After years of working in and supplying to the hydraulic power industry, we have accumulated extensive knowledge and experience of how hydraulic units work, what can go right and of course what can go wrong. In this post we are now going to share with you the 7 most common issues that we have seen when it comes to maintaining hydraulic power equipment.
Generally, premature hydraulic system failure can be traced to one of the following deficiencies:
1. Insufficient fluid level
Lack of oil in a system may not stop it from operating, but it may result in increased contamination, increased temperatures and poor oil lubrication.
2. The presence of air in the system
A sure sign of this is foam and air entrained in the oil. Air dissolved in the darkened oil will cause oxidation of the oil and foam will often be evident in the reservoir. Both of these cause failure of oil lubrication performance.
3. Oil Contamination
Hydraulic filters must be monitored in an effective manner so not to either waste money by changing them too early or risk contaminating the system by changing them too late. Filters that are clogged will stop holding any dirt particles; this allows dirt to circulate in the system. This will then decrease the life of each component in the hydraulic unit – resulting in more expense than necessary.
4. Incorrect system design and commissioning
Filters fitted in the wrong locations can be problematic. In fact two locations for hydraulic filters that will cause no end of problems are the pump inlet and the pump drain lines. Wrongly adjusted valves can cause excessive heat and noise, leading to valve wear and oil failure.
5. Fluid leakage
Where oil escapes from a system, air or other contamination can enter. As we have said contamination causes many early failures.
6. Wrong fluid type or viscosity
The quality of the oil is vital to the operation of the hydraulic system as it not only transfers the power; it also lubricates the entire system. The viscosity and therefore, effectiveness will depend upon whether the system is running at the correct parameters. Poor oil selection can result in premature degradation of oil properties and in turn excessive wear of the system components.
7. Excessive temperatures
Excessively high running temperatures can be easily detected in engines or electric motors, but not so in many hydraulic systems. Quite often there is no method of recognising overheating, but this is the single most effective way of damaging hydraulic oil and the system components. Constant high temperature lowers oil performance and diminishes lubrication. Premature wear is often a result of poor lubrication.
Lack of oil in a system may not stop it from operating, but it may result in increased contamination, increased temperatures and poor oil lubrication.
2. The presence of air in the system
A sure sign of this is foam and air entrained in the oil. Air dissolved in the darkened oil will cause oxidation of the oil and foam will often be evident in the reservoir. Both of these cause failure of oil lubrication performance.
3. Oil Contamination
Hydraulic filters must be monitored in an effective manner so not to either waste money by changing them too early or risk contaminating the system by changing them too late. Filters that are clogged will stop holding any dirt particles; this allows dirt to circulate in the system. This will then decrease the life of each component in the hydraulic unit – resulting in more expense than necessary.
4. Incorrect system design and commissioning
Filters fitted in the wrong locations can be problematic. In fact two locations for hydraulic filters that will cause no end of problems are the pump inlet and the pump drain lines. Wrongly adjusted valves can cause excessive heat and noise, leading to valve wear and oil failure.
5. Fluid leakage
Where oil escapes from a system, air or other contamination can enter. As we have said contamination causes many early failures.
6. Wrong fluid type or viscosity
The quality of the oil is vital to the operation of the hydraulic system as it not only transfers the power; it also lubricates the entire system. The viscosity and therefore, effectiveness will depend upon whether the system is running at the correct parameters. Poor oil selection can result in premature degradation of oil properties and in turn excessive wear of the system components.
7. Excessive temperatures
Excessively high running temperatures can be easily detected in engines or electric motors, but not so in many hydraulic systems. Quite often there is no method of recognising overheating, but this is the single most effective way of damaging hydraulic oil and the system components. Constant high temperature lowers oil performance and diminishes lubrication. Premature wear is often a result of poor lubrication.
These are the issues that we’ve most commonly seen with operating hydraulic power units. You may want to share this with your less experienced colleagues and employees, so they may avoid them.