How To Keep Your Power Seating Jacks Up and Running
Power seating jacks are the hard workers in many heavy-duty applications, and to keep them up and running, consistent maintenance is required. This maintenance includes the following:
- Maintaining hydraulic fluid levels and quality
- Cleaning the power seating jack and its accessories
- Taking steps to minimize the risk of fluid contamination
- Inspecting the hydraulic jack and cylinder components
- Monitoring hydraulic fluid and power seating jack temperatures
- Scheduling on-time maintenance and repairs with a qualified hydraulic equipment technician
If these essential maintenance routines are followed, you’ll maximize your power seating jacks up time in the field – and maximize their value to your organization.
Essential Maintenance for Power Seating Jacks
Power seating jacks must be guarded with preventative maintenance to ensure they stay up and running. That preventative maintenance should include the following:
- Maintaining hydraulic fluid levels and quality – This is one of the easiest and most overlooked forms of hydraulic equipment maintenance, and it is vital to maintain sufficient hydraulic fluid levels. If these levels drop too low, your power seating jacks may pull air into the system and experience a loss of pressure. Contamination is also more likely when fluid levels are too low.
- Cleaning the power seating jacks and other hydraulic components – Fluid contamination is the most common cause of hydraulic system failures – including power seating jack failures. In fact, it represents more than 80 percent of all failures, so it’s important to keep contamination at bay. This starts with regularly and thoroughly cleaning the power seating jack, hydraulic pump, and all other system components. This includes the cap around the hydraulic pump’s reservoir and around the hydraulic fluid jug’s opening, as contamination may cling to these spots.
- Taking steps to minimize the risk of fluid contamination – Additional contamination-mitigating steps include regularly switching out all filters, visually monitoring the fluid for visible signs of contamination, and sending out the occasional lab sample for deeper analysis.
- Inspecting the power seating jack and cylinder components – If your power seating jack operators are confident enough, it’s a good idea to open the hydraulic equipment and inspect its interior components regularly. Ensure all bearing surfaces aren’t overly worn – taking special care to verify that the hydraulic cylinder rods are in good shape and aren’t developing corrosion.
- Monitoring hydraulic fluid and power seating jack temperatures – Elevated operating temperatures are a sign of contamination or flow issues, which may be caused by a malfunctioning valve. Use a thermal gun to detect elevated temperatures and work to isolate them (and the underlying problem). If allowed to persist, high fluid temperatures can cause oxidation and low temperatures allow condensation to form – both are serious risks to your power seating jacks.
- Recognizing the signs of hydraulic system distress – Signs of hydraulic system distress include loss of operating pressure, unusual operating sounds (banging and high-pitched whining are concerns), unusual odors (which may indicate fluid contamination), rapid component wear and overheating components. Any of these require follow up with a qualified hydraulic equipment technician.
- Scheduling on-time maintenance and repairs with a qualified hydraulic equipment technician – Speaking of qualified hydraulic equipment technicians, it’s highly recommended that your organization partner with one to service your power seating jacks. With an expert technician backing your equipment resources, you’ll have a reliable backup plan should your power seating jacks develop issues.
Why is Consistent Power Seating Jack Maintenance Important?
Power seating jacks are rugged pieces of equipment expected to perform in rugged conditions. Consistent hydraulic equipment maintenance makes that possible and offers the following benefits:
- Improved power seating jack reliability and efficiency
- Improved operator safety
- Improved power seating jack up time
No matter what industry your organization is in – foundation repair, post-tensioning, construction, Oil & Gas, aerospace – it cannot afford extended downtime. On-time preventative maintenance and repairs are key in this mission. And when it’s time to schedule a round of maintenance for your power seating jacks, you will get optimal results by working with an experienced hydraulic technician.
An Experienced Hydraulic Technician Can Keep Your Power Seating Jacks Up and Running
Hydraulic equipment technicians are the go-to experts when your power seating jacks – or any hydraulic equipment – needs maintenance or repairs. There are several reasons why this is the case, including:
- Thorough equipment inspections and maintenance – During a round of power seating jack maintenance, it will be necessary to open up the jack and thoroughly inspect all inside components. An experienced hydraulic technician is familiar with a variety of power seating jack brands and components, and can therefore offer more detailed, on-target diagnostics.
When servicing power seating jacks, equipment assembly and disassembly is fraught with potential errors. If the system’s components aren’t properly replaced, it will increase the risk of catastrophic failure and extended downtime. Poor disassembly and reassembly procedures will also increase the risk of introducing contamination into the system, so it is important that your maintenance technician know how to safely take power seating jacks apart.
- Rapid turnarounds on power seating jack maintenance – Every day your power seating jacks are out of operation, it will cost your business. If your power seating jacks need repairs, prompt repairs ensure your hydraulic equipment experiences minimal downtime – and your business experiences minimal downtime-related costs.
- Expanded access to hydraulic system parts – Hydraulic equipment technicians have access to a comprehensive variety of power seating jack components and accessories. Nose pieces, grippers, fittings, retaining hardware – a hydraulic expert keeps an inventory of power seating parts on hand for quick replacement services. If your hydraulic equipment requires replacement parts, you will get them faster by working with a qualified technician.
In short, an experienced hydraulic equipment technician will diagnose power seating jack issues more accurately and perform more thorough repairs. In doing so, your power seating jacks will stay up and running, and continue to provide value for your business.