Preventative maintenance or just maintenance in general can be a saviour to some and a nightmare to others. In the LPG Industry this has never been so apparent.
Mention the names St Peters or Esso Longford would send shivers down the spine of those who can still remember.
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With the current economic crisis unfortunately there is too much tunnel vision and many companies see maintenance as a cost that can be done without.
What price is good system design?
In the LPG Industry it is paramount that preventative maintenance be kept on the radar. How much do you really save by cutting maintenance and what is the true cost? Are the savings really worth the risk?
The following are 5 areas that can save you money if done right.
1. Right Pump selection This is the heart of the system and you must refer to manufacturer's performance curves for the right information. Many don't actually do this. Look at the usage of the system that the customer is using now. Are they going to expand? Many customers may not mention this as they cannot see how this impacts your system, but it will! Slightly bigger now will save you much pain down the track.
2. Valving Match the pump with correct flow and volume. Use the right valve for the job and specify requirements without a dollar figure in mind. Specifying on price as a priority will result in component failure in the future. Incorrect valving can be a technician's nightmare as it may mimic another problem and the technician can spend days going in the wrong direction.
For example, a client installed a cheaper valve rather than a safer valve that resulted in a major incident and explosion causing personal injury and a home to be burnt down.
3. Piping Piping should always be the correct diameter for the pump. If it is too small the pump won't work correctly. Cavitation and running dry will destroy a pump.
4. Strainers Strainers stop foreign matter getting into the pump and prevent pump seizures and downtime. They must be installed to prevent costly replacement.
5. Electrics Make sure that there is enough power plus margin to ensure the pump runs at the right speed. Pumps that run at the optimum speed will give you years of trouble free operation.
Many people question whether these areas need to be addressed. When your system is engineered correctly and you have a preventative maintenance system in place, you will have the benefit of a trouble free LPG environment, minimal downtime and continued operation.
Doing it right the first time with the correct parts and equipment will provide long term savings that far outweigh the initial installation cost.
If there is a moral to designing LPG systems, think smarter, not cheaper. Think of the future, risk and cost to the service department who will continually have to repair your system. Similarly there is a major inconvenience to the customer. Your customer's perception of you and your reputation can be built on a professional installation, using the right parts and having a preventative maintenance program in place.
Preventative Maintenance - 5 Tips to Save Money With LPG Systems
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