Blog

Avoiding Surprise Salt Spreader Breakdowns

orders@rcpw.com — Tue, 22 Oct 2024 11:53:00 -0500

Depending on where you live, the transition from fall to winter can catch you off guard if you're not prepared. Being located in Northeast Ohio, we know the story of surprise weather all too well. With a proper pre-season, ongoing and post-season maintenance cycle, you can ensure that your snow removal equipment is always ready to go. Just like any other piece of equipment, regular maintenance of your salt spreader will extend its life expectancy as well as reduce the likelihood of costly surprise breakdowns. Following these tips will help you establish a good maintenance cycle for your salt spreader.

Pre-Season Maintenance

Once a proper maintenance cycle has been established your pre-season maintenance should be nice and easy. After performing a good end of season cleanup and once over, your spreader will be primed for an easy pre-season tune-up. Maintaining your salt spreader is similar to maintaining your snow plow. The main focus is on the preventative maintenance of moving parts, electrical connections and looking for any damage.

1. Check and Grease All Connections

To begin pre-season maintenance tasks, start by looking over your spreaders electrical connections. If any of them look corroded or damaged you'll want to clean or replace them. While inspecting your electrical connections go through and grease all of them with non-conductive dielectric grease. This will help prevent them from corroding throughout the current snow season. Don't forget about your non-electrical connections. There are many other moving parts and connectors throughout your spreader, so make sure these are greased and pliable, as well, so they are accessible when needed. There's nothing worse than going to hook up an essential part of your spreader and finding a clasp or connector has corroded closed.

2. Check Motor Connection Terminals

Check the connection terminals on your spreaders motor(s). If they appear damaged or corroded'you should replace them. Excessive damage or corrosion may require you to replace the motor.

3. Inspect Your Transmission and Drive Components

Make sure your drive sprocket's set screw is tight and make sure to tighten the mounting bolts on your clutch sprocket. If these become loose, then the drive system won't function properly. Take a look at the other salt spreader drive components; these will differ depending on what type of spreader you're using.

Salt spreaders typically use an electric motor to drive the spinning disk that throws the salt. Inspect the motors electrical connections looking for any corrosion and any damage to the motors wires. If you're using a larger truck bed insert salt spreader, these will have either a conveyor chain or auger that is driven by another motor. Check this motor as well to ensure that there is no corrosion on the connections and that the wires are intact. If you have a spreader with a conveyor chain, you'll also want to inspect the integrity of the chain. Look it over and make sure the chain isn't showing any signs of wear or damage. You'll want to repair any damaged links or replace the chain if the damage is excessive or found throughout multiple chain links.

Some spreaders use a hydraulic system for the motors. If applicable, you'll want to check your spreaders hydraulic system. Closely inspect the salt spreader hydraulic hoses and fittings to ensure there are no bubbles or cuts in the hoses and to make sure none of the fittings are leaking or damaged.

4. Inspect Drive Shaft Bearings

Making sure your drive components can move freely is very important. Any additional resistance will put additional strain on your spreaders motor and drive components. Inspect the drive shaft bearings to make sure that they still spin freely and replace them if they are worn or damaged.

5. Inspect Your Motor Cover Assembly

Making sure your spreaders motor is protected from the elements will help prolong the life expectancy of your motor. Some spreaders have a seal between the cover and the spreader. If present, make sure that your spreaders motor cover seal is intact and not excessively worn, otherwise replace it. If your spreader doesn't have a seal for its motor cover assembly, make sure the cover is intact and secure.

6. Check Spinner Disk

Check the condition of the salt spreader spinner disk. First make sure that there aren't any worn or damaged veins on your spinner disk. These are the ridges (or ribs) that stick up vertically from the spinner to grab the salt and throw it. If your spinner disk has worn down veins or the disk itself is damaged'you should replace it.

7. Check All Lights

When working in hazardous weather, it's important to make sure all of your lights are working properly. Look over your spreader and your vehicle to make sure all of your lights are working correctly and replace any burnt out or broken lights.

Continual Maintenance

You're not out of the water yet because the best preventative maintenance is continual maintenance. There's no better way to avoid surprise breakdowns mid-season than continually monitoring the condition of your spreader and its parts. You'll be more likely to catch issues before they create larger problems down the road and you'll reduce the amount of surprise downtime during the season. Keeping up with your salt spreader maintenance will also make preparations for storage at the end of the season a breeze.

