Summer is officially over; with that, we can expect cooler weather and less usage of your ventilation and cooling strategies in the barn. This means it’s time to perform the end-of-summer dairy barn maintenance in your barn to ensure your facilities are in good condition and prepared for the cooler months ahead. We met with Josh Jennings, Sr. Field Service Project Manager for VES-Artex, and compiled his top 3 end-of-summer maintenance tips.

What Do You Need to Do with Your Fans?

The fall season is a good time to get all maintenance on your fans completed. Jennings says, "Take care of your fans as you would any other piece of equipment on your farm. Don't neglect a piece of equipment that has proven beneficial to your cow's overall health and production." Here’s a quick checklist of what you can do:

Maintenance on Belt Drive Fans:

• Check all belts to ensure they’re in good working order
• Check all tensioner pulleys and arms
• Clean all of the shutters on exhaust fans like AFRs
• Clean all of the louvers on louvered circulation fans like ECVs
• Clean all of the louvers on inlet fans like PPFs if applicable 
• Clean blades and check for any damages
• Protect the motor on all cleaning processes 

Maintenance on Direct Drive Fans:

• Clean all of the shutters on  exhaust fans like AFRs
• Clean all of the louvers on louvered circulation fans like ECVs
• Clean all of the louvers on inlet fans like PPFs if applicable
• Clean blades and check for any damages
• Protect the motor on all cleaning processes

What If You Have High-Pressure Fogging?

High-pressure fogging systems provide added cow cooling when ventilation alone is not enough, but as the hotter temperatures are behind us, it’s time to prepare these systems for winter. If you’re in an area where you’re no longer using your high-pressure fogging to mitigate heat stress, it’s a great time to winterize the water lines.

How Can You Maintain Curtains?

Rolled Curtains leverage nature’s airflow with automated roll curtains using direct drive technology, and with cooler weather arriving, you want to ensure your curtain system is ready for quick rollup and roll down. Jennings makes a great suggestion regarding maintaining your curtain system: Check for breaks in the bird mesh that may catch the curtain during rollup or down.
Maintaining your ventilation and cooling systems is just as important as having them. Poor maintenance, mostly lack of cleaning, can reduce efficiency by as much as 40%. Remember, proper upkeep is just as important as having these systems in place. At VES-Artex, we're here to support you in planning, implementing, and maintaining your barn equipment, so please don't hesitate to contact your dealer for more guidance on dairy barn maintenance.