What is Preventive Maintenance

Last updated: 2025-02-02

Definition Preventive Maintenance

Preventive maintenance is a proactive approach to maintaining equipment, assets, or facilities by performing regular, scheduled inspections, servicing, and repairs to prevent unexpected failures, reduce downtime, and extend the lifespan of assets. This type of maintenance is planned based on time intervals (e.g., monthly, quarterly) or usage metrics (e.g., operating hours, mileage) to identify and address potential issues before they become critical problems.

  • based on time intervals or
  • usage metrics

Common Examples of Preventive Maintenance

  • Cleaning
  • Inspection
  • Service
  • Calibration
  • Repair
  • Software updating
  • Refurbishment
  • Performance monitoring
  • Oil changes
  • Equipment calibration
  • HVAC system inspections,
  • Safety check

Preventive maintenance is a type of planned maintenance focused on preventing equipment failures, planned maintenance is a broader strategy that includes preventive, corrective, and predictive maintenance activities.