Oil filter maintenance
Maintenance instructions for oil filters can usually be found in the operating and maintenance manuals provided by the respective machine or plant manufacturers. When the specified maintenance time is reached, usually after a certain number of miles or operating hours (as specified by the manufacturer), the filter should be serviced. The recommended maintenance intervals are typically based on an assumed dirt load and the available filter surface.
However, maintenance intervals calculated in this way are only recommended values. In the case of more challenging operating conditions, shorter maintenance intervals may be necessary. At least one filter change per year is usually recommended. One reason for this is that the adhesive joints in the filter may perish over time. In the vast majority of cases, the filter element or spin-on is simply replaced with a new filter. In some cases, strainers can also be washed out or cleaned and then reused. The filter should be in a depressurized state for this purpose. Engines or plants that cannot be shut down usually have a parallel filter through which the oil can flow during maintenance of the dirty filter. Regular maintenance of the filter is not a necessary evil, but rather essential to ensure long-term operational reliability of the machines and systems.
As already mentioned, it is usually not possible to determine the precise technical properties of a particular filter from the outside. Therefore, you are strongly advised to only use approved filters when performing maintenance work. In most cases, any problems with the filter will not be detected immediately – and often only after many miles or hours of operation. By this time, the resulting damage and subsequent costs usually far exceed the price of a suitable filter. Many manufacturers also offer maintenance or service packages. These contain all the filters – in the right quality – needed to complete the filter change.
