What is the term for subjecting a pump to operating pressures greater than those for which it was designed?

• A. Over-pressurization
• B. Improper fluid
• C. Single-acting cylinder
• D. Double-acting cylinder

Answer: (A)

Over-pressurization means running a pump at pressures higher than what it was designed to handle. Pumps have a maximum design pressure set by their seals, housing, and internal tolerances. When you exceed that limit, components can be stressed or fail: seals and gaskets may leak or blow out, housings can crack, and wear on moving parts accelerates. This condition also challenges the system’s protective devices, like relief valves, which are meant to limit pressure but can be bypassed or fail if the pressure rise is too fast or sustained. Preventing this involves selecting the right pump for the system, ensuring proper relief valve settings, and controlling operating pressures.

Using the fluid correctly matters, but “improper fluid” refers to compatibility or contamination issues rather than the act of exceeding the pump’s pressure rating. The names for cylinder types describe how fluid power moves the piston, not pressure stress on the pump.