Preventative Maintenance and Identifying Construction Equipment Problems

Construction sites are home to a lot of impressive heavy equipment, whether it be vehicles like excavators and dump trucks, to generators and boom lifts. With so many different pieces of equipment, it can be difficult for workers to keep track of things like maintenance, not to mention the issues of identifying problems before they start. 

At Synergy Equipment, we think one of the best things you can do to save your construction business money is to keep your equipment well maintained and to know how to identify issues when they come up. That’s why we’ve put together this short article with some routine maintenance tips as well as some common causes of equipment breakdown. Read on for more information or head into one of our locations throughout Florida and Georgia.

Routine Maintenance

Perhaps the best tool you have for maintaining construction equipment is performing regular preventative checks. This can help to catch problems before they turn into disasters, saving you time in the service shop, money for repairs, and keeping your workers safe from dangerous malfunction during operation.

Pull out your owner’s manual for details about service scheduling and other maintenance details specific to the equipment in question. Regular visual inspections should be standard practice, followed up by checking important components for expected wear and tear. Also consider any additional precautions regarding your specific work environment, which could mean extra attention on tire wear, air filters, or diesel fuel mix. 

Identifying Causes of Breakdown

Sometimes construction equipment breaks down despite our best efforts to keep it in operational condition. The trouble then becomes identifying the cause of the issue so a proper fix can be applied. Knowing how and why equipment breaks down also allows operators and service techs to pick out these issues before they actually break the equipment!

Equipment can just break down without warning. This is referred to as sudden failure. Hopefully the reason is obvious for this to occur and a proper fix can be implemented quickly. 

Intermittent failures are those which either only happen sometimes or under specific circumstances. It’s usually harder to identify the issue here, as you’ll have to be able to replicate the adverse conditions, and sometimes techs end up chasing the phantom of a mechanical problem in the shop only to OK the equipment for service without ever finding the source of the issue.

Gradual failure is often due to failing parts or components, as either a persistent issue takes hold or the equipment reaches the end of its life.

Types of Equipment Failure

Further identifying the problem with a malfunctioning piece of construction equipment takes a bit of technical knowledge. Here are some of the basic causes to help you get started.

Extreme temperatures are a huge cause of issues with all kinds of equipment. Big swings in temperature change also make this kind of damage more likely, such as when a machine is started up in freezing temperatures, or when an engine or motor overheats. Fortunately, thermal failures are easy to prevent as long as you’re keeping up with regular maintenance. 

Mechanical failure occurs when some part or component just isn’t performing as intended. Prevent the problem before it starts by replacing malfunctioning parts, lubricating and tightening fasteners, and ensuring moving parts are properly aligned. These kinds of problems most often arise out of pushing equipment too far, collisions, and plain old operational missteps. 

The most difficult problems to predict and counteract are erratic errors with no rhyme or reason to their occurance. A lot of issues come from electronic components or other systems like hydraulics that may suffer damage without signaling it to technicians. This could be due to a power overload or simply a software issue keeping machinery from operating, even though it’s mechanically sound. 

Once you identify the type and cause of an issue, it’s time for the professionals to get to work. Call or head into Synergy Equipment for all your construction equipment rental, parts, and service needs. We have locations throughout Florida and Georgia, and we proudly serve our neighbors in South Carolina. Come in today and let our team of equipment experts answer your questions and help you find what you’re looking for!