ForConstructionPros.com

When you invest in a machine like a sealcoating tank, you want it to last a long time and to work properly in order to bring in profits. The most important thing you can do to keep your machinery working is to perform routine maintenance on it. Most contractors have a maintenance program — some record every detail of their maintenance while others perform it casually yet regularly. What works for your business will depend on its size and what you are comfortable with.

Once you have a maintenance system in mind, you have to decide what maintenance needs to be done daily, weekly, monthly, and annually. Sealcoating tanks are basic machines, and generally easy to take care, but the maintenance needs to be done in order to keep them working properly. If you are starting up a maintenance program for the first time, Brent Loutzenhiser, owner of Seal-Rite, has some advice.

"Read your manuals on your equipment and do as the manufacturer recommends," he says. "Also, make sure you keep an eye and ear out for anything unusual during routine checks. Catching something before it becomes a major problem down the road will help prevent breakdowns."

Routine maintenance

On a daily basis, you should check your fluid levels, drain your air compressor water, and check your tire pressure.

Weekly you should check your oil and air breathers, depending on their use. They may need to be cleaned or changed, which would be necessary more so on a monthly basis, but checking them each week is important.