What Is The Cost Of A Hydraulic Leak?

August 18, 2022

If you use a hydraulic system, there are high chances that it will break, leaks will occur, and prompt fixes will be needed. This is true for almost all well-designed and not often used hydraulic systems.

If your employees are well-trained and have the required knowledge needed to stop the hydraulic system before any leaks can get serious, and if your machines have a good safety system to stop the leaks, then you will be able to mitigate the issues that a leak causes easily.

Sometimes the leaks may be caused by the improper installation of hydraulic filter carts. Hence make sure that you install your hydraulic filter carts properly and buy them from certified industrial oil filter suppliers.

Also Read: Filtration Techniques For Hydraulic Systems

Also, if your leak is slow, do not ignore it with a false belief that the system is not significantly damaged and will operate efficiently. Even a small leak is a sign that a major failure is just around the corner, and if not fixed on time, it can cost you a lot of money.

For instance, let’s imagine that you have a leak that drips every 5 seconds, that is almost 84 gallons of oil lost every year. If the leak were to drip once per second, then you can expect 420 gallons of oil leak per year. Thus, as soon as you spot a leak, get it fixed immediately. Otherwise, you will have to pay a lot of money on oil in the long run.

In this blog post, we will talk in detail about what is the real cost of a hydraulic leak. So after reading this post, you will have a clear understanding of how much a hydraulic leak will cost you.

Tangible Hydraulic Leak Cost

So let’s start by looking at the costs of tangible hydraulic leakage that will further cost you a lot of money in the long run.

Wastage Of Oil

The greatest cost of a hydraulic leak is the wastage of oil. It is probably one of the most obvious losses because once the oil drips out of your system, it is basically gone forever.

So let’s take the aforementioned figures and calculate how much money you will lose due to leaks in your hydraulic system.

If you are paying $5 per oil gallon and you are losing 420 gallons per year due to an oil drip once per second, then that makes a total of $2100 per year from that one leak.

If you have multiple leaks in multiple hydraulic systems, then you are losing tens of thousands of dollars just because of the oil leaks.

Hence, as soon as you spot a leak in your hydraulic system, call a professional and get it fixed immediately. Otherwise, you will have to pay a lot of money for the oil of your hydraulic system.

Shorter Machine Life

A leak in your hydraulic system is the best spot for contamination to get into your hydraulic system. A hydraulic leak will surely cost you a lot of oil waste, but it will also let water, dust, and dirt contaminants into your hydraulic system lines.

When outside contaminants enter your perfectly working hydraulic system, they cause a lot of wear and decrease the lifespan of your hydraulic system.

Consequently, if you want to increase the lifespan of your hydraulic system, then you should keep a close eye on any leak that occurs in your equipment and use high-quality hydraulic filter carts.

Affects Hydraulic System Operations

A leak in your hydraulic system will cost you a lot of money and will also decrease the efficiency of your equipment.

As a result of the leak, the hydraulic system gets less oil and sustains less pressure, and due to all of this, the machine will run less efficiently.

So if you want your hydraulic system to work smoothly, then you need to maintain it properly and try to fix all the hydraulic leaks immediately.

About Harvard Filtration

Harvard Filtration offers what it takes to meet your industrial filtration needs. We offer a broad range of filtration systems. Harvard filtration systems and filter carts are the most trusted and dependable portable filtration systems.

Compatible with a broad assortment of petroleum-based and synthetic fluids, our filter carts can remove contaminants and water to a single micron, ensuring decreased hazardous waste disposal. Select our filters to experience your machine’s high performance. Contact us today here.

FAQs:

1. How does a hydraulic leak impact operational costs?
Hydraulic leaks can significantly increase operational costs by wasting expensive hydraulic fluid, increasing energy consumption, and causing unplanned downtime for repairs. Even small, unnoticed leaks can add up over time, leading to substantial financial losses.

2. Can hydraulic leaks cause damage to machinery?
Yes, hydraulic leaks can lead to reduced system pressure, overheating, and contamination of other components. This accelerates wear and tear, damages critical parts, and can ultimately result in costly repairs or replacements.

3. Are there indirect costs associated with hydraulic leaks?
Absolutely. Indirect costs include environmental cleanup from fluid spills, potential fines for non-compliance with environmental regulations, safety risks for workers, and reduced productivity due to equipment downtime. These hidden costs often outweigh the immediate cost of fluid loss.

4. How can preventing hydraulic leaks save money?
Preventing leaks through regular maintenance, proper sealing, and using high-quality components helps avoid unnecessary fluid loss, lowers energy usage, minimizes downtime, and extends machinery lifespan. Investing in leak prevention can provide significant long-term savings.