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November - December 2022
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machinerylubrication.com
AS I SEE IT
How to Find the Source of an Oil Leak
One way to find the source of a tough-to-trace
oil leak is to start by cleaning the area — you
can use a fast-dry solvent like break cleaner.
Next, spray the area with an aerosol such as
athlete's foot powder (baby powder can also be
used). e powder sticks to almost any surface,
and the oil will leave a trail through the powder
right to the source of the leak. A thermal imaging IR camera will also
show hot oil or grease oozing out of the source.
Detect Steam and Air Using Ultrasound
Ultrasound instruments are versatile. Because they
use sound to detect leaks, they can be used to
detect multiple kinds of leaks, including leaks in
liquid systems, gas systems and vacuum systems,
as well as internal or external leaks.
Ultrasound instruments are often used to save
energy by locating compressed air and steam leaks. Compressed air is
a costly utility, and according to the Department of Energy, around
30% of all compressed air produced in the United States is lost as a
result of leakage. It's a similar story with steam, another costly utility.
Besides being a waste of energy, steam leaks also present the threat of
water hammer, which can increase operating costs by damaging steam
system components.
UV/Dye Detection of Oil Leaks
Fluorescent dyes are sometimes used with UV
lamps to trace the pathway of the streaming
liquid to its origin. is requires first wiping
down the machine, followed by introducing the
dye to the fluid reservoir inside the machine. By
reducing ambient light, a UV lamp is often very
effective at detecting the leak source. Once detected, the leak source
should be immediately tagged.
ML
About the Author
Jim Fitch has a wealth of "in the trenches" experience in lubrica-
tion, oil analysis, tribology and machinery failure investigations. Over
the past two decades, he has presented hundreds of courses on these
subjects. Jim has also published more than 200 technical articles, papers
and publications. He serves as a U.S. delegate to the ISO tribology and
oil analysis working group. Since 2002, he has been the director and a
board member of the International Council for Machinery Lubrication.
He is the CEO and a co-founder of Noria Corporation. Contact Jim
at jfitch@noria.com.
