24/7 Emergency Hydraulic Repairs: Mobile Breakdown Support
Updated: 22 September 2026
Hydraulic breakdown? Completely Hydraulic provides 24/7 mobile hydraulic engineering support for suitable emergency breakdowns across London, Essex, Kent, Heathrow and surrounding service areas, with mobile support also available across Birmingham and the West Midlands.
From burst hydraulic hoses and sudden leaks to loss of hydraulic function, cylinder problems and system faults, our mobile engineers can attend machinery where an on-site response is appropriate.
Call Completely Hydraulic on 0800 707 6556 for 24/7 mobile hydraulic engineering support. We attend suitable hydraulic breakdowns involving burst hoses, leaks, loss of hydraulic operation and faults involving cylinders, pumps, valves, fittings and other hydraulic equipment.
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What Counts as a Hydraulic Emergency?
A hydraulic problem becomes particularly urgent when it prevents machinery from operating safely or stops equipment that is critical to a business or site.
Examples can include:
- Burst hydraulic hoses
- Sudden hydraulic oil leaks
- Loss of hydraulic pressure or function
- Machinery unable to complete its operating cycle
- Vehicle-mounted hydraulic equipment becoming inoperable
- Hydraulic cylinders or rams failing to operate correctly
- Hydraulic pump or valve-related symptoms
- Damaged hydraulic fittings or connections
- Equipment stranded because hydraulic power is unavailable
The visible symptom does not always identify the failed component. Correct diagnosis can therefore be just as important as the repair itself.
What Should You Do After a Hydraulic Breakdown?
- Stop the machinery safely.
- Keep people clear of the affected equipment.
- Do not touch or hand-search for a pressurised leak.
- Make raised or suspended equipment safe using the appropriate procedure.
- Isolate the system where this can be done safely and correctly.
- Contain escaped hydraulic oil where appropriate and safe.
- Call for hydraulic engineering support.
High-pressure hydraulic fluid can penetrate skin and cause serious injury. A pinhole leak may be difficult to see but can still be dangerous. Keep clear of suspected pressurised leaks and have the system assessed appropriately.
Emergency Hydraulic Hose Replacement
A burst hydraulic hose is one of the most common reasons for an emergency mobile hydraulic callout.
Where appropriate, our mobile engineers can identify and replace a failed hose assembly at the machine.
Correct replacement requires more than matching the approximate dimensions of the old hose. The assembly may need to be selected according to:
- Nominal bore
- Working pressure
- Hose construction
- Hydraulic fluid
- Operating temperature
- Fitting type
- Connection and sealing method
- Required length
- Routing
- Minimum bend radius
- Machine movement
- Operating environment
Completely Hydraulic is an official Alfagomma distributor, supporting our hydraulic hose and fluid-transfer capability across the mobile engineering and trade-counter network.
See our Hydraulic Hose Burst Emergency Guide and On-Site Hydraulic Hose Replacement service.
Can a Burst Hydraulic Hose Be Repaired?
A failed high-pressure hydraulic hose should normally be replaced as a complete correctly specified hose assembly.
Tape, clamps and improvised patches should not be used to return a damaged pressure hose to normal operation.
Where a hose has failed repeatedly, simply replacing it again without considering the cause can lead to another breakdown.
Possible causes include:
- Abrasion
- Incorrect routing
- Excessive bending
- Twisting
- Heat
- Pressure surges
- Incorrect hose specification
- Fitting or assembly problems
- External damage
- Movement beyond the intended hose envelope
If the same hose keeps failing, the hose itself may not be the root cause. Routing, abrasion, movement, heat, pressure behaviour and the specification of the assembly should also be considered.
Emergency Hydraulic Ram & Cylinder Problems
A cylinder problem can stop lifting, pushing, clamping, tipping and other hydraulic functions.
Symptoms can include:
- External oil leakage
- Cylinder drift
- Loss of force
- Erratic movement
- Rod damage
- Failure to extend or retract correctly
- Abnormal movement under load
These symptoms do not automatically mean that the seals alone have failed.
Possible issues can involve seals, rods, barrels, pistons, glands, mountings, alignment or other parts of the hydraulic circuit.
A mobile engineer may be able to assess the immediate problem at the machine. More substantial cylinder rebuilding, machining and internal component work normally requires appropriate workshop facilities.
See our Hydraulic Ram & Cylinder Repair service.
Hydraulic Pump & Valve Faults
Loss of hydraulic performance is sometimes blamed immediately on the pump or a valve, but symptoms should be diagnosed before components are replaced.
A noisy or poorly performing hydraulic system could involve:
- Pump wear
- Cavitation
- Aeration
- Restricted suction
- Incorrect fluid
- Contamination
- Filter restriction
- Valve faults
- Electrical or control problems
- Internal leakage elsewhere in the system
Likewise, a valve-related symptom does not prove that the valve itself is responsible.
See our Hydraulic Valve Repair & Replacement and Hydraulic System Diagnostics pages.
Emergency PTO & Hydraulic Equipment Recovery
Commercial vehicles and specialist equipment can sometimes become stranded when their normal hydraulic power source becomes unavailable.
Where the equipment and hydraulic circuit are suitable, an external hydraulic power source may provide a route to recovering or repositioning the equipment before the underlying fault is repaired.
This can be relevant to equipment such as:
- HIAB and loader cranes
- Tipper equipment
- Skip vehicles
- Hook loaders
- Specialist commercial vehicles
- Other vehicle-mounted hydraulic equipment
Read our Emergency Mobile PTO Recovery Case Study to see an example of this type of work.
What Can a Mobile Hydraulic Engineer Do On Site?
