Bucket Project for Controlling Leaks

Recently a cracked manifold on a piece of production equipment began leaking about 200 liters of hydraulic fluid per day. Getting a new manifold built would take six weeks, meaning we would have to spend nearly $17,000 in replacement fluid. With this in mind, we built what we call "The Green Bucket".

We installed three 3/4 inch coupled ports into the lid of a regular 20 liter plastic pail: one for an air breather, one for a feed, and one for suction. On the suction port we installed a down pipe to one inch from the bottom. On the down pipe we installed a sump float switch. When the pail fills and the float switch trips, a kidney pump sends filtered fluid back to the reservoir. When the pail empties, the switch trips and shuts off the pump.

The Green Bucket is not for all leaks - fluid contamination is a key factor. But in the right application, especially if you are in a pinch, this simple idea could help out your company and our environment.

Share your comments below, or submit your tip for publication here.