Common Park Maintenance Mistakes

Small maintenance mistakes very often come with a high cost. From an unsafe guest experience, shorter park lifespan to huge repair costs and negative goodwill for the park, there is lot that a simple maintenance mistake can lead to.

What might seem as a small maintenance slip-up, can lead to big problems, potentially putting the guest safety at risk. A lot of maintenance pitfalls can be avoided by doing regular inspections, and taking corrective action. With a well-formulated and intuitive maintenance plan, we can prevent unnecessary expenditure and downtime to a large extent.”- Scott Heke, President, After Sales Division, WhiteWater

Steer clear to stay clear – avoid the common maintenance mistakes
Based on WhiteWater’s years of experience of helping parks around the world maintain their parks, we have identified the five most common maintenance mistakes that parks make:

  1. Not cleaning, buffing or waxing the slides: The sliding surface is exposed to UV fade from direct sunlight and chemical oxidation from the pool water. This can make it look discoloured and faded and unattractive to guests. It is important to clean and remove water deposit buildup and buff and wax slides on a regular basis to keep the riding surface smooth and comfortable for the riders. This ensures the ride experience matches the rider’s expectations and that guest satisfaction remains high.
  2. Not re-caulking the slide joints: Thermal expansion along with the continuous rush of water and bodies can cause the caulking in the joints to erode. Caulking in the slide joints should be kept at the same level as the riding surface. When the caulking gets below the ride surface, the rider’s skin gets pinched in the joints, causing a less-than-smooth riding experience. By re-caulking the slide joints, you can keep the joints smooth and safe for years altogether.
  3. Not budgeting for repairs or replacement parts: Avoiding regular maintenance may help you save costs in the short-term, but it will actually cost more in the long term. Based on our experience, budgeting for annual waterpark maintenance has been proven to defer long-term capital replacement costs, increase safety, and dramatically reduce your risk of downtime.
  4. Not replacing broken or defective features on the play structures: If there is part of a play structure that’s broken, it’s best to fix it. By ignoring the broken or defective features, you are not just deferring the short-term costs and unknowingly increasing them in the long term, but also potentially sacrificing the safety and playability of guests.
  5. Not having a copy of the manufacturers O&M manual: The manufacturers Operations and Maintenance (O&M) Manual is the best tool for specific maintenance requirements and instructions. By following the manual’s instructions, documenting routine inspections and complying with the recommendations, most of the maintenance mistakes can be avoided.

These are just a few common maintenance mistakes, there is a lot that can be avoided by following a proper maintenance framework. To learn more on the maintenance for your specific product or equipment, read the Complete Guide to Waterpark Maintenance. Alternatively, you can also write to aftersales@whitewaterwest.com to get your maintenance queries answered by WhiteWater experts.

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