Mobile engineering allows many suitable breakdowns to be investigated without first transporting the machine to a workshop.
Depending on the fault, equipment and site conditions, on-site work can include:
- Hydraulic hose identification and replacement
- Hydraulic fitting identification and replacement
- Leak investigation
- Initial system fault diagnosis
- Assessment of cylinder or ram problems
- Investigation of pump and valve symptoms
- Suitable hydraulic recovery work
- Identification of work requiring workshop repair
Not every hydraulic repair can or should be completed from a mobile vehicle.
Specialist machining, substantial cylinder rebuilding and certain component repairs require controlled workshop facilities.
See our Mobile Hydraulic Workshop guide.
24/7 Hydraulic Coverage
Completely Hydraulic operates four physical trade counters and engineering locations:
| Location | Area Supported |
|---|---|
| Harlow | Essex and surrounding areas |
| Dagenham | London and surrounding areas |
| Belvedere | Kent and surrounding areas |
| Hayes | Heathrow and West London |
We also provide mobile hydraulic engineering support in Birmingham and the West Midlands.
Birmingham is supported through our mobile engineering service. Completely Hydraulic’s physical trade counters are located in Harlow, Dagenham, Belvedere and Hayes.
How Quickly Can a Hydraulic Engineer Arrive?
Emergency callouts are prioritised, but there is no responsible fixed arrival time that can apply to every hydraulic breakdown.
Response time can depend on:
- Engineer location
- Traffic
- Time of day
- Current emergency workload
- Exact site location
- Site-access requirements
- Nature of the breakdown
For the current response position, call 0800 707 6556.
Hydraulic Oil Loss After a Breakdown
A burst hose or failed component can release hydraulic fluid from the system.
Once the source of the leak has been dealt with, the fluid level and condition may need to be considered before normal operation resumes.
The replacement fluid should meet the equipment manufacturer’s requirements. The ISO viscosity grade alone does not define the complete hydraulic fluid specification.
Where contamination has entered the system, additional investigation may also be appropriate rather than simply topping up the reservoir.
See our Hydraulic Oil Spill Response and Hydraulic Oil Change & Filtration information.
Not Sure Which Hydraulic Oil You Need?
Some machines require specialist or OEM-specific hydraulic oil. Using the wrong oil can cause serious damage.
Check Your Oil NowInformation to Give When Calling for Emergency Hydraulic Support
Providing useful information when you call can help the engineering team understand the requirement before attending.
Where possible, have the following available:
- Exact breakdown location
- Machine or vehicle type
- Description of what happened
- Whether a hose has visibly failed
- Whether hydraulic oil has escaped
- Visible hose or fitting markings
- Photographs of the failed area where safe to obtain
- Any relevant machine information
- Site-access or security requirements
Emergency Repair vs Permanent Repair
The aim of an emergency callout is not to create a temporary fix at any cost.
A repair should be appropriate to the component and operating conditions.
For example, a damaged high-pressure hose should normally be replaced with a suitable complete assembly rather than patched simply to restart the machine.
Likewise, if a cylinder or component requires workshop repair, removing it for proper assessment can be more appropriate than attempting an unsuitable on-site repair.
Preventing the Next Hydraulic Breakdown
Not every breakdown can be predicted, but repeat failures can provide useful information about the condition of a machine.
After an emergency repair, it may be worth considering:
- Condition of other hoses in the same area
- Hose routing and abrasion points
- Hydraulic fluid condition
- Filtration
- Operating temperature
- Previous component failures
- Cylinder condition
- Unusual noise or vibration
- Machine maintenance history
For operationally important machinery, a planned maintenance programme can help identify certain developing problems before they become emergency failures.
See our Hydraulic Preventative Maintenance and SIMS — System, Install, Maintenance & Service pages.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you provide 24/7 emergency hydraulic repairs?
Yes. Completely Hydraulic provides 24/7 mobile hydraulic engineering support for suitable emergency breakdowns across its service areas.
Can you replace a burst hydraulic hose on site?
Yes. Suitable failed hydraulic hose assemblies can often be identified and replaced at the machine using correctly specified compatible hose and fittings.
Can you patch a leaking high-pressure hydraulic hose?
A failed high-pressure hydraulic hose should normally be replaced as a complete suitable assembly rather than patched with tape, clamps or another improvised repair.
Can you repair a hydraulic ram during an emergency callout?
A mobile engineer can assess suitable cylinder and ram problems on site. More substantial rebuilding, machining and internal repair work normally requires appropriate workshop facilities.
Can you diagnose hydraulic pump and valve problems?
Yes. Hydraulic fault diagnosis can involve pumps, valves and the wider circuit. Symptoms should be investigated before assuming a particular component needs replacement.
Do you guarantee a 60-minute emergency response?
No fixed arrival time applies to every callout. Response depends on engineer location, traffic, current workload, site access and the nature of the breakdown. Call 0800 707 6556 for the current response position.
Do you have a hydraulic depot in Birmingham?
No. Birmingham and the West Midlands are supported through Completely Hydraulic’s mobile engineering service. The physical trade counters are in Harlow, Dagenham, Belvedere and Hayes.
What should I do if hydraulic oil is spraying from a machine?
Stop the machinery safely, keep people away from the leak and do not attempt to locate a pressurised leak with your hand. High-pressure fluid injection can cause serious injury.
What number should I call for an emergency hydraulic breakdown?
Call Completely Hydraulic on 0800 707 6556 for 24/7 emergency mobile hydraulic engineering support.
Hydraulic Breakdown? Call 24/7
For burst hoses, hydraulic leaks and suitable emergency hydraulic breakdowns, contact Completely Hydraulic’s mobile engineering team.