General Maintenance 101: How a CMMS Prevents Breakdowns

General maintenance is the cornerstone of asset reliability. It covers basic but essential tasks — like cleaning, tightening and inspecting — that prevent small issues from turning into major malfunctions, costly repairs or production delays. 

Imagine this: You’re managing a manufacturing line that’s been running smoothly until a single conveyor belt breaks down, halting production. The culprit? A loose bolt that would’ve been caught with a simple visual inspection.

That’s where general maintenance proves its value. This guide explains what general maintenance involves, how to perform it effectively and how a CMMS like Coast ensures you stay ahead of issues before a loose bolt or clogged filter takes your entire line offline.

What Is General Maintenance?

General maintenance is a type of routine maintenance that involves performing simple, scheduled tasks to keep equipment, machinery and infrastructure operating reliably. These upkeep tasks are typically carried out by general maintenance workers or facility technicians.

Many teams undervalue general maintenance work because the tasks seem too simple to matter — until something breaks. While emergency repairs are reactive and disruptive, general maintenance is a proactive maintenance approach that leverages coordinated planning. A general maintenance schedule prevents this costly cycle and is typically guided by manufacturer recommendations, industry standards and internal asset data. 

Whether you’re overseeing facility maintenance, heavy equipment maintenance or simply replacing light bulbs, a hands-on general maintenance program helps reduce downtime, improve workplace safety and support overall operational efficiency.

General Maintenance Tasks at a Glance

General maintenance should be routinely applied to nearly all asset types. These straightforward tasks are typically performed by a general maintenance worker and are essential to maintaining the health of your equipment. They include:

• Visual inspections: Spot early signs of wear, damage or safety issues before they become serious problems.
• Cleaning: Removal of debris, dust and residue that can interfere with performance.
• Lubricating: Eliminate friction on moving parts, limiting wear and tear and keeping systems running smoothly.
• Tightening: Make certain that bolts, screws and connections are secured to mitigate equipment failure risk.
• Adjustments: Regularly fine-tuning parts to meet operational specifications and prevent excessive wear, misalignment and breakdowns. 
• Documentation: Keeping a complete log of all the work done helps with data tracking.

Performing these tasks consistently reduces the need for costly repairs, makes assets last longer and promotes a safe working environment.

How to Perform General Maintenance

Implementing general maintenance effectively requires a structured approach with the following steps:

1. Establish maintenance schedules: Leverage manufacturer recommendations, industry standards and maintenance reporting to dictate how frequently each task should be performed.
2. Consistently follow the schedule: Schedule qualified maintenance technicians or specialists to perform tasks consistently and on time. It helps to create standard operating procedures (SOPs) that provide clear instructions for each task.
3. Document all work: Document all completed maintenance activities. Maintenance data can be leveraged to identify patterns, catch recurring issues and refine your overall maintenance strategy over time.

Consistent and proper general maintenance provides a strong foundation for more advanced maintenance practices and overall asset health.

How to Become a General Maintenance Worker

If you’re interested in becoming a general maintenance and repair worker, you can typically start without a college degree. You’ll build skills in areas like basic electrical work, plumbing, carpentry and equipment repair — often through hands-on experience or short-term job training.

Many general maintenance workers begin as apprentices in industries such as facilities management or property management learning from plumbers or electricians. Here’s an overview of how to start:

• Education: Most roles require a high school diploma or GED.
• On-the-job training: Entry-level workers learn basic repairs and safety practices under supervision.
• Skills needed: Electrical, plumbing, HVAC, carpentry, mechanical troubleshooting
• Certifications: OSHA, HVAC, or general building maintenance certifications help you stand out.
• Growth outlook: A 5% growth rate through 2033, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

General Maintenance Examples by Equipment Type

Here are a few examples of assets that need general maintenance:

Pumps & Motors

Pumps and motors keep operations across sectors running by moving fluids, driving conveyor belts, powering equipment and maintaining environmental systems. Since pumps and motors often run continuously and under heavy loads, even minor issues like misalignment or a lack of lubrication can result in serious failures or energy inefficiencies. 

