ForConstructionPros.com

Failure to conduct proper maintenance during the season makes a sealcoating machine less effective, less productive, and results in equipment downtime. Inefficient equipment also adversely affects job quality.

Doing the "little things" throughout the year will allow you to keep your sealcoating equipment operating at peak efficiency, allowing you to consistently make more money.

Lines, pumps and filters

Keeping your material lines, filters, and pumps flushed prevents most problems. If you have to take a pipe wrench and cheater bar to open your material gate valve because you left sealer to dry in it, you're better served by installing a new one.

In fact, just because the handle turns doesn't mean the gate inside the valve is open. The handle stem has male threads and the gate has female threads. Forcing the handle to turn can strip the male threads right out of the female threads. The handle turns and appears open, but the gate is still in the bottom of the valve restricting the flow.

On diaphragm material pumps dried sealer can cause a variety of problems. Dried sealer inside the material lines can chip off and get into the material pump. If the chunk has a sharp edge on it, it can puncture the diaphragm. If air bubbles are coming out from the end of a spray wand, it means your diaphragm is punctured or ripped.