# Hydraulic Schematic Reading Lab Checklist

Use with Read a Hydraulic Schematic Before Touching Equipment: /projects/read-a-hydraulic-schematic/

## Before starting

- [ ] This lab is for reading diagrams, not servicing pressurized equipment.
- [ ] Do not use this page as permission to work on hydraulic systems.
- [ ] Depressurization, lockout, and qualified supervision matter in real systems.
- [ ] Use a schematic source or manual, not memory.
- [ ] Write unknown symbols as unknown instead of guessing.

## During the lab

- [ ] Write the diagram source and what machine or trainer it represents.
- [ ] Mark the pump or power source.
- [ ] Mark reservoir, tank, or return path.
- [ ] Mark the actuator and the motion it should create.
- [ ] Mark the valve or control element that changes the path.
- [ ] Trace the normal flow path without proposing a repair.
- [ ] Trace the actuated flow path separately.
- [ ] List every unknown symbol and look up its meaning before continuing.
- [ ] Write one pressure question and one flow question.
- [ ] Write what a qualified person should verify before any physical work.

## Finished-state checks

- [ ] Source diagram is named.
- [ ] Pump or power source is marked.
- [ ] Reservoir or return path is marked.
- [ ] Valve and actuator are identified.
- [ ] Normal and actuated paths are separate.
- [ ] Unknown symbols are listed.
- [ ] Pressure and flow questions are not mixed together.
- [ ] Safety boundary is explicit.

## Common mistakes to avoid

- [ ] Treating a schematic reading as permission to service equipment.
- [ ] Guessing at unknown symbols instead of marking them.
- [ ] Mixing pressure and flow into one vague explanation.
- [ ] Ignoring return path because the supply path is easier to see.
- [ ] Writing a repair action before the diagram has been traced.

## Safety and boundary checks

- [ ] This lab is for reading diagrams, not servicing pressurized equipment.
- [ ] Do not use this page as permission to work on hydraulic systems.
- [ ] Depressurization, lockout, and qualified supervision matter in real systems.
- [ ] Bring the marked diagram and questions to a qualified person before physical work.

## Next step

- [ ] Study pressure versus flow: /learn/hydraulic-pressure-vs-flow/