5 Tips to Maintain Your Power Drill

Do you own a power drill? If so, you'll need to maintain it. Power drills make it easy to drill holes into otherwise solid and hard objects. At the same time, most power drills support the use of screw bits, meaning you can use them to install and remove fasteners as well. Power drills, however, require maintenance. Maintaining your power drill will increase its lifespan will protecting it from premature damage.

#1) Keep Away From Water

Regardless of where you store it, keep your power drill away from water. Water and power drills don't mix. Assuming you have an electric power drill -- whether battery or corded -- water can permanently damage. Additionally, water can cause your power drill to rust. You'll need to store your power drill in a dry environment to protect it from water damage.

#2) Wait for It to Cool

Power drills generate heat during use. As the head spins, it will generate heat due to friction. This is completely normal and isn't reason for concern. With that said, you shouldn't store your power drill if it's still hot. If you immediately transfer your power drill to a case after using it, the heat will remain trapped. Instead, wait for your power drill to cool before storing it.

#3) Lubricate Regularly

Don't forget to lubricate your power drill on a regular basis. You can refer to the owner's manual for more information on how to lubricate your power drill. Most power drills support lubricant. You can apply a lubricant, such as oil, to the chuck so that it spins more freely.

#4) Clean Regularly

In addition to lubricating, you should clean your power drill regularly. All power drills will accumulate dirt and debris during use. When drilling a hole into a surface, some of the material within that surface will be removed. As it exits the surface's hole, the material will land on your power drill. You can clean your power drill using compressed air. A few blasts of compressed air should dislodge and remove most of this debris.

#5) Replace Dull Bits

You should replace dull bits as well. A bit, of course, is a small tool that's secured to the chuck of a power drill. There are drill bits, for instance, that are used to drill holes into surfaces. Over time, bits can become dull. They'll lose their otherwise sharp point, which can make them harder to use. Replacing dull bits will improve the performance of your power drill while also reducing unnecessary wear and tear.