Inspect

Hydraulic hose inspection and replacement checklist

Find leaks, abrasion, exposed reinforcement, damaged fittings, kinks, heat damage, and movement problems.

Replace or investigate when you see these signs

Oil leakage, wetness, spraying, or an unexplained drop in fluid level.
Abrasion deep enough to expose reinforcement, or a cover cut, crack, blister, or bulge.
A kink, crushed section, permanent flattening, or visible twist.
A fitting that has slipped, cracked, corroded, deformed, or damaged the sealing surface.
A hard, charred, melted, or unusually soft cover near a heat source.
Pulling, rubbing, pinching, or over-bending during machine movement.

Stop and secure the machine
Follow the machine’s isolation procedure, lower supported equipment, remove stored energy, and depressurize the hydraulic system.
Never search for a pinhole with your hand
Escaping hydraulic fluid can penetrate skin. Use the safe inspection method specified by the equipment and hose manufacturer.
Find the cause, not only the damaged hose
Look for abrasion points, heat, movement, pressure spikes, contamination, incorrect routing, wrong length, or incompatible components.
Record the failed position
Save machine model, serial, system, pipe number, photos, dimensions, fittings, and failure location for the replacement and future service.
Clean, cap, install, and recheck
Keep contamination out, cap open ends, install without twist, then inspect the complete route during a controlled return to service.