
If sufficient water is present in the system, the water in the fluid can freeze and lock up valves. Water contamination not only compromises the performance of the hydraulic fluid but can lead to issues with corrosion and cavitation. Both cause major problems for hydraulic systems, and both are typically not visible to the naked eye. Water and particulate matter are the most common forms of hydraulic contamination. Contamination cannot be eliminated, but it can be mitigated. This type of contamination can cripple your equipment, lead to cascading failure as one part after another suffers premature and excessive wear, and result in catastrophic failure of the system itself. Hydraulic fluid contamination refers to the ingress of foreign materials into your system. There are preventative steps you can implement in your existing preventive maintenance for hydraulic systems plan to minimize the impact of air and water, as well as steps you can take to mitigate existing damage. However, you can minimize contaminants from infiltrating your system.


Some estimates hold that 75% of failures can be traced back to contaminated or aging hydraulic fluid, while others claim that 80% are due to contamination alone. One of the major causes of hydraulic failure is contamination in the hydraulic system.
