All the experts say the same thing: Planned Preventative Maintenance (PPM) is the way to go when it comes to forecourts.
You might respond: well, they would say that, wouldn’t they? But in these ultra-competitive times when drivers flood the grocery mults’ sites for 1p extra off per litre or a few more loyalty points, ensuring everything is operational at all times is more important than ever.
TSG Solutions’ marketing coordinator Cheryl Ashton says: “PPM is essentially a scheduled maintenance programme for forecourt equipment, in direct contrast to reactive maintenance where dispensers and EVchargers are checked and repaired following a breakdown or failure.
“PPM is a proactive approach to asset management where tasks are planned ahead of time, while the equipment is still fully operational. It establishes a stable routine for site staff and eases the worry of unexpected disruption to the business.”
Good investment
Ashton points to the key reasons why PPM is a good investment:
• Reliability: Regular maintenance is by far the best way for forecourts to remain fully operational and extend the lifespan of the equipment while reducing replacement costs and preventing premature wear and tear.PPM helps to mitigate the risks by increasing the reliability of the dispensers and EV chargers by ensuring parts that may one day fail are either serviced regularly or replaced.
• Safety: Well-maintained equipment reduces safety risks for both staff and customers. Regular inspections of dispensers, hoses and fittings help identify defects that could pose health hazards, reducing the risk of leaks and accidents.
• Legal compliance: Compliance with health, safety and environmental regulations is essential. Regular inspections and maintenance help forecourt owners operate efficiently, meet legal requirements, avoid potential fines or penalties, and safeguard the reputation of the business.
• Improve longevity: Operators need to ensure that the dispensers, chargers and facilities are working at peak capacity, but they also need to moderate the time and money spent on repairs. PPM is the best way for a business to extend the lifespan of its equipment and facilities. PPM can identify key performance indicators that allow forecourt owners to assess the availability, reliability, functionality and maintenance costs of the dispensers and chargers. Identifying these potential issues before the equipment fails helps operators budget repair costs and replacements accordingly.
• Customer satisfaction: A well-presented operation enhances the customer experience. Regular maintenance ensures that dispensers work smoothly, nozzles are clean and facilities are tidy.
“Investing in PPM on the forecourt is the best way to stay competitive, grow the business and improve customer satisfaction,” says Ashton.
Comprehensive service
Eurotank Service Group recommends annual PPM for forecourts and offers a comprehensive list of services provided by its three divisions: Eurotank Environmental, Eurotank Installations and Europump Maintenance.
The company says combining several tasks into one single PPM visit can help retailers control service and maintenance costs. For example, jet wash bay valeting can be provided at the same time as interceptor and drainage cleaning. A two-man team will chemical-clean the screens and jet wash machines in addition to the wash pits and silt traps using the company’s fleet of Rolba ADR tankers, which will also clean the interceptors in the same visit.
Eurotank recommends that retailers have their interceptor and drainage channels cleaned every six months to prevent build-up of oil, silt, debris and other contaminants, which could lead to an increased risk of flooding of forecourt drainage systems and cause severe disruption to customers. Jet wash bays should be cleaned between two and four times a year, depending on how busy the valeting facilities are.
Jack Aplin, Eurotank’s group sales director, says: “Eurotank’s fleet of Rolba ADR tankers will provide a thorough clean of the interceptor – we won’t just skim a bit off the top – because the 16,000-litre barrel allows us to uplift the contents of interceptors as well as store the waste removed.”
“The Rolba’s water storage tank and low-volume jetter also allows Eurotank to clean the drainage channels to ensure your site is as risk-free to flooding as possible”.
Cherry picker support
Other cleaning services provided by Eurotank Service Group are equipment, canopy and CCTV cleaning, using Europump’s fleet of cherry picker vans. “Cleaning pumps, the forecourt canopy and CCTV cameras is a big challenge that many retailers are not delivering but an annual clean really lifts a site and can help retailers retain more customers,” says Aplin.