1. Grease all connections!

Continually monitor and grease all of your electrical connections. Being exposed to salt and snow all season makes these connections vulnerable to corrosion. Always check and grease your non-electrical connections, as well, as many of the connectors and clasps used throughout your spreader are made of metal. Continually monitoring and keeping these connections greased will help prevent weather from corroding any of your connections.

2. Empty and Clean Spreader

Empty your salt spreader hopper after every use and clean the spreader. This can typically be done with water using a pressure washer. Cleaning out your spreader will help prevent clogs or jamming of your spreader. Allowing salt to lock up your spreader can cause damage to the moving parts, as well as the drive components. It can also lead to the corrosion of any metal components in your hopper. This step is especially important for people with spreaders that feature a hopper constructed of metal. If you have a spreader with a metal hopper, you'll want to empty and clean it after every use. Leaving residual salt in your spreaders metal hopper will lead to corrosion.

3. Grease Drive Shaft and Spinner Shaft Bearings

After every 10 hours of use, grease the bearings on your idler shaft, drive shaft and spinner shaft. These parts help ensure that the moving parts in your spreaders drive system, agitation system and spreading system can move freely. If any of these bearings show signs of damage or wear'you should replace them.

4. Grease Transmission Bearings and Check Oil FIll Level

After every 50 hours of use, it's time to check on your spreaders transmission. Inspect and grease the input shaft bearings. If they appear to be damaged or worn'replace them. You'll also want to check your transmission's oil fill level after every 50 hours of use to ensure that its level with the fill hole.

5. Check Drive Components

Start by checking your spinners drive components, make sure the terminals on your spinner motor are corrosion free and check the electrical connections. If applicable, check the tension of your spreaders drive belt to maintain proper belt tension according to the manufacturer's specifications. If you have a conveyor spreader, check the tension of your conveyor chain.

Postseason Maintenance

After working your spreader hard through the snow season, it's important to give it a thorough cleaning and once over before storing it for the off-season. The focus here is cleaning/removing any built up salt and finding any hidden damage or damaged parts. This step is essential in making sure your spreader is ready to go for the next snow season.

1. Grease All Connections

To maintain a solid electrical system in your spreader, it's important to make sure all connections are greased prior to storage. To help ensure that your spreaders connectors and clasps don't corrode shut, it's important to check and grease these connections, as well. This will help prevent corrosion from occurring while the spreader is stored.

2. Empty and Clean the Spreader

When preparing your spreader for storage, it's important to make sure you give it a thorough cleaning to remove any built-up salt. If you leave any residual salt in your hopper, it can lead to the corrosion of any metal parts. This step is that much more important for people with spreaders that use metal hoppers. If residual salt is left in a hopper, it will corrode the metal.

3. Grease Driveshaft Bearings

Inspect and grease your driveshaft bearings. Additionally, replace them if they seem damaged or overly worn. Greasing your bearings before storing your spreader will help keep them from seizing up or drying out while your spreader is stored in the off-season.

4. Protect Bare Metal Surfaces

Thoroughly inspect your spreader looking for any bare or exposed metal. If any exposed metal surfaces are found, you'll want to paint or apply oil to any exposed metal surfaces. These surfaces are vulnerable to corrosion. Applying oil or paint will coat them with a protective layer and shield them from the moisture that will cause corrosion while being stored. Painting and or oiling exposed metal at the end of each season is preferable, as this will seal any exposed metal from corrosion during storage and will prepare it for next year's snow season.

5. Secure the Hopper Lid

Now it's time to close it up for the season. Place the lid on your hopper and secure it in place with the latches. This will help prevent moisture from pooling up in your hopper in the off-season, as well as prevent any other unwanted dirt or debris from collecting inside.

6. Store Upright

After closing up and securing your hoppers lid, store it in an upright position. If you're storing your hopper outdoors, make sure you cover it with a water resistant tarp or other covering and raise the spreader up off the ground.

Clean and Grease!

Though there are many variations of salt spreaders available on the market, the concepts behind maintaining them are still the same. The heavy focus is on cleaning and greasing all moving and electrical parts to maintain their integrity. Depending on the parts you're looking at, greasing and cleaning will change from salt spreader to salt spreader, but they all need the same attention and care to maintain proper function.

