Maximizing the Lifespan of Your Sealcoating Equipment: Essential Maintenance Tips

For any pavement maintenance business, sealcoating equipment is a significant investment, and one that has to perform reliably throughout a demanding season. Pumps, hoses, spray systems, agitation components, engines, hydraulic systems, tanks, and other parts are routinely exposed to abrasive materials, heat, vibration, moisture, and long hours of operation.

A strong maintenance program does more than help equipment last longer. It can reduce unexpected downtime, improve application consistency, make troubleshooting easier, and help crews identify small problems before they become expensive repairs. Use this guide as a starting point for daily, weekly, seasonal, and long-term sealcoating equipment maintenance.

Start With Your Model-Specific Owner’s Manual

No general maintenance guide should replace the instructions provided for your specific machine. Different sealcoating machines may use different pumps, engines, hydraulic components, agitation systems, fittings, and other parts that have their own maintenance requirements. As such, you should keep the owner’s manual readily available and use it to confirm information such as recommended lubricants, fluid specifications, service intervals, adjustment procedures, replacement parts, operating limits, and winterization instructions.

If you operate multiple machines, maintain documentation for each individual model rather than assuming the same maintenance practices apply across your entire fleet.

Daily Sealcoating Equipment Maintenance

Daily inspections are your first defense against equipment problems. Crews should get into the habit of checking equipment before operation, monitoring it throughout the workday, and cleaning it properly afterward.

Before starting the machine, walk around the equipment and look for anything unusual. Check hoses and fittings for leaks, cracks, abrasion, or loose connections. Examine the pump, spray wand, spray tips, valves, tank, agitation components, engine, and hydraulic system as applicable. Also look underneath the equipment for signs of fluid leakage. A small leak may be easier to address at the shop than after the crew arrives at a jobsite.

Keep Pumps, Hoses, and Spray Components Clear

Sealcoat material left inside the system can dry, accumulate, and eventually restrict material flow. Follow the equipment and material manufacturer’s recommended cleaning procedures after operation.

Pay particular attention to the pump, hoses, filters, valves, spray wand, and spray tips. Never assume that a partially blocked component will clear itself during the next job. Proper agitation helps keep sealcoat material consistent. Before and during operation, pay attention to the agitation system and watch for unusual noises, vibration, sluggish movement, or other changes.

Mechanical or hydraulic agitation systems may have chains, sprockets, bearings, motors, shafts, or other components that require periodic inspection and maintenance. Consult your model’s manual before making adjustments. Depending on your equipment, daily checks may include engine oil, fuel, hydraulic fluid, and other fluids. Use the type and quantity specified by the equipment or component manufacturer.

Weekly Maintenance Checks

Daily maintenance concentrates on keeping equipment ready for the next job. Weekly maintenance provides an opportunity to look more closely at components that gradually wear during the season.

Inspect sealcoating equipment parts such as belts, bearings, fasteners, fittings, hoses, filters, valves, and drive components. Look for looseness, corrosion, excessive wear, cracking, leaks, and other deterioration.

Lubricate components only at the intervals and with the products specified for your particular equipment. More lubrication isn’t necessarily better; incorrect products or excessive lubrication can create their own problems.

Inspect Spray Tips

Spray tips have a major influence on the application pattern. A damaged, clogged, or worn tip can contribute to inconsistent coverage. As such, you should clean tips using the recommended procedure and inspect them for visible damage or excessive wear. If the spray pattern changes despite otherwise normal system operation, the tip should be one of the first components you examine.

In addition, it’s important to note that filters and strainers help prevent unwanted material from reaching downstream components. As debris accumulates, however, flow can become restricted.

Inspect and clean these components according to the manufacturer’s recommendations. Replace damaged or excessively worn filters rather than continuing to operate with compromised filtration.

Monthly and Mid-Season Maintenance

During a busy sealcoating season, it’s easy for preventive maintenance to take a back seat to scheduled jobs. Building a more thorough inspection into your monthly or operating-hour schedule can prevent that from happening.

Review the condition of the entire material-delivery system, agitation system, engine, pump, hydraulic components, electrical connections, tires, wheel bearings, trailer components, and safety equipment applicable to your machine.

This is also a good time to compare the equipment’s current operation with how it performed at the beginning of the season. Gradual changes in pressure, flow, noise, vibration, temperature, or response can be easier to recognize when maintenance records are available.

Component-by-Component Care

A good maintenance plan should account for the different systems working together on a sealcoating machine.

Pumps: Monitor for leakage, unusual sounds, reduced output, difficulty priming, or inconsistent operation. Follow the pump manufacturer’s servicing procedures.

