Hydraulic hose maintenance is an important part of any construction or industrial operation. Hydraulic hoses are often under high pressure in tough environments, and if not maintained properly, they can lead to costly repairs or worse – downtime. To ensure that your hydraulic hoses remain in good condition, it’s essential that you perform preventative maintenance, especially before the busy summer months, when equipment is under constant use.
Preventative Maintenance
Taking the time to perform regular maintenance will save you money and headaches in the long run. By investing in preventative maintenance, you can prevent costly repairs or downtime due to system failure. Investing in regular maintenance is always a worthwhile investment.
Performing Regular Inspections
When performing preventative maintenance, it’s important to inspect hydraulic hoses, valves and pumps regularly. Doing so can help identify any issues before they become problems. Hoses should be inspected along the entire length for damage, rubbing, excessive tension, exposed wire/fabric, swelling or signs of leakage. The frequency of the maintenance depends on the environment and how often the hoses are used.
Fluid check, filter or change
While hydraulic fluid doesn’t see heat like engine oil, maintaining its lubricating properties is critical to your machines’ longevity. Hydraulic fluid contaminated with water, metal or organic matter will wear out essential components quickly, leading to downtime. Performing regular fluid analysis is a simple way to tell how healthy your fluid is and what actions you may need to take (e.g. external filter, full or partial change).
Replace Any Worn-out Hoses before they fail
If the cover is missing, you can see fabric or metal or if oil seepage is visible from around fittings, it’s time to replace your hydraulic hoses. For the new hose, think about how you can avoid the failure by a better hose routing or hose guarding to prevent rubs. We always recommend replacing hydraulic hoses with a premium brand. There are a lot of no-name, foreign-made hoses out there that you shouldn’t trust for your critical machinery.
At Carolina Hose Service, we know the value of performing regular preventative maintenance on your hydraulic and other hoses. It can help reduce the need for costly repairs and ensure that your system runs efficiently. Additionally, inspecting hoses, valves and pumps regularly and replacing worn-out or broken parts will help preserve the life of your system. You can rely on us for expert, mobile maintenance, hydraulic hose replacement, fluid sampling and diagnostic services. Contact us at (704) 447-4673.