Hydraulic Oil Filter Clogging

Causes of Oil Purifier Blockage & Stalling and Troubleshooting Guidelines

I. Filter Element Related Failures (Most Common Blockage Cause)

1. Clogged & Dirt-Saturated Filter Element

Cause: Accumulation of oil contaminants, oxidized colloid and water sediment fully blocks filter pores. Restricted oil flow leads to sharp flow drop and internal pressure surge, resulting in equipment stalling and shutdown alarm. Symptom: Differential pressure across filter inlet/outlet far exceeds rated value; high gauge pressure reading. Solution: Replace with new filter elements; periodically test oil cleanliness.

2. Misinstalled, Deformed or Jammed Filter Element

Cause: Tilted filter, displaced sealing ring, uncovered end cap slot or swollen aged filter stuck inside filter cylinder, physically cutting off oil passage. Symptom: Filter cannot be pulled out during disassembly. Solution: Cut off power and release system pressure before standardized reinstallation; inspect integrity of fluororubber sealing rings.

3. Mismatched Filter Element Specification

Cause: Inconsistent length, outer diameter or connection dimension; forced installation pushes against filter cylinder to cause mechanical jamming and blocked oil path. Solution: Adopt OEM filters or alternative products with identical specifications.

II. Oil Circuit & Oil Quality Problems

1. Excessively High Oil Viscosity

Cause: Low ambient temperature, deteriorated oil or mixed grades of hydraulic oil reduce fluidity and raise pipeline resistance, overloading the purifier and causing operational stall. Solution: Heat oil up to rated operating temperature; replace with qualified fresh oil.

2. Severe Water Intrusion & Oil Emulsification

Cause: Excessive water emulsifies oil and changes fluid property, leading to air/liquid blockage inside vacuum chamber and pipelines, unstable flow and abnormal start-stop cycles. Solution: Extend vacuum dehydration duration; locate and eliminate water ingress sources.

3. Blocked Pipeline or Improper Valve Operation

Cause: Crushed inlet/outlet hoses, inner pipeline scaling, or partially closed inlet/outlet & bypass valves create flow restriction. Solution: Straighten pipelines and remove inner dirt; fully open all oil circuit valves after inspection.

III. Mechanical & Transmission Component Faults

1. Oil Pump Malfunction

Cause: Jammed impeller, worn bearing or foreign debris inside pump cavity increases motor load, lowers rotating speed, triggers stall accompanied by abnormal noise and unit vibration. Solution: Shut down equipment, disassemble pump to clear debris; repair defective bearings and impellers.

2. Abnormal Motor & Transmission System

Cause: Phase loss, unstable input voltage or damaged motor bearing leads to insufficient power output, weak operation and frequent stalling. Solution: Inspect power supply circuit and voltage; service faulty motor bearings.

3. Jammed Inner Chamber & Baffles

Cause: Loose/shifted baffles & flow deflectors inside vacuum tank and separation chamber obstruct oil flow; foreign objects falling into chamber cause blockage. Solution: Power off and depressurize before opening cover to clear debris and reposition loose components.

IV. Vacuum & Electrical Control System Abnormalities

1. Faulty Vacuum System

Cause: Defective vacuum pump or leaking vacuum seal disrupts vacuum level and normal oil conveying, causing irregular running perceived as stalling. Symptom: Low or fluctuating vacuum gauge reading. Solution: Repair vacuum pump; replace worn vacuum sealing fittings.

2. Triggered Electrical Protection Lockout

Cause: Activated safety protections against excessive differential pressure, abnormal oil temperature, overload or abnormal liquid level automatically decelerate or lock down the unit for self-protection. Solution: Identify root cause via fault alarm codes and reset protection devices after troubleshooting.

Step-by-Step Inspection Sequence for Blocked Oil Purifier

1. Check instrument readings: differential pressure, oil pressure, vacuum degree and oil temperature to preliminarily confirm filter clogging or protection trip;

2. Inspect valves and tubing for flow restriction or bent pipelines;

3. Power off and depressurize before disassembling filter cylinder to verify filter installation status, clogging condition and specification matching;

4. Check oil condition for emulsification, excessive viscosity or excessive impurities;

5. Finally inspect oil pump, motor, vacuum system and control circuit in sequence.