Inspection, Maintenance, And
Troubleshooting Of Rubber Deicer Boot Systems
The most important part of deicer
boot maintenance is to keep the boots clean. Wash the boots with a mild soap
and water solution, and if any cleaning compounds have been used with the
aircraft, wash all traces of them off the boots with lots of clean water. Oil
or grease may be removed by scrubbing the surface of the boot lightly with a
rag damp with benzoil or lead-free gasoline, and then wiping it dry before the
solvent has had a chance to soak into the rubber. During inspection, the
surface deice system should always be checked for boot condition and security
and condition of plumbing. The inspection should also contain a thorough
operational check of the system.
Repairs that can be made to deicer
boots include refurbishing the surface of the boot, repairing scuff damage to
the surface of the boot, repairing damage to the tube area, and repairing tears
in the fillet area. All of these repairs are detailed in the manufacturer's
service manuals, and these instructions must be followed in explicit detail. A
repair on a scuff or surface damaged deicer boot will be discussed for
familiarization purposes. This is the most common type of damage encountered
and is usually caused by scuffing the outer surface of the deicer boot. The
area can be repaired by selecting a patch of ample size to cover the entire
damaged area. The area around the repair must be cleaned and buffed so the area
is roughened. Assure the repair area is clean and apply one even coat of cement
on the patch and on the damaged area. Allow to set until the cement becomes
tacky, then apply the patch, being careful to avoid trapping air under the
patch. Roll the patch down and allow to set, this can take as much as 4 hours,
but the boot can be checked for inflation in about 20 minutes. There are other
types of damage that cannot be covered here, so always use the manufacturers
maintenance manual when repairing deicer boots or their systems.
No comments:
Post a Comment