Choosing Bearings for High-Pressure Washdowns: A Buyer’s Guide.

High-pressure washdowns are notoriously tough on equipment. If your bearings can’t handle high-pressure water, your production line won’t handle the fallout. Let’s explore how to choose bearings built for these intense cleaning environments. Because, if your bearings can’t take the spray, your production line won’t take the pressure.

The Cleaning is Relentless — Your Bearings Should Be Too

In food and beverage manufacturing, high-pressure washdown bearings are as routine as clocking in. Cleaning isn’t something you do at the end of the week — it’s something you do every shift, sometimes multiple times a day.

Your production line might sparkle after a wash, but if your bearings aren’t built for it, you’ll be dealing with more than hygiene issues. You’ll be dealing with contamination, costly breakdowns, and early bearing failure.

And in this business, a bearing failure doesn’t just mean downtime — it means audits, recalls, or worse.

The Hidden Cost of Water Ingress during washdowns.

Water might look harmless, but inside a bearing, it’s catastrophic.

Here’s what happens when water gets in:

Corrosion on races and rolling elements
Grease breakdown, causing metal-on-metal wear
Increased friction and vibration, leading to early failure
Contamination risks, as grease leaks or mixes with product or packaging zones

Bearings not built for wet conditions don’t just fail faster — they fail messily, risking your hygiene scores, your production schedule, and your reputation.

Did you know?
Water ingress is responsible for up to 55% of bearing failures in high-pressure washdown environments.

The 5 Features Every Washdown-Ready Bearing Needs

Let’s break down what makes a bearing ready for this brutal, wet, chemical-soaked world.

1. Correct IP Rating Seals

If you only remember one spec, make it this one.

IP66 is the minimum standard — rated for high-pressure, high-temperature water jets from every angle. That means:

No leaks
No streaky grease trails
No water damage

If a bearing isn’t IP66 minimum, it has no business near a hose.

2. Food-Grade Grease That Stays Put

NSF H1-approved lubricants are a must — not just for safety, but for staying power. Washdown-resistant greases:

Resist emulsification (when water breaks the grease down)
Maintain viscosity under pressure and temperature swings
Prevent microbial growth if exposed

3. Stainless or Coated Housings

Plain steel and painted metal won’t last long in a sanitised zone. Use:

304 or 440-grade stainless steel
Polymer housings (like those offered by LDK)
Nickel or ceramic coatings for added protection

These resist rust, pitting, chemical damage, and flaking — and they look clean, which matters when inspectors come calling.

4. Auto-Lubrication for the Win

Manual re-lubrication is often forgotten, skipped, or done poorly. And during washdown, there’s a strong chance your grease levels won’t survive.

Perma lubrication systems keep grease topped up and consistent — without opening the housing or relying on memory.

Reduces labour
Increases uptime
Extends bearing life in wet zones
Lubrication in remote areas.

5. Self-Draining, Hygienic Design

Pooling = bacteria. Simple as that.

A good washdown bearing:

Has a drainable profile (angled, not flat)
Doesn’t allow water to sit behind the housing
Avoids the common problem of food residue or water being trapped around bolts or collars

What Happens When You Don’t Spec for Washdowns?

We’ll keep it short (and painful):

Water gets in, grease breaks down
Rust forms, vibration increases
Housings flake, bearings seize
Downtime follows, inspectors take notes
Product recalls, bad PR, and a line that can’t be trusted

All because the bearing you used wasn’t up to the cleaning standard.

Real-World Examples:

Dairy Plants
High-pressure washdowns every 4 hours, strong alkali cleaners. Bearings need extreme chemical resistance and no gaps for milk protein residue.

Poultry Facilities
Steam cleaning and hot water exposure. High-temp grease and sealed stainless units are a must.

Bottling Lines
Water everywhere. Grease leaches, seals fail. Auto-lube is standard in modern setups.

high-pressure Washdowns - Bearing Checklist

Question	What You're Looking For
What’s the pressure & temp of your washdown system?	IP66 or higher
What cleaning agents are used?	Stainless or Polymer housings
How often is cleaning performed?	Auto-lube in remote areas
Is it near product or open line?	NSF H1 grease being used.
Will you be audited?	Food-safe certifications kept.

Conclusion: Clean Fast. Don’t Fail Faster.

High-pressure cleaning is essential in food production. But if your bearings aren’t designed for it, you’ll end up cleaning out your maintenance budget too.

Choose bearings with the right seals, grease, housings, and certification — and you’ll reduce downtime, contamination, and unexpected failures.

Godiva Bearings supplies food-grade bearings from brands that understand real-world washdown environments:

LDK – Waterproof and corrosion-resistant units.
Perma – washdown-proof auto-lubricators.
Ambersil – NSF-registered maintenance sprays.

Need help figuring out your line? Read The Complete Guide to Bearings in Food Production. Or speak to one of our expert team – we’re open 24/7/365!

TOM HAMLETT

Tom Hamlett is a respected authority in the global bearings marketplace, with over 35 years of experience in industrial bearings, lubricants, and adhesives across a wide range of industries. As Managing Director of Godiva Bearings, Tom has built a trusted business renowned for its commitment to quality, technical expertise, and ethical service. Under his leadership, Godiva Bearings has remained the UK’s only trade-exclusive bearings supplier, proudly serving engineers and distributors worldwide since 1977. Tom’s in-depth knowledge and dedication have cemented his reputation as one of the most knowledgeable figures in the sector.

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