⚠️ Disclaimer: These tasks are guidelines only. They do not include lockout/tagout (LOTO), energy isolation, or other safety requirements. Review and verify suitability for your specific equipment and application. Add all required safety procedures per your company's policies and regulatory requirements before use. You are responsible for the safe and appropriate execution of all maintenance activities.
A grease pump exists for one reason: to keep grease moving to the bearings, bushings, and wear points that depend on it. When the pump fails quietly — a blocked line nobody noticed, a reservoir that ran dry, a timer nobody verified — the damage shows up somewhere else. On a bearing. On a spindle. On a piece of equipment that just cost you three days of production while everyone argued about what failed.
This checklist covers preventive maintenance tasks for grease and lubrication pumps — both field-level execution tasks and a full reference library for managers building or auditing a lube system PM program.
For the broader pump PM framework this checklist fits into, start with the pump PM program overview.
How to Use This Checklist
Record findings with specificity, not compliance. "Reservoir low" is a checkbox. "Reservoir at 30% capacity, refilled with Mobilux EP 2, previous fill date unknown" is a finding.
Trend over time. A pump that's losing a quart of grease per week without accounting for it has a leak, a blocked line, or a downstream fitting that's not accepting delivery. The number matters.
The difference between a real finding and a checked box: a checked box says "inspected distribution lines." A real finding says "Line 3 to bearing block B has a kink at the cable tray crossing — grease flow not confirmed at fitting."
If you can't describe what you found, you didn't find anything.
Field Checklist — Critical Tasks
Visual Inspection Tasks
| Task | Freq | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Inspect pump body, fittings, and hose connections for grease leaks or seepage. Wipe clean any accumulated grease and note location of any active leaks. | Every PM | MEC |
Operational Checks
| Task | Freq | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Check reservoir grease level. Fill to the marked level with the specified grease type if low. | Every PM | MEC |
| Cycle the pump manually or observe an automatic cycle. Verify grease is delivered to all lube points and that each line shows flow or pressure. | Every PM | MEC |
Mechanical Inspection
| Task | Freq | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Inspect all distribution lines and fittings for kinks, cracks, loose connections, or blockages. Straighten or reseat as needed. | Monthly | MEC |
| Verify timer or automatic cycle controller settings match the PM schedule requirements (cycle interval and shot duration). | Quarterly | MEC |
| Inspect pressure relief valve for proper operation. Verify it is not bypassing continuously or stuck open. | Quarterly | MEC |
| Clean reservoir vent and breather cap. Inspect for contamination ingress — replace breather if clogged or damaged. | Semi-Annually | MEC |
| Flush and refill reservoir if grease appears contaminated, discolored, or has mixed with water or a different grease type. | Annually | MEC |
| Inspect and test all lube point fittings (zerk or metered). Replace any that are plugged, damaged, or not accepting grease. | Annually | MEC |
Electrical Inspection
| Task | Freq | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Check pump motor operation (if electric): listen for abnormal noise, check for excessive heat at motor housing. | Monthly | ELE |
Reference Checklist — Full Task Library
Visual Inspection Tasks
| Task | Freq | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Inspect entire pump assembly for grease leaks at body seams, fittings, outlet ports, and shaft seal. Log leak locations and severity; initiate corrective WO if active leakage is found. | Every PM | MEC |
Operational Checks
| Task | Freq | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Check reservoir grease level against the sight glass or dipstick. Record current level and fill with correct specified grease if below the refill mark. | Every PM | MEC |
| Observe or initiate one full pump cycle. Confirm all lubrication points receive grease — verify via pressure indicators, flow indicators, or visual grease appearance at fittings. | Every PM | MEC |
| Verify automatic cycle timer settings: confirm cycle interval and shot duration match the lubrication specification for connected equipment. Document current settings. | Monthly | MEC |