Establishing a regular preparation cycle for the pre-season, ongoing maintenance and a good end of season cleanup will not only help you extend the life of your spreader, but will help keep you more aware of any issues that arise throughout the season to avoid any unexpected, unpleasant and unfortunate breakdowns.

Effects of Sodium Chloride as a De-icing Material and Alternative Options

orders@rcpw.com — Tue, 22 Oct 2024 11:53:00 -0500

One of the most dangerous aspects of winter weather is ice on steps and walkways. It's bad enough to think about a family member or loved one slipping and injuring themselves, yet alone the risks of a stranger slipping and falling. Depending on local regulations and the circumstances of the incident, you could be held liable for any injuries that occur on your property. When it comes to ice removal and prevention, there are many de-icing materials available. When used these materials can potentially cause harm to your pets, flooring in your home, plants, and hardscaping such as patios, walkways or driveways made from concrete or other masonry materials. It's important to be aware of the effects of your de-icing material of choice to help you take preventative measures to protect the things you love most at home.

How De-Icing Materials Work
Negative Effects of Salt as a De-Icing Material
- Vegetation
- People
- Pets
  - Protecting Your Pets from Road Salt
- Wildlife
  - - Birds
    - Mammals
    - Habitats
    - Aquatic Life
Rock Salt Alternatives
- Sand
- Calcium Magnesium Acetate
- Calcium Chloride
- Magnesium Chloride
- Potassium Acetate
Pet Friendly Alternatives
- Urea
- Alfalfa Meal
- Sugar Beet Juice or Corn Solution
- Other Pet Friendly Options

How De-Icing Materials Work

Salts and other de-icing materials are effective against ice because they lower the freezing point of water. When these materials reduce the freezing point of water, the ice returns to liquid water and can withstand colder temperatures before refreezing. This process creates a very salty brine, or solution of salt and water. Runoff water with elevated levels of salt can have negative effects on nearby plants, people, pets and other wild animals.

Negative Effects of Salt as a De-Icing Material

According to the EPA, the most commonly used de-icing material in the U.S. is Sodium Chloride or Salt. Each year approximately 15 million tons of de-icing rock salt is used across the U.S. to combat icy road conditions. This number doesn't include the amount of salt used on private property by home and business owners. This much of any material added to the environment will have side effects. When rock salt is used for de-icing, the runoff created can contribute to elevated levels of chloride in ground and surface water. Most water is filtered naturally as it travels through soil and sediments. Chloride however is not naturally filtered by this process and stays with the water through its entire journey. For this reason, it's important to manage highway de-icing near sources of drinking water, as this can lead to contamination.

Effects of Elevated Salt Levels on Vegetation
Elevated levels of salt in runoff water can render nearby soil infertile. Salt absorbs water at a rapid rate and when present in soil at elevated levels it competes with plants for moisture. This can create drought-like conditions for vegetation, even though there may be plenty of water in the soil. In addition to these drought-like conditions, the sodium and chloride ions of the salt break down in the water, thus making the chloride easier to absorb by the plants root system. As this chloride builds up in the plant's leaves, it will eventually reach toxic levels causing leaf scorch or leaf burn. This is when plant tissues begin to brown including the leaf margins and tips, and is usually accompanied by yellowing or darkening of the veins. Alternatively, when the brine is sprayed or splashed onto nearby plant life, the salt can enter their cells. If salt enters the plants cells, it will reduce its ability to survive through cold weather.

Effects of Elevated Salt Levels on People
Excess salt doesn't affect humans as drastically as animals and plant life, but when found in high enough quantities in the environment, it can cause issues by seeping into local water supplies. People that are at risk for high blood pressure are especially at risk if elevated salt levels are found in their local drinking water. City water supplies can become so polluted with excess salt that they need to be temporarily shut down. Another health risk posed by road salt seeping into local water supplies is caused by the sodium ferrocyanide that is added to rock salt to prevent it from clumping during storage. By itself it isn't very toxic, but when exposed to heat and acidity it can produce toxic cyanide compounds.

