Why do most hydraulic systems use oil instead of water?

Answer 1

The short answer: Cost effectiveness.

The long answer: Employing water as a hydraulic fluid is entirely possible for many applications, but produces several additional challenges which will dramatically and likely prohibitively raise the price of the apparatus. For most applications, the higher costs will represent an unmarketable product.

The issues include:

Viscosity: Water has a much lower viscosity and higher specific gravity than hydraulic oil. This results in at least 3 other issues. First, the piston and cylinder materials (usually steel) will erode much quicker due to the resulting higher velocity and more turbulent flow. Second, the use of special valves will be required to prevent the mechanical shock caused by abrupt fluid flow stoppage inherent to water. Third, the lower viscosity also means it will be more difficult to prevent leaks, requiring more stringently machined parts with much finer tolerances.

Bacteria: A closed water system can provide a breeding ground for all kinds of microorganisms. This can result in clogged lines, filters and a potentially unsafe/unhealthy condition in the event of a leak.

Corrosion: Oxygen in the water as well as sulfurous by-products from bacteria can potentially corrode component materials.

Temperature Range: Water freezes at 32 degrees Fahrenheit. If freezing occurs, and due to the non-compressible nature of ice, it will almost certainly damage or destroy hydraulic parts. Anti-freeze agents will need to be utilized at the cost of the inherent environmental and toxicity concerns of such substances.

Lubricity: Water's comparatively low lubricity will lead to increased contact friction and resulting wear of components.

All of these issues can be addressed and overcome, with the disadvantage of dramatically higher cost vs. hydraulic oil.

Answer 2

Among other reasons, oil is a natural lubricant, it doesn't evaporate readily, and it doesn't support corrosion.

Oil has a much larger temperature range in which it stays a liquid.