While you may hope that the only time you need to check your hydraulic systems is to improve pumping efficiency, sometimes, they can fail. When this happens, you need to check for the cause of the problem. Here are the most common reasons for pump failure and why they happen.
1. Fluid Contamination
Fluid contamination, the most common disaster for your hydraulic pump, occurs when debris gets into the fluids. This debris causes excessive friction and wear. Although it generally starts with inefficiency, it can lead to failure if left untreated.
2. Fluid Viscosity Issues
Viscosity issues happen when the fluid inside of your hydraulic livestock pumps deteriorates with age. When the viscosity is too high, you can end up with cavitation. However, if the viscosity is too low, you can have friction and heat issues.
3. Over-Pressurization
Too much pressure can build up inside a pump when you ask it to bear too much of a load, which is an unsafe problem. Usually, pumps that endure too much pressure for an extended period of time face wear to the point where they explode.
4. Excess Heat
Whether viscosity issues or environmental conditions cause it, too much heat is a problem. If you notice that your pump was too hot, chances are there was something else that contributed to the heat and failure.
5. Implosion
Implosion is not only a total system failure but a safety hazard as well. This occurs when the air bubbles within the pump collapse and results in over-pressurization and an explosion.
6. Aeration
Aeration is when the hydraulic fluid captures air bubbles. The pumping motion subjects these bubbles to extreme pressure, causing them to collapse. When too many bubbles collapse at once, implosion and the resulting explosion occur.
7. Pump Aeration
Pump aeration occurs when air creeps into the pump through unsealed joints. This will cause a rapid failure because of the pressure buildup in the joints and shafts. Most people identify pump aeration by the noticeable whine or squeal it causes shortly before failure.
8. Cavitation
Cavitation, an issue at high pump speeds, is when the hydraulic fluid does not fill the pump. The results are over-pressurization, excess heat, and quick wear. Additionally, cavitation is also marked by a whine or squeal before system failure.
Each threat can cause a pump to fail. Therefore, you need to be on the lookout for these when examining your damaged pump.