Are you disturbed by the fact about oil dripping on your shop floor? Or is your grease gun leaking out oils even though you have stored them properly? We have got your back to help you with these questions, so you know how to prevent grease guns from leaking.
Most of the time, when oil drips out of your grease gun is when you keep it in an upright position with the cartridge inside. The simple way to reduce this hassle is to store the grease gun horizontally on a flat surface. But this isn’t the only solution to it. That is because not every time you are going to use the grease gun horizontally. So you should first know why your grease gun is leaking oils or why oil is dripping out of the greased components.
Those who have previously worked with grease guns know that they leak oils over time. Moreover, when a grease gun is kept static with the cartridge inside, gravity takes over, and oil somehow finds its way to the bottom. You can even understand that oil separation is taking place in the grease when oil will leak from the lubricated component.
The oil leakage rate varies depending on the material composition of the grease. It also fluctuates depending on the room temperature. A grease gun is more likely to discharge excessive oil if the room temperature rises. That means the higher the room temperatures, the more oil a grease gun releases. In contrast, the lower the consistency of the base oil, the more oil separation occurs. Leaking is pretty usual in that case. However, according to some research, it is pretty normal that grease guns will leak oil up to 5 percent.
A natural characteristic of grease is that it discharges oil when exposed to heat for a long time. On top of that, oil is a liquid substance that can easily find its way to the bottom, especially when a grease gun is kept in an upright position. Therefore, one cannot eradicate oil leakage completely. But these leakage issues of grease guns can be reduced to some extent by applying a few tactics.
One of the most simple ways to reduce the wastage of oil leakage is to mix that back into the grease using a sterile spatula. Try to avoid introducing pollutants while doing it. That is because contaminated grease can damage lubricated parts. Therefore make sure to blend the oil into the grease in a clean environment.
Other than applying this method, you can follow two ways to handle the grease gun from leaking. One is to keep it in an upright position with a plastic cap on all the time. It will prevent oil from dripping out of the follower rod, keeping your floor clean and mess-free. But the fact here is that you can apply this method only in the case of new grease cartridges. But when you want to leave the cartridge inside the grease gun, make sure to depressurize the gun. Then keep it on a flat surface so that the grease gun is laid horizontally. Also, ensure you keep the grease gun in a cool, clean, and dry area.
Another foolproof way to reduce the mess of oil leakage is to set the grease guns on a bucket with paper in the bottom. This tip can save your shop floor from getting messy. By far the above ways we have mentioned might help you to prevent grease guns from leaking. However, it can’t be eliminated completely.
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