking the fluid levels and the blower, it’s important to ensure that all cylinders are in their traced position. The fluid level sight-glasses should be half covered. If the levels are low, fill the hydraulic tank with fluid or the blower with oil. This is a good way to check for any leaks as well.

• Clean the Debris Body

While the debris body is raised, wash it with the water handgun. Begin at the upper front corner and work your way down toward the rear of the body. Once finished, go to the other side and repeat the process. 

If equipped, wash out the sludge pump attached to the tailgate. Double-check that the debris body float-ball is clear of any water. When you’re finished, run the truck for a bit to remove any excess moisture from the body.

• Air & Water Separator Cyclone Inspection

Keeping up on the air and water separator cyclone includes cleaning the cyclone screens and inspecting them for an abundance of liquid or debris. Be sure to double-check the plug on the bottom of the cyclones for any additional debris.

Check all air access areas for wear and tear, such as intake hoses, nozzles, and deflectors. Clear and wipe away any dirt from the boom enclosure and apply a light coating of grease to the inside edges. Make sure connections haven’t come loose, such as those between intake couples, nozzles, and ball joints. Any air leaks will reduce the overall efficiency of the blower. 

 

Monthly Preventative Maintenance

There are a few tasks on the checklist that you should make sure you’re doing at least once a month. Pick a day that’s easy to remember, such as the 1st or the 15th, and stick to it. If remembering which day feels tough for you, take one thing off your mind and mark a reminder on your calendar or set an alarm on your phone.  

• Electrical System

Electrical systems help keep our industrial vacuum trucks operating with the most up-to-date technology. To keep it up to speed and running, check electrical wiring and insulation for frays, breaks, corrosion, and loose connections.

• Body Hoist

Begin with an inspection of both the upper and lower trunnion ends of the cylinder, lifting level, cross shaft, frame valve, and pump. Look along all of your hose lines for damage and hose ends for any tightness. Check the cylinder packing, the mounting bolts, and the pins for any holes or wear.

• Intake Hose

Wear and tear are bound to happen, especially on the intake hoses, as they are made of rubber and fabric. However, damage can be kept to a minimum by using a few operation and maintenance practices. Inspect the hose frequently to determine where the most wear is occurring. Rotate the hose to help prevent wear in a singular spot and do this periodically. Minor cracks, punctures, and other leaks should be repaired as soon as they are detected to avoid something unfixable occurring. 

 

Flowmark Difference

Driving off our lot doesn’t end our customer service. At Flowmark, when you purchase one of our vacuum trucks, it’s for life. We are on standby to help troubleshoot any maintenance issues as they occur. 

On our website, we have a very user-friendly parts store that you can navigate through to order any replacement parts that you may need. Hoses, valves, pumps, you name it! If you can’t find the part you need or you have questions, we are only a phone call away. 

For a quick checklist with more maintenance tips, we have a convenient list on our website. This includes a few more things that you can do at each maintenance milestone: daily, weekly, and monthly.