Spent 4 hours hunting a leak that was just a worn O-ring on a hose fitting

Dropped a hammer on a hydraulic line last Tuesday and it took me until lunch Wednesday to realize the damn thing was just a $2 O-ring that cracked. Had the whole rig torn apart and pressure tested twice before I spotted it. Anyone else ever waste a whole shift on something that simple?

2 comments

2 Comments

luna_craig585d ago

Why is everyone acting like this is some huge deal? Tbh you spent 4 hours hunting a leak, you found it, you fixed it. That's literally the job. Ngl I've spent entire shifts chasing down shit that turned out to be a loose clamp or a bad seal - it's just part of the game. You didn't waste time, you learned where not to look next time. Honestly, if you're not spending at least half your day on wild goose chases, you're probably not doing anything complicated enough.

morgan.charlie5d ago

Why would anyone complain about spending 4 hours on a leak? @luna_craig58 that's exactly right, half my time on shift is just ruling stuff out. Next time you get a weird leak, try marking the damp area with chalk and check it again after an hour. That trick saved me chasing phantom drips across a whole system once. You're not wasting time, you're building a mental map of what doesn't work. Keep a small notebook in your pocket too, I jot down what I checked and when, saves repeating the same wild goose chase twice.