2 February 2016
 Categories: , Articles

Renting a concrete mixer is an affordable means of producing your own concrete, especially if you are working at a remote site where bringing in trucks is expensive. Concrete mixers are also easy-to-use, and this can be advantageous to workers who have limited experience using mixing equipment. However, as with all rental equipment, it can be costly if you fail to return a concrete mixer in the same condition received.

In fact, permitting concrete to dry inside the drum is apt to not only cost you an equipment deposit, it may also incur additional charges for cleaning or repair. That's why it is important to not only remove concrete from a mixer, but to also know how to prevent concrete build-up in the first place. Below is how to simplify clean-up by keeping a concrete mixer for rent as clean as possible during use :

Tools and materials needed

• Diesel oil
• Handheld pump-up sprayer
• Cloth shop towel
• 55-gallon garbage bags in 3 mil thickness
• Duct tape

How to keep the mixer clean

1. Cover as many components as possible - Before you begin operating the concrete mixer, you will want to spend some time covering non-moving parts and structural components. Covering these parts doesn't need to be complicated; ordinary heavy duty garbage bags, in a 55-gallon size and 3 mil thick, work as excellent covers for parts on the mixer. Here are some components you need to keep protected from splashes of concrete:

• Wheels - Be sure to position the mixer in its resting spot before covering the wheels; don't attempt to move the mixer with the wheels covered, or you risk causing it to tip over.

• Motor housing - Depending on where cooling vents are located on the housing that covers the motor, you will want to protect the sheet metal cover; however, never cover any areas necessary for ventilation and avoid moving parts that can snag the plastic and cause serious damage to the machine.

• Structural supports - Keeping the support structure of the mixer covered will prevent the need to clean in areas that might be obstructed or otherwise difficult to access.

To cover these components, and others, either cut the garbage bags as necessary or simply pull them over and around parts of the mixer. For example, the wheels can be easily covered by pulling a bag up and over them, akin to socks on feet. If you need to cut the bags, use strips of duct tape to attach the plastic and prevent it from slipping.

2. Lubricate the surfaces of the drum - While the rotating drum on a concrete mixer can't be covered in the same manner as stationary parts, you can protect it by applying a thin coating of diesel fuel. To do so, dip part of a clean, cloth shop towel into a small container of diesel fuel, then squeeze out the excess fuel. Next, wipe down the exterior surface of the drum, paying particular attention to the area around the drum opening. Keep the coat of diesel fuel thin, and if it drips from the drum, you can be assured you have used too much. Wipe off any excess once you have coated the exterior.

The diesel fuel serves as a barrier to prevent concrete adhesion to the exterior of the drum. Once you are finished with the mixer, you can remove the diesel fuel residue with another clean, dry cloth. Don't return the mixer with diesel fuel on the exterior, or you may be held responsible for additional cleaning charges.

Diesel fuel will also prevent concrete adhesion on the inside of the drum. Before introducing anything into the drum, use a pump-up hand sprayer to spray a light misting on the interior of the drum. As long you use a fine mist to coat the interior, it will not negatively affect the concrete mixture. However, heavier applications can alter the composition of the concrete and cause it to weaken or fail entirely. As with the exterior, be sure to thoroughly clean out any residual diesel inside the drum before returning the rental mixer.