Spring Tune-up for Roofing Tools

Taking the time to perform some quick maintenance tasks on your machine now can save you downtime during the roofing season. Whether you have a VARIMAT, BITUMAT, or TRIAC, the checks you should make are largely the same across all equipment.

We recommend you do the following things while waiting for better weather:

• Inspect the heating element
  • Look for signs of cracking outside and debris inside
  • For instructions: see our Tech Tips
    • How to Change a TRIAC Hand Tool Element
    • How to Change a VARIMAT Element
• Ensure the mica tube is in good condition
  • The mica tube is the insulation sleeve that surrounds the element
  • Replace the mica tube if it is damaged or delaminating
• Check that motor brushes are not worn
  • If they are less than 6 mm long, replace them or bring the tool in to STANMECH for service
  • For instructions, see our Tech Tip: How to Change Carbon Brushes in Leister Tools
• Clean any debris from the air filters
  • Use a soft brush or compressed air to clean the air filters
  • If they are damaged, replace them with new
• Check that nozzle ends are not pinched
• With only the blower running and the heat turned off, bend the power cord a short section at a time from one end to the other
  • If the machine shuts off, the cord is damaged and needs to be replaced
• Ensure the tool heats properly
  • Be sure to use a thermocouple, not a laser IR thermometer
  • For more information, read our article: Why you Can’t Measure Air Temperature with a Laser IR Gun and a Simple, Effective Alternative
• While tool is hot, thoroughly clean any material residue from nozzles
• Allow machine to cool completely before shutting off
• Additionally, for automatic tools check that:
  • The lock pin is not broken
    • Instructions on replacing the lock pin can be found here: How to Change a Lock Pin on the VARIMAT, UNIROOF, or BITUMAT
  • The tires and green belt do not have cuts
    • Instructions on replacing tires can be found here: How to Change a Red Tire on a Leister Automatic Welder
  • The two rollers holding down the green belt roll freely and the screw just above each roller is tight
  • The nozzle position is correct
    • Instructions on correcting the nozzle position of a VARIMAT can be found here: How to Check and Correct the Nozzle Position on a VARIMAT
    • For other equipment, consult the manual
  • Weld a scrap piece of material to test the machine drive and tracking

If you come across a problem, visit John's Tech Tips for quick fixes you can perform yourself or give us a call at 1-888-438-6324. STANMECH offers repair and maintenance services for all the products we sell. Our service centre is located on-site at our facilities in Burlington, Ontario. Our Repair Technologist is Leister trained and we use only genuine Leister parts in all our repairs.

Originally published: 01/27/2014