Cautionary note on Hydraulics

[Gooserider]

Got a post that pointed me at this link, http://www.hydraulicsupermarket.com/injury.html as a cautionary note about hydraulic equipment - WARNING - HIGHLY GRAPHIC PHOTO :exclaim: :sick:

You've probably heard mention of warnings about not checking for leaks on equipment with your hands, and other cautions about high pressure hydraulic fluid - this is what they were talking about...

Be careful, and don't try to cheap out on the high pressure side of things...

Gooserider

 

[EatenByLimestone]

Holy Crap! I'd have never expected that.

Matt

 

[Jack Straw]

I put down my sandwich after seeing that.....ouch

 

[Gooserider]

- WARNING - HIGHLY GRAPHIC PHOTO :exclaim: :sick:  

I DID warn people...

Gooserider

 

[Got Wood]

Holy crap!

So what precautions/preventative actions are recommended for a splitter?

What is recommended should you identify a "drip" or slow leak? What about a faster leak - would assume a slow leak under more pressure would become a faster leak?

 

[triptester]

What is shown is damage from a rupture not a leak. Leaks around seals and threaded fittings seldom lead to ruptures unless they are ignored over a long period of time. Tube and pipe can rupture unpredictably if nicked. Hoses seldom rupture unless they are worn or cut.
The use of non-hydraulic fittings is often one of the main causes of ruptues.

 

[ROBERT F]

WOWZA---lucky to have any hand left at all!

 

[maraging]

Yikes. Wonder what he was using?

 

[JSJAC]

On some of the large hydraulic drills I work on I have seen an orifice fitting in a hydraulic line drill a hole in a steel fitting. It acts just like a water jet cutter.
When the oil gets under your skin it is very bad.

 

[Jamess67]

OMG! OUCH`!!

 

[Gooserider]

What is shown is damage from a rupture not a leak. Leaks around seals and threaded fittings seldom lead to ruptures unless they are ignored over a long period of time. Tube and pipe can rupture unpredictably if nicked. Hoses seldom rupture unless they are worn or cut.
The use of non-hydraulic fittings is often one of the main causes of ruptues.

From what I've seen described, a slow drippy leak, like from around a threaded fitting is relatively unlikely to cause injury of this sort - but hoses CAN develop "pinhole" type leaks that can cause problems - often with an air or water line, you might attempt to locate a leak by running a hand over the line to feel for the "hissy spot" - DON'T do that with a high pressure hydraulic line, as it can have enough of a "jet" coming out of the surface to be able to inject oil under the skin... The results could be like that picture on a smaller scale...

My basic advice is don't try to find leaks on lines that are under pressure - if you see they are leaking, keep clear and power down, THEN chase the leaks...

Gooserider

 

[dobie daddy]

thanks.
good info.

 

[kevin j]

From what I’ve seen described, a slow drippy leak, like from around a threaded fitting is relatively unlikely to cause injury of this sort - but hoses CAN develop “pinhole” type leaks that can cause problems - often with an air or water line, you might attempt to locate a leak by running a hand over the line to feel for the “hissy spot” -



G:
exellant post and good reminder.
the pinhole leak is most dangerous on pressure compensated systems that are always under pressure, but a logsliptter can have the same situation: if it doesn't leak in open center neutral condition it is a natural next step to 'put it under pressure while I feel along here and check for that leak'. use a piece of cardboard instead.

we had a field operator get his arm filleted open from palm to shoulder, multiple surgeries to clean out tissue damage from what was either an unknown pinhole spray or a known puncture injury from oring pick when doing a repair. Doesn't seem possible with such a small amount of oil, but human being pipes were not designed to handle petroelum oil........ oil dissolves the fatty tissues of the cells and just keeps on migraqting along.

we all need the reminders.
tks, k

 

[brokeburner]

holy chit thats a hell of a pic that dood is hurtin

 

[triptester]

The damage that can be caused by high pressure hydraulic leaks is one reason I get nervous when I see people use regular plumbing fittings on splitters. They say they have used it with fittings like that for years with out a problem but all you need is just one problem to lose an arm.

 

[Gooserider]

The damage that can be caused by high pressure hydraulic leaks is one reason I get nervous when I see people use regular plumbing fittings on splitters. They say they have used it with fittings like that for years with out a problem but all you need is just one problem to lose an arm.

I tend to agree partially, but not completely, as IMHO it depends on WHERE in the hydraulic circuit the fittings are used... (I have several on my splitter in fact...) There are places that see high pressure, and I absolutely agree that plumbing fittings should NEVER be used there. There are also places that will NEVER see pressures that even approach the rating of a standard fitting, and in those locations, I see no problem w/ using a standard fitting, and no point in wasting the money on the much more expensive hydraulic fittings...

The suction and return lines won't ever see high pressures - the suction line sees negative pressure, and the return line shouldn't ever go much over 50-60 PSI (if it does, there is a risk of blowing the oil filter off!)

OTOH, the high pressure pump - valve and valve - cylinder extend side port get full system pressures, and really need to have the fancy hydraulic fittings.

The marginal case is the Valve - cylinder retract side port. Technically it's a high pressure line, but I've watched the gage on my splitter, and the return side pressure never goes over 3-400 PSI, as there is never any load beyond the cylinders own internal friction... While this probably exceeds the rating of a standard schedule 40 fitting, it doesn't by very much, so it might be possible to get away with a standard fitting on that line for a very long time...

Gooserider

 

[TMonter]

Yet another reason I'm a bigger fan of the flywheel driven splitters rather than the hydraulic ones.

 

[Gooserider]

Yet another reason I'm a bigger fan of the flywheel driven splitters rather than the hydraulic ones.

I'd have to say mixed bag, having used both a Hydraulic and a "Super Split"...

The SS certainly doesn't have the hydraulic leak risk that a hydraulic splitter does, but because of the speed at which it operates, I think one is far more likely to chop off bits of anatomy with a Super-Split - and that risk seems far higher than the odds of a hydraulic line failure of the sort that would cause an injury... I've also been hit by "exploding wood" more often running the SS, and it seems more prone to violently throwing chunks that spit out rather than splitting, again w/ higher risks of hitting the person running the machine...

Bottom line for me is that overall, I still feel safer running the hydraulic than I do with the Super Split...

Gooserider

 

[kevin j]

marginal case is the Valve - cylinder retract side port. Technically it’s a high pressure line, but I’ve watched the gage on my splitter, and the return side pressure never goes over 3-400 PSI, as there is never any load beyond the cylinders own internal friction…


Only until the cyinder bottoms out, then it is up to the relief valve high pressure setting. If one could guarantee the detent kickout would always be used and always work and that the handle would never be held a second too long, then it is valid. So high pressure hose and fittings should be used there also. The rest of the statement I agree with.