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630.896.6373
Clean facilities do not happen haphazardly
They are the inevitable result of effective program management: the management of
chemicals, the management of tools, and the management of personnel |
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April 9, 2012 by Pike Systems
As you take a look at your capital budgets for this year, keep in mind that nothing stands still. Everything is constantly changing and evolving. Nilfisk-Advance has been and continues to be at the forefront of cleaning equipment technology. New technology means higher performance cleaning processes that lower costs and improve cleanliness levels. This couldn’t come at a better time given the economic climate.
There are six keys to maximizing efficiency in your facility:
- Standardization of cleaning processes
- Simplification of processes, equipment, tools
- Mechanization – productivity enhancing equipment
- Training – We are not born with the knowledge of how to clean. We have to be taught the most efficient and effective processes.
- Balanced workloads
- Quality control – measuring and tracking the results
Mechanization is the single most effective way to do more with less! Pike Systems and Nilfisk-Advance are here to help you evaluate mechanization options and determine the best solutions for your facility. We offer a risk free survey and assessment of your current building and equipment. Please contact us if you’re interested.
Here are some exciting new things from Nilfisk-Advance:
Stay-Tuned for new updates as they’re made available! For questions or more information, feel free to give us a call!
Category: Carpet and Hard Floor Maintenance, Cleaning Budget, Equipment Repair Tags: budget, carpet cleaning, Cleaning, cleaning tips, custodial budget, Equipment, high efficiency, labor costs, preventative maintenance, Productivity, reduced budget | Comments Off
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March 28, 2012 by Pike Systems
The only thing that separates good service from bad service is the support that comes along with it. At Pike Systems, we look at the overall needs of your facility and match your facility with products that fulfill those needs. We care about the products and equipment that we sell long after the sale is made.
With an equipment purchase, we offer a wide availability of parts, a certified service team and all inclusive maintenance agreements. In general, when you look at purchasing a new machine, you should evaluate the purchase on the basis of:
- Warranties Offered
- Cost of Repair Parts
- Ergonomics
- Ease of Daily Maintenance
- Labor Savings
If you stick to this list when evaluating the purchase of new machine, you will be happy with your purchase for years to come. The costs over the life of the machine can often be more than the purchase cost of the machine. At Pike Systems, we would like to reverse that figure.
We provide training on the daily maintenance and care of your machine in order to keep your machine like new for as long as possible. At Pike Systems, we focus most on building relationships with our customers. Our success is measured by our customer’s satisfaction rather than in dollars.
Category: Equipment Repair Tags: budget, custodial budget, custodial trainining, Equipment, Maintenance, preventative maintenance | Comments Off
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March 12, 2012 by Pike Systems
Equipment Advice for Newsletter from Kevin Pierce, Service Manager at Pike Systems. You can reach Kevin at service@pikesystems.com.
- When burnishing, always make sure to use a pad marked specifically for burnishing. Even a white polish pad will not work properly and could cause circuit breaker problems if it is not marked high speed burnishing.
- When wrapping up a cord on a piece of powered equipment, unplug the cord first, and then wind up starting at the machine. The wires inside the cord jacket will twist, wear and sometimes break if you start winding at the plug.
- Always dust mop the area before using an auto scrubber. Debris caught in the squeegee will cause streaking! It is a good idea for the operator to carry a rag to periodically wipe off the squeegee blades if needed.
- Most wet/dry vacuums come with cloth or paper filters installed inside the tank at the motor intake. Make sure and follow manufacturer’s instructions and remove these “dry only” filters before using the machine for wet applications.
- Bonnet carpet cleaning works great to instantly beautify carpet, however, it is important to remember to extract on an interim basis to remove deep down carpet damaging dirt and chemical residue.
Category: Cleaning Budget, Equipment Repair Tags: Batteries, budget, Equipment, germ control, reduced budget | Comments Off
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March 5, 2012 by Pike Systems
90% of all floor care machines are powered by wet cell battery packs of varying voltage and power ratings. It’s no wonder that they are one of the top maintenance issues when it comes to floor equipment maintenance.
