It’s generally important to stay up on maintenance, but even more important during the winter months. Extreme conditions can cause long-term damage to your equipment if your systems aren’t up to speed when the cold hits.

Read Quick and Low-Cost Tips For Winterizing Your Industrial Facility for more information.

Performing seasonal inspections on your industrial systems is crucial; not only does it guard against costly downtime and loss of production, but it helps keep your technicians and equipment safe all year long.

When was the last time you inspected and maintained your industrial systems? Follow the checklist below to ensure your facility’s equipment is up to speed.

1. Have an electrician check your heat trace systems to ensure they’re working correctly.

Don’t forget to re-install any insulation that was removed during the summer months!

2. Check the functionality of your air dryers on your instrument air system.

This is especially important if tubing runs are going in and out of hot zones and cold zones. You also need to blowout air lines. These build up with oil and water and are one of the first things to freeze. If there is enough water inside, the ice will expand and could crack the line.

3. Check your Industrial Heaters.

Your industrial heaters are crucial to keeping your people and equipment safe throughout the colder months. Keep yours up to speed every season by performing the following:

• Check for corrosion on PSVs (pressure safety valves). PSVs are fail safes that are designed to protect lives and equipment in industrial environments. They are considered the last line of defense in preventing major failure in systems under over-pressure conditions. It’s critical that you immediately replace any PSVs that show signs of corrosion.
• Check the contactors. Electromechanical contactors switch large quantities of power to heater loads and are a common point of failure.
• Check that the core is still good. You can do this by Meggering the core.Electricians rely on Megger testing to determine the health of electrical systems. Due to its popularity, the term “Megger” has become synonymous with testing the insulation performance in electrical devices.
• Check that the fans are still good. Similarly, you’ll want to Megger the fan motor, which is one of the biggest culprits of an electrical ground fault.

4. Maintain your generators.

For many industrial plants, generators are vital for supplying power to the facility or job sites.

• Load Cell testing. Confirm that your generator is in good working order by performing a load cell test.

It’s also essential that you perform routine inspections on your generators. The following checklist will help ensure they stay up to speed and continue running smoothly:

• Conduct a visual inspection. Make sure all the parts are dry and clean, and there’s no apparent visible damage. 
• Ensure the battery has no corrosion.
• Inspect all hoses, fittings, and connections for leaks and loose areas.
• Inspect wiring and electrical components for worn or problem areas.
• Inspect fluid levels.

5. Inspect your methanol and chemical injection pumps.

Make sure they are adequately pumping. You should verify this through a drawdown test. Drawdown tests measure the pump flow rate and pumping efficiency of your systems.

6. Inspect your Cata-Dyne Heaters.

Catalytic heaters offer an efficient and safe way to add flameless heat to various processes in industrial settings. It’s best if you inspect your Cata-Dyne Heater before the cold season hits. We recommend that you check the following:

• Make sure your element is still in good condition
• Make sure it is venting correctly
• Inspect the fuel valve.

The Team at Crossroad Energy Solutions is Here to Help

When in doubt, always call-in reputable professionals!

Don’t put your investment at risk or the lives of your workers. Our team of experts has the experience and industry knowledge to ensure your equipment is up to speed and providing superior function and output. We even offer 24/7 emergency callout support!

Click here or call us about your facility’s needs at 877-872-0222.