Green hats, greenhorns, pickleheads — whatever you call them, chances are good you have some new employees on your site. Chances are also good they don’t have much experience maintaining pumping equipment properly. That’s a problem. Even the most durable designs can only stand up to poor pump maintenance practices for so long.

To get maximum life out of your equipment, it pays to invest in pump training. We’re happy to provide a custom session for your team — but in the meantime, we asked our pumping experts to share their top-five tips for your green hats. (It wouldn’t hurt to share them with your seasoned pros, either.)

1. Read the documentation. You may not need to study the manual to operate your $300 TV correctly, but on a $200,000 pump, even the smallest details matter. Take the time to read the operation and maintenance manual that comes with the equipment. Keep it handy and refer to it when you have questions. Also, be sure to follow the pump maintenance schedules it outlines. They might seem conservative to you, but they were developed for good reason — to keep your pumping equipment operating at peak performance.

2. Listen to the electronics. The electronic systems built into modern-day pumping equipment serve as your first line of defense against problems or failures. They sense issues you simply won’t see with the naked eye until it’s too late. Pay attention to alerts and respond to them in a timely fashion. They’re telling you something might be wrong and giving you a chance to fix it.

3. Listen to your gut. Pumping equipment is engineered to run the same way, day after day. If something looks, sounds or feels different to you today than it did yesterday, there may very well be a problem developing. It’s important to understand your equipment’s baseline — and even more important to speak up when its performance doesn’t align with your expectations.

4. Get back to basics. Proper tooling, proper torque, proper storage, proper lubrication — they all matter. Don’t take shortcuts.

5. Pick up the phone. If you have a question and can’t find the answer in the operation and maintenance manual — or if something just doesn’t seem right with your pumping equipment — don’t hesitate to contact the manufacturer or dealer. That’s what we’re here for. (If your supplier can’t help you, that might be a sign it’s time to change suppliers.)

Ready to schedule a green hat training session — or a refresher for your entire team? We offer basic, intermediate and advanced training on all Cat® products, and we can cover operations, maintenance, technology or all of the above. Get in touch with your local Cat dealer for more details.

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