Rule 1. Pressure is only ever generated when flow is being restricted.

Example: All though you cannot see it, on occasions you can hear the pressure in your car's
hydraulic steering system. With the car parked and engine running, moving the steering back
and fourth will generate a hydraulic noise, i.e. pressure. The pressure is being generated by the
restriction or the effort required to swing the heavy rubber tyres across the rough bitumen
road. With the steering wheel released, the noise (pressure) disappears as there are now no
longer any restrictions to the fluid flow.

Rule 2. Hydraulic pumps generate flow, not pressure.

Example: For every stroke or rotation, a pump will displace a quantity of oil. Over sequential
strokes or rotations, these quantities of oil are then known as flow. Pressure is only ever
generated when this flow is being restricted. (See rule 1.)

Rule 3. Hydraulic oil is very lazy; under pressure, it will always find the path of least
resistance.

Example: If a hydraulic hose springs a leak, the oil will prefer to spurt out rather than go down
the hose to do some useful work.

Rule 4. Heat is generated wherever there is a pressure differential and useful work is
not being done.

Example: In a situation where a "speed control" has been placed inline to reduce the velocity
of a cylinder, a higher pressure is always present at the pump side of the restriction. Because
not all the available energy in the pump flow is required to do useful work and energy cannot
magically disappear, it is instead converted into heat at the pressure differential point. Heat is
just another form of energy.

Rule 5. The flow rate (volume of oil over time) affects the speed of equipment. Higher
flow rate = higher speed.

Example: When using a hand pump and jack cylinder, the faster you move the handle up and
down on the pump, the quicker the cylinder will extend.

Rule 6. The pressure affects the force of equipment. Higher pressure = higher force.

Example: On a workshop shop hydraulic press, the higher the pressure indicated on the gauge,
the more the press frame creaks and groans due to the higher forces being applied.

Rule 7. Pressurising hydraulic mineral oil will reduce its volume.

Example: A volume of hydraulic fluid under pressure is in a compressed state. Reducing the
pressure on volumes of fluid can, and do, cause shock waves as the compressibility transitions
back to a normal state.

Rule 8. A fixed displacement hydraulic pump in good repair will displace a consistent
volume of fluid.

Example: A common mistake people make is to install a flow control valve to slow the
movement of a cylinder down. The pump will always displace the same amount of fluid
therefore allowances have to made to compensate for the displacement which now isn't
required. What typically happens is that this unwanted flow ends up going over the relief valve.
This creates a pressure differential where system pressure is on one side of the relief valve and
zero tank pressure on the other. The net affect is heat generation as found in rule 4.