TODAY, WHILE PERFORMING A ROUTINE OIL ROUTE, A SAMPLE WAS TAKEN OF EP460 OIL USED IN A HEAT EXCHANGER (THAT IS IN OPERATION). THE SAMPLE WAS ALMOST COMPLETELY IN A FOAM STATE. AFTER SITTING IN THE SAMPLE BOTTLE FOR TWO (2) HOURS IT RETURNED BACK TO NORMAL CONSISTANCY.UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION OF THE EXCHANGER IT WAS DISCOVERED A UNION WAS LOOSE (ALLOWING AIR INTO THE SYSTEM ?) AND THE OPERATING OIL LEVEL WAS LOW. BOTH WERE CORRECTED AND THE NEXT OIL SAMPLE WAS ALMOST BACK TO NORMAL. MY QUESTIONS
ARE 1.WOULD THE OIL IN THE SYSTEM STILL BE "UP TO STANDARDS" AFTER FOAMING LIKE IT DID?
2.WHICH OF THE PROBLEMS FOUND WOULD BE THE REASON THE OIL FOAMED IN THE FIRST PLACE?
THANKS

quote:

MY QUESTIONS
ARE 1.WOULD THE OIL IN THE SYSTEM STILL BE "UP TO STANDARDS" AFTER FOAMING LIKE IT DID?
2.WHICH OF THE PROBLEMS FOUND WOULD BE THE REASON THE OIL FOAMED IN THE FIRST PLACE?

My opinion fwiw:

1 - I assume you are worred about accelerated oxidation. The amount of time the condition existed is unknown. I would continue to trend using normal parameters like acid number for aging (also possibly RPVOT, FTIR). If you see no indication of abnormal aging, then consider your oil OK until you do.

2 - [Edited] - Is it reasonable that the air inleakage caused the low level. Then turbulence of oil flow in mixed air/oil region caused the foaming. I wouldn't normally expect a heat exchanger to be anything other than full.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: electricpete,