One of the services that most concerns street cleaning service companies is the maintenance of sweeping machines.
It’s easy to overlook this important aspect of machinery, as there are many tasks that the person driving a sweeper must attend to every day: checking the route, refueling and refilling water, emptying the waste when the tank is full, final cleaning, and maintenance.
However, proper maintenance allows the machine to provide good service for a longer time, with fewer breakdowns and lower costs by lasting longer without needing replacement.
Usually, it is the user manual provided by the manufacturer that indicates the maintenance intervals for the machine, but in some cases, there may be no manual to refer to.
A sweeper is essentially a combustion vehicle with a hydraulic system to move the brushes, the vacuum, and the movements of the brush positioners, hopper, and other joints.
Maintenance is very important, but even more important is taking care of the sweeper, meaning operating it correctly, without unnecessary jerks or impacts with urban furniture.
Weekly Inspections
At least once a week, a visual and functional check of the engine oil level, radiator coolant, fan belt tension, loose nuts or bolts, play, hydraulic and transmission oil levels, as well as a check of each lever, control, instrument panel, and lighting, is necessary.
Additionally, it is necessary to adjust the height of the brushes if they are mechanically adjustable and to check if the steering has play and if the wheel nuts are properly tightened.
All components subject to friction and movement between them should be lubricated weekly, unless the sweeper is working in very dusty environments, which require shorter intervals, possibly daily.
From here, there are milestones with more in-depth maintenance interventions. Each manufacturer will indicate the range of working hours they deem appropriate for interventions, but generally, this can be summarized in multiples of 250 working hours.
250-Hour Inspections
It is necessary to change the oil and filter of both the internal combustion engine and the transmission, as well as the fuel filter.
It is also necessary to check battery levels, lubricate all components and pivot points, verify alignment and parallelism of the axles and tires.
Both the fins and the radiator grille, and the air filter should be cleaned, and all hoses should be checked for leaks and tightened or replaced if necessary.
The entire suction circuit should be thoroughly inspected for air leaks.
1000-Hour Inspections
Sweepers are exposed to harsh environments and are more susceptible to wear than other vehicles.
Corrosion points on the body and the waste storage hopper should be inspected, and damaged elements should be replaced or repaired.
The air filter should also be replaced at this interval, as well as the suction hopper seals, the hose, and all seals in the sweeper’s suction system.
Brush Inspection
Sweeper brushes should be replaced when 75% of their useable life has been reached. The duration of the brushes cannot be quantified at first glance as it depends on many factors such as the type of terrain, the degree of dirt, the pressure of the sweeper against the ground, the distance from the sweeping area to the central location, the type of brush and its measurements, and many other variables.
Therefore, the most common sweeper brushes have a free filament length of about 28 cm, and when used to 75%, they should be replaced when the filament has a healthy length of about 7 cm, as they become very hard and less able to reach the edges for effective cleaning.
Do not hesitate to contact us if you need any clarification about side brushes or parts of sweeping machines.