Regular general maintenance helps prevent unexpected downtime, improves system reliability and extends the life of these essential assets.

General Maintenance Tasks Checklist for Pumps and Motors:

• Lubricating bearings and seals
• Checking for leaks, vibrations or unusual noise
• Inspecting and aligning couplings
• Replacing worn belts and gaskets
• Monitoring amperage draw and RPMs

Electrical Panels & Circuit Breakers

Electrical panels and circuit breakers serve as the control centers for power distribution in commercial buildings and industrial facilities by managing the flow of electricity to critical systems and protecting equipment from overloads or short circuits. 

If neglected, issues like loose connections, corrosion or overheating can lead to equipment failure, fire hazards or costly downtime. General electrical maintenance is essential to ensure electrical systems remain safe, efficient and compliant with industry codes and regulations.

General Maintenance Tasks Checklist Electrical Panels and Circuit Breakers:

• Inspecting for signs of corrosion or overheating
• Cleaning terminals and tightening connections
• Testing circuit breakers and relays
• Using thermal imaging to detect hot spots
• Verifying accurate panel labeling

Vehicles & Fleet Equipment

Vehicles and fleet equipment are essential assets in transportation, construction and field service industries. These machines support daily operations, from delivering goods and transporting crews to powering onsite maintenance tools and machinery. 

Because vehicles are often exposed to tough environments and frequent use, staying ahead of wear and tear is crucial. General fleet maintenance not only improves safety and fuel efficiency but also helps avoid costly breakdowns and extends the lifespan of each vehicle. A well-maintained fleet keeps your team productive and on schedule.

General Maintenance Tasks Checklist for Vehicles and Fleet Equipment:

• Oil and filter changes
• Tire rotation and pressure checks
• Brake inspections
• Fluid checks (coolant, transmission etc.)
• Battery, wiper and light checks

How General Maintenance Compares to Other Maintenance Strategies

General maintenance focuses on basic, routine tasks that apply broadly across equipment types. It’s consistent, low-cost and foundational. In comparison:

• Reactive maintenance is unplanned and performed after something breaks down, which is usually costly and can result in substantial downtime.
• Preventive maintenance involves more thorough, scheduled servicing tailored to each asset’s unique needs.
• Predictive maintenance uses sensors and maintenance analytics to anticipate failures before they happen. 

General maintenance supports these other strategies by leveraging routine scheduling of basic tasks to keep systems in steady working order and catch early signs of failure. 

How a CMMS Improves General Maintenance

A computerized maintenance management system (CMMS) like Coast makes general maintenance easier to manage and scale:

Determine Frequencies

With Coast, you can easily set task intervals based on equipment type, usage, manufacturer recommendations and regulatory standards. Coast’s intuitive design makes it simple for managers and maintenance technicians to review and adjust frequencies in real time to meet compliance standards and critical maintenance windows.

Build a Consistent Calendar

Create a clear, repeatable maintenance calendar with recurring tasks for every single asset. Make sure that no step gets overlooked by keeping your teams across locations and job sites organized within one simple maintenance platform.

Automate Assignments

Task assignments are automated and pushed directly to your technicians’ mobile devices, eliminating delays, reducing confusion about who’s responsible and ensuring that every job is completed on time with full visibility.

Track & Report

Coast captures every maintenance activity within one centralized maintenance report, making it easy to monitor asset performance and identify patterns over time. These customizable insights help for fine-tuning your maintenance strategy, reducing unplanned downtime and making smarter, data-backed decisions.

Benefits of Using Coast for General Maintenance

Using Coast as your CMMS, you will avoid missed tasks, reduce reliance on physical paperwork, and promote efficiency and accountability with your whole team. 

Take it from Coast Customer Zeb Freeman who oversees operations for the Animal Resource Center at UT Southwestern Medical Center: “Before using Coast, it was a matter of weeks before we would complete a work order. Now, in general, we’re completing work orders the same day or within a few days.”