SpillBlockers, Drain Plugs and DrainBlocker Drain Covers offer a wide variety of invaluable protection for drains and other areas of your plant. However, these products are all made of urethane and they need a little special care to reach their full life expectancy. This is because the physical properties of these products may change over time with exposure to certain environmental conditions like temperature, humidity and UV radiation.
Just follow these simple tips to get the most out of your urethane.
Check It Out
When you receive your urethane blocker, thoroughly inspect it. The product should be wrapped in a protective plastic sheet (where applicable), and you should be able to easily remove your product from the box. Save that protective plastic sheet!
Play It Cool
Properly storing your urethane product will keep it happy for at least five years, and maybe more. Urethane products are very tacky. If the product is stored folded onto itself for a prolonged period of time, it may be difficult to pull the urethane apart without causing damage. This is where that protective plastic sheet you saved comes in handy! Keep the product wrapped in the protective sheet whenever it’s in storage, and you’re good to go.
Urethane likes being stored in a cool, dry place with low humidity. Temperatures above 120°F (49°C) and prolonged exposure to excessive (80–100%) humidity are not good conditions for urethane storage. Also, try to avoid prolonged exposure to direct sunlight. The exceptions to this rule are our Drive-Over DrainBlocker, Drive-Over LeakBlocker and DrainBlocker with DuPont Elvaloy, which are designed to stand up to UV rays. Be sure to regularly inspect the urethane products; we recommend a monthly schedule to ensure they are in usable condition.
Use It, Don’t Abuse It
To extend the life of your urethane product, never use it with incompatible chemicals without prior testing. Chemicals not listed on the compatibility guide may damage the product and affect its reusability.
When deploying a blocker, make sure the surface is clean and dry in order to create a liquidtight seal. Avoid long-term deployment of all blockers, except our Drive-Over DrainBlocker, Drive-Over LeakBlocker and DrainBlocker with DuPont Elvaloy — they can take it! Standard blockers should not be deployed for more than 8 hours at a time; the urethane may begin to bond to the surface and rip or tear when you remove it.
Be gentle! When you’re finished using a urethane blocker, lift the product slowly to avoid ripping and tearing. If you notice stretching or tearing, use a putty knife to loosen it from the surface. Then, give it a bath. The urethane should be cleaned and decontaminated before being put back into storage. Thoroughly wash with warm soapy water to remove any dirt, debris and spill residue.
Finally, place the blocker back on its protective plastic sheet to air-dry tacky-side-up. If the protective plastic sheet was damaged or discarded, you can use any polyethylene sheet 4 mil (.10mm) to 6 mil (.15mm) thick.
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