Proper maintenance of the batteries in your floor equipment can reduce the expense of your floor maintenance activities. But, how do you know if you are properly maintaining the batteries in your equipment? Here are a couple suggestions that will help you get the most out of your floor care machine’s wet cell battery pack.
The average battery pack should last two years. Of course, this depends heavily on the battery size, frequency of usage, and type of application. Regardless, your objective should be to prolong the life of your battery pack through proper maintenance.
Regardless of the type of machine or the size of the battery pack, battery maintenance is consistent across the board. Water levels within the wet-cell battery pack are extremely crucial to the life span of the battery pack. Water levels should be monitored and maintained at the maximum fill-level. Water levels in the batteries should be replenished after the batteries have been completely charged. Remember to use distilled water when refilling your batteries. Tap water contains impurities that will affect the health of your battery pack. The improper watering of wet-cell battery packs is the most common error in battery maintenance.
In addition to monitoring water levels, check the cables and the top of the battery pack routinely for corrosion and remove it by scrubbing with a hard bristled brush.
The proper charging procedures can also prolong the life of the battery. Batteries should be charged only after they’ve been sufficiently depleted. This will actually increase the run-time of your floor equipment.
For more tips on maintaining your floor equipment’s batteries, speak with Kevin in the Service Department by calling 630-896-6373. We’re here to make your job easier!
Category: Equipment Repair Tags: Batteries, Cleaning, Equipment, Maintenance | Comments Off
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November 18, 2011 by Pike Systems
How many times have you heard complaints that the vacuum isn’t working correctly? In many facilities, the vacuum cleaners are not working as hard as they could be. This is a cause for concern because, in some cases, improper vacuum maintenance can cause your vacuuming efforts to be more harmful than helpful.
The number one vacuum killer is the failure to replaced paper filter bags. Sounds too simple to be the number one problem? Unfortunately, the simple task of replacing the vacuum filter is often forgotten. This causes the vacuum’s airflow to become restricted and in some cases causes the motor to burn out. A good rule of thumb-if the filter bag is two-thirds full empty it or replace it.
In addition, keeping the exterior of the vacuum clean can also promote good vacuum maintenance. Once a week, wipe down the inside and outside of the vacuum. A clean vacuum will receive less abuse for the sole reason that it looks newer than it actually is.
Periodically check the cord and the switch. Often times, the cord is pulled out of the wall using the lasso method rather than by the unplugging it at the outlet which can cause frying. Always remind employees of the importance of pulling the cord out of the socket by the plug.
It is important to be aware of the vacuum height settings. Most people like to set the vacuum as close to the floor as possible. This is not a good idea because it reduces the airflow of the vacuum.
For more tips on routine vacuum maintenance, please contact Kevin in the Service Department>
Category: Equipment Repair Comments Off
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November 8, 2011 by Pike Systems
Everyone knows that when you buy a car you expect that there will be maintenance that will have to be completed along the way, but it sure is a pain when the brakes go out or that oil change light keeps flashing every time you get into the vehicle. Fortunately, cars have been equipped to alert us when there’s a problem that needs attention. Custodial operations equipment is an entirely different animal. Sure, it has an hour meter and the owner’s manual contains information on routine maintenance but we lead busy lives. We don’t stop to think about routine maintenance until it’s too late. If it still runs, it must be doing the job. Let’s face it; the worst part about purchasing any piece of capital equipment is that it needs attention.
That’s what Pike Systems, Inc. is here for. We’re here to help you maintain your custodial equipment so that you no longer experience downtime. Our factory certified technicians can complete on-site repairs and maintenance or we can bring the machine back to our facility and fix it here. We stock a large variety of parts, and service just about every type of custodial operations equipment out there. For a full listing, please call Pike Systems, Inc. and speak with Kevin, our Service Manager. You won’t be disappointed that you made the call and you may end up saving your facility a significant amount of money due to the fact that your equipment has received the gift of a longer life cycle. If you are not convinced we can help you, let us do a risk-free analysis of the equipment you have on hand and find out what Pike Systems, Inc. can do for you!
Category: Equipment Repair Comments Off
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