Everyday Items That Use Hydraulics

We all know that there are plenty of uses for hydraulic systems in Houston, TX, but most people associate them with heavy machinery and construction equipment. You might be surprised to find out that you use hydraulics every day, at home, in the office and when running errands. Hydraulic systems are, at their most basic, powered by fluid. Hydraulic fluid is pumped through cylinders. The pressure from the fluid powers repetitive movements, and can be used to lift heavy loads. Here are some of the everyday items and places that hydraulic systems make possible:

• Amusement parks: The next time you’re screaming on a roller coaster or other amusement park ride, remember that all the fun and games are powered by hydraulics. Hydraulics are present in everything from spinning teacup rides to animatronic figures. The smoother your ride is, the more likely hydraulics were involved in its creation.
• Barber chairs: When you go to get a haircut, you sit in a chair that has been lowered to the ground. Then your stylist presses a foot pedal several times to push the chair up to a comfortable height so they can reach your head easily. Hydraulics make it possible to lift hundreds of pounds just by pushing the pedal.
• Cars: Your car uses hydraulics in the brake system. When you press the brake pedal, a rod and piston inside the master cylinder move to slow down or stop your car. That’s why it’s so important to get your brake fluid checked regularly—hydraulics require plenty of clean fluid to operate properly. Otherwise, it won’t achieve the correct pressure.
• Dishwashers: Not all dishwashers use hydraulics, but the ones that do are typically a lot quieter than others. Hydraulics make it possible to pressurize water at a higher rate. That helps scour food from your dishes and rinse them thoroughly.
• Elevators: Elevators originally used a pulley system to lift and lower cars. Today, hydraulic elevators are more common—it makes it easy to smoothly lift heavy cars up and down tall elevator shafts.
• Gas pumps: Next time you’re at the gas pump, consider this: hydraulics make it possible to siphon gas from the tanks and pump it into your car at a rapid pace.
• Office chairs: Finally, if you have an adjustable office chair, it too uses hydraulics. As in a barber chair, hydraulic cylinders are responsible for pressurizing fluid. This lifts or lowers your chair smoothly when you press a lever or pedal.

The uses for hydraulics in Houston, TX are practically endless, and go far beyond this general overview. Anyone who works with hydraulics knows that they’re a powerful tool to lift objects and perform repetitive movements, but few laypeople realize just how omnipresent these systems really are. Now that you know how often you come into contact with hydraulics every day, remember that these everyday items need maintenance and repair, too. For the easiest expert hydraulic repair and maintenance, Sapphire Hydraulics can help. We’re available 24/7 and can come to you!