Ignoring Equipment Problems is NOT a Strategy

Pest control equipment problems are often worse than they need to be.  Techs sometimes ignore or live with problems.

Like your dripping faucet at home, pest control equipment problems ALWAYS get worse.  Small problems become big problems.  Big problems cost more, and take longer to fix or clean up.  

Some common pest control equipment problems that get worse with time:

• Hand sprayers and backpack sprayers.  Leaks, lack of pressure and other small problems become major rebuilds when techs ignore them or use force to pump up manual sprayers.
• Power sprayer pumps.  Most power spray pumps have clues that the pump requires attention.  If the pump is serviced promptly, a repair kit is usually does it.  If ignored, many times the pump is a total loss.
• Engines leaking oil (or other fluids) are a problem and must be dealt with promptly.
• Hoses, fittings, O-rings and gaskets.  Harsh chemicals, hard use and extreme temperatures take their toll on rubber parts.  Problems often begin as a slow leak.  If ignored, these small drips can become serious and expensive chemical spills.
  
  Some easy preventive steps:
• Train & Re-train techs on equipment use and how to spot problems.
• Encourage technicians to report, rather than live with, problems.  
  
• Thank techs for reporting problems.  If you scold a tech for reporting a problem, future problems will not be reported.
• Assign equipment to one tech and hold him/her accountable for that equipment.
• Supervisors should spot check trucks, inspect and test equipment.  
  
• Regularly check and clean sprayer filters.
• Clean out sprayers to remove chemical deposits at the bottom of the tank.
• Perform preventative maintenance during slow periods to prevent problems and downtime.
  

These few simple steps will reduce equipment problems, repair expense, downtime and missed appointments.

Andrew Greess is a pest control equipment expert and President of equipment website Qspray.com. Contact him at Andrew@Qspray.com.