8.5 Routine and Preventive Maintenance

Data quality is dependent on the care taken in routine and preventative maintenance.

These functions are the responsibility of the site technicians; given their important QAQC role, they should be fully trained to maintain the equipment. The training program for the site technicians should be addressed in the QAPP. The following additional information on maintenance should also be included in the QAPP:

• A list the site technicians and their alternates
• Procedures and checklists for preventive maintenance
• Schedule for preventive maintenance
• Procedures for maintaining spare components
• A list of the components to be checked and/or replaced

Checklists are an essential component of a routine maintenance program and should beused as a matter of course. The instrument manuals should be used as the starting point for the checklist for each of instruments - a good manual should indicate what components need to be checked and how often. A station checklist should also be developed; this should include the following:

• A List of safety and emergency equipment.
• List of items to be inspected following severe weather.
• A checkoff to ensure there is adequate disk space for on-site storage of the raw data.
• A checkoff to indicate that backup of data has been completed.
• A checkoff to indicate that clocks have been checked and adjusted as necessary.
• A checkoff for the cables and guy wires securing the equipment.

All routine and preventive maintenance activities should be recorded in the station log and/or on the appropriate checklist. The station log and checklist provide the necessary paper trail to support claims of accuracy.

8. QUALITY ASSURANCE AND QUALITY CONTROL
8.1 Instrument Procurement 
     8.1.1 Wind Speed 
     8.1.2 Wind Direction  
     8.1.3 Temperature and Temperature Difference 
     8.1.4 Dew Point Temperature 
     8.1.5 Precipitation 
     8.1.6 Pressure 
     8.1.7 Radiation  
 8.2 Installation and Acceptance Testing
     8.2.1 Wind Speed 
     8.2.2 Wind Direction  
     8.2.3 Temperature and Temperature Difference 
     8.2.4 Dew Point Temperature 
     8.2.5 Precipitation 
     8.2.6 Pressure
     8.2.7 Radiation
  8.3 Routine Calibrations  
      8.3.1 Sensor Check  
      8.3.2 Signal Conditioner and Recorder Check  
     8.3.3 Calibration Data Logs 
     8.3.4 Calibration Report  
     8.3.5 Calibration Schedule/Frequency 
     8.3.6 Data Correction Based on Calibration Results  
  8.4 Audits 
     8.4.1 Audit Schedule and Frequency  
     8.4.2 Audit Procedure 
     8.4.3 Corrective Action and Reporting 
  8.5 Routine and Preventive Maintenance 
     8.5.1 Standard Operating Procedures  
     8.5.2 Preventive Maintenance  
 8.6 Data Validation and Reporting  
     8.6.1 Preparatory Steps 
     8.6.2 Levels of Validation  
     8.6.3 Validation Procedures  
     8.6.4 Schedule and Reporting
  8.7 Recommendations