Preventive maintenance is important to keeping your anesthesia unit ventilator functioning properly at all times. You need to regularly inspect your equipment to determine whether or not it is due for maintenance.

You should familiarize yourself with the manufacturer's instructions on its operation and maintenance. You should also go through the following six important steps to periodically inspect your unit ventilator:

Make sure the AC plug is fully intact and secure

The AC plug can become damaged over time as the unit is relocated. It goes without saying that loss of power while the ventilator is in use is a huge problem, so it's important to check and make sure that the blades rest securely plugged in.

You can shake the plug back and forth for a moment to listen for a knocking or rattling sound that could show that there are screws loose in the plug. 

Inspect filters to determine if they need replacement

An anesthesia unit ventilator will typically include both liquid and pneumatic filters. These filters need to be examined to make sure that they are still functioning effectively and don't need to be replaced. 

Check the chassis for damage and residue

The chassis of the unit needs to be kept clean. If residue builds up, it should be cleaned away. Also, it's important to inspect the housings of the chassis to make sure that they are still fully intact. Over time, hardware in the chassis may need to be tightened, so inspect screws and other hardware. 

Examine the line cord and makes sure it doesn't need replacement

The line cord that hooks up to your unit ventilator can become damaged over time. The entire cord should really be replaced even if damaged is found only at one end. When replacing a line cord, it's important to make note of the fact that the new replacement cord must have the same polarity that the initial cord had. 

Look at the fuse or circuit breaker and make sure that it is operating normally

Unit ventilators typically have switch-type circuit breakers. A circuit breaker's switches need to move freely, so this is an important point of inspection. Also, any ventilator device that includes an external fuse needs to include the exact type of fuse that is specified on the chassis itself. 

Make sure that power-loss alarms are functioning properly

Alarms indicating loss of power should be checked to make sure that they are still operating properly. Over time, the batteries that alarms run on can lose power. It's important to regularly check batteries to see that their output voltage is at a normal operating level. 

Talk with a company like Advanced Biomedical Repair for more advice and tips.