Effects of Elevated Salt Levels on Pets
Rock salt is toxic to most of our pets at home. Keeping an eye on whether or not they are ingesting too much salt is extremely important. In the winter months it can be difficult to monitor this if you're not sure what to look for. When pets walk on a sidewalk that has been treated with rock salt to remove ice, there is a risk of salt pellets being trapped in-between the pads on their paws. This can be extremely painful to your pet and can lead to irritation or burns on or in-between their pads. When salt is used to de-ice surfaces, the brine created from the melting of the ice leaves behind a salty film or coating on the surface when the water evaporates. This salty film can coat the bottom of your pet's paws and cause them to dry out and become irritated. If your pet starts limping or licking their feet more frequently after going for walks in winter conditions'this could be a sign of GÇ£salty paws.GÇ¥ This is important to watch for, as salt in high quantities is toxic to dogs and will irritate their digestion. There is also the risk of cyanide compounds or other contaminates found in the salt poisoning your pet as well.

Protecting Your Pets from Road Salt

Since we can't control what de-icing materials are used by our neighbors or the city we live in, it's best to try and avoid any walkways or roads that have been treated for ice when taking your pet for a walk. This might not be easy depending on where you're located. Don't worry, there are a couple things you can do to protect your beloved pet from the dangers of rock salt.

- Wash and dry your pets feet as soon as you return from your walk. Make sure you use warm water, do not use hot water. This extreme temperature change can cause harm to your pet's paws.
- If your pet will tolerate them, boots or pet shoes are a great defense against harmful de-icing materials and the cold. If not, using a natural cream or wax based paw protection product that you can apply before going on your walk is a great alternative.
- Make sure you treat any paw abrasions immediately! Letting an injury like that remain untreated can lead to infection.

Effects of Elevated Salt on Wildlife

The use of rock salt as a de-icer has a variety of negative effects on the wildlife in your region. Birds are among the most sensitive species of wildlife to salt. The salt crystals that are spread to remove ice are often confused as seeds and are ingested by birds. Ingesting even small quantities of salt can cause toxicosis and death in your local bird population.

Mammals such as deer and moose are attracted to the salt crystals and salty puddles in the road, leading to increased rates of car accidents and wildlife fatalities. Many animals rely on and drink snowmelt as a means of hydration in the winter months and during the transition from winter to spring. When rock salt is used in the area to de-ice road ways it leads to increased levels of salt in the snow melt. When animals drink this snow melt it can potentially cause salt toxicity. Symptoms of this can include dehydration, confusion and weakness.

As we mentioned earlier, salt can be very harsh on the environment. These effects trickle down and affect animal populations as well. When salt damages vegetation in certain areas, it can have a significant impact on the natural habitat of the area. Food resources, shelters, breeding and nesting sites can all be at risk of being destroyed. When this happens it can create a favorable environment for foreign invasive species.

Since ice melt runoff seeps through to our ground and surface water, aquatic life is especially at risk in regions that use rock salt as a means to de-ice their roadways. As we now know, chloride doesn't get naturally filtered from runoff like other heavy metals and contaminants. This leads to an increase in chloride levels in ground and surface water. This can be toxic to many forms of aquatic life including fish, macroinvertebrates, insects and amphibians. This toxicity increases when chloride is associated with other cations such as magnesium or potassium. This occurs when the ions of the salt have dissolved and traveled at different rates. Increases in salinity levels in ground water can also be noticeable and can affect sensitive species of fresh water aquatic life. When fresh waters increase in salinity it can also release toxic metals from sediment that can inhibit nutrients and dissolve oxygen in the water, which the aquatic species rely on.

Rock Salt Alternatives

While being the most common and cheapest de-icing material, rock salt can be very damaging to the surrounding environment, which has sent many people searching for alternatives. With the wide array of options in de-icing materials, the decision of which material to use comes down to balancing your needs for environmental safety with cost. If you're a pet owner, have a lot of landscaping and plant life near your drive or walk ways or along your roads, or are near wildlife preserves, it's important to choose an environmentally friendly de-icing option.

Sand as a De-Icing Material
Is typically used as an additive to other de-icing materials, as it doesn't melt ice itself. It does provide traction on ice's slippery surface and one of the major benefits of using sand is the cost. Sand is much cheaper than its de-icing counterparts, and when mixed with other materials, it can help you use less de-icing material while still effectively melting ice and providing traction. But this isn't a magical answer! Increased use of sand can have negative impacts on the environment as well. When used in large amounts, it can clog storm drains, forcing cities and municipalities to have to pay for cleanup or risk flooding problems. As it becomes embedded in snow and ice, it loses its effectiveness driving some people to use more. When it makes its way to local water ways and streams it can begin to cloud them up which prevents sunlight from reaching aquatic plants and burying life on the stream bed.

