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Five Preventive Maintenance Tips

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Rebecca Geissler is a Product Manager for Service Parts at Bradley Corporation, a leading manufacturer of plumbing fixtures, washroom accessories, restroom partitions, emergency fixtures and solid plastic lockers. She has been with Bradley for 5 years.

MS: Hi, I’m James Pease and this is Take 5, Maintenance Solutions Magazine’s series of podcasts on topics of interest to facility maintenance professionals.

It’s usually cold and raining when your car breaks down, Friday night when a drain backs up and Thanksgiving morning when the oven gives up the ghost. When plumbing fixtures break down or malfunction in commercial, industrial or institutional facilities, though, inconvenience isn’t the only concern; safety and health issues are a bigger worry, not to mention the possibility of lost productivity or extended downtime.

Our guest today is Rebecca Geissler, product manager with Bradley Corporation, a leading manufacturer of innovative commercial plumbing fixtures and washroom accessories. Rebecca is a Product Manager for Service Parts at Bradley Corporation and is here to give us some tips on how awell-planned stock of replacement parts can provide quick resolution to potential failures.

Thank you for being with us again, Rebecca.

For a good preventive maintenance program, what replacement parts should be kept on hand to avoid emergency orders?

Geissler: That varies based on the types of fixtures and the number of fixtures you’re operating. A manufacturer that supports their products in the field usually offers repair kits for the most commonly replaced items. When disassembling and replacing one part, it makes sense to replace additional parts with a similar life expectancy or experiencing similar wear to avoid frequent or unplanned maintenance.

MS: What should to be stocked in a facility that has wash fountains or other hand washing fixtures?

Geissler: Key components to stock can vary based on the activation method of your product. For infrared models, it makes sense to stock the infrared eyes and windows; often the windows are a target for vandalism. For both Infrared and Bradley’s ndite (light powered) products, solenoids repair kits should be stocked. An air valve repair kit along with the actuator and push button should be stocked for models using an air valve. Specific to wash fountains only would be a foot valve repair kit, the combination stop/strainer check valve kit and the volume control valve, all of which should be stocked.

MS: Drench Showers and Eyewashes perform a critical emergency safety function. What parts are essential to have in-house to support them?

Geissler: Stock should include plastic bowls and handles which are most likely to be damaged, dust covers and for portable units – preservative refills. These components can be damaged by accident or vandalized but they are easy to replace if you have stock on hand. Thermostatic mixing values are often used to provide the required tepid water to drench showers and eyewashes, which can eliminate risks like hypothermia. For any critical Thermostatic mixing valves in your facility, a center section kit should be stocked, which can be swapped out to quickly resolve any significant valve failure.

MS: And what about point-of-use valves, or showers?

Geissler: You should have a back-up valve for any fixture utilizing a point-of-use valve. For Showers, o-ring kits should be stocked, and for those using a pressure-balancing valve a spare cartridge is also a good idea to have on hand.

MS: When I have a maintenance concern, how do I get the right parts and the right information?

Geissler: When contacting a manufacturer or sales representative regarding a fixture in your facility – gathering complete information will significantly speed up resolution. A few simple pieces of information will help the manufacturer identify your product and quickly troubleshoot and identify any parts needed. Information should include the model number and the approximate date of installation. Digital pictures are a great tool to share information on your fixture and the problem you are having.

Often a manufacturer’s web site is a great place to locate service parts. Bradley offers PartSource, which includes detailed breakdowns of service parts for the fixtures we sell. Also available are Parts & Service Guides and detailed installation instructions. Bradley also has an experienced team of Technical Service Managers to assist with troubleshooting and repairing your fixture with the goal of helping customers quickly 300find the right part and minimize downtime.

MS: Thanks for these important tips, Rebecca.

Our guest today has been Rebecca Geissler, product manager with Bradley Corporation.
For more information, click on the Bradley text link or more info button on this page.

Thanks for listening to Take 5.