“A cherry picker is costly to have on site, so we recommend completing as many maintenance tasks as possible in one visit. We also use cherry pickers to carry out vapour recovery stage 1b testing, which is recommended annually.
“There are plenty of synergies between our maintenance services so get in touch and we can discuss how best to combine tasks and keep your maintenance costs as low as we possibly can,” adds Aplin.
“Electrical testing, for example, can be quite a disruptive service so it’s a good idea to complete it at a time when other disruptive works are taking place such as an annual pump meter audit and cutbacks, and pump filter and belt changes.
“Small fabric repairs such as dropped aco channels, manholes and bollards could all be fixed during a known annual PPM visit, too.”
When it comes to fuelling equipment maintenance, Europump suggests retailers book an annual meter audit at the same time as having pump filters and belts changed, as well as vapour recovery stage 2 checks and adjustments. “Worn pump meters give away fuel because they drift in favour of the motorist, not the retailer,” explains Aplin. “Annual meter audits establish whether the meter is worn by comparing the measure at full speed and then slow speed. We recommend replacing meters with a significant difference between the two measures.”
Safety in numbers
Barry Onions, head of sales at Petroassist UK, says maintenance should be considered when buying new pumps. “Installation of new pumps on your forecourt is an important decision as normally they are in service for an average of 15-20 years. There are several things to take into account when selecting a fuel pump type for your forecourt – and maintenance is one of the biggest key factors.”
He says some retailers may have purchased pumps in the past at an attractive price only to find out, at a later date, that spares are very difficult, if not impossible, to obtain – meaning there are few or no options for maintaining the equipment.
“Safety in numbers is something to bear in mind as pump maintenance companies generally will not set up maintenance services for equipment that has a very small install base.
“Just take a moment to consider this, one pump motor or tank gauge probe could cost you more than the average yearly service contract so is it worth taking that risk on your site?”
Onions points to the most common issues for call outs:
• Filters: With modern bio content fuels filters need cleaning or replacement on a fairly frequent basis.
• Hanging hardware: Nozzle and hoses get lots of wear and tear and need replacing after several years.
• VR2 issues: These systems require periodical calibration and testing to keep them running correctly.
• Outdoor payment terminals: These can suffer wear and tear on touchscreens and printers that require routine maintenance.
EV chargepoint maintenance
Maintenance and upkeep of EV chargepoints is important for ensuring smooth operation, customer satisfaction and the widespread adoption of EVs, says Ashton at TSG.
This is especially important in light of the Public Charge Point Regulations 2023 which came into effect last year.
This new government legislation demands a 99% reliability rate over a chargepoint operator’s (CPO’s) network throughout each calendar year. Chargers in car parks reserved exclusively for a company’s staff or fleet use are exempt as are private residential premises.
To show that the 99% rate is being met, the CPOs must submit quarterly reports to the Secretary of State, providing information on the reliability of its chargepoints and the type of support sought by users.
“Public charging areas will undoubtedly benefit from a comprehensive PPM strategy, consistently maintaining the chargers in tip-top condition,” says Ashton.
She says there are some simple steps that site owners can perform, without the need of third-party intervention, such as regular cleaning of the charging units to prevent the accumulation of dust, grime and other contaminants that could affect performance.
“Site staff should also check the chargers for wear and tear, damage or vandalism, making sure that all of the bays are easily accessible and the site is free from obstructions.
“Furthermore, staff should conduct regular inspections and perform verification tests on the chargers’ payment terminals, to ensure they are fully operational.
“All other checks and tests should be carried out by a qualified EV charge technician from a reputable company, preferably on a PPM basis.”
Such a programme would include periodic testing of key components such as transformers, circuit breakers and cooling systems to ensure they are operating within optimal parameters.
In addition, checking the efficient distribution of electrical loads across the chargers within the station will help to detect any irregularities in charging times, which could indicate issues such as low voltage or battery malfunctions.
“Adopting a PPM strategy ensures EV chargers operate reliably, preventing breakdowns and optimising uptime. It is a proven method for charge stations to remain fully operational while reducing replacement costs and preventing premature wear and tear,” says Ashton.