| Inspect all metered injectors or divider valves for proper sequencing and grease delivery. Check indicator pins on injectors (if equipped) to confirm each injector cycled. | Monthly | MEC |
Mechanical Inspection
| Task | Freq | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Inspect all distribution lines (rigid and flexible) for cracks, kinks, abrasion wear, or loose fittings. Check line routing for contact with hot surfaces or moving components. | Monthly | MEC |
| Check pressure relief valve: verify set pressure is correct per system spec, valve is not continuously bypassing, and seat is not leaking. Adjust or replace as needed. | Quarterly | MEC |
| Verify pump output pressure at the outlet port using a calibrated gauge. Compare to system design pressure. Low output may indicate worn pump elements or a blocked line. | Quarterly | MEC |
| Check pump mounting hardware for tightness. Inspect mounting base or bracket for cracks or corrosion. Confirm pump is securely mounted and not vibrating excessively during operation. | Semi-Annually | MEC |
| Flush and refill reservoir with fresh, specified grease. Document grease type, grade, and batch used. Do not mix grease types without engineering approval. | Annually | MEC |
| Inspect pump piston, plunger, or gear elements (if accessible) for wear or scoring. Replace pump cartridge or worn internal components per manufacturer service interval. | Annually | MEC |
| Review lubrication system PM history: confirm all lube points are being reached, note any repeat faults or blocked lines, and compare grease consumption to expected usage rates. | Annually | MEC |
Lubrication
| Task | Freq | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Inspect and clean reservoir vent/breather. Replace breather element if clogged. Check for evidence of water or contamination in the reservoir. | Semi-Annually | MEC |
| Take a grease sample from the reservoir for visual inspection. If contamination (water, metal particles, or color change) is suspected, arrange lab analysis or perform flush and refill. | Semi-Annually | MEC |
| Inspect all lube point fittings (zerk or metered). Test each fitting for acceptance — replace plugged, cracked, or leaking fittings. Record any blocked points for follow-up bore investigation. | Semi-Annually | MEC |
Electrical Inspection
| Task | Freq | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Inspect pump motor for abnormal noise, vibration, or heat. Check motor nameplate against operational requirements. Flag for electrician if motor runs hot or shows signs of overload. | Monthly | ELE |
| Inspect pump drive mechanism (if air-driven: air supply pressure, lubricator charge, filter condition; if electric: motor starter/contactor condition and wiring integrity). | Quarterly | ELE |
| Test low-level alarm or fault output (if equipped): confirm alarm activates at the correct low-level setpoint and that signal reaches the PLC or maintenance alert system. | Annually | ELE |
Failure Modes This Checklist Targets
Reservoir depletion and grease starvation. The most basic failure — the reservoir runs out and nobody notices until a bearing on the other end of the line seizes. This is the failure that makes you feel stupid. The pump was working. It just had nothing to pump.
Blocked distribution lines. Lines kink, fittings plug, and grease stops moving — but the pump keeps cycling and the reservoir level keeps dropping. Everything looks fine until the bearing tells you otherwise.
Grease contamination and cross-contamination. Water intrusion through a failed breather, a second grease type added by the wrong person, metal particles from internal pump wear — contaminated grease is often worse than no grease at all. It changes viscosity, accelerates corrosion, and packs into bearing raceways where it does damage for months before failure.
Pressure relief valve bypass. A relief valve that's stuck open or set too low routes grease back to the reservoir instead of out to the lube points. The pump cycles. The reservoir depletes. Nothing gets lubricated. The system looks functional until every downstream bearing starts trending toward failure at once.
Timer and cycle controller drift. In automated systems, the cycle interval and shot duration are the whole program. If the settings drift — or were never verified after the last maintenance cycle — lubrication is either over-applied (attracting contamination, overheating bearings) or under-applied (starving them). The equipment won't tell you which.
Lube point fitting failure. A zerk fitting that won't accept grease, a metered injector that stopped sequencing, a cracked fitting at a hard-to-reach bearing — these are the silent failures. Grease is delivered to the last good fitting. Every point downstream gets nothing.
