Best Practices
How to Avoid Hydraulic Hose Failure in Heavy Equipment
Hydraulic systems provide the power required to dig, lift, and maneuver, and hydraulic hoses deliver the fluid that makes those movements possible, making them key in your equipment. Their failure can cause damage to other components, result in expensive repairs, and lead to costly downtime.
To help you maximize your uptime and keep your equipment working on the job, we’ve put together some important tips for preventing hydraulic hose failure.
Protect your hoses
Construction sites often create harsh conditions for your equipment and its hydraulic hoses. Things like rebar, chunks of rock or concrete, structures, and more can nick, tear, or cut a hydraulic hose. Hoses that are exposed to the elements should be covered or have a protective shield to minimize the chance of damage on the job.
Conduct regular inspections
It’s important to include checking your hydraulic hoses as part of your daily machine inspection. Look for any visible signs of damage, and make sure that all the components are in good condition. If you notice excessive wear, we recommend replacing or repairing the hose before it breaks completely.
Route hoses correctly
One of the most common causes of hydraulic hose failure is abrasion. When a hose is rubbing against another hose, surface, or other component, it can slowly wear away its outer layers, weakening it to the point of leaking or breaking. To prevent failure caused by abrasion, reroute the hose away from pivot points or areas that result in excessive rubbing.
Don’t run through high temperature areas
Similar to abrasion, you also want to avoid routing your hydraulic hose through high temperature parts of your machine. When hoses are exposed to extreme temperatures, they begin to lose their flexibility and stiffen. The inner tube of the hose will start to harden and crack, leading to eventual leakage and breakage.
Regularly change your hydraulic filters
As your hydraulic system slowly breaks down, small fragments and particles can contaminate your fluid. That contamination can lead to accelerated wear, cuts, and abrasion within the hose, and eventual hydraulic hose failure. In order to avoid contaminated fluid, it’s important to change your filters at the intervals recommended by the manufacturer.
Only use compatible fluid
The fluid you run in your hydraulic system must be compatible with the corresponding hose. If it isn’t, you run the risk of a wide variety of complications, such as hose disintegration, swelling, and leaking. These issues can turn into much larger problems like system contamination and complete failure.