Calcium Magnesium Acetate as a De-Icing Material
Some people refer to this choice as being one of the most eco-friendly de-icers on the market. Though it isn't completely neutral to wildlife, it has a low toxicity to plants and microbes and is also less corrosive to steel. The big draw backs to this material are its cost and the amount needed to achieve effective results. This de-icing solution can also lower dissolved oxygen levels in soils and water bodies, which can potentially harm aquatic life.

Calcium Chloride as a De-Icing Material
This is a great alternative for salt in areas where the temperature drops below 0-¦F (-18-¦C) and in areas that have high levels of sodium in source water. This de-icing material is eff

Choosing the Right Salt Spreader

orders@rcpw.com — Tue, 22 Oct 2024 11:53:00 -0500

To some, owning a salt spreader means cutting a few holes in a large enough can and shaking out the salt. To others, it's a deeply integrated part of their snow removal services. Many decide which type of spreader to use simply by considering the volume of material it can hold compared to the volume of material they plan to use. Making a decision like this can be a costly mistake. Choosing a spreader that allows too much of the wrong material to flow is a huge waste and can be a complete waste if your spreader can't throw any material at all. Most spreaders are designed to be able to handle a variety of materials, but even the most versatile spreader can't apply every type of de-icing material that's on the market. As a consumer or contractor trying to decide how to combat ice, the first question that needs to be asked is: what de-icing material will I be using?

Choosing a De-Icing Material
Considering Capacity
- Capacity per Client
- Total Capacity
Design

Choosing a Deicing Material

After considering the effects of road salt and its alternatives, it's time to make an educated decision as to which material you'll be using. First, consider the surfaces you'll be clearing. Different surfaces can require the use of different materials. For example, parking garages are treated with magnesium chloride to reduce the corrosion of the rebar used in its pre-cast concrete panels, whereas treatment of sensitive concrete surfaces or other masonry pavers usually calls for a material like calcium chloride. Depending on your needs, you may want to consider purchasing several different spreaders to fulfill different applications. A more cost effective solution is to line up similar jobs that have the same de-icing needs in order to reduce the variety of de-icing material being used.

Considering Capacity

Salt spreaders can range from 75 lb capacity push spreaders to massive 4 cubic yard truck mounted units that can hold close to 8,000 lbs of material. Styles include: smaller push or walk behind salt spreaders, small ATV salt spreaders, small to mid-sized tailgate salt spreaders, under tailgate salt spreaders for dump trucks and large v-box or hopper salt spreaders. There are also liquid spray systems for those who prefer to pre-treat or de-ice with liquid materials. Deciding which capacity fits your needs will rely on the capacity of material needed per job and for the entire route. Balancing these two needs is very important to maintaining efficiency.

Capacity Required per Client

Home owners and contractors that are handling smaller jobs like residential driveways and walkways, paved areas with tight corners or confined areas will want to use a walk behind spreader or small to mid-sized tailgate spreader. The average capacity range for these spreaders ranges between 2.7 and 5.75 cubic feet. Using this size spreader will offer more visibility and will spread your chosen material more efficiently for these types of applications. Using a larger salt spreader will make handling a vehicle in the confined space of a smaller job more difficult and will waste de-icing material with the added maneuvering. You can mix materials in the hopper of these spreaders and they are easily calibrated for precision material spreading. These are typically too small to be the primary salt spreader for most contractors, but are great for home or business owners or as an additional spreader for contractors.

For larger clean up jobs like driveways, parking lots, roadways or bridge decks, a tailgate or hopper salt spreader is recommended. Designed for professional contractors, the average capacity of these spreaders is 9.0 cubic feet and above. You can mix de-icing materials in these hoppers and they are easily calibrated for precision material spreading. Though they can handle large areas, these spreaders are undersized for maintaining very large areas like malls or entire subdivisions. Some contractors will attempt to cut costs by buying a smaller spreader than they really need. This can end up costing you more in the long run once you add up the down time of continually stopping for each refill and the additional fuel consumption from driving back and forth for materials.

