You seem them from the side of road when taking drives through the country, or shortcuts through the industrial parks in your town. Bet you probably wonder how the towering structures called silos are cleaned. But, if you own a family farm, or have a company that uses silos to store products and chemicals this is not just something you can marvel at, but a task you must learn how to do properly. Enter pressure washing, a welcome additions to agricultural care. Pressure washing is in fact one way, perhaps the best way, to do this.
Silos can hold many things- grain, wheat, produce, wood chips, and other crops. In industrial parks, they can also hold chemicals and other products. Because they may store many things over a period of times, there are many times when a silo should be cleaned. The first is when the containers are emptied. Grain dust can actually be highly explosive and is considered a fire hazard, so cleaning it when it is empty is one way to not only protect the vacant structure, but also to prepare it to be refilled. This is especially important to do between growing seasons. After a harvest, the silo is emptied for the season; there are still enough residues inside to harvest something else- insects. This is especially relevant in flat-floored silos. Cleaning the silo between fills will eliminate the feeding grounds for those pests.
Another reason is to protect the product in the silo from being contaminated or infested. Keeping a silo clean will ward off rats, and protect the product being stored from being infested with disease, insects and other harmful microorganisms. If a silo is not clean, or it is found that a product has become contaminated somehow (or a contaminated product was placed inside), the product should be removed as soon as possible. Then before it is restocked, it should be cleaned well. (Of course, periodic cleanings would have prevented the contamination in the first place!)
A third reason silos should be cleaned is when they are clogged. Sometimes there could be blockage from the silo to the production, which can disrupt the flow. These stoppages cannot only hold up production, but can ultimately lose money. Cleaning the silo will find the problem area, and result in higher productivity. |
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A final reason to clean silos is when maintenance needs to be done, or inspections need to be made. If there is anything built up, a good pressure cleaning could remove it, which will in turn help rid the silo of any build-up that, which could be considered maintenance itself, as well as clear up anything that could mark off points on an inspection.
Silos can be cleaned using pressure washers. The pressure washers will give the silo a heavy duty cleaning with hot water coming out at a recommended pressure of about 3000psi. Hot water should be used in this type of job, as it uses less soap and de-greasers to sanitize. Mixed with the right cleaners, the interior and exterior areas will shine- and make the silo safe from contaminants and improve the working order. The silo pad should be cleaned as well. Since the agricultural industry must adhere to many regulations from the FDA and other health organizations, there are products available that are safe to use in areas where food is used, as well as cleaning solutions that will not compromise insecticides or pesticides.
The publisher of these pages is in no way responsible for any damage caused to you, your sewer-jetter, anyone else, your property, or anyone else's property by trying to implement or by successfully implementing the above-mentioned performance and services.
Check out our instructional books and videos/DVDs for very thorough guides and step by step instructions on pressure washing. Whether you are just getting started or are an expert who wants to expand your knowledge of our industry, you will find these books and videos to be a great resource for new techniques.
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