Pierce Service
Put your pencils to the calendar now regarding aerial ladder servicing. Outriggers, ladders, and related operating systems should be totally cleaned, inspected, and lubricated on an ongoing basis. I recommend doing this service in the spring when the weather is conducive and people don’t complain about the cold.
The ladders take a beating in the winter and need some TLC to get them back into good working order. I also recommend the same thing in the fall. With this schedule
the ladders are protected and work properly as they are exposed to cold weather, ice melt, and sand. By planning now, this can be incorporated into an overall equipment
maintenance strategy that pays huge dividends.
One of the more common complaints we hear about or see quite often in our shop at this time of year is very hard to operate pull rods on the pump panel. Hard water, lack of lubricant, improper lubricant, or damaged linkage can all combine to make discharge valve actuation a real tricky proposition. Add cold temperatures and it can make it downright dangerous. Driver/Engineers can perform a few easy procedures that can make this a much better experience.
- Remove the cap (or pre-connected hose) from the discharge that is problematic.
- Open the tank-to-pump valve to supply water into the pump.
- Pump the discharge handle open and closed several times to remove deposits or silt from the valve ball and seat. The low pressure water is easy to work with and will not imbed the debris into the valve seat and ball the way high pressure water does.
- Reinstall the cap or reconnect the hose.
Next, dawn the safety glasses (Safety First!). Pull the valve pull rod out to its full length. Using a clean cloth held on the far side of the rod, spray the rod with a Teflon based lubricant and wipe the debris off the rod. It may take several applications to do this. Now spray the rod with the lubricant while you move it in and out of the pump panel. Keep wiping the rod clean with the cloth. Eventually, the rod will be clean as well as the bezel that supports it. With the rod fully extended, spray it a final time and allow the lubricant to dry before pushing it back into the pump panel. Clean any excess spray from the pump panel area.
If this is done on a monthly basis, you will see much improved performance of the valves overall. If you have difficulty finding a good Teflon lubricant, call our parts
department and Jim or Regan will get you going.
Next Month: Primers and Electrical System Safeguards