Since Truck Scales are commonly subject to outside weather conditions, it is vitally important to set up your scale properly to avoid costly maintenance issues. Here are some examples of how the weather affects your truck scale and a couple of tips on how to handle all that mother nature throws your way:
- Lightning: Heavy lightning storms can be a real headache for scale owners without proper protection in place and can be the difference in operating normally and being down waiting on a service team to arrive. Luckily, this is avoidable with Lightning protection features such As:
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- DC transient protection boards in junction boxes
- Copper transient bypass cables for load cells
- DC transient protection in the home run cable to the indicator
- Single-point grounding
- Bare ground conductor cable buried in the ground from the scale frame to the AC power ground lug
- Uninterrupted power supply/surge protector in the AC line before reaching the indicator
- Lightning and transient protection warranty
- Rain/ Snow: Proper drainage and soil conditions play a huge factor in scale operation and maintenance and need to be heavily considered when setting up a truck scale site/ layout. Water from rain or even humidity can be problematic for truck scale owners by causing pooling under and around their scales. Snow and snowdrifts can be a factor and may require a barrier system for avoiding snow build up underneath your scale. When in the initial purchase stage of a truck scale system it is important to ensure the scale is being installed in an area with proper drainage, adequate soil conditions, and water runoff to avoid future problems with the foundation.
- Dirt: Dirt on a scale can create rust and corrosion and can even affect the accuracy of the weight readings. It is important to keep your truck scale clean and free of debris/ build-up of dirt with regular cleanings and service inspections.