Spring Clean Your Lubricant Storage
The ritual of spring cleaning isn’t just for homes and offices—it also extends to industrial maintenance, particularly when it comes to the management of lubricants. Organizing and cleaning lubricant storage areas can significantly mitigate the risk of contamination. Lubricants are highly susceptible to contamination from dust, debris, and water, which can compromise their effectiveness and lead to equipment failure or damage.
Regardless of how clean the oil is when received into inventory, if improper practices occur, you are potentially subjecting your lubricants to contamination and putting your equipment at risk. Below are a few tips to help you optimize your lubricant storage.
- Horizontal positioning
Are all containers kept horizontal to keep dust and debris from settling near openings? Just making small tweaks like this can reduce the chance of contamination setbacks and put you on the way to perfecting lubricant storage, remember better lubricants can lead to less machine downtime. - Storage
Are all containers kept inside? Storing lubricants inside keeps them away from dusty industrial workings, particularly if you’re in construction. Water is also a problem so covering from rain and flooding is important. It also helps control their temperature. - Temperature
Speaking of temperature, lubricants should be stored out of direct sunlight in ambient temperatures. You want to avoid temperature fluctuations and temperature extremes. Moderate temperatures should extend shelf life when combined with proper lubricant storage. - Bungs
Check that the bungs for your breathing holes and opening holes are at the 3 o’clock and 9 o’clock positions. This practice stops the seals from drying out as well as keeps out moisture. - Take a tour
Make it a habit to take a regular tour of lubrication sites, electronic monitors and storage. It’s easier to pick up things that are out of the ordinary if you know your site as well as possible. Even just the color and smell of oil or sound of machinery can tell you if something’s not right.
By dedicating time to thoroughly clean and organize lubricant storage, facilities can prevent these contaminants from infiltrating lubricants, ensuring that machinery operates smoothly and reducing the likelihood of costly repairs or downtime.
Not sure where to start? Breaux Petroleum offers a service to review and optimize your lubricant inventory. Over time, it’s common for facilities to accumulate outdated or unused lubricants, which can lead to confusion and misuse. By assessing the current inventory, we can dispose of any expired or unnecessary lubricants, streamline your lubricant selection, and establish a more efficient inventory system. This not only saves you space and reduces waste, but also ensures that the correct lubricants are readily available for maintenance tasks, enhancing your overall operational efficiency.
Don’t hesitate! Make your lubricant storage area a top priority this spring. By doing so, you will not only prevent immediate issues, but also lay the groundwork for sustained operational excellence. Contact us today at 800.375.3358 or sales@breauxpetroleum.com.