Municipalities or contractors who specialize in maintaining large parking lots, roadways, bridge decks, malls, and subdivisions can benefit from the large capacity provided by v-box or large hopper salt spreaders. The average capacity for these spreaders is 1 cubic yard and larger. These spreaders are best for handling bulk materials and have restricted mixing capabilities. These are not intended for precision spreading--their best application is to broadly cover large areas.

Liquid systems are often used as an addition to hopper salt spreaders. This pre-wetting process helps your de-icing material better stick to the road, allowing for less of the material to be needed to accomplish the same job. Some liquid spray systems can replace the use of a normal salt spreader. If you prefer to mix liquid de-icers with your dry material or your chosen material is a liquid, these spray systems will be best suited for you.

Total Capacity

After considering the capacity needed per each job, it's time to start calculating the total amount of material needed for your entire route. Grouping your clients together, while assessing the size of each job and the materials needed per client, will help you plan the most efficient route. Planning your route will help you narrow down the wide range of spreaders available to those that are designed to handle the material(s) you've chosen and are sized appropriately for the work load you plan on undertaking. It wouldn't make sense to buy a spreader with a capacity of 3 cubic yards if your material total for your entire route is only 1 cubic yard. Alternatively, if your route requires 6 cubic yards of material, a spreader with a capacity of 1 cubic yard is too small.

Some contractors value the ability to carry extra de-icing material in their trucks. With larger hopper or v-box spreaders that occupy the entire truck bed, this isn't an option. These spreaders will require the contractor to either have their own supply of bulk material at their headquarters or they'll need to visit a landscaping supply center for every refill. It's important to balance the needs of each client with the needs of your entire route before deciding which spreader will fit your work load best.

Design

After you figure out which material best fits your clients needs, what capacity spreader will handle your routes needs and which style will best accommodate your average job size, the selection of spreaders should be narrowed down to only a handful of options. The differences at this point are between the design of the spreaders and materials they're constructed from.

Hopper Material

Recently the industry has been trending to favor spreaders made of polyethelene (poly), though steel and stainless steel options are still available. The material that the hopper is constructed of influences the flow of material through the spreader. Spreaders constructed of polyethelene have the advantage of being naturally smooth and slippery. This helps the de-icing material flow through the spreader more easily. Steel, on the other hand, is coarser, causing de-icing materials to catch or stick to it more frequently. With steel spreaders, de-icing material will begin to collect on the sides where it sticks to the steel hopper. Once these spreaders start showing corrosion, material flow can be further hindered by the rust that begins to build up.

Strength and Durability

When talking about the strength of each material, the debate is moot. Poly, steel and stainless steel spreaders don't really offer any direct strength advantage over each other. When considering overall durability, spreaders constructed of steel are susceptible to corrosion from de-icing materials and, over time, this reduces their strength. These spreaders also incorporate more moving parts like belts, sprockets and chains. With the addition of these parts, maintenance costs and unexpected down times are likely to increase. Steel spreaders are also typically equipped with an engine that needs to be maintained to keep the spreader functioning. Due to the increased number of moving parts and an engine that requires continual maintenance, these spreaders can rarely be used without pre-season maintenance after storage. Alternatively, poly spreaders are resistant to corrosion, and most are powered by electric motors and don't typically incorporate as many moving parts. This reduces the amount of pre-season and ongoing maintenance required to keep these spreaders in action. Considering maintenance costs is an important step for a contractor adding multiple spreaders to their fleet.

Weight

With local law enforcement cracking down on overweight vehicles more than ever, weight becomes a serious thing to consider when picking a salt spreader. It's important to make sure you don't exceed your vehicles gross vehicle weight ratio (GVWR) when traveling with a loaded spreader. Poly salt spreaders are much lighter, allowing the driver to carry more de-icing material in the spreader before reaching the GVWR. More de-icing material on the road means less time driving back and forth for re-loading and more time fulfilling your client's needs. The other benefit to using a lighter spreader is reduced fuel costs. According to the EPA, eliminating 10% of a vehicles gross weight can improve gas mileage by 7%. Depending on the number of vehicles/spreaders in a contractor's fleet, these fuel savings can add up fast!