Hoses and fittings: Look for cracks, abrasion, bulges, leaks, damaged fittings, and areas where hoses rub against other surfaces. Never use your hand to search for pressurized leaks.

Agitation systems: Inspect moving components and watch for unusual vibration, noise, binding, or changes in agitation performance.

Hydraulic systems: Check fluid levels and look for damaged hoses, leaks, worn fittings, and changes in system performance. Hydraulic systems operate under high pressure, so depressurization and service procedures should always follow the manufacturer’s instructions.

Engines: Follow the engine manufacturer’s schedule for oil, filters, spark plugs, air filters, and other service items.

Spray system: Keep filters, spray tips, wands, valves, and hoses clean and inspect them regularly for wear or restrictions.

Recognizing Common Symptoms Before They Become Bigger Problems

Equipment often provides warning signs before a complete failure occurs. Operators should know what normal operation looks, sounds, and feels like so changes can be reported promptly. Possible causes can include a clogged filter or spray tip, material restrictions, hose problems, air entering the system, pump wear, or another issue within the material-delivery system.

Don’t automatically increase pressure to compensate. Find the underlying cause and stay within the operating limits specified for the equipment. Begin by checking the spray tip for clogging, wear, or damage. Also inspect filtration, material consistency, agitation, and system pressure.

Pump Is Making Unusual Noises

New noises should never simply become part of the machine’s “normal” operation. Stop and investigate according to the troubleshooting procedures for your pump and machine. Continuing to operate a malfunctioning pump could turn a serviceable problem into a more extensive repair. Therefore, you should shut down and follow the manufacturer’s safe inspection procedure. High-pressure hydraulic fluid can cause serious injury and should never be checked for leaks with bare hands.

Inspect the appropriate drive or hydraulic components and verify that nothing is obstructing the system. Do not reach into or work around moving agitation components while the machine is operating.

Know the Safe Operating Limits of Your Equipment

Maintenance and safety go hand in hand. Operators should know the equipment manufacturer’s limits for pressure, temperature, load, towing, hydraulic operation, tank capacity, and other relevant specifications.

Never bypass guards, safety devices, pressure-relief components, or other protective features to keep a machine running. Equipment should also be shut down, isolated, depressurized, and secured as specified by the manufacturer before maintenance is performed.

Keep Detailed Maintenance Records

A simple maintenance log can become one of the most useful tools in your operation. Record the machine identification, date, operating hours if applicable, inspections completed, fluids added or changed, components cleaned, parts replaced, repairs performed, and unusual symptoms reported by operators.

These records make it easier to identify recurring problems and plan future service. They can also help managers anticipate when commonly worn replacement parts should be stocked before the busiest portion of the season.

Prepare Equipment for Seasonal Storage

End-of-season maintenance should be more than parking the machine until spring, as you should follow the model-specific winterization procedure for the tank, pump, hoses, plumbing, engine, hydraulic system, and other components. Material should be removed or managed according to manufacturer instructions, and systems that could be damaged by freezing need appropriate attention.

Store equipment in a clean, dry, protected location whenever possible. Take care of known repairs before storage rather than leaving a list of problems for the first busy week of the next season.

Start the New Season With a Full Inspection

Before putting equipment back into regular service, conduct a thorough preseason inspection. Check components that may have deteriorated during storage, verify fluid levels, inspect hoses and fittings, test moving components, and confirm that all safety equipment is in place.

Start the machine and test its systems according to manufacturer procedures before sending it to a customer jobsite. A preseason test run gives you an opportunity to identify problems while the equipment is still at the shop.

When a worn component needs replacement, use a part that meets the specifications for your equipment. Correct sealcoating equipment parts and accessories help maintain reliable operation and reduce the risk of compatibility problems.

Keeping frequently needed parts on hand can also limit downtime during peak season. Depending on your fleet, that inventory might include spray tips, filters, hoses, fittings, valves, seals, and other wear components.

Build Maintenance Into Your Business, Not Around It

Sealcoating equipment works hard, and waiting for something to break is rarely the most efficient maintenance strategy. A better approach combines daily operator inspections, scheduled weekly and monthly checks, model-specific servicing, accurate maintenance records, seasonal preparation, and prompt attention to changing equipment behavior.

Seal-Rite provides sealcoating equipment, parts, and accessories to help pavement maintenance professionals keep their operations moving. Consult the manual for your specific Seal-Rite model for maintenance requirements and operating limits, and contact Seal-Rite when you need help identifying the right parts or equipment for your operation.