Winterize Your Street Sweepers
Winter is just around the corner and we are hard at work finishing up what has been a busy fall season. As always, preparations must be made on your street sweepers before we get hit with those chilly conditions. Just like that old ’62 Chevy convertible or 77′ Ford truck you have sitting in the garage, you need to take a few steps before tucking it away for the winter. Like those classic cars, you’ve invested a lot of time and money and want to keep them running for the long haul. Some owners may decide to run their sweeper from time to time during the winter to squeeze out some extra work. Regardless of what you decide, all equipment needs to be prepared for the cold. Below are a number of helpful tips to winterize your street sweeper and what we at Bortek can do to help!
Tips for Winterizing Your Street Sweeper:
- Empty the hopper. As you suck up water with the dirt and debris, the water can freeze and potentially crack.
- Put anti-freeze in the water system. This is an important tip many people dismiss. Pour an ample amount of anti-freeze in the tank and turn the pump on to circulate it throughout the machine. Once the sweeper starts spraying out anti-freeze, shut it down and leave the anti-freeze in the machine all winter.
- Remove the brooms from the machines and store indoors. This takes some weight off the broom arm.
- Clean the hopper both inside and outside of the machine. Dirt and debris can rot the sweeper from the inside out, maybe not in the first year but over a number of years without proper cleaning. This can cause premature failure of the hopper.
- Not only should you clean the hopper but the screen as well. A good scrubbing will make the screens more efficient, last longer, and be ready for spring.
- This step may seem unnecessary. However, painting the inside of the hopper with a strong primer can extend the life of the hopper. Any dings and scratches on the hopper can be filled with a primer.
- You need to let the sweeper breathe. Open the side doors and the dump door. Leaving the hopper closed over long periods of time can cause some long term damage.
- Lift the sweeper head off the ground. Moisture can gather in the sweeper head if left on the ground and even freeze if there is enough moisture. This can cause significant damage as you can imagine. Once again, let it breathe.
Post-Season Street Sweeper Service
Your street sweeper has been through a lot this year. Hours and hours of operation day in and day out can take it’s tole. You expect the same quality performance with every use and you should expect the same performance for years to come. At Bortek, we offer the best post-season street sweeper service to winterize your machine. We take care of the above mentioned tips and much more to ensure your machine is back and better than ever for the spring season. Check out our post-season service plan and see what Bortek can do for you this winter!