Agitation Systems

Though the material that the spreader is constructed from influences how well the material naturally flows through the spreader, many have agitation systems in place to keep de-icing materials from clumping together and creating blockages in your hopper. Gravity fed spreaders that use smaller bag materials typically don't have these systems, as the material they are spreading is finer and more processed than bulk materials.

For larger spreaders using bulk materials, these systems are essential in making sure the spreader can handle the large amount of material being passed through them without causing clogs. Different methods of agitation are more effective than others. Conveyer systems can potentially move too much material for the rate its being spread and overload the chute. These systems also randomly dump sheets of material as the belt revolves, occasionally wasting de-icing material. After these conveyor chains dump material into the discharge chute, they revolve back under the spreader and occasionally pull material back into the truck bed with them, creating additional waste.

One of the alternatives to conveyor chain systems is an auger driven system. These systems utilize a metal auger in the hopper of the spreader to break apart chunks of bulk material and help the material keep moving towards the discharge chute. The auger is basically a corkscrew shaped metal part that spins at the bottom of the hopper. While this part spins, it breaks apart any large chunks of bulk material, allowing it to move towards and flow through the discharge chute easily.

The other alternative, typically used on poly spreaders, is a vibration system. These use a vibrator mounted to the side of the hopper to send vibrations through the sides of the hopper and shake the material within. This helps prevent the material from clumping together and helps it move towards the discharge chute.

Application Control

There is a variety of different controls for how a spreader applies de-icing material. Some utilize a single adjustment lever to control both the flow rate and spinner speed. Some have an additional manual rear gate that can be raised or lowered to increase or reduce flow. Even though you can manually adjust the rate of flow with these mechanisms, they aren't very precise and you need to stop and exit the truck to manually make adjustments on the spreader. Once these manual controls are set, the driver can apply more or less de-icing material by speeding up or slowing down. This can create a road safety issue if the driver is more focused on the material flow rate than their surroundings.

A safer and more efficient option is using a system that allows for independent control of the spinner and the auger from within the truck. Being able to adjust both these parameters allows for more precise control over material flow in a given area. If you need to lay down more or less material, you can increase or reduce the speed of the auger without affecting the spread width, as it has its own control. This is useful whether you're adjusting to accommodate the rate of snow fall during a storm or if you're just making adjustments to accommodate the needs of different job sites.

There can be many aspects to consider when choosing a salt spreader that's appropriate for you and your work load. Keep in mind what material you're spreading, the amount of material that needs to cover each job site, the amount of material needed to accommodate your entire route and which design elements will best suit your application needs. These key points will help you narrow down the wide field of salt spreaders on the market to the ones that will fit you and your needs best. Find your salt spreader today at RCPW!

Choosing a De-Icing Material
Considering Capacity
- Capacity per Client
- Total Capacity
Design
- Hopper Material
- Strength and Durability
- Weight
- Agitation System
- Application Contriol

Blog

Avoiding Surprise Salt Spreader Breakdowns

Pre-Season Maintenance

1. Check and Grease All Connections

2. Check Motor Connection Terminals

3. Inspect Your Transmission and Drive Components

4. Inspect Drive Shaft Bearings

5. Inspect Your Motor Cover Assembly

6. Check Spinner Disk

7. Check All Lights

Continual Maintenance

1. Grease all connections!

2. Empty and Clean Spreader

3. Grease Drive Shaft and Spinner Shaft Bearings

4. Grease Transmission Bearings and Check Oil FIll Level

5. Check Drive Components

Postseason Maintenance

1. Grease All Connections

2. Empty and Clean the Spreader

3. Grease Driveshaft Bearings

4. Protect Bare Metal Surfaces

5. Secure the Hopper Lid

6. Store Upright

Clean and Grease!

Effects of Sodium Chloride as a De-icing Material and Alternative Options

Table of Contents

How De-Icing Materials Work

Negative Effects of Salt as a De-Icing Material

Protecting Your Pets from Road Salt

Rock Salt Alternatives

Choosing the Right Salt Spreader

Table of Contents

Choosing a Deicing Material

Considering Capacity

Capacity Required per Client

Total Capacity

Design

Hopper Material

Strength and Durability

Weight

Agitation Systems

Application Control

Table of Contents

Choosing a Deicing Material

Considering Capacity

Capacity Required per Client

Total Capacity