Blog

Extending the Life of Your Rotary Union

Wednesday 24th June 2026

This week we have had a rotary union returned to us for repair. We despatched this joint 42 years ago, we know this because each of our joints has a unique serial number so that we can trace it.

The life of a rotary union will depend on the working conditions, however, there are some things that you can do to help extend the life of your rotary union.

Carry out regular maintenance. We have Maintenance leaflets that we can email to you if required or these can also be found on our website for all of our standard range of Rotary Unions.
You must ensure that your Ball Bearing Rotary Union is regularly lubricated, the higher the temperature, the more often you will need to lubricate it. All standard Rotary Unions are lubricated with Total Multis Complex EP2 grease. It is advisable for you to contact your grease supplier to check grease compatibility if you use a different grease manufacturer and to check the recommended lubrication periods.
You will also need to ensure that your flexible hoses are correctly aligned. This is to ensure they do not cause adverse loading to the Rotary Union. Please note - The Rotary Union is not designed to take axial or radial loads other than those generated by its own weight and fluid pressure.

If the working conditions of your Rotary Union change at any time, you should check that it is still within the operational guidelines of the Rotary Union. You can call our Technical Team or you can find the operational guidelines for all of our standard Rotary Unions online in our Technical Manual.

Our Technical Team are on hand to help with any queries you may have. Contact our Technical Team either by phone on +44 1926 423 191 or by email at technical@filtonltd.co.uk