Seasonal Maintenance for Your Carwash Doors
By Jim Johnson
Well, it has finally started to arrive… warmer weather temps! This is the time of year we all take a deep breath and step outside after surviving another winter. While we take in the change of the seasons, it is still necessary for carwash owners to plan ahead for the harsh winter weather that will make its way back around before we know it. With that thought, spring is the best time to evaluate your doors and openers for any parts that may need to be ordered or installed. It is also a good time to do some heavy maintenance to ensure smooth operation in the months ahead.
Starting with our most popular door, the Alaska polycarbonate overhead door, good weather is the perfect time to address your doors appearance. Cleaning the door panels both inside and out with high pressure water and some cleaning solution that can be sprayed on and rinsed off. A good cleaning will also reveal if there is any were on the panels that may need replacing.
Greasing the zerk fittings are also a necessary spring maintenance tip. Using a grease gun with marine grade grease, pump the grease into the zerk fitting. As the grease fills the fitting, water may start to filter out. It is important to keep pumping in grease until the grease starts work it way all the way through and start coming out the other side.
The next thing to examine will be the rollers and hinges on the door. Using a petroleum-based spray lube, begin applying it to all the rollers and hinges to ensure smooth operation. It is also a good idea to spray lube on the drums that the cables run on. This will also help prevent them from corroding. It is important to check that the cables are not starting to fray as well, or they may need to be replaced.
The door track will also need to be inspected. Galvanized tracks can corrode with time and will rust through so that the rollers will fall through them. The best way to check this is to feel inside the track where the rollers run and look for any weak spots. If rusted out spots are found, it will be crucial to order a new track. There are choices available for replacing a door track. Newer advancements in plastic track have made a great choice for busy carwash bays. UHMW plastic track is not only almost zero maintenance, but it is also quiet and comes in black which makes it appealing to the eye. While this type of track is more expensive, another option would be to look into stainless steel track. Stainless track is very durable and slightly more expensive than galvanized track.
The weather stripping on the door plays an important part of keeping out dirt and debris from bad weather. Look for cracks or tears in the seam or material and if needed think about replacing old weatherstripping with a high-quality aluminum with vinyl double flap seal.
Another popular door type is the XRS vinyl roll up door. This door requires some light maintenance and maybe a little cleaning after the long winter months. As with the Alaska polycarbonate door, the XRS vinyl door panels should be thoroughly cleaned and inspected for any tears or cracks and replaced if necessary. Same with the weather stripping, if there are cracks or tears in either the seam or the weather stripping itself it may need to be replaced.
It is very important to grease the bearings on the XRS vinyl roll up door. There should be two bearings that will require grease. Simply pump in the grease until it starts to come out. The next thing to check will be the gear box of the electric operator. It is important to check for any oil leaks and clean if necessary. Downloadable maintenance guides are available at www.AirliftDoors.com.
While door maintenance is important, the door’s opener, whether air operated or electric will require a thorough check. Air powered operators like the Magnaglide will need be cleaned along the pipe to remove any build up or chemical residue. After the pipe has been cleaned, using a petroleum-based lube should be used to continue smooth operation. Grease is not recommended on this style operator as it can attract and hold dirt to the pipe.
If a chain style air operator is being used, like the original air opener from Airlift Doors, cleaning the pipes will really be necessary only for looks. However, it is important to spray grease on the openers chain and piston rods. The chains must be flexible, if any kinks are found in the chain it should be replaced.
There are many different styles of electric door openers, but most of them are known as a direct drive. The EMAXX opener is a direct drive opener that operates very well in the carwash environment. To do some springtime maintenance and prolong the life of this opener, start by inspecting the gear box for any leaks. It is also important to check the oil level inside the gear box and add to it if needed. If a chain is used with your electric opener, it should also be lubed with a marine grade grease. Again, check the chain for flexibility or kinks and replace if necessary. Downloadable maintenance guides for openers can also be found at www.AirliftDoors.com.
Doors and openers are mechanical and need to continue to be used even in the summer months. By running them once a day, it will ensure that all of the moving parts keep functioning properly.
Jim Johnson is general manager with AirLift Doors and has been with the company for more than 30 years.
