Spring maintenance for your natural ventilation system
The wheat is green, planters are cruising the back roads, your curtains are finally open and fresh air is rushing into your barn. With so many things to do to get your fields ready for the season, the last thing on your mind is the barn you’ve spent the whole winter in. But the simple fact is that this is the time when your ventilation needs your attention the most.
I’ll explain why. You may have thought that your system would be going into its summer slumber soon, so you could simply leave it be and walk away. In reality, spring is one of the most active times for your natural ventilation systems, as they must compensate between warm days and cool nights. The panels and curtains are moving more often and further than they did all winter and are using parts that have not been used since October of the previous fall. All of this movement is taking its toll on these old tired parts and they may be showing you their weaknesses now. With all of the hustle and bustle of spring, these poorly working parts are often overlooked.
By leaving a system in poor condition over the summer months, you could be making things worse for the fall. Curtains not rolled could lead to mouse infestation or it could leave creases that will not level out, which will cause poor rolling in the future. And let’s not forget about all that bedding straw and debris that get trapped in the curtain during partial rolls. These organics sit in your rolled curtains over the winter months and then break down in the summer heat. The result? Premature and costly curtain replacement during the busiest time of the year for everyone, including the manufacturer – the fall!
Here are some simple tricks for the spring and summer to help you avoid some of these potential problems:
- Grease and lubricate moving parts, including grease zerts and cables wrapped around drums.
- Remove birds’ nests from your curtains. In addition to the untold damage that could be caused from the corrosive waste dripping down from these onto your cable drums, nests can also get caught in your cables, causing the drums to roll unevenly, jump or even break.
- Keep your weeds/grass trimmed along low curtains. In bottom rolling curtains, it’s easy for these tall and often surprisingly strong weeds to become caught in the curtain. These plants pull on the rolling curtain and can cause such damage as broken cables and ripped curtains.
Spring is the opportune time to have a good look at your system and plan for the replacement of old parts. Budget and make plans for any installs you may need early to get the best service times.
By following these suggestions, you increase your chances of a smooth fall start-up while avoiding costly service calls so you can focus on looking after your harvest. However, if you do run into any issues, we are always here to help. Give our service department a call to set up an appointment to get everything looked after. After all, prevention is the best medicine.
The Canarm-Faromor Service Team is here to help keep your equipment running at top condition so you can focus on the needs of your animals.
