Why You Should Keep Your Equipment Clean
You just spent thousands on new stage production equipment and anticipate long-lasting uninterrupted service, right? Well, that only happens in a perfect world, and let's face it, we are far from that. However, there are things you can do to minimize your downtime and optimize the life of your equipment. One of the most important, yet overlooked steps you can take is implementing a regular maintenance program. In other words, CLEAN YOUR GEAR!!! When your equipment is hung overhead, tucked in a back closet, or inside of an equipment rack, it’s easy to fall into the “out of sight, out of mind” mentality, but it is crucial for the longevity and reliability of your stage gear to keep it clean.
The majority of modern gear have fans to help keep them cool, but those fans also introduce dust and gunk into the inside of dimmers, lighting fixtures, amp racks, projectors, and almost every other piece of expensive gear you own. We have been called to countless venues to troubleshoot equipment problems only to find the covers on fans completely blocked by dirt. If it can’t breathe, it is going to see problems sooner rather than later, and that usually means right before a show starts. Now you are frantically trying to work around a problem that more than likely could have been avoided in the first place.
Most high-end lighting and audio consoles are supplied with a dust cover when purchased. These are not just decorative and meant to be thrown to the side or stashed in a drawer, you need to make sure you are utilizing it and putting it on your console when not in use. On average, we only see covers in use about 5% of the time when in area venues. Dust settling into your faders while the console is unattended is one of the biggest factors in fader failures, those dust covers aren't just for show, they keep the dust off of and out of the console surface (and may save your console from an accidental drink spill….yes, we have seen that too).
Even if you aren't extremely tech-savvy, one of the most simple and effective things you can do to maintain your gear is to just look and listen. Is it dusty? Wipe it off. Are the fans getting dirty? Use canned air and blow them out. Does something not sound right? Have it serviced. While just one of these minor issues may not seem like a big deal, they can cascade until you have a critical piece of equipment fail and you are out of luck.
One other thing to consider is, in the current world we live in, production gear is CONSTANTLY on backorder. With parts shortages, manufacturing has slowed to almost a complete halt. Replacement gear can be months, if not even a year out. Keeping your current gear in good condition will reduce the chance you need to wait for repairs or replacements, as well as save you from having to rent gear in the meantime.
One question we get asked a lot is “How often should I clean my gear”? That really comes down to how often you use your gear, and how dirty your venue is. At a minimum, it should be looked over once a year, but depending on the above factors, every 3 or 6 months may be a better option.
Implementing a regular maintenance program and sticking to it will help make the most of your investment and lessen the stress of failure due to lack of attention. If this is something you're not comfortable doing yourself, find a local company that is willing to work with you to put together a maintenance program that makes sense for your venue.
