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Home > Products > Sampling Equipment > Sampling Intervals and Locations

Sampling Intervals and Locations

Although an equipment manufacturer's recommendations provide a good starting point for developing preventative maintenance practices, sampling intervals can easily vary. How critical a piece of equipment is to production is a major consideration for determining sampling frequency, as are environmental factors such as hot, dirty operating conditions, short trips with heavy loads and excessive idle times.

Maintenance goals also play an important part. Consider what you're trying to accomplish with your maintenance plan. If you are only concerned with the condition of the lube or the unit at any given point in time, your sampling intervals are probably going to be longer than if you were interested in optimizing drain intervals. It's also a good idea to discuss your maintenance goals and practices with both your OEM and your lubricant supplier so the ideal sampling interval can be determined.

The chart below explains at what interval and from what location to take a sample according to the type of component being tested. Also important to note is that with any unit type always remember that accurate and informative data analysis is possible only when samples are representative of the typical environmental conditions under which they operate. Dirt, system debris, water and light fuels tend to separate from the lubricant when system temperatures cool. Therefore, all lubricant samples should be taken while the system is operating under normal conditions or immediately after shutdown while the system is still at operating temperature.

Equipment Type Sampling Interval
Normal / Intermittent Use		 Sampling Location
Diesel Engines Monthly or at 250 - 500 Hours / Quarterly. Just Prior to Oil Drain Through Dipstick Retaining Tube or Sampling Valve Installed in Filter Return
Natural Gas Engines Monthly or at 250 - 500 Hours / Quarterly. Just Prior to Oil Drain Through Dipstick Retaining Tube or Sampling Valve Installed in Filter Return
Mechanical Transmissions, Differentials, Final Drive / Planetary At Least Every 500 Hours. No Less Than 3 Time Per year. Just Prior to Oil Drain Through Oil Level Plug or Dipstick Retaining Tube
Hydraulics Bi-Monthly or Monthly / Quarterly. Just Prior to Oil Drain Through Oil Fill Port of System Reservoir at Mid-Level
Gas Turbines Monthly or at Least Every 500 Hours Through Sample Valve Installed Upstream of the Filter on the Return Line or out of the System Reservoir
Steam Turbines Bi-Monthly or Monthly / Quarterly Through Sample Valve Installed Upstream of the Filter on the Return Line or out of the System Reservoir
Gas/Air Compressors Monthly or at 500 Hours / Quarterly Through Sample Valve Installed Upstream of the Filter on the Return Line or out of the System Reservoir
Refrigeration Compressors Start, Mid & End of Season Through Sample Valve Installed Upstream of the Filter on the Return Line or out of the System Reservoir
Gear & Bearing Systems Bi-Monthly or Monthly / Quarterly Through Petcock Valve at Exit of Each Gear or Bearing Set or Through System Reservoir

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