Tips to Keep your Salt Spreader in Good Condition

Keeping your salt spreader equipment in good working condition is no simple feat. While spreading salt on the snow-packed roads and parking lots, it is likely to go through wear and tear, which can shorten its life and lead to a major breakdown. However, with routine maintenance, you can keep equipment breakdowns at bay and extend its lifespan, ensuring it works without fail for years to come.

Here are a few maintenance tips you should consider to keep your salt spreader in good condition and prevent breakdowns:

Empty your hopper

The hopper of a salt spreader is usually the first place to experience damage. When salt is left on the hopper, it freezes at extremely low temperatures and jams up the machinery. To prevent this, empty your hopper completely after every use. Once it is empty, clean it thoroughly to get rid of any salt particles and use pressure water if necessary. To wrap it up, grease the moving parts to keep it running flawlessly.

Lubricate the bearings

Salt may lead to deterioration of salt spreader’s bearings over time. This is why timely lubricating them using a good quality grease is a crucial part of the overall maintenance. Whenever you experience that bearings aren’t working smoothly, grease it. However, it doesn’t solve the problem; replace them as soon as possible to avoid further damage.

Grease the electrical plugs

You may think that electrical plugs of your salt spreader equipment are least susceptible to damage but this is not the case. They usually sit at the business end of the equipment and come in contact with salt often. Once they get covered in salt, corrosion is likely to happen, which is why greasing them at regular intervals is important. Failure to do so can hamper the spreader’s power output and efficiency.

Don’t forget the spinner

The spinner of your salt spreader is another crucial moving part that demands timely lubricating. If it stops working, you may not be able to get salt out of the equipment and onto the snow-covered roads. Make sure you keep salt away from it and grease it regularly.

Clean the drag salt spreader chains

The drag chain of a salt spreader is responsible for moving salt back to the spinner, which is why it needs your attention. The presence of salt on it can lead to early corrosion and may break the link.