Remember when we had to actually climb into the pit to check the buffers?

Back in the early 2000s, my routine for a buffer check meant grabbing a flashlight, a rag, and getting down there to look and feel for any fluid leaks or corrosion. It was a dirty, cramped job every single time. Now, with the newer units we install, most have a remote monitoring sensor that sends an alert to the controller if the oil level drops even a quarter inch. The change really started around 2015 when the code updates pushed for more built-in safety checks. I still do a visual from the top, but it's not the same hands-on mess. Anyone else miss the grime, or is it just me being sentimental?

3 comments

3 Comments

rose_cooper1mo agoMost Upvoted

Wait, remote sensors started in 2015? We had some units with basic float switches for level alerts way before that, like around 2008. They weren't as fancy as today's stuff, but they definitely existed. Maybe it was just my old company being cheap that made me crawl in there longer than I had to.

daniel5931mo ago

Seriously, missing the grime? I'll take the sensor alert over a face full of old oil any day.

barbara_baker571mo ago

God yes, @rose_cooper is right, those old float switches were a joke. I still remember the smell of that tank.