The world of industrial fluid filtration can get a little...murky. Whether it's a lack of information or just simply not knowing, there are many concepts that may not be clear to someone just entering the industry. That's why we're here -- fluid filtration experts that can guide you through any issue you have. To shed some light and educate, here are some frequently asked questions and their answers. 

One of our V1S vacuum dehydrators was recently put to the test in a marine application with hydraulic oil contaminated by more than 2500 ppm of water. Did it sink or swim? Find out below.

The Problem: Failed Hydraulics Seal and Lost Productivity

When a seal fails on a net hauler hydraulics system out at sea, the costs and lost profits stack up quickly. In this instance, salt water began entering the hydraulic fluid on a 245 ft (75 m) purse seine through a seal leak, rendering the net hauler out of commission.

Faced with frequent fluid exchanges at a cost of $9,300 plus disposal, or worse, substantially larger lost profits from downtime for replacement of the seal, the vessel owner was in desperate need for a solution to allow him to continue operating without fear of malfunctioning equipment.

Choosing the best filter element size and media for a specific application can be tricky. You want media that is tight enough to help you reach your target ISO code. However, if you choose a media that is too tight for your application, the element differential pressure (Delta P or ΔP) will rise too quickly and you will be replacing elements far too frequently.

To prevent these situations you should always calculate clean element Delta P whenever changing the filter media or manufacturer.

The ideal sample port location depends on the purpose for drawing the sample. There are several reasons to draw samples from your hydraulic or lube systems. The main reason is to ensure that the fluid traveling through your system is not loaded with contamination that will damage your pumps, valves and other components.

Secondary reasons include identifying components that are beginning to wear before they fail (this allows you to be proactive about the component replacement or repair) and verifying filter element performance. Continue reading to learn where to take a sample from for each of these reasons. We’ve also included some general fluid sampling tips at the end of this blog.

If you deal with phosphate ester (PE) based hydraulic and lubricating fluids, then you likely understand how important it is it to keep it under control. Millions of dollars and thousands of downtime hours are wasted each year by power plants, military and industrial users who need solutions to properly maintain PE fluids. If they're not managed, major damage can take place to your equipment and to your fluids. Let's take a look at what really happens when phosphate ester is out of control.