04 Jun 3 Steps for Maintaining Your Arcade Space
When you commit to having arcade games at your establishment, you should have a relationships with an Arcade Technician who will perform scheduled, routine preventative maintenance on your machines. Preventative maintenance is critical, as games that don’t perform at their fullest potential directly correlate to a loss of revenue for you. No one wants to go to an establishment that is notorious for malfunctioning games, and that reputation can catch on faster than you think. That’s why at ACS Amusements, we advocate for catching problems before they arise, so that your games can perform at their highest earning potential.
The following are tips to help you keep your games in working order between maintenance sessions. While we can’t stress enough how important it is to have a professional tech out to your site, we also want to tell you what you should know in order to do your part in keeping your games in working order, which will ultimately lead to more foot traffic and ROI for you.
1. Prepare for Maintenance
Have the game’s operator’s manual handy whenever you go near a game to maintain it. This is important, as an individual game might require special cleaning procedures. Additionally, always make sure the game is OFF before attempting maintenance or cleaning. While that’s probably common sense, we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention it.
Use caution, and all your senses, to evaluate the game before you begin. A simple visual safety inspection can go a long way in finding issues that could cause potential danger or distaste to a customer, like loose screws or broken plastic. These types of hazards are also something that employees should look out for and report on a daily basis.
2. Make Cleaning Your Games a Priority
The exterior of most games can be cleaned with a gentle all-purpose cleaner. Be wary of commercial glass cleaners unless the operator’s manual states that they are okay to use. Also, forgo paper towels, as they can scratch up plexi glass and leave an undesirable look. Use a soft microfiber cloth instead. These are widely available and really do make a difference in protecting your games.
Keep cabinet vents and fans free of any build-up dust and grime. Once you’ve cleaned off dust and cleared the vents, make sure all the fans are working properly.
3. Look Inside the Game Cabinet
You can access the interior of the game cabinet to make sure everything is working properly. Specifically, these interiors can be vacuumed. You might find that some games need vacuumed or cleaned our more frequently than others.
Perform another visual inspection to ensure there are no loose items in the interior cabinet of the game. Worst case scenario, this could cause a short or block ventilation fans, leading to more serious issues down the line. Again, the entire point of preventative maintenance is to stop problems before they start, so take your time.
To clean smaller areas like ticket dispensers, use a can of compressed air. Make sure to check all steering belts and change them if necessary.
And now… the fun part! Play the games to make sure everything is working correctly and make sure all I/O functions are tested. Re-calibrate any controls and replace parts if needed.
Summary
Here are the best ways to ensure your games are in top shape between maintenance appointments:
- Visually inspect the games
- Clean the exterior of the games with a mild cleanser and microfiber cloths.
- Check and clean all cabinet vents and fans.
- Keep the interior cabinet vacuumed.
- Use a compressed air to clean small holes and sensors.
- Maintain upkeep of steering belts.
- Test play the games to ensure functionality
- Re-calibrate controls and replace any parts as needed.
If these guidelines are followed, you are sure to have a clean, fun, safe, and functional arcade for years to come. Combine these tips with regular maintenance check-ups to ensure your arcade is always firing on all cylinders. Contact ACS Amusements if you have technical maintenance needs.
