Fan troubleshooting
Contaminated grease or oil on fans
Where the dirt and water come from: poor sealing, dirty nipples, tool habits, filters and pipework.
Sources
| Contaminated | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Grease: poor sealing | Seals worn, wrong type or no protection for the environment | Consider sealed, pre-greased bearings where possible; see the seals article |
| Grease: dirty nipples or feeds | Nipples not cleaned before greasing | Clean nipples before each shot and fit plastic caps |
| Grease: contamination in maintenance | Dirty grease guns, tools left uncovered, careless filling | Keep guns clean, store tools in a clean place (the 5S method), train the people |
| Oil: filters not working | Clogged or wrong filter | Change the filters |
| Oil: contaminated piping or reservoir | Dirt from earlier work or mounting | Clean the pipes, increase pipe size or improve oil filtering |
If some contamination is unavoidable and bearing life is too short, consider hybrid (ceramic-element) bearings that tolerate it better.
Takeaway. Look at where the dirt enters: the seal, the nipple, the tool or the filter. Fixing it there lasts; changing the lubricant more often does not.
Put it to work in the tool