Why You Should Fix Every Forklift Oil Leak Immediately

28th Sep 2020

Forklift Oil Leaks are pretty much a common occurrence especially with forklifts that are not maintained as required.

Even though it is usually not straightforward to detect where forklift oil is leaking from, there are several parts of the lift truck that you can check for potential leaking.

The parts you should be checking for the leaks are; Seals, control valves, cylinders, and hydraulic filters.

Failure to fix leaking forklifts can lead to a number of problems, we look at some of them below;

Safety Risks

Oil spills can be a major safety risk if they are allowed to accumulate in the course of an operation.

First of all the oils are very combustible and can easily catch fire when exposed to sparks. Especially if the spills happen on flammable materials like wooden pallets and papers.

Oil is also a very slippery object and when it spills on paths followed by other heavy machinery and pedestrians it can lead to slips and falls.

Equipment Damage

Your forklift relies on the oil in-adequate levels for its proper functioning.

Therefore an oil spill from your forklift means that it is operating on inadequate levels of oil which will lead to overheating which happens because one of the functions of the oil is to cool the engine.

Contaminants that will eventually clog the engine will also find an entry point into the forklift at the point where it is leaking from. Both these factors are damaging to the forklift engine.

Costly Downtimes

Oil spills are usually an indicator that there is damage to your forklift that needs to be checked and fixed. A forklift engine that has been damaged due to the oil spills will eventually need replacement.

If you are operating with a single forklift you will experience costly downtime in your operations. The repairs needed afterward will also prove an unnecessary expense.

However, the best way of solving potential problems with your forklifts has and will always be through frequent maintenance.

For instance, you should ensure your hydraulic filters are thoroughly cleaned to eliminate any debris, replace the hydraulic fluid yearly, and ensure your pumps and lines are flushed out frequently.

Article Summary

Therefore Oils spills can affect your business since they are a safety risk, can damage your forklift engine, and cost you money. However, oil spills are preventable through frequent maintenance of your forklift which you should do